Even though Dan Borislow saved the Washington Freedom women’s soccer franchise from folding when he bought it from Maureen and John Hendricks a year ago, there was hardly a moment when he didn’t seem to be at odds with Women’s Professional Soccer. In fact, WPS didn’t enjoy Borislow claiming he’d saved WPS from its own demise, preferring that any of its owners deserved similar credit for sticking around with the league always seemingly a breath away from extinction.
With Borislow relocating the club to South Florida, renaming it magicJack, and most importantly, preferring to decide himself what WPS rules applied to him and what ones didn’t, it really doesn’t come as a surprise that WPS decided to part ways with him, which it did in succinct fashion this week, releasing a two sentence statement on Thursday morning that put to rest any hopes of what had appeared to be a path toward reconciliation and peaceful coexistence:
“After careful consideration, the Board of Governors of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) voted on Tuesday to terminate the Boca Raton based magicJack franchise.
WPS will continue to deliver to its players and fans the world’s top women’s soccer league, with plans to make 2012 the most competitive and successful season to date.”
One WPS coach told me last spring that either Borislow was a genius, or his plans would be a disaster. Fairly prophetic.
Currently, WPS is down to five clubs – the same number that it’s folded since the league began in 2009: Boston Breakers, Western New York Flash, Sky Blue of New Jersey, Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat. There have been reports of a possible new team in Connecticut, and former Freedom general manager Mark Washo continues to work the phones in pursuit of a potential return for the Washington area, maybe in 2013.
In classic ironic fashion, the U.S. women’s national team announced its roster for a camp in November ahead of a Nov. 19 game against Sweden at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It includes seven members of magicJack, as well as Georgetown senior midfielder Ingrid Wells. The full roster:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (Philadelphia Independence), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Jill Loyden (magicJack), Hope Solo (magicJack)
DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Meghan Klingenberg (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (magicJack), Becky Sauerbrunn (magicJack)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Brittany Bock (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (magicJack), Becky Edwards (Western New York Flash), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (magicJack), Ingrid Wells (Georgetown), Keelin Winters (Boston Breakers)
FORWARDS (5): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (magicJack)
