SheBelieves Cup

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by lil_one, Jan 13, 2016.

  1. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The tournament seems like big enough news to get its own thread.

    2016 SheBelieves Cup Schedule


    Mar. 3--Germany vs. France Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Fla. 5 p.m. ET
    Mar. 3--USA vs. England Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Fla. 7:30 p.m. ET shown on FS1

    Mar. 6 --USA vs. France Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tenn.
    2 p.m. CT ESPN3
    Mar. 6--Germany vs. England Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tenn. 4:30 p.m. CT

    Mar. 9--France vs. England FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Fla. 5 p.m. ET
    Mar. 9--USA vs. Germany FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Fla. 7:30 p.m. ET ESPN3


    I find it crazy that the non-US games will not be televised at all and that 2 of the US games will only be on ESPN3. Did television networks learn nothing in the WWC? People will watch! US Soccer should stream the non-US games, if ESPN3 doesn't step up...there is no excuse not to. If all else fails, it looks like French tv will broadcast them all. (Well done, France!)

    Also am I the only person who's not really sure about the name of the tournament?

    Ok, enough of the complaining. I'm happy that all the games will be on grass and that there will be some great competition!
     
    kolabear repped this.
  2. BrooklynSoccer

    BrooklynSoccer Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    Yeah, what exactly is she believing in anyways..
     
  3. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    It's awful but I dont really care. I guess the big question with the name is why cant they get corporate sponsorship for something like this? I would have called in Coupe de Grace.

    Anyway Im more upset about the abysmal coverage the USSoccer has lined up for the event. One match on cable and two streamed on ESPN3. That is embarrassing.
     
  4. sitruc

    sitruc Member+

    Jul 25, 2006
    Virginia
    Historically this board complains about Algarve coverage around this team. At least these will be in more fan accommodating venues.
     
    Gamecock14 and Semblance17 repped this.
  5. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    I get more disgusted with the #SheBelieves Soccer Club every day. U dont grow the game by bringing together four elite woman's teams and then make it extremely difficult to see the games. This isnt Portugal. U dont grow support for a league by populating the #SheBelieves Senior team from their youth academy instead of from the NWSL
     
    Semblance17 repped this.
  6. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I liked the campaign during the WWC and the principles behind it, but now calling a tournament #SheBelieves seems mawkish to me. (It also makes me wonder if USSF really understands that they need to be marketing to a broader audience to continue to grow the game. Its not just little girls anymore.) But then again, perhaps I'm just a bit too old to get into the whole hashtag culