WPS CEO Anne-Marie Eileraas said that traffic to the league's website “has quadrupled, ticket sales have increased and interest in expansion franchises has risen” during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, according to Chelsea Janes of USA TODAY. The ’99 U.S. Women’s World Cup championship gave rise to the WUSA, which was in existence from '01-03. However, Eileraas yesterday said, "This time around, we're here to keep the momentum going through WPS." Janes notes some sill believe the "buzz surrounding this year's World Cup will fade similarly in that predictable quadrennial pattern that tends to victimize World Cup teams.” Eileraas: "There's no quick fix for a professional sports league. Our league is something that we develop by bringing people to stadiums, and when they come, they want to come back" (USA TODAY, 7/18). In Illinois, Orrin Schwarz writes it “will be hard” for the U.S. women’s team “to improve if WPS folds.” WPS “has helped the women's team.” MLS “has showed it's here to stay, and eventually all its teams will be profitable.” But WPS “is a long way from that,” and if it fails, it “will be a setback for the women's national team.” Schwarz writes, “As great a tournament as this was, don't look for a soccer bounce. … Soccer is not going to maintain this level of popularity. The game will continue to grow and mature, slowly but surely. And that will have to be good enough, though it might not be enough to keep WPS afloat” (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 7/18).
ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT: SBNATION's Kevin McCauley noted more than 8,000 tickets for Wednesday's WPS magicJack-Flash game in Rochester "have already been sold and there will likely be more tickets sold before the game, as well as some walk-up sales." The Flash "will come close to selling out their 13,000-plus capacity Sahlen's Stadium, which they have not yet done in their short existence." U.S. F Abby Wambach plays for magicJack, while Brazil F Marta and U.S. F Alex Morgan play for the Flash (SBNATION.com, 7/17).
