The last shot for women's pro soccer

At the turn of the millennium, the first incarnation of a fully professional women's soccer league in the United States began with a wave of publicity, grand expectations and a million reasons why the product would work. Just three years later, it ended with a sorrowful wave goodbye, a bunch of shattered dreams and an opportunity lost.

Fast forward to 2008. Rising from that spectacular pile of ashes is Women's Professional Soccer, a smaller, frugal and much more sensible endeavour than its arrogant and defunct older sister.

"We know we are not going to get another shot at this," WPS chief executive officer Tonya Antonucci said. "We have to get it right this time. There is no going back.
The brutal fact is that if she, the new team owners and the players on the field do not pull together to manufacture something far more economically viable than its predecessor, there won't be a professional league for women.