Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other in the preliminary round except for “wildcard” teams which could replace a team from another association. In the finals, the team that prevails out of the upper bracket of 1-8-4-5 hosts the second leg. Ethics statement: Below you will find affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a small commission. Then we highly recommend Serena Capilli’s short stories in Italian (affiliate link), designed for beginners, advanced beginners, and lower intermediate learners (A1-B1 CEFR). The W League launched with 44 teams. Major League Soccer reportedly lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years.