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Is Canadian Expansion For NWSL The Next Step For Growing Women's Soccer?

Administrators at the U.S. Soccer Federation, "to their credit, have propped up the NWSL with significant funding," and now the league "hopes that last weekend's triumph will boost interest," according to Mark Purdy of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Sooner or later, crowds "must show up" to support the NWSL. The league "lacks a wide audience and has averaged a few thousand fans per game" since launching in '13. In Europe and Japan, "women's pro soccer leagues have so far survived -- and have lured many of the game's best athletes." Of all the players at the FIFA Women's World Cup, "only about 13 percent were from the NWSL." European leagues "were better represented" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/7). Former USWNT player Brandi Chastain said of the current team, "We still have a long way to go and they have to be the advocates for professional leagues and for players' rights ... whether that’s monetarily; whether that’s even just continuing to have a league. They have to have voices and whether they want to or not, they have been now crowned ambassadors" (“SportsTalk Live,” CSN Bay Area, 7/6).

HEADING NORTH? Canada women's national soccer team coach John Herdman said adding a Canadian NWSL franchise would be a "key step" in growing the sport. The CP's Neil Davidson noted the Canadian Soccer Association "held talks after the success of the national team at the 2012 Olympics about a Canadian franchise. Herdman said, "It's going to take a couple of philanthropists and work to make this happen." MLSE said that it "has yet to consider a women's franchise." An MLSE spokesperson said, "Given that TFC is relatively young, the focus has been on building that club up. In due time, once the club has proven that it can win at all levels, there might be an opportunity to explore expanding into the women's game." Wasserman Media Group agent Dan Levy said that the NWSL's success so far "is limited to the local level." Levy: "Hopefully that changes. But it's difficult, there aren't many truly national or global sports properties. I think the NWSL is headed in the right direction" (CP, 7/6).

IF YOU BUILD IT...? NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush said that Minnesota "would be a good market for a professional women’s soccer team." In Minneapolis, Mike Kaszuba notes two of the NWSL’s nine teams -- the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns -- are owned by MLS teams that "play in the same city, an important point since Minnesota has recently been awarded a MLS team." NASL club Minnesota United President Nick Rogers said that such a marriage "might make sense." But Plush said that he "has not spoken" with United Owner Bill McGuire (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/7). Meanwhile, NWSL Seattle Reign co-Owner Bill Predmore said, "People believe in the sport, we just need to make them aware of it." He added, "Part of this is just building awareness in our club." In Seattle, Geoff Baker notes the Reign "averaged only 2,654 through five home games this season, but the team has invested money in marketing and promotion in hopes of a midsummer bump." Reign coach and GM Laura Harvey said, "The reality is that the players who work so hard for that (World Cup) tournament also work hard every day and turn up and play games throughout the season. We need to make sure people know that." Predmore said that ticket sales "showed modest, steady growth as the World Cup unfolded in Canada." But he added, "Over the past 72 hours, they’ve exploded." A club spokesperson declined to give numbers, but said that ticket sales in the 24 hours since the World Cup win "had already eclipsed any one-day period in club history" (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/7).

ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS: In Louisville, Tim Sullivan writes Team USA's victory over Japan was "impressively thorough and aesthetically pleasing," however, estimates of its impact "are likely to be exaggerated." The traditional problem for women's soccer in this country "is not competition, but carry-through; making domestic inroads out of international dominance." The NWSL "is the third women's professional league of this millennium and would be the first to see a fourth season should it outlive the year." Sullivan: "Sadly, whenever female futbol makes a major stride in this country, its next step is invariably off a cliff. ... Maybe this time is different, but that has not been the way to bet" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/7). SNY's Eamon McAnaney said, "I understand what the ratings were, and it was ... tremendous for them to win the World Cup Final, and there were people watching it all over the place, but ... is anyone going to be talking about this team next week?" McAnaney: "There’s no bigger watershed moment than ’99 ... and they couldn’t capitalize to have a pro league. ... There's interest because it’s America. It’s our country and it’s a party and it’s shoved down our throats. ... I just don’t see it lasting" (“Loud Mouths,” SNY, 7/6).

UNEQUAL FOOTING: In Miami, Michelle Kaufman wrote the lasting image of the U.S. Women’s World Cup champions this time "will not be a soccer player in a sports bra." The players are "all rock stars -- for the time being -- just like the 1999 championship team." Both games "were watershed moments for women’s sports." Kaufman: "But let’s not get so lost in the celebration that we ignore the inequities that still exist. Let’s not forget that FIFA forced the women to play their World Cup on artificial turf, something they would never ask the men to do for fear of injury." The U.S. women’s team "was awarded" $2M for winning Sunday; the German men last summer got $35M for winning, and the men’s teams that "lost in the first round of the World Cup" earned $8M. Some NWSL players "are boarded at host families’ homes -- including U.S. World Cup starters Meghan Klingenberg and Morgan Brian" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 7/6). In Boston, Shira Springer writes it is "great to see the women’s national team draw the largest U.S. television audience ever for a soccer match," and it is "great to see breaking news banners announce the team’s 5-2 World Cup win in the final." It is "especially great to see ESPN’s 'SportsCenter' lead off with seven minutes of women’s soccer." But Sunday’s "shower of gold confetti and gold medals can’t make up the difference" in money awarded to Germany's men's team and the U.S. women's team. Springer: "To be fair, the men bring in much more money through every imaginable revenue stream, but the $2 million women’s championship prize shows just how little FIFA values female players and their game" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/7).

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