Former Philadelphia Independence head coach Paul Riley will assume the role of head coach of WPSL outfit New York Fury for the 2012 season.
Riley led the Philadelphia Independence to two consecutive Women’s Professional Soccer championship matches in 2010 and 2011. Since the suspension of WPS, Riley has been at the core of the idea of what he calls the WPS SUPERGROUP, an elite training group of players with WPS experience.
Now he will guide the New York Fury in the WPSL. Riley and the Fury owners decided to forgo the WPSL Elite League, which formed in the wake of the absence of WPS this year. Riley felt that there was not enough information to commit to the WPSL Elite League, which requires significantly more funding than the WPSL.
Riley said he expects to sign several former WPS players and he also added that his plans for the self-proclaimed SUPERGROUP are still moving forward. The two schedules will not conflict, he said.
Michael Lewis has some quotes from Riley over at Big Apple Soccer.
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Speaking of WPSL Elite League, the Boston Breakers will play their home games at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville. The Breakers have also signed U.S. U-23 and former Notre Dame forward Melissa Henderson, who was selected No. 2 overall in the 2012 WPS Draft by Sky Blue FC before the league suspended operations.
The Western New York Flash have signed Katherine Reynolds for the 2012 season. Reynolds was a stalwart for Atlanta Beat in 2012, although Atlanta struggled all over the field.
In W-League news, Keelin Winters adds to the impressive roster being built by the Seattle Sounders Women. And the Pali Blues have signed Australian international Servet Uzunlar. The club will hope Uzunlar’s awful 2011 World Cup was just a fluke (check out highlights of that here).
And on the subject of Australians, forward Lisa De Vanna will join Manon Melis – a would be Sky Blue FC forward – at Linköping FC.
The USWNT U-20’s won the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship on Sunday in dramatic fashion over Canada. Stanford forward Chimoa Ubogagu scored the late winner for the U.S., which advances to the U-20 Women’s World Cup along with Canada and Mexico.
