Danish forward Cecilie Fløe scored the game-winning goal in the 100th minute in front of a sellout crowd of 5,006 fans at Tampa’s Riverfront Stadium.

The game capped off the first season for the eight-team USL Super League, which is sanctioned as a first-division league alongside the National Women’s Soccer League.

Fløe scored in the 100th minute when she got her foot on the end of a cross from Sydny Nasello, who was named the game’s MVP.

Tampa Bay finished second in the regular season behind Players’ Shield winners Carolina Ascent FC. Fort Lauderdale, the No. 4 seed, upset Carolina in the semifinals.

Tampa Bay is captained by midfielder Jordyn Listro who previously played for the Orlando Pride, reigning winners of the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

American Erika Tymrak, the inaugural NWSL Rookie of the Year in 2013 for FC Kansas City, and England’s Jade Moore previously announced their retirement. They both went out on top with Tampa Bay.

USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort can’t shake the memory of the league’s inaugural match, a sellout crowd of 10,553 outside of Charlotte, North Carolina last August. The scenes, she said, were a proof of concept for the upstart U.S. women’s pro league trying to find a foothold.

“The first four, six months have been so exciting,” Vandervort said to The Equalizer. “It’s been amazing.”

That challenge was felt in the realities of the weeks and months that followed. The USL Super League resumed play this month after a winter break that marked the unofficial halfway point of its inaugural season. A fall-to-spring calendar is the league’s most unique trait, one that stands in contrast to the National Women’s Soccer League, the incumbent first-division league that began play in 2013.

But attendance has been a struggle.

D.C. Power averages 1,971 fans per game while Lexington SC averages 1,811. D.C. plays at Audi Field, also home to the Washington Spirit of the NWSL and D.C. United of Major League Soccer, which has a capacity of 20,000. Lexington features at Lexington SC Stadium, which holds 7,500 fans.

U.S. head coach Emma Hayes named her developmental roster that will train alongside the senior team next week in Southern California. Sixteen players are already confirmed professionals (with the subsequent Wednesday announcements of two Seattle Reign signings) with birth years for the entire group ranging from 2002 to 2007.

The “Futures Camp,” as U.S. Soccer is calling it, will allow Hayes to evaluate young, promising players up close and in the national team environment to see if they could be part of her plans on the road to the 2027 World Cup and beyond.

“I always like to do things like, I don’t just zoom in or get into the weeds of things,” Hayes said on Tuesday. “Let’s create high-level strategy in and around what we want to see for our program, and that starts in January with combining the futures and the WNT side by side.”

Kansas City Current forward Michelle Cooper, teammate and midfielder Claire Hutton, and Angel City FC fullback Gisele Thompson are among the call-ups for the camp, which will take place from Jan. 14-21.

College players who have been invited to camp include University of North Carolina forward Kate Faasse, who won the MAC Hermann Trophy as the best player in college soccer after leading the Tar Heels to their first national championship since 2012. University of Texas midfielder Lexi Missimo was also among the college players who earned a call-up.

Every player on the roster except for University of Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown has prior experience playing and/or training with the U.S. youth national teams, according to U.S. Soccer.

Thirteen of the 14 pros on the roster come from 11 different NWSL teams, with Brooklyn FC goalkeeper Neeku Purcell being the lone representative from the new USL Super League.

The “Futures Camp” is officially designated a youth national team call-up, per a U.S. Soccer spokesperson, although Hayes was clear on Tuesday about the opportunity ahead for players. She is “desperate” to deepen the U.S. player pool, and she sees more U-23 programming as the way to do that. This camp is the start of that concept.

Players on this roster will be coached by Hayes and her staff and train adjacent to a senior team roster that is already experimental given the absence of European players and several injured stars.

“It took a lot of coordination,” Hayes said of putting together the two camps of 50 players combined.

“I am going to be extremely busy, probably significantly more busy than every camp, because I’m going to be coaching two teams. But like I said, I’ve got a great group of staff. I’ve been working with Tracy Kevins, who’s moved from the Under-20 position, and we’ve been working with Lisa Cole and Denise Reddy to put together a program over 10 days that we know hasn’t been done this way before, but one that we expect to happen every January.”

