Sure, you’ve heard of the Sounders. But did you know that there are dozens of minor league teams that also make up the Washington Soccer ecosystem?

Indeed, there are 6 “tiers” of pro and semi-pro soccer in Washington. The Seattle Sounders are in Tier 1 – the tier that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Below them, we have the USL (United Soccer League), which is home to the Tacoma Defiance. The USL is also a national soccer league, and functions as a “feeder” system for the MLS.

After that, there are 4 divisions of men’s and women’s leagues that include players of all kinds of skill levels. Some teams are comprised of former players who get together on weekends to stoke their competitive spirit, and others have rosters full of players with professional aspirations.

The point is – there is A LOT of Soccer kicking account in Washington.

Eli Sports is happy to announce that we will begin coverage of these leagues – written coverage to start, and hopefully broadcast coverage in the near future! Speaking of, if anyone reading this has a league that could benefit from coverage, reach out to us on twitter @Youresn, or via email (josephrebbe@gmail.com).

It’s a work in progress, but stay tuned for upcoming coverage of the WSASA Cup, comprehensive maps of minor league teams (so you can find a game near you), schedule updates, and more!