While Battleborn FC and FC Davis got the WPSL party started last weekend with the hosts from Nevada defeating the visitors from California, 2-1 at Damonte Ranch High School Stadium. Fourteen more clubs kickoff this coming weekend and then the whole league gets rolling!

This Friday, May 12th, Rebels Empire hosts LA Surf Club at Alta Loma High School to start the weekend right. Then Saturday and Sunday are chock full of action:

New Shockers vs Rhode Island Rogues at Affirms Sports Park - 3pm PT / 6pm ET
Soda City FC vs Charlotte Eagles at Heathwood Hall Episcopal - 4pm PT / 7pm ET
PA Classics vs Reading United at Spooky Nook Sports Complex - 4pm PT / 7pm ET
FC Davis vs San Francisco Elite at Ron and Mary Brown Stadium - 6pm PT / 9pm ET
05/14 - Women’s FC of Charlotte vs Soda City FC at Ortho Carolina Soccer - 4p PT / 7p ET

The Protagonist Soccer staff took a look over the whole WPSL schedule and circled the fixtures they were most excited for - some are rivalries, some are the introduction of expansion clubs and some are just down right interesting.

San Diego Parceiro will host San Diego Strikers on May 20.

May 17 - Sunflower State FC vs KC Courage

Last year Sunflower State FC competed in the UWS 2 and won the Central Conference - the club moved over to the WPSL “looking for a new challenge.” They’re going to find it when they open the season against the KC Courage, who also moved over to WPSL - albeit from the UWS first league, and they were the Heartland Division Champions.
The two expansion sides face each other twice in the first four games of the year, first, on Wednesday May 17th at Rockhurst University when they kickoff their respective seasons and then a follow up with KC hosting at Avila University on Wednesday, May 31st. A pair of exciting new teams and a pair of intriguing matches.
- Joshua Duder

May 20 - San Diego Parceiro vs San Diego Strikers

A San Diego match-up that could have a bit of tension. Last season, the Strikers opened the season at home, defeating SD Parceiro 4-1. The SD Strikers remained unbeaten until the final match against SDPL. The Strikers once again won 2-1. Both teams' seasons will start out against each other again. SDPL will host SDS on May 20th, 2023, with the Strikers hosting Parceiro Ladies on June 10th, 2023. Will history repeat itself, or will it be rewritten?
- Steven Ramirez

May 20 - AHFC Royals vs Bat Country FC

AHFC Royals women have developed players that go play on youth national teams and dominate the conference every year. Bat Country have a background in building strong teams with a strong coach. This will be the season opener between the new kid on the block and the old neighbor.
- Danielle Gawronski

Bat Country FC will visit AHFC Royals on May 20.

May 20 - Nashville Rhythm vs Chattanooga FC

Two rival cities separated by a two hour drive, playing in the same conference, this is a fun one. Nashville won that conference last season easily, finishing the season with a single loss and a +30 goal differential. Chattanooga, on the other hand, struggled to find wins in 2023, finishing with just one, but CFC garners a ton of local support and the team should be expected to improve from last season. Will that improvement be enough to upset the standings? We’ll find out on the 20th.
- Dan Vaughn

May 21 - Albion San Diego vs San Diego Surf

The many similarities between these two clubs should prove to make for and interesting match on the 21st and for the rest of the season. Both sides are birthed from the 2 longest running youth soccer clubs in San Diego.

Both head coaches have been promoted from director of girls' academies with their respective clubs to head coach of their womens' teams. Both coaches have incredibly strong sport/soccer pedigrees.
The Surf are one of 5 expansion teams new to the 2023 season and are eager to prove themselves. And while ALBION is not new to the WPSL, they are returning after a hiatus last season, and will be looking to play competitively as they had in previous seasons.
- MaryBeth Zmuda

Two Tennessee powerhouse programs clash when Nashville heads to Chattanooga.

May 26 - Penn Fusion vs SJEB FC

Penn Fusion Soccer Soccer Academy hosts the South Jersey Elite Barons FC on Friday, May 26. The two teams are part of the Mid-Atlantic Conference’s Colonial Division. Penn Fusion was ranked fifth and SJEB FC seventh in the WPSL preseason power rankings for this season. In 2022, Penn Fusion won the Colonial Division with a perfect 7-0-0 record and +29 goal differential. That would have put them as the #1 seed in the East, but Penn Fusion opted out of the playoffs. That meant the playoff bid fell to SJEB FC which came second in the Colonial Division with a 5-1-1 record. SJEB took advantage of the situation by winning the East bracket before losing 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids Women in the national semifinals. SJEB’s only loss in 2022 was to Penn Fusion and the outcome of this game will go a long way in determining this season’s Colonial Division championship.
- Dan Creel

May 26 - Salvo SC vs Sioux Falls City FC

Salvo SC had an incredible 2022. SFCFC also had a very good 2022. This match is the home opener for Salvo SC and the conference opener as well, so it’ll be a great game to gauge how well both teams did in the offseason. Will Salvo SC bring back the same players and run it back all the way to mid-July playoffs? Will SFCFC, an organization that does a very good job of analyzing breakdowns and fixing them, bring back an even more competitive team than last year (if possible)?
- Lis Schendel

Sioux Falls City FC head to Salvo SC on Friday, May 26.