The U.S. last hosted a developmental identification camp in December 2019, shortly after former head coach Vlatko Andonovski took over.  

U.S. Roster by Position – 2025 Futures Camp

GOALKEEPERS (3):Jordan Brown (Georgia; Las Vegas, Nev.), Mia Justus (Utah Royals; Lakewood, Ohio), Neeku Purcell (Brooklyn FC; Seattle, Wash.)

DEFENDERS (7): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; El Cajon, Calif.), Heather Gilchrist (Florida State; Boulder, Colo.), Savy King (Bay FC; West Hills, Calif.), Emily Mason (Seattle Reign FC; Flemington, N.J.), Makenna Morris (Washington Spirit; Germantown, Md.), Lilly Reale (NJ/NY Gotham FC; Hingham, Mass.), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Taylor Huff (Florida State; Mansfield, Ohio), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; Bethlehem, N.Y.), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; Roswell, Ga.), Ainsley McCammon (Seattle Reign FC; Bedford, Texas), Yuna McCormack (Florida State; Mill Valley, Calif.), Lexi Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas)

FORWARDS (8): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; Clarkston, Mich.), Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; Edina, Minn.), Jordynn Dudley (Florida State; Milton, Ga.), Kate Faasse (UNC; Phoenix, Ariz.), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars; Beltsville, Md.), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; Jacksonville, Fla.), Pietra Tordin (Princeton; Miami, Fla.), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; Aliso Viejo, Calif.)

Subscribers-only reading

Following a February decision by U.S. Soccer, USL Super League will operate as a first-division league alongside the National Women’s Soccer League. There will be eight teams competing in the first season.

Carolina Ascent FC is set to meet DC Power FC in the league’s inaugural match, then Spokane Zephyr FC will face Fort Lauderdale United FC to round out the Saturday slate. Tampa Bay Sun FC will face Dallas Trinity FC on Sunday.

For those hoping to tune in to the first weekend’s matches, here is a handy Where to Watch chart published by the league this morning:

Below, you will find the opening day roster for each team and lots of familiar names from the NWSL:

Brooklyn FC | Carolina Ascent FC | Dallas Trinity FC | DC Power FC | Fort Lauderdale United FC | Lexington SC | Spokane Zephyr FC | Tampa Bay Sun FC

Brooklyn FC

Manager: TBD

• Sydney Martinez, Goalkeeper
• Neeku Purcell, Goalkeeper
• Samantha Rosette, Defender
• Leah Scarpelli, Defender
• Nikia Smith, Defender
• Tori Hansen, Defender
• Sasha Pickard, Defender
• Samantha Kroeger, Midfielder
• Allison Pantuso, Midfielder
• Hope Breslin, Midfielder
• Dana Scheriff, Forward
• Jessica Garziano, Forward
• Taylor Smith, Forward
• Isabel Cox, Forward
• Mackenzie George, Forward

Carolina Ascent FC

Manager: Philip Poole

• Meagan McClelland, Goalkeeper
• Charlotte Burge, Goalkeeper
• Molly Vapensky, Goalkeeper
• Josie Studer, Defender
• Victoria Frances Bruce, Defender
• Jillienne Aguilera, Defender
• Emily Moxley, Defender
• Sydney Studer, Defender
• Renee Guion, Defender
• Isabella Franco, Defender
• Annika Schmidt, Defender
• Kelly Ann Livingstone, Defender
• Barrie Clough, Defender
• Giovanna DeMarco, Midfielder
• Taylor Porter, Midfielder
• Kathrynn González, Midfielder
• Ellanna Anna Beard, Midfielder
• Ashlynn Serepca, Midfielder
• Chloe Hylton, Midfielder
• Sarah Troccoli, Midfielder
• Jaydah Bedoya, Forward
• Mia Corbin, Forward
• Rylee Baisden, Forward
• Jaida McGrew, Forward
• Audrey Harding, Forward
• Stella Spitzer, Forward

