San Diego Seeking WPS Team; Vancouver Pursuing MLS Franchise

San Diego-based soccer coach Platini Soaf said that he is "moving closer" to putting a Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) team in San Diego, giving the league its "coveted eighth team in its most coveted market," according to Mark Zeigler of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Soaf, who has "gathered investors" and would coach the team, said, "Sooner or later, it's going to happen in San Diego. The league wants it badly, and they have been helping us in every way." WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci: "I don't think it's premature. They are getting close." Soaf said that the task now is "locating a local investor to complete the group" of L.A. investors he has gathered. Antonucci: "They've got two investors and they probably need one more, or maybe two more depending on the level of investment." Soaf's group "has about a month to secure a local investor" if the franchise wants to play in '09. Soaf's group also has already met with Univ. of San Diego officials about playing at Torero Stadium. Soaf expects the annual budget to be "between [$2.1-$2.5M], with a break-even point of 4,000 in average paid attendance." Zeigler writes San Diego was arguably the defunct WUSA's "most successful franchise over the league's three-year run" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/18).

VANCOUVER: In Canada, Mark Masters wrote USL Vancouver Whitecaps MF Martin Nash, the brother of Suns G Steve Nash, has confirmed that Steve is "ready to become actively involved in getting an MLS team in Vancouver, the city where he grew up." Martin Nash: "He's trying to get involved. I don't think he's very involved yet but he wants to get involved. He just wants to give the game of soccer a higher profile in Canada." MLS Commissioner Dan Garber met Steve Nash in May and wrote on the league Web site that Steve Nash "may be interested in getting involved as part of an ownership group trying to bring a team to Canada." MLS President Mark Abbott said that the league is "hesitant to speculate further." However, Masters noted both the Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact are "trying to make the leap" from the USL to MLS. Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi said that he "would gladly welcome any support Nash offers" (NATIONAL POST, 6/15).