June 17 - Vermont Fusion vs NY Shockers

Vermont Fusion finished 1st place in the East Northeastern Division last year with 6 wins, a draw, and a loss. Prior to their loss at Applejack Stadium in the playoff quarterfinals, Fusion had been undefeated at home. Including a 3-0 thrashing of 2nd place NY Shockers. The Shockers, despite having a respectable finish to their campaign last year, will be looking to give Fusion their first ever regular season home loss, and exact revenge, on June 17th. The outcome of this game may decide the division’s playoff representative.
- Joshua Duder

June 18 - Lamorinda FC vs California Storm

I’m definitely seated in the stadium for this game. Both teams always field quality players and there’s always a competitive spirit between the two. Fans, friends, and families have also fueled the unexpected rivalry the last few years as well. Expect this one to be fun yet again, since both teams will have their full rosters by mid-June.
- Lis Schendel

NY Shockers are set to visit Vermont Fusion on Sunday, June 18.

June 18 - Rebels Empire vs SoCal Union

The Inland Empire derby is set between Rebels Empire, a 2023 expansion side, and the competitive SoCal Union FC. Rebels Empire is attached to a successful academy, allowing them to promote its local talent. This matchup will happen on June 18th, 2023, giving the Rebels six matches to assess the quality of play and get into form. This will be the Union’s third season within the WPSL. In 2021, they finished fourth in the conference, followed by second in 2022. This club will be in form and ready to build upon the success of the previous seasons.
- Steven Ramirez

June 18 - Westside Metros vs OSA XF

Three women’s leagues have expanded into the Pacific Northwest and as a consequence, last year’s conference winners have left. This leaves OSA XF and Westside Metros, who finished 3rd and 4th respectively, to duke it out for the top spot in 2023. While last year, the two sides played just once, in a critical match where OSA XF beat Westside 5-2 and knocked them down a peg to 3rd - they will play twice this season, home and away.

Westside will host on June 6th, as a third of three home games in a row before going on the road for three - that last road game, on June 17th, they face OSA XF at the site of last year’s disaster, Marymore Park. To make matters worse, the Metros travel home that night and host a home game the very next day! It's a very tough spot to be in and could decide the conference table.
- Joshua Duder

June 18 - Dayton Dutch Lions vs Columbus Eagles

Founded in 2014, the Columbus Eagles are now nine years young as a club and considered an elder in the world of USA lower league soccer. One of the more intentional womens clubs when it comes to holistic excellence, the Eagles are one of the more social media present/savvy sides that have continually improved themselves over the years, in terms of match day results, updated branding, and kit design savvy.

While covid appears to have set back the team’s results back the past two seasons, the Eagles return to a tried and true tactic in 2023 to change their fortunes in ‘23; hosting rivalry matches at Historic Columbus Crew stadium. Columbus holds a 2-0 record there vs now-departed-to-UWS rival Cincinnatti Sirens there, and will look to repeat as victors again when they welcome conference newcomer and state rival Dayton Dutch Lions on 6/18.

For Dayton, it will be all about improvement, in any and all facets, from their 2022 campaign. Winless and securing just a single point on the table last year, the Dutch Lions could point to measurable success if they can manage to steal a point on the road this deep into the 2023 season.
- Ryan Stallings

June 21 - Brooklyn City vs Dowtown United

Downtown United Soccer Club were flat out amazing last year, they finished unbeaten, with 6 wins and 2 draws, and that’s all well and good - but they blew away the East Metropolitan Conference by scoring 49 goals and only allowing 7. DUSC made it to the quarter finals and lost after added on extra time and penalties to SJEB FC… sometimes it just goes that way.

Brooklyn City was one of the few teams in the division to have pipped points from Downtown United, earning a draw at Aviator Sports Complex, 1-1. Brooklyn finished a respectable 2nd in the conference and they are set to face each other twice this season - first at Randall's Island #10 on June 21st then again at Aviator Sports Complex on June 29th.
- Joshua Duder

*Can MPLS City improve upon their rookie year in the league? The Murder are set to kill it.*

July 1 - Real Central NJ vs PA Classics

Whether or not you believe that New Jersey has a central area, Real Central NJ the soccer club exists and puts out quality teams for men and women. Last year the ladies won their division in WPSL with only one loss in eight games. PA Classics was right behind them in the standings, only separated by one point. And it was PA Classics who handed Real Central NJ its only loss in the regular season last year, a 1-0 win back on June 24th, 2022. The meeting on July 1st at Spooky Nook in Manheim, PA, will be the second meeting between the two clubs and could very well be the deciding match in determining the division winner.
- John H Fusco

July 6 - Austin Rise vs Lonestar FC

This will be Austin Rise’s first season in the WPSL. They were the top in their conference in UWS last summer.
- Danielle Gawronski

by the Protagonist Soccer Staff