Dallas Trinity FC

Manager: Pauline MacDonald

• Samantha Estrada, Goalkeeper
• Hannah Davidson, Defender
• Gabriela Guillén, Defender
• Maya Gordon, Defender
• Julie Dorsey, Defender
• Hailey Davidson, Defender
• Maja Henkriksson, Defender
• Jenna Winebrenner, Defender
• Amber Brooks, Defender
• Jenny-Julia Danielsson, Midfielder
• Samantha Meza, Midfielder
• Gracie Brian, Midfielder
• Haley Berg, Midfielder
• Enzi Broussard
• Lucy Shepherd
• Cyera Hintzen
• Chioma Ubogagu
• Allie Thornton
• Rachel McCarthy

DC Power FC

Manager: Frédéric Brillant

• Morgan Aquino, Goalkeeper
• Adelaide Gay, Goalkeeper
• Susanna Friedrichs, Defender
• Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Defender
• Myra Konte, Defender
• Claire Constant, Defender
• Anna Bagley, Midfielder
• Katelyn Duonng, Midfielder
• Jeannette Yango, Midfielder
• Phoebe Canoles, Midfielder
• Charlie Estcourt, Midfielder
• Yuuka Kurosaki, Midfielder
• Madison Murnin, Midfielder
• Katrina Guillou, Midfielder
• Zaneta Wyne, Midfielder
• Alexeis Kirnos, Midfielder
• Jorian Baucom, Forward
• Mariah Lee, Forward

Fort Lauderdale United FC

Manager: Tyrone Mears

• Cosette Morche, Goalkeeper
• Makenna Gottschalk, Goalkeeper
• Delaney Lindahl, Defender
• Celia Gaynor, Defender
• LAveni Vaka, Defender
• Adrienne Jordan, Defender
• Cameron Brooks, Defender
• Taylor Smith, Defender
• Reese Klein, Defender
• Anele Komani, Midfielder
• Felicia Knox, Midfielder
• Darya Rajaee, Midfielder
• Anna Henderson, Midfielder
• Addie McCain, Midfielder
• Tatiana Fung, Midfielder
• Nia Christopher, Forward
• Shnia Gordan, Forward
• Gianna Gourley, Forward
• Luana Grabias, Forward

Subscribe to The Next

Lexington SC

Manager: Mike Dickey

• Sarah Cox, Goalkeeper
• Bridgette Skiba, Goalkeeper
• Taiana Tolleson, Goalkeeper
• Trinity Watson, Defender
• Madison Perez, Defender
• Autumn Weeks, Defender
• Emmi Dunn, Midfielder
• Marykate McGuire, Midfielder
• Natalie Higgins, Midfielder
• Natalie Turner-Wyatt, Midfielder
• Kailey Utley, Forward
• Elysia Laramie, Forward
• Kimberly Mendez, Forward
• Hannah Richardson, Forward
• Julie Mackin, Forward
• Cori Sullivan, Forward
• Jennifer Aalbue, Forward
• Courtney Jones, Forward

Spokane Zephyr FC

Manager: Jo Johnson

• Isobel Nino, Goalkeeper
• Hailey Coll, Goalkeeper
• Hope Hisey, Goalkeeper
• Sarah Clark, Defender
• Sydney Cummings, Defender
• Makena Carr, Defender
• Alyssa Bourgeois, Defender
• Haley Thomas, Defender
• Taylor Aylmer, Midfielder
• Emma Jaskaniec, Midfielder
• Marley Canales, Midfielder
• Sophie Braun, Midfielder
• Katie Murray, Midfielder
• Jennifer Vetter, Forward
• Taryn Ries, Forward
• Jodi Ulkekul, Forward
• Emina Ekic, Forward
• Alyssa Walker, Forward
• Riley Tanner, Forward
• Natalie Viggiano, Forward
• Reiss

