This summer the United States Women's Soccer Team was in the limelight of American sports. People who have never even cared much for soccer in general all tuned in and were electrified by what the team did in the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, defeating Japan 5-2 in the final and claiming the gold medal after falling short against the same team four years ago in Germany.
Ultimately this was an enormous opportunity also get more eyes on our own women's soccer league. But instead, the US Soccer team scheduled a "Victory Tour" and looked to bank off of the team's success financially. This meant that all of the top players in the National Women's Soccer League were required for meaningless David versus Goliath exhibition games, destroying teams like Costa Rica 8-0.
While we trotted our heroes across the country to play cupcake teams, the NWSL played the final stretch of it's season missing all the players we actually know about. It is also no secret that the last women's soccer league in our country actually went bankrupt only a little while following the 2012 Women's World Cup.
How are teams like the Portland Thorns and Kansas City FC going to get people interested in their product when they are missing their own stars and recognizable faces on their rosters?
It's also ludicrous that we needed to further prove how good our team is when we all just watched them dominate the runner-up in in the World Cup Final. We have all of this talent, yet we cannot see them face each other on a high stage.
I understand the incentive to want to bank on their success, but why ruin the struggling women's league and enterprise in your own country where the players are actually employed and hope to make a living?
I believe that they should simply have played friendly matches perhaps once a week or two instead of an entire tour. That is what the US Men’s team does currently and in recent years those games have been rising in the ratings thanks to the influx of American sports networks like Fox Sports 1 and NBC sports network.
Ultimately this was an enormous opportunity also get more eyes on our own women's soccer league. But instead, the US Soccer team scheduled a "Victory Tour" and looked to bank off of the team's success financially. This meant that all of the top players in the National Women's Soccer League were required for meaningless David versus Goliath exhibition games, destroying teams like Costa Rica 8-0.
While we trotted our heroes across the country to play cupcake teams, the NWSL played the final stretch of it's season missing all the players we actually know about. It is also no secret that the last women's soccer league in our country actually went bankrupt only a little while following the 2012 Women's World Cup.
How are teams like the Portland Thorns and Kansas City FC going to get people interested in their product when they are missing their own stars and recognizable faces on their rosters?
It's also ludicrous that we needed to further prove how good our team is when we all just watched them dominate the runner-up in in the World Cup Final. We have all of this talent, yet we cannot see them face each other on a high stage.
I understand the incentive to want to bank on their success, but why ruin the struggling women's league and enterprise in your own country where the players are actually employed and hope to make a living?
For that reason, I believe that this situation could have been handled better. It is clear that the organization believed that it was most important to schedule those games as soon as it possibly could, in order to seize a window of opportunity. They did not care much for what negative effect it could have on the player's teams.
I believe that they should simply have played friendly matches perhaps once a week or two instead of an entire tour. That is what the US Men’s team does currently and in recent years those games have been rising in the ratings thanks to the influx of American sports networks like Fox Sports 1 and NBC sports network.
The tour was financially successful in the short term for Team USA. But we can only hope the NWSL still draws attention in the years to come, or else it will have to fold for a third time.
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