Women’s Pro Soccer Team Will Call Germantown Home

A professional women’s soccer team is coming to Germantown, team administrators announced Wednesday.

The Washington Spirit, to be managed by the U.S. Soccer Federation, will train and compete at the Maryland SoccerPlex—the former home of women’s pro team the Washington Freedom, according to the team's general manager Chris Hummer.

Mike Jorden, coach of the amateur team that played as the DC United Women at the 'Plex, would lead the Washington Spirit.

"Mike is an excellent coach on the training field, a strong game tactician, and he's a great communicator with the players," Hummer said in a statement. "He is also one of the hardest-working coaches off the field. He already bleeds for the club, and I'm confident no one will outwork him off the field—just as I'm confident few will enjoy competing against his team on the field."

Who’s on the Team?

Hummer said that since the U.S. Soccer Federation will manage the Washingotn Spirit, it would also be responsible for filling team’s roster.

And this is good news.

Hummer said having a pro team in Germantown could be an opportunity to bring big-name, regional soccer stars to Germantown.

The local club also gets to submit its own wish list of players and is a process that’s still being worked out. Fair game for scouting is the local amateur team—the team formerly known as DC United Women.

In fact, DC United defender Becky Sauerbrunn, a former Washington Freedom player, was part of the U.S. national Olympic team that played in London.

"We would certainly welcome her being on the team, but she has to go through the same process as everybody else," Hummer told Patch in a phone interview.

Hummer said that under the changes, DC United Women would be comprised of the same players, but they would play under a new name: Washington Spirit Reserve.

DC United Women finished the season third in the the W-League championship.

Why Now?

The Washington Spirit was the result of the Germantown soccer club’s successful bid to join a new league launched by the U.S. Soccer Federation.  According to U.S. Soccer, the eight-team league’s season was set to begin in spring 2013.

The local club announced it was part of the new league in a web post on Nov. 21 and has been touting 12-game season ticket packages on its website, WashingtonSpirit.com.

A representative from the U.S. Soccer Federation was not immediately available for comment at the time this story published Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time a professional women’s soccer team has called Germantown home.

According to Trish Heffelfinger, the executive director of the SoccerPlex, the Washington Freedom played at the SoccerPlex during the team’s 2009 and 2011 seasons. But the Freedom was bought by Dan Borislow, founder of MagicJack, who moved the team to Boca Raton, FL, in 2011.

The WPS league suspended operation after its 2011 season, Heffelfinger said.

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Web: WashingtonSpirit.com
Twitter: @WashSpirit