Tampa Bay Sun FC

Manager: Denise Schilte-Brown

• Lauren Kellett, Goalkeeper
• Kaylan Marckese, Goalkeeper
• Ashley Orkus, Goalkeeper
• Vivianne Bessette, Defender
• Kristen Edmonds, Defender
• Brooke Hendrix, Defender
• Siena Bryan, Defender
• Amanda Kowalski, Defender
• Brooke Denesik, Defender
• Taylor Yablonski, Defender
• Jordyn Listro, Midfielder
• Erika Tymrak, Midfielder
• Lindsay Nicholson, Midfielder
• Carlee Giammona, Midfielder
• Domi Richardson, Midfielder
• Aaliyah Pitts, Midfielder
• Hannah Keane, Forward
• Skylar Alonso, Forward
• Ella Martinez, Forward
• Ashley Clark, Forward
• Riley Mattingly, Forward
• Sydny Nasello, Forward

Chioma Ubogagu turned to Spurs defender Amy Turner and attempted to describe it the only way she knew how: “It felt like death.”

Repeating it now in conversation with The Equalizer, she said she’s not one to rush to a doctor, but once she returned home, Ubogagu threw up and knew there was definitely something wrong.

From there, she updated the medical team, called her mother, Tina, who is a nurse, and headed for the ER. Nothing showed in the bloodwork, and after she pushed for further testing, she was met with a harsh reality. Ubogagu, an otherwise healthy, young English footballer, had a mass in her abdomen.

“The way she was looking at me scared me,” Ubogagu said. “It was just a very uncertain diagnosis.”

Several weeks and doctor visits later, Ubogagu and her mother decided it was best to return to the U.S. to her support system. Luckily for her, that included coach Paul Ratcliffe and the top-notch medical team at Stanford, where she had competed as an undergrad.

“All she did was call her coach, and in 24 hours he got this moving,” Tina said. “In 48 hours we were able to see a specialist. Unbelievable. Stanford does not take their students or their athletes for granted at all.”

The final diagnosis was a massive fibroid that had begun to degenerate. So, ultimately, her first description wasn’t far off.

There was also a worrisome cyst on her ovary. A postoperative test showed it was a “borderline tumor,” which made it particularly difficult to diagnose.

She credits her mother and brother Oggy for their diligence in her early days of recovery from Stage 1A ovarian cancer. Oggy even slept on a cot at the hospital to keep a watchful eye on Chioma. The two worked together at home to serve as day and night nurses as she regained strength and confidence.

Now, fully recovered and in remission, Ubogagu completes scans every few months to make sure she remains cancer-free.

“The way I look at the whole thing is like, the fibroid in my stomach that caused me pain was really a blessing to then get these scans because otherwise I never would have known about this growing tumor in my ovary,” Ubogagu said.

And the blessings didn’t stop there.

New league, new opportunity

On July 15, Ubogagu signed with Dallas Trinity FC of USL Super League. The club is set to play at the Cotton Bowl in downtown Dallas as a first-division team.

“Dallas is a huge sports city, so I think there’s been a need for a women’s professional soccer team, especially with women’s sports and the growth that’s been happening,” Ubogagu said. “I think it’s going to be a great fit.”

Even before the diagnosis, Ubogagu was missing Dallas. Drafted by Sky Blue FC out of Stanford, she played four seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League and one with Brisbane of the W-League before crossing the pond for Tottenham.

Want even more women’s sports coverage?

Subscribers to The Equalizer save 50% on their subscription to our partner publication, The IX. This newsletter has experts covering the latest news in women’s soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics. Each sport has its own day, which means you’ll receive The IX in your inbox six days a week.

Born in England and already capped by the Lionesses, Ubogagu seemed like a natural selection for the historic club. And she did well, starting four of her first 10 matches and recording an assist before a shocking suspension ended her season early.

Detailed in her 2022 piece for The Player’s Tribune, Ubogagu says she contacted the team for routine prescription refills when one of the doctors flagged her acne medicine, spironolactone.

The original prescription for spironolactone was written and filled in the United States, where a report from Epic Research and NBC News found that spironolactone made up 47% of all oral medications prescribed to women for acne in 2023. That was a 27% increase from 2017.

