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Women soccer league kicks off

NEW YORK - A new US women's professional football league hoping to spark real-life dreams like those in the movie Bend It Like Beckham will be launched in 2009 and not next year as first planned, the organisers have said.

NEW YORK - A new US women's professional football league hoping to spark real-life dreams like those in the movie Bend It Like Beckham will be launched in 2009 and not next year as first planned, the organisers have said.

Tonya Antonucci, who had been chief executive of the business organisers, was named commissioner of the league, which has ownership commitments for teams in Boston, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, St Louis and New York.

The original Women's United Soccer Association (Wusa) folded four years ago after two seasons, just before the US hosted the 2004 Women's World Cup.

But the Wusa served as the inspirational career goal for the main character in the movie bearing the name of English star David Beckham and plans have been in the works for years to make another try.

The new league will work much closer with Major League Soccer, likely including playing home matches in the same venues as the US men's league, filling extra dates in several new 25000-or-less-seat stadiums built for MLS. - Sapa-AFP

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