Another Pro Sports Team in Somerville -- Boston Breakers @ Dilboy

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Boston Breakers to Play Women's Soccer at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville

The Boston Breakers are excited to begin their quest to win a WPSL Elite League championship at their new home field, Dilboy Stadium in Somerville. With its 2,500 seat capacity, Dilboy will provide an ideal environment for high-caliber women’s soccer. Newly renovated in 2006, the stadium features a pristine turf field. Dilboy Stadium is located in the Alewife Brook Parkway section of Somerville, and just minutes from Boston.

http://www.bostonbreakerssoccer.com/NEWS/index_E.html

This is roughly the same Boston Breakers team that played in the WUSA WPS at Harvard for last 3 seasons (without some of the bigger name players). The league suspended operations and this is the interim playing situation for them.

(I sometimes have trouble keeping my failed women's soccer leagues straight.)

Comments

[ron_newman]

I remember years ago that the earlier version of this team wanted to have their home field at Tufts University, only to meet silly objections from neighbors. I'm glad they found their way to Somerville after all.

(minor nitpick: the 2001-2003 Boston Breakers played in the WUSA, which folded. The more recent Boston Breakers played in Women's Professional Soccer, which has suspended operations for 2012)

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

This should be a good fit with Dilboy having ample parking for this league.

BTW where did the bigger name players go?

[ron_newman]

They'll be sharing Dilboy with the Boston Militia, a women's professional football team. The Militia offer a 50% ticket discount to Somerville residents, and I wonder if the Breakers will do likewise.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

It's a bit hard to tell, but with the WPS officially "suspended" for the year, women under contract can go anywhere they want. I don't know if they are still bound if the league returns in 2013, but that's beyond the horizon.

Here's what I can find off the top of my head. I primarily stuck with National Team members (US and others) and a couple of obvious names.

Keelin Winters - Seattle Sounders

Kelly Smith - Arsenal Ladies (UK)

Alex Scott - Arsenal Ladies (UK)

Kelley O'Hara - had already signed with Atlanta Beat before the league suspended ops

A number of others are "out of contract", so there's a good chance they will go overseas or sign with other WPSL-Elite or W-League teams that might be closer to home for them. Seattle has been spending the most money (it appears), though they might sign with the Breakers as well.

Amy LePeilbet

Stephanie Cox

Lauren Cheney

Rachel Buehler

are all available as free agents right now. Since it's an Olympic year, some of them may not sign a pro contract at all, but focus on the games.


They do already have a couple of "name" players signed: Leslie Osborne and Cat Whitehill. There's a good chance they will get Heather O'Reilly, too, as she signed with the WPS version of the Breakers while her hubby is at Harvard B-School.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

They will also be looking for volunteers for game days:

http://www.bostonbreakerssoccer.com/ABOUT/volopps/index_E.html

Field Operations
Press Box Operations
Customer Service and Hospitality
Ticket Operations
Merchandise
"Breakerstown" Fan Zone and Promotions

Perhaps useful for the broke students in the bunch or those with aspirations in the "high paying world of American soccer".

They also look for host families for the players. I didn't see anything on this version of the web site, but I would expect to see it soon.