However, the substance is banned in the Women’s Super League for diuretic properties and carries a nine-month suspension.

She made it back for just nine games the following season before falling ill.

“My mom always says, ‘What’s meant for you won’t pass you,’” Ubogagu said.

Playing in Dallas is also a chance to reconnect with GM Chris Petrucelli, who recruited her while coaching at the University of Texas. Additionally, Petrucelli coached at Notre Dame, where he won the 1995 national championship, and Southern Methodist. Most recently, he served as coach of the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars.

Finding joy in the everyday

Seeing how she’s handled the last few years, it’s no surprise that Tina’s first words to describe her daughter are “persistent” and “strong.”

“She never gives up,” Tina said. “Right from when she was born, whatever she sets her mind to do, she sets up goals, and if she doesn’t get it she doesn’t quit.”

And now Ubogagu hopes to pass that attitude along to her teammates as a veteran for Dallas Trinity when the inaugural USL Super League season begins in August. The club’s first home match will be Sept. 7 against DC Power FC. There are eight teams in the league.

She’ll also try to balance her play with a little newfound grace.

“After a hard game or after I maybe don’t train well one day or maybe I’m not starting or maybe I didn’t get in a match, I just think my perspective is going to be so different,” Ubogagu said.

Of course, she’ll have her family along as well, ready to celebrate every step of the journey back.

“She didn’t want her soccer career to end the way it did last year,” Tina said. “She wanted to end it on her terms, so we here are, right behind her, supporting her.”

Earlier this week, USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort met journalists to discuss the league’s plans. There are still many questions, some of which will be answered in the coming weeks, Vandervort said. Here’s what we know — and what we don’t, yet — about the USL Super League.

What is the USL Super League?

The USL Super League is a new professional women’s soccer league that will launch in August with eight teams in its first season. Last week, it received official sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation as a first-division league. The National Women’s Soccer League is already a first-division league in the United States that first kicked off in 2013.

So, it will compete with the NWSL? Why didn’t USL stick with second-division plans?

Yes and no regarding competition. Both leagues are first divisions, which is confusing for just about any global soccer fan used to a traditional pyramid. The USL Super League initially announced its intention to launch as a second-division league, but last year it changed course to become first division. The short answer to why is that the difference between standards for a first-division women’s league and a second-division women’s league aren’t prohibitive to the USL’s ownership groups, many of which already operate second-division men’s teams and have to meet similar requirements for those teams, anyway.

U.S. Soccer does not limit how many leagues can exist at each division. The federation explicitly avoids that following an antitrust lawsuit brought about by the NASL, after the the USL and NASL competed for business as second-division men’s leagues in the previous decade. The NASL accused U.S. Soccer and MLS of collaborating in antitrust practices meant to impede the NASL’s business.

U.S. Soccer sanctions leagues using requirements laid out in its Pro League Standards (PLS). If a league meets those requirements, it can be sanctioned; the USL Super League meets the requirements. Among them: eight teams in at least two time zones in season one, all stadiums must seat at least 5,000 people, and the majority owner of each team must own at least 35% and have an individual net worth of $15 million.

Subscribe to The Next

Have the USL Super League and NWSL had any discussions? Are they rivals?

It is unclear if the USL and NWSL have had any formal discussions. They have only ever acknowledged each other through statements of general support about more opportunities for women’s professional development.

I asked Vandervort whether the two leagues have been in contact at all, and what conversations with U.S. Soccer have looked like about having two D-1 leagues.

“Let me start with U.S. Soccer: They’ve been incredibly supportive of the Super League,” Vandervort said. “Everything we’ve been working with them on about this Division 1 sanctioning, and what those standards are for the USL Super League — a big thank you to [U.S. Soccer president] Cindy Cone and [CEO] J.T. Batson and the entire board of U.S. Soccer for supporting our application and approving our sanctioning. That’s been really positive and a wonderful experience working with the federation.

