Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), a new US women's football league, will stage its opening match March 29 with the Los Angeles Sol hosting the Washington Freedom, the league announced Tuesday.
The league follows in the footsteps of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), which played three seasons before folding in 2003 but received a notable mention in the film “Bend It Like Beckham”.
Some five-and-a-half years after Washington won the last WUSA title, the Freedom will take the field again for the WPS opener with Japan's Homare Sawa and US veteran Abby Wambach against a Sol squad led by Brazilian star Marta.
Other WPS teams include Chicago Red Stars, St. Louis Athletica, Boston Breakers, Sky Blue FC of New Jersey and FC Gold Pride from Santa Clara, California.
The Sol and Red Stars share home venues with Major League Soccer squads.
