There is already a shake-up in the WPSL Elite League, just over one month after the league announced its formation. Aztec MA, originally slated to be a founding team playing outside of Boston, is no long part of the league following “unresolved scheduling conflicts.”
The New York Fury, coached by Paul Riley, will replace Aztec MA to maintain eight teams for the WPSL Elite League.
Riley originally withheld the Fury from moving up to the Elite League because of a lack of information surrounding the very suddenly formed higher division. But with Aztec MA dropping out and WPSL Elite League wanting to stay at eight teams, Riley answered the call.
“The Elite League needed another team and we felt it was an opportunity to push the sport forward in our area,” Riley said via email.
Riley and the Fury staff will now play catch-up since the other seven teams had a month head start. They are working on securing a home venue, which could be either Hofstra’s football or soccer stadium, but could also be a host of other venues, Riley said. The bigger challenge will be acquiring strong talent to compete in the league.
“Right now we are a million miles away from a team that will be able to compete with the powerhouses that Western New York and Boston Breakers have put together,” he said. “We will work diligently to close the gap.”