“And the same with the NWSL. We’re excited about where they are in their growth and development and we’re excited to join the movement of women’s professional soccer. We’ve been really public about the opportunity to potentially have a U.S. Open Cup or create some sort of competition. But for us, it’s early days. We want to get the Super League off the ground in a successful manner and be focused on the things that we need to do right to fill our stadiums and drive our media deal and get the footprint and footing right for the Super League here in year one, because I think that’s going to launch us towards long-term — this is generational, the Super League, and we want to get it right from the beginning and being really focused on what we bring to the table and what the Super League is and how we operate. The things that make us unique, special and different, we’re really focused on getting those right.”

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman is a member of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors. Whether the Super League specifically would get a seat at that table is unclear. “Those are ongoing discussions,” Vandervort said.

The NWSL issued the following statement to The Equalizer upon news of the USL Super League’s sanctioning:

“We congratulate the USL in their efforts to launch a professional league. We know the work and investment required. 

“As we have seen from our record attendance, viewership, sponsorship revenue and expansion fees, the NWSL is growing at an exceptional pace, and we’re excited about our future.

“As the most competitive women’s league in the world, there are limited roster spots available in the NWSL. More opportunities to compete professionally is a good thing and we’re interested to see how a new league might contribute to the continued growth of our game.”

There are no unanimous opinions about the USL Super League among NWSL sources, but this much is clear: the contrast in how the leagues operate will force competition. In the long run, that could play out in several ways. Read more here.

What is unique about the USL Super League?

The big item of interest here is the calendar, a problem the NWSL has dealt with for a decade and one that has intensified recently — and will only get worse in coming years. As first reported by The Equalizer last year, NWSL leadership has discussed the idea of switching to a fall-to-spring calendar, although there has not been significant movement on the topic since.

The USL Super League will play a fall-to-spring schedule to align with the global calendar, which Vandervort & Co. feel will be advantageous in the international transfer market and for scheduling (all of which are lessons learned from the NWSL).

“I think it’s an incredible advantage, first so that our players can plan their international careers in combination with their club careers and not be fighting that battle about club and country throughout the summer months,” Vandervort said. “I think it also creates the opportunity… to have your top players in market for games on a more frequent basis, it creates a real energy around the fans and a real synergy between the fans and the players that I think we’re really going to draw on. This year-round competition allows players to compete in a competitive environment throughout the months when they’re not competing with their national team, too, so that their periodization is on track to be at peak performance when the Women’s World Cup comes around.”

There will be no college draft in the USL Super League, meaning all players are free agents as they would be globally. That stands in contrast with the NWSL’s American draft system, although the draft’s days in the NWSL could be numbered. As I’ve previously reported, trades involving future draft picks now include contingencies if said draft does not exist, a tangible sign that the elimination of the draft mechanism is being taken seriously.

USL teams also have established pipelines that NWSL teams still lack. There are 40 girls’ academy clubs on board for 2024 that are all directly connected to teams in either the USL W-League (amateur summer competition) or USL Super League, Vandervort said. The USL will also allow young players to compete in senior-team environments without sacrificing college eligibility by utilizing academy contracts, a concept already in place on the men’s side.

How many teams are there now?

The USL Super League will launch in August with eight teams: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Spokane, Wash.; Tampa Bay, Fla.; Washington, D.C.

Six of those eight teams are in the Eastern Time Zone. “You might see those West Coast clubs coming east and playing a Wednesday-Saturday matchup,” Vandervort said. She acknowledged the current east-to-west imbalance as well as the number of cold-climate teams the league will have to factor into scheduling.

“Right now, it is absolutely stunning here in Tampa Bay [at USL headquarters], but I know there’s a [snow] storm going on up north,” Vandervort said. “So, we’re going to be navigating those other dynamics around our calendar and our schedule but right now with eight teams, I think we’ve got a great plan ahead of us.”

Vandervort did not speak in detail about what the winter break will look like, but she said “you can expect December and January” to be part of that.

What could this look like in a few years?

The USL Super League has disclosed eight additional markets that could launch in 2025 and beyond. They would “take the field upon completion of stadium projects and other important club development initiatives,” the league said in a release. Those markets are Chattanooga, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Madison, Wisc.; Oakland, Calif.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Tucson, Ariz.

