This is the final part of our interview with WPSL PRO Project Director Benno Nagel. The first three parts can be found here, here and here.
Where does WPSL PRO fit as a place for player development? Nagel is ebullient.There's just so much territory that has not been occupied by these different leagues. The up and coming prospect is an easy story to conceptualize but think about the NWSL second chance player, or Luca Toni (who progressed from the lower league Serie C in Italy to a World Cup win in only 7 years)Where would that player come from in America? If he was a woman in America, that would never happen. He would've become an accountant or a school teacher or whatever he would've gone on to do in his career professionally other than soccer. I don't know if it's gonna be 2027, but imagine in 2031 when the Women's World Cup is here in North America and there's an athlete that maybe makes the Women's World Cup team that started her professional journey in 2027 or 2028 with the WPSL PRO? There could be an athlete that could for whatever reason, not get signed by an NWSL club, not get signed by a Super League club, maybe wind up with the WPSL PRO Club on a good multi-year contract to start and they just crush it. Next thing they get transferred to an NWSL club or they get transferred to some higher level program and they continue to succeed and then they make it into the national team and play in the World Cup. And you could trace that player's moment of their breakthrough back to the WPSL PRO. That would be like insane, in a good way. That's what we feel the opportunity is, who would be the women's Luca Toni in American soccer right now? You wouldn't have 'em, they would be out of soccer. Or think about an NWSL athlete that had a horrific injury, or maybe stepped away from the game to start their family or had some other reason that they needed to take a one or two year hiatus and now they're looking to come back into play professionally. The WPSL PRO could be a spot for them to do that.WPSL PRO Interview Part 4: Enabling development
Related
WPSL PRO Interview Part 3: Empowering athletes, engaging fans
This is part 3 of our interview with WPSL PRO Project Director Benno Nagel. Read part 1 here and part 2 here With no designs on Division 1 and amateurs at Division 4 level, Nagel explained to us how the new league is looking to empower athletes to advance. I
NWSL to seek sanctioning for a second division
Fresh from the news that WPSL PRO will seek Division 2 sanctioning, Northern Lights Football has confirmed CBS Sports initial reporting that NWSL has approached US Soccer with their own D2 plans. While the tier (and market restrictions) are the same for both proposals, NWSL Division 2 will begin life
Funding a professional women's league - WPSL PRO interview part 2
The franchise entry fee for Division 2-hopefuls WPSL PRO is lower than anything else in the market. In part 2 of our interview with Project Director Benno Nagel, he explains the finances behind the league. (You can catch up with Part 1 here)That's really amazing. At the
WPSL PRO to seek Division 2 sanctioning
Having spent its embryonic phases identifying as a league which was going to apply for Division 3 sanctioning, WPSL PRO announced this week that it was revising that aim and instead targeting Division 2. The move is anchored by an announcement that Cleveland Sports Group will be a founding member,
Latest
AFC Women's Asian Cup Knockout Stage Preview: Matchups, Stakes, and Path Forward
After 18 matches and nearly two weeks the Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Asian Cup is at the knockout stage. Eight of the twelve teams remain. The quarterfinal field is full of historic AFC powers. Five teams in the quarterfinals account for 18 of the 20 total past WAC
I-29 Gets Busy With WPSL Division II Traffic
WPSL Division II is the developmental division of the largest women's soccer league in the world. This season sees Dakota Fusion join Sioux City Sol in the league in our region.
Training Tidbits: James back in training, Boxy is still out
Loons are back on the training ground, and outside in Minnesota for the first time this year.
Mingo Monday: Forward Madison's 8th season starts this weekend
The season kicks off this Saturday in Tennessee, as the Flamingos start the year with an eight match road swing