Rapinoe's post-World Cup debut has made the Reign's July 28 home match a hot draw among fansGETTY IMAGES
NWSL's Reign FC’s World Cup homecoming match is officially a sellout after "all single-game tickets and a total of more than 7,000 tickets for the July 28 match against the Chicago Red Stars have been sold," according to Andrew Hammond of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE. The match is the first time the Reign’s seven USWNT members -- including F Megan Rapinoe and MF Allie Long -- "will be available" following their World Cup win. There are a "limited number of seven-game, season-ticket memberships for the Summit Club or Dugout Club still available that include tickets" to the game (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 7/16).
ON THE UP & UP? In New Jersey, Ella Brockway notes Sky Blue FC has "seen an uptick in ticket sales" since the World Cup. The crowd for Friday's game against the Utah Royals was the "largest of the season, reported at 1,842." The increase is "encouraging, but the total number is far from impressive." Sky Blue has "trailed the league in attendance in five of the last six seasons, and its current average of 1,501 is a record-low." Crowds have "hovered in the 2,000-range" since Sky Blue began playing at the 5,000-seat capacity Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J., in '13. The return of USWNT members to the NWSL as a whole "should help those attendance numbers." USWNT F Carli Lloyd plays for Sky Blue (APP.com, 7/16).