Phoenix and Tucson were originally announced as teams that would be part of the league’s launch in August. The Equalizer reached out to the USL Super League about why those teams are not launching in August and received the following statement from a league spokesperson:

“The pipeline of clubs excited to join the USL Super League in the future will see us bring professional women’s soccer to more communities than ever before. The timelines for their launches will naturally vary and shift as they continue to develop their stadium plans, club infrastructure, capital investment, and business strategies related to women’s soccer. We look forward to working with all of our ownership groups to ensure they are well-positioned to succeed on and off the field when they join the league.”

How big could the league become? And could there be more than just one division of the USL Super League, mimicking the two-tier professional model the USL utilizes on the men’s side? I asked Vandervort, who said:

“I don’t answer the question in terms of the total number; I answer it in terms of what’s right for the Super League,” Vandervort said. “ As we’re growing along with the growth of women’s soccer and bringing more professional women’s soccer closer to home in all these communities across the country, I think the question of how many is the right number will reveal itself as we grow and develop. I don’t have an answer to the exact number. In terms of the competition structure, that’s something that we’re working through, but we’re open as we build what’s right for the Super League and our entire ecosystem across the USL.”

Some of those prospective markets don’t scream ‘major league,’ but that is also a very American way of viewing things. (U.S. Soccer’s PLS requires 75% of the league’s markets to be in metropolitan areas of at least 750,000 people.)

“Fandom isn’t determined by the size of the city you live in,” Vandervort said. “That’s something that the USL really believes, that bringing soccer into these communities and providing professional women’s soccer in particular with the Super League, is something the fans are hungry for and they’ve just never had that opportunity.”

There is major interest in NWSL expansion, and right now that league is only committed to adding one more team for 2026 to join the incoming Boston team. Expansion beyond 16 teams seems likely given the economic benefits and interest, but there are more prospective investor groups looking for women’s soccer opportunities than there are places at the table in the NWSL, which will be charging more than the $53 million paid by Boston and Bay FC (kicking off next month). USL has not disclosed franchise fees, but they are certainly exponentially less than what NWSL is charging. That could create opportunities for hungry investor groups.

What caliber of player will be in this league?

Vandervort noted that the Super League will create over 150 additional roster spots and new job opportunities for professional players in the U.S.

“What an incredible time that we’re in that we’ve got more jobs for professional women’s soccer players than ever before,” she said.

The league is clearly looking to compete for players on the global market given its scheduling. There is an assumption that the Super League could draw the interest of NWSL depth players who desire more playing time, but that won’t become clear until at least the summer. Most answers on the player front won’t come for a while; several sources told The Equalizer that contracts won’t begin until summer, with some players agreeing to terms and finding short-term solutions for the spring.

Multiple sources noted that the USL Super League’s minimum salary, which is not yet finalized, could be around $35,000, which would largely mirror the NWSL’s salary floor. The NWSL minimum salary in 2024 is $37,856. Vandervort has previously spoken about the USL Super League offering competitive salaries comparable to the USL Championship, which is the second division on the men’s side.

This week, Vandervort stressed the USL Super League views its offering as a total package, including benefits like housing, not unlike how the NWSL now requires paid housing (or equivalent stipends) for players. She said the USL Super League has studied the NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement in depth, as well as other agreements globally. She was previously the chief women’s football officer at global players’ union FIFPRO, so she is well-versed in topics around unions and player welfare.

How can I watch the USL Super League?

To be determined. The USL recently signed a deal with CBS Sports to broadcast its men’s properties, but the Super League was notably left out of that.

“On the women’s side, we’re navigating that separately,” Vandervort said. “We know the USL Super League media rights have a high value, so we’re excited to be negotiating those rights separately.”

In November, the NWSL announced new media-rights deals with Amazon, CBS, ESPN and Scripps Sports worth $240 million over four years.

What’s next?

A lot. Only two of the eight teams have revealed branding. Several teams are racing to complete stadium projects. Several more still need to announce coaches and technical staff, who then need to find players. There is a schedule to be made and business partners to be announced.

“The first grouping of commercial partners” will be announced in the coming weeks, Vandervort said.

There are officially two first-division women’s professional soccer leagues in the United States.

On Friday, U.S. Soccer officially sanctioned the USL Super League to launch as a top-flight league in August alongside the National Women’s Soccer League, which has been the only first-division league in the U.S. since kicking off in 2013. The decision was finalized at U.S. Soccer’s Annual General Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

The USL Super League will launch its 2024–25 season with eight teams, the minimum required by U.S. Soccer’s Pro Licensing Standards. In conjunction with the sanctioning news, USLSL announced a franchise in Brooklyn for the inaugural season to reach eight teams. Franchises in Phoenix, Ariz., and Tucson, Ariz., which USLSL previously announced for the inaugural season, are now listed by the league as markets for future seasons.

“This is a tremendous moment for the USL Super League and for women’s sports,” USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort said in a statement. “Receiving Division One sanctioning further showcases the work that our ownership groups, our clubs, and the league are doing to create a professional environment for top-level talent to compete. This is a crucial step toward realizing our vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field. We cannot wait to see our clubs take the field when we kick off in August 2024.”

Philip Poole has seen “the top of the mountain,” as he calls it. Poole has served in various roles on the United States women’s national team coaching staff for the past four years. He witnessed how some of the best players in the world operate — and how even they crave feedback for how they can improve.

“You get a snapshot of saying, ‘This is the upper echelon, this is the top level of the game,’” Poole told The Equalizer. “And it creates that picture for you in terms of saying, ‘Okay, here, here is that piece that so few people are fortunate enough to get to see and get to experience.”

Now, Poole will apply his knowledge from the U.S. national team and two decades of coaching experience as the first head coach of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based team in the new USL Super League that will launch in August.

He is the second head coach to be appointed by a team in the league, which plans to operate as a first-division circuit competing with the National Women’s Soccer League. The Tampa Bay Sun were the first to announce their coach Denise Schilte-Brown. Nine teams have been announced thus far for the inaugural season.

Poole’s quest for a larger coaching role saw the Newcastle, England, native expand his duties from goalkeeper coach to assistant coach for the U.S. national team. He obtained his U.S. Soccer Pro License, which is still a rare distinction among coaches in the women’s game. Poole said he looked at head-coaching opportunities in the NWSL, and that he could have continued on longer as a U.S. assistant coach, but this opportunity was a perfect fit for him.

Smith’s group plans to have a “modernized stadium and on-site training facilities” in partnership with Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, at the former site of the practice facility for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

“South Florida is ready for professional women’s soccer,” USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort said. “Fort Lauderdale is a great addition to an already strong contingent of Super League markets, and we’re looking forward to kicking off next fall.”

Fort Lauderdale will join founding teams in Charlotte; Dallas/Fort Worth; Lexington, Kentucky; Phoenix; Spokane, Washington; Tampa Bay; Tucson, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. for the inaugural 2024-25 season. Additional teams are expected to be announced for the league’s launch. Five other markets have also been previously announced as committed to playing in future seasons of the USL Super League pending the completion of stadium projects.

Branding for the new Fort Lauderdale team will be announced in the coming months, the team said. An online fan survey will help drive those branding decisions.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the first professional women’s soccer team in South Florida, marking a historic milestone for our community,” Super League Fort Lauderdale owner Tommy Smith said. “Our mission is to deliver the highest standard of play by recruiting world-class global talent while also empowering young women in South Florida. Super League Fort Lauderdale aims to create a direct pathway to Division 1 professional soccer, offering local players the opportunity to shine on the national stage and providing a platform for growth beyond the game.”

The USL Super League intends to launch as a first-division league — the same as the National Women’s Soccer League, which started in 2013 and will grow to 14 teams in 2024 — with one major difference: A season that starts in late summer and ends in late spring. The NWSL has struggled with pain points of a calendar that runs opposite of that — from early spring through late fall — which has forced tough decisions like scrapping the NWSL Challenge Cup.