Ifeoma Dieke stands on the edge of a new dawn. The Scotland international defender is part of the latest attempt to set up a professional women's soccer league in America.

The 27 year-old has signed for Chicago Red Stars - one of seven teams in the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) - which launches in March.

The franchises cover the major American cities - Washington, Los Angeles, Boston and New York also have teams - and three new sides (from Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia) come on stream next year.

Five years after the collapse of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), it is a bold and ambitious move.

The Red Stars have just signed England international Karen Carney, capped 41 times for her country, and most of the Brazilian national team will be playing in the new set-up.

Dieke, who played in the WUSA with Atlanta Beat, is sure the new league will not make the same mistakes as its forerunner.

"I don't think the money was spent very wisely. The budget was for five years and most of it was spent in the first two years so they ran into problems," she recalls.

"We knew the writing was on the wall when we were at Atlanta and we knew it could be that last year of the league.

"There were player meetings and conference calls and then they were looking to cut salaries by 25 per cent and even a big star like Mia Hamm - who was on a six-figure sum - faced a cut.

"I don't see the same mistakes being made this time. I think the correct structure is in place this time and there is television coverage from the Fox Sports Channel which shows the English Premier League.

"It has a better chance this time. There will be a five-year gap since the last league ended and the new one begins and a lot of planning has gone into it."

Dieke played against Julie Fleeting, who played for San Diego Spirit for the two season of the WUSA, but she will not come up against her this year as her Scotland international team-mate is taking a break from the game as she is pregnant.

Atlanta Beat were playing to average crowds of 7,000 so were attracting decent backing in the WUSA and the number of girls regularly playing soccer in America suggests there is an audience.

"I think the last time there were three Brazilians involved but this year the whole national team could be playing in the league," Dieke, continues.

"Obviously, they are an exciting talent and the game has come on a lot in Brazil over the last few years.

"But there are other leagues in Europe who will also be looking to recruit some Brazilian players and they could face competition from there.

"I'm the only Scot going over just now but I know there will be a few more interested. For the likes of Kim Little, I can see her playing in America within the next few years.

"Nothing can beat training every day and getting paid to play full-time. It certainly beats Scotland where you have a job to go to every morning and you're training in the evenings, often in bad weather.

Dieke, who played for Cumbernauld but went to university in Miami on a soccer scholarship in 1999, does not see her new commitments interfering with her Scotland career.

She points out that Chicago coach Emma Hayes and Scotland coach Anna Signeul are old friends and expects that compromises can be made.

"I don't expect there to be any conflict. I've been coming over for Scotland matches for a while and Anna and Emma are good friends and I'm sure they'll be able to work something out between them.

"I'm looking forward to it. I loved the sunshine of Miami and hopefully I'll avoid the most treacherous weather in Chicago as - although it will still be cold in March - it will not be as bad as it can be."

RM
© Copyright In The Winning Zone, MMIX, All Rights Reserved