There it was, on the official Women's Professional Soccer Web site, a link for those interested in investing in a San Diego franchise for the inaugural 2009 season.

Then one day, it was just gone.

And that defines the state of a San Diego franchise in the reincarnation of the women's pro soccer league, drifting somewhere in cyberspace, still alive but rudderless and uncertain. Literally, up in the air.

As recently as last July, when the WPS owners held meetings in San Diego to coincide with the U.S. women's national team game against Brazil, Commissioner Tonya Antonucci said “it looks like it can get done for 2009.” The link on the WPS site noted that “the group expects to finalize formal entry into WPS in August of 2008.”

Platini Soaf, a well-known local youth coach and the man trying to assemble the money people, had identified two Los Angeles-based investors who were seeking ownership partners in San Diego. Then a local group formed with a reported $1 million of seed money. Things appeared to moving along.

“I was already scouting players, talking to some players from different countries, seeing if San Diego (based) players wanted to play for their hometown team,” said Soaf, who was to be head coach. “We were very close. We thought it was going to happen. Then it just totally shut down.”

Members of the San Diego group have declined comment, and the names of the L.A. investors were never made public. Soaf described the primary issue as how much money the L.A. investors would put up and how much ownership control they'd retain. When the two sides couldn't come to terms, Soaf said, the deal unraveled barely a week before the league's Sept. 1 deadline.

Instead, WPS will allocate U.S. national team players to seven teams next week, although not the same seven initially unveiled. The league recently announced that San Jose had joined for the 2009 season and that Dallas would wait until 2010 while it sorts out stadium issues. Atlanta and Philadelphia are also to join in 2010.

And San Diego, arguably the most successful market from the old WUSA?

Maybe 2010, maybe later, maybe never. No one currently holds the rights to the San Diego market, and Soaf said the L.A. and San Diego groups are moving forward independently.

“We worked so hard for six months – the league, myself, some other people – and to see it fall apart because of the numbers is unfortunate,” Soaf said. “But I'm sure sooner or later San Diego will have a team.”

In that respect, Soaf is prophetic. San Diego indeed will have a new pro soccer team next year, just not in WPS. Yet another incarnation of the indoor Sockers – this is version 4.0 – has announced its intention of joining the Professional Arena Soccer League beginning in the 2009-2010 season.

The fourth-generation Sockers is the brainchild of Phil Salvagio, a former Sockers goalkeeper who made the team in 1993 after showing up for an open tryout with, as he says, “what seemed like 800 other guys.” The majority owner and CEO is David Pike, Salvagio's brother-in-law and a Patrick Henry High alum who runs a Preferred Contractors Insurance Company in Carlsbad. Also in the ownership group is Carl Savoia, a high school buddy and business partner of Pike's.

“We're really going to try to bring back the buzz,” Pike said. “I used to like to go in the heyday. It was exciting. It was the talk of the town – And I want to win a title.”

Salvagio will serve as the coach and general manager. Another former Socker, Ray Taila, will be his assistant coach.

Salvagio was a player/coach for one of the 40-odd teams in the amateur division of the PASL, which added a pro league after the Major Indoor Soccer League ceased operations last spring. The league has a scaled-down business model that Salvagio says will allow clubs to operate on an annual budget of $1.2 million to $1.5 million (about half of what most WPS teams are projecting) and survive with average paid attendance in the 2,500-3,000 range.

Another twist is the plan to play at the 4,000-seat Del Mar Arena on the fairgrounds complex. The arena, mostly used for horse shows, will have a roof erected on what is currently an open-air facility.

“We wanted a smaller venue,” Salvagio said. “It's tough to sell out at the (12,000-seat) Sports Area. The (Del Mar) arena is great for the indoor game because the field is lowered and the seats are right on top of you. Plus, we're North County folks and getting all the way down to the Sports Arena is a pain.”

One thing that won't change is the Sockers name.

“History,” Salvagio said when asked why. “It speaks for itself. I mean, everyone who has ever played soccer knows the Sockers all across the United States.”