Women’s Pro League Returns with “WPS Inaugural Match” on March 29, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO (December 16, 2008) – Five and a half years after the last women’s professional soccer league game was played on U.S. soil, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) today announced its opening game and slate of home openers for the inaugural 2009 WPS Season. Headlining the list of games is the “WPS Inaugural Match” featuring the Los Angeles Sol against the Washington Freedom at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, with live and exclusive national television coverage on Fox Soccer Channel beginning at 6pm Eastern/3pm Pacific on Sunday, March 29, 2009.

“This is an exciting day for the world of soccer and professional sports on the whole,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “Announcing such a fantastic line-up of home openers for each of our seven WPS teams highlighted by the WPS Inaugural Match between the Los Angeles Sol and the Washington Freedom at one of the country’s great soccer venues further builds on the anticipation for the 2009 WPS Season. We hope soccer and sports fans alike are marking their calendars to cheer for their teams at the home openers or to watch on Fox Soccer Channel.”

The “WPS Inaugural Match” on March 29 will be a stand-alone game featured as part of FSC’s “Sunday Game of the Week” and will be followed by a full slate of season-opening games the weekend of April 4 and 5. The week in-between will feature special events, activities and WPS fan promotions to celebrate “WPS Kick-Off Week.” The conclusion of the week will see home openers for FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), as it takes on the Boston Breakers, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY), which faces the Sol, and Saint Louis Athletica, which goes up against its regional rival the Chicago Red Stars.

Two franchises with WUSA-roots, the Boston Breakers and Washington Freedom, open play at home on Saturday, April 11 of Easter Weekend, while Chicago will be the last team to play at home after opening the season with two road games. They host Sky Blue FC on April 19.
Home Team     Away Team     Venue     Time (ET)     TV     Tickets

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Los Angeles Sol     Washington Freedom     Home Depot Center, Carson, CA     6pm ET

Sunday, April 5, 2009

FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)     Boston Breakers     Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, CA   TBD    

Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)     Los Angeles Sol     TD Bank Park, Bridgewater, NJ     TBD

Saint Louis Athletica     Chicago Red Stars     Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL     TBD          

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Boston Breakers     Saint Louis Athletica     Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA     7pm ET  

Washington Freedom     Chicago Red Stars     Maryland Soccerplex, Germantown, MD     TBD         

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Chicago Red Stars     Sky Blue FC     Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL     TBD

Ticketing information for the opening games can be found along with special holiday ticket packages at www.womensprosoccer.com or by calling:

Boston Breakers                  (781) 251-2100

Chicago Red Stars               (866) WPS-2009 (866-977-2009)

FC Gold Pride                       (408) 541-3511

Los Angeles Sol                    (877) 4-SOL-TIX (476-5849)

Saint Louis Athletica            (888) STL-GOAL

SkyBlue FC                          (888) SBFC-TIX

Washington Freedom           (202) 547-KICK

About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

The mission of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured.  Play kicks off on March 29, 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.  The league expects to expand in 2010 with the addition of Atlanta and Philadelphia, while working to secure a facility for a Dallas team for the second WPS season. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.