The Snowligan and the sun

  Even with the explosive growth of women's professional clubs (these are the clubs announced through 2026), there is a gaping hole in the Mountain West. No teams in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada (or indeed Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska). That's a combined population of 25 million people. Using US soccer's preferred metric of TV Market, there's no team in the #4 market (Philadelphia), or the #8 (Boston). On down it goes.  

 With this week's announcement that Fusion have filed a Letter of Intent with WPSL PRO for 2026, some things have become clearer, and some fuzzier.  WPSL PRO is seeking sanctioning (ie. permission to exist) as a Division III women's outdoor league [as they put it]. The standards themselves are under attack from MLS right now, but as long as they hold it means that we know two things. 1) Sajid Ghauri is worth $5m "or more", without counting his stake in Fusion or his "primary residence". Yes, I know, counting his ownership in Fusion reminds me of an old cliche. The best way to make a small fortune from football is to start with a large fortune. 2) Fusion PRO need a home stadium with a capacity of 1000. This is a surprisingly wide range of venues. Jim Gotta Stadium in Moorhead would probably have the inside track (because it already hosts Fusion NPSL/WPSL) if it wasn't for the fact that Mhd is in Minnesota - a bit inconvenient for the narrative of  “ bri

 I posted a poll on Twitter that asked people if they preferred it when the team that knocks you out of the playoffs a) goes on to win everything or b) gets immediately eliminated.  Obviously, I prefer when my team doesn't get knocked out AT ALL. However, everyone but one team fails to lift the Larry O'Brien/Lombardi/whatever trophy at the end of the season.  I also prefer it when my teams make the playoffs, even if they lose immediately. After all, that's the experience of 90% of American sports fans who have no shot at the trophy.  However, this season was a weird one for Fusion men fans. Firstly, Duluth pounded everyone and ran away with the #1 seed. Under the conditions of last year, they would have lifted the Conference Championship, Fusion would have made it in as #2 seed and defending champs Med City would have seen their season end.  Instead of that scenario, NPSL changed the rules for the North this season and allowed the top 4 finishers to make the playoffs - whil

 I was going to publish a deep dive into the Fusion rosters as I did back in 2021, but since there is no discernible thread of local roots to the men's team, and because it's 1am (probably), I began to look at things more philosophically.  What does "Support local soccer" mean? Support the local side, regardless of the multinational nature of the 11 in front of you? Support those men and women who graduate local high schools, whichever team they end up on? Support the Bison/Dragons regardless of where their recruits come from? I think I will continue supporting Fusion until they go pop (which seems inevitable in the dog-eat-dog world of US soccer and in a market with ~1 article a season about the club in the local paper.) The high school stories were interesting, but if I'm honest, the current teams represent my own cultural makeup more than, say, Minneapolis City's root and branch local approach.  Fargo is North of Normal, after all. Out on an island.  There

 I went to the WPSL opener for Fusion and my notes suggest only 4 of the starting XI were even listed on the roster on May 17th . That's May 17th 2021, less than a month ago. The women who also suited up at the start are: Kayla Werlinger  is from Fargo through West Fargo Sheyenne to U Mary Mckenzie Ickhart , is from Waconia, MN and MSU Moorhead  Haley Dyer ,  Kamryn Fiscus  and  Briana Perry , whose sole local connection is going to school at Jamestown Kayleigh Sedlacek , ditto for MSU Moorhead Destiny Tacey  is from Park University in Arizona and I have no clue how she fits in.  Now to break down those on the roster now who weren't in the starting 11 or that earlier roster: Jalyn Bauer  is out of Horace, ND and West Fargo Sheyenne to MSUM Gabby Wolf  is out of Moorhead. Ally Peters , out of Moorhead and MSU Moorhead Emily Larsen  is out of West Fargo  Cazzia Salgado  is another out of Park University Laura Powell is out of Chanhassen, MN but graduated NDSU in 2019 Savannah Br

 Players listed on the WPSL website: Delaney McIntyre - Defender out of Flin Flon, MB and Minnesota-Crookston (she's returning) Lauren Harrison - Defender out of Manvel, ND and Bemidji State Emily Soukup - Goalkeeper out of Moorhead, MN. She's a MSU-Mankato signee and returning Kadyn Sharpe - Defender out of Moorhead, MN Madeline Etter - Midfielder out of Moorhead, MN and MSU Moorhead Summer Carlson - Defender out of Moorhead, MN Abigail Hoff - Defender out of Fargo (North) and U Mary (Bismarck) Yasmina Dokara - Midfielder out of Fargo (WF Sheyenne) and U Mary Taylor Alkire - possibly out of Porterville, Cali. No clue how she ended up here. Isabelle Morin - Midfielder, out of Bemidji and Bemidji State Chloe Strom - Defender, returning. Out of Moorhead, MN Carolyn Smith - Mid/Forward out of Grand Forks and Bemidji State Grace Beck - Defender/Midfielder out of East Grand Forks, MN and St Scholastica Gabriella Sarkis   - Midfielder out of Springfield, Mass.  Guillemett