WPS’ Athletica shuts down, Torrance’s Boxx on second team to fold in consecutive seasons

i-9b903fab84ab4a5363af217d14f87fe6-20080117_wps_medium.jpgIs USWNT holding midfielder Shannon Boxx the kiss of death for WPS teams?

Women’s Professional Soccer announced today that St. Louis Athetica is shutting down immediately after losing its major financial backer, following in the footsteps of the LA Sol, which folded at the end of last season for the same reason.

Boxx (as well as Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama and Tina DiMartino) ended up at Athletica in the Sol dispersal draft; this time around she’ll become a free agent along with her now ex-teammates.

“It’s incredibly difficult to lose a team in mid-season like this,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “We looked at a few options as a league together with our Board and U.S. Soccer, but the operational hurdles and finances just didn’t work out. In the face of a severe funding gap in St. Louis, the local ownership group is shutting down the team at this point.”

Two WPS teams down, seven to go?

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About Nick Green

South Bay-based Los Angeles News Group soccer columnist and blogger Nick Green writes at the 100 Percent Soccer blog at www.insidesocal.com/soccer and craft beer at the Beer Goggles blog at www.insidesocal.com/beer. Cheers!