News of Note: December 8, 2012 – D.C. and Portland Franchises Expected to Reveal Names Next Week, Breakers Retain Lisa Cole as Head Coach

News of Note: Today’s USWNT match will not be televised or streamed… D.C. franchise expected to announce team’s name next week… Portland’s franchise also plans to announce team’s name and logo next week… Boston Breakers retain Lisa Cole as head coach… Vancouver Whitecaps will not field a W-League Team in 2013.

Today’s USWNT match against China will not be televised or streamed: The United States Women’s National Team Fan Tribute Tour match against China PR in Detroit, which kicks-off at 1:30 p.m. ET, will not be shown on television or streamed live. The only way to follow the match for those not at Ford Field will be via U.S. Soccer’s MatchTracker or Twitter (@USSoccer_WNT). There is no word yet on whether highlights or possibly even the full match may be posted online by U.S. Soccer.

D.C. franchise expected to announce team’s name next week: On Friday morning, via the D.C. United Twitter account, the franchise for the new women’s professional team in the Washington, D.C. area posted a tweet (embedded below) confirming that (1) the franchise’s new name is set, (2) a website and logo is in the works, and (3) the name will be announced in a media conference call next week.

Portland’s franchise also plans to announce team’s name and logo next week:  On Friday, Merritt Paulson, the majority owner of the  new professional women’s team in Portland, tweeted that he is planning on announcing the team’s name and logo “late next w[ee]k” (embedded below):

Both franchises cannot use their respective MLS team names due to contractual sponsorship issues: Adidas has an exclusive contract with MLS as its kit manufacturer, while the new women’s league wants to have the flexibility to go with a different uniform and apparel maker (most likely Oregon-based Nike).

Boston Breakers retain Lisa Cole as head coach: Also, on Friday, the Boston Breakers announced via a press release on their website that Cole, who served as an assistant under Tony DiCicco during the Breakers’ WPS years before becoming the team’s head coach in 2012 for its WPSL Elite season, will continue on as head coach in 2013 during its first year in the new women’s professional league.

Vancouver Whitecaps will not field a W-League Team in 2013: On Friday, the Whitecaps organization announced on its website that it will not have a team in the USL’s W-League next season, after fielding one for twelve years (since 2001). For more on the Whitecaps and their supposed “commitment” to women’s soccer, check out these posts written by former Whitecap player Ciara McCormack: WPS, Whitecaps and Duane Rollins (9-Dec-2011), and “Time for Change”: Topic 3: Whitecaps v Highlanders: An Example (17-May-2012).

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