Chances are you probably haven’t even heard of the women’s professional soccer league in the United States, much less watched any games. But, there is one and they’re struggling to keep it going. They will soldier on with a 2011 season, but the future doesn’t look so good.

Women’s professional soccer is limping on with teams from just Atlanta, Boston, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Western New York and Washington this year. 2010 champions FC Gold Pride have disbanded and the Chicago Red Stars have until Dec. 15 to get funding. FC Gold Pride players now become free agents

Last year, the Los Angeles Sol and St. Louis Athletica folded and Tonya Antonucci stepped down as league commissioner. That means her managerial duties will fall on team representatives now. It doesn’t bode well for women’s professional soccer.

This is proof that the women’s professional soccer can’t get enough advertising money, which helps develop a fan base, which generates revenue for the sport. It’s not a good sign when the PR release for the upcoming season is a summarization of which teams are left. They still plan to have the WPS playoffs just like the past two years. The league still brings the best talent from the word together for the spring and summer. It just might not last that long. The U.S. women’s team has been up and down on the international stage over the past few decades but it would be a shame if this league disbanded, limiting the talent pool for future competitions.