A record crowd of 19,871 attended the Spirit's match against the Orlando Pride on Saturday at Audi Field GETTY IMAGES
NWSL Washington Spirit Majority Owner Steve Baldwin advocated for professional women's soccer players in the U.S. to be paid more than the men, saying he believes the "opportunity is there to where unequal pay is achieved and the women make more," according to Matthew Gutierrez of the WASHINGTON POST. Baldwin said, "They are better than the men as athletes. This [the NWSL] is the best league in the world. We have to change how we sell it, promote and market it." Meanwhile, Baldwin "plans to upgrade team travel, expand the Spirit's full-time staff of 20, shorten lines at the home stadium, offer more food and beverages, and continue to implement on-field technology and monitors." At the "top of his to-do list is helping bring bigger corporate partners at the league level." Baldwin said that the Spirit has "added about 20 corporate partners this season," adding that the team is "pursuing dozens more opportunities." He believes that the NWSL "can reach" $30-50M in "annual sponsorship revenue." Baldwin: "Shame on us if we don't get that done" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/24).
BIG DRAW AT AUDI FIELD: The POST's Gutierrez reported a record crowd of 19,871 attended the Spirit's game Saturday at Audi Field against the Orlando Pride, a "remarkable sign of growth for an organization without a winning tradition." The Spirit "played at Audi Field once late last season, drawing a record 7,976 spectators." This time, the club "more than doubled that, the attendance nearly six times the Spirit's average this season" at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The record crowd "may not be an anomaly," as it "suggests there's a market for professional women's soccer." Meanwhile, the crowd was a "factor all night, with fans flocking" to see the "stars from the Women's World Cup -- even though some did not put on a uniform." Fans during the game were "cheering, chanting and supporting" the USWNT's "fight for equal pay" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/25).
