League suspends operations for 2012

Women's Professional Soccer announced Monday that it has suspended the 2012 season due to "legal issues" and an "ongoing dispute" with a former owner.

WPS was formed in 2009 following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Independence, owned by David Halstead and coached by Paul Riley, last season lost in the WPS championship game for the second straight year.

"This is what responsible business enterprises do, and it's what the WPS and Philadelphia Independence are going to do," Halstead said in a statement. "A successful WPS is a journey . . . a marathon. We've just completed a couple of early miles to this journey and are re-hydrating and re-tooling for the next leg. Stay tuned."

Earlier this month, a Florida judge ruled that controversial former magicJack SC owner Dan Borislow was denied due process when the five-team league terminated his Boca Raton, Fla.-based franchise after the 2011 season.

Also at issue is the league's sustainability. The U.S. Soccer Federation, America's governing body for club soccer, requires leagues to have at least eight teams to be sanctioned with Division I (top-tier) professional status.

"We . . . recognize the necessity to resolve our existing legal and operational issues so that we can continue to support and grow WPS the right way," Sky Blue FC owner Thomas Hofstetter said in a statement. "This was a very difficult decision, but one we as owners feel is the best business decision for the League at this time."

Said WPS CEO Jennifer O'Sullivan, "Those that take part in our league - players, partners and fans - deserve the best, and that is what we are taking the time to ensure we deliver when we resume play in 2013 and beyond."

The league said all five owners of the existing teams - the Independence, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Sky Blue FC (based in Piscataway, N.J.), and Western New York Flash - will remain active throughout the current year.

- Inquirer staff