The United Soccer Leagues chose the Harry Welch Stadium in Canyon Country for the W-League Championship this year. The semi-finals and finals of the W-League will be held July 29-31 and will feature many elite women’s domestic and international soccer stars. The Canyon Country site will be on screens everywhere, as the finals will be broadcast on FOX Soccer Channel.

“USL selected the City of Santa Clarita as the host City for its W-League Championship from a large, elite pool of competitive bids,” said City of Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste. “Broadcast nationally on FOX Soccer Channel, the high-profile Championship will place Santa Clarita at the forefront of the national soccer community, reinforcing our position as one of the nation’s premier sporting event destinations and offering a direct positive economic impact to our businesses.”

Santa Clarita is home to the W-League’s Santa Clarita Blue Heat, who will join the W-League’s Western Conference this year and were instrumental in Santa Clarita’s bid to host the Championship.

“There’s no doubt in my mind the 2010 W-League Championship will be our most successful event to date,” said Senior Director of W-League Operations Melanie Fitzgerald.

The 2010 W-League Championship will be held in a “final four” format, with two semifinals played on Thursday, July 29 at Harry Welch Stadium and the winners meeting for the championship on Saturday, July 31. A consolation game featuring the other two semifinalists will precede the final. The games are sponsored by Umbro International.

The first and longest-standing women’s league in North America, the W-League is USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The 2010 USL W-League campaign features 29 teams in three regional conferences playing 10 or 12 regular season matches. In addition to featuring international and professional stars, elite amateur players have the opportunity to compete on amateur teams in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America.