'Step in the right direction': New pro soccer league brings overdue opportunity for female athletes in Canada
A new professional women's soccer league will create an exciting – if overdue – opportunity for female players in Canada, according to one of the Olympians working on its launch.
When the eight-team league launches in 2025, Vancouver will be home to one of the founding teams, the Whitecaps announced Monday.
"It needed a brave and passionate enough group of poeple to kick it off and get it out of the gate and to get something done,” said Axel Schuster, the CEO and sporting director of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The league will operate countrywide across two conferences, with four teams in each conference.
Diana Matheson, a former member of the Canadian women's national soccer team, and her business partner Thomas Gilbert are launching the league under the banner of Project 8 Sports Inc.
"It's the next step, it needs to happen," Matheson said at a news conference Tuesday.
"We're behind the rest of the world on this front, the women's game has really shifted away from the national teams being the main developmental path to the professional game.”
The league will be led “primarily by former national team players,” with gold medallists Christine Sinclair and Stephanie Labbe “contributing to the planning and development of the league,” according to a statement from the Whitecaps.
“The creation of this league is something we have been advocating for over many years, and to be part of seeing it come to fruition is truly exciting,” Labbe said in a statement.
It’s an announcement that could change the career paths for many young female athletes, including for Whitecaps FC girls elite academy players.
"Growing up I hadn't really seen opportunities for soccer players to develop their game in Canada,” said player Ire Omotayo.
But the announcement has created a new option for her.
"Before, maybe I would have said, 'I don't know if I’ll keep playing after college.' Or, 'I don't know what will happen,” she said. “But now I can say, 'Hey I have the opportunity for playing for after college as well.'"
It's an announcement that women's Whitecaps soccer director Emma Humphries says will pave for the way for all female athletes, but especially for aspiring professional women soccer players.
"To say that Canada right now does not have any professional women's sports, is pretty sad,” said Humphries.
"I think this is one step in the right direction....and it's pretty cool that football is leading."
With files from The Canadian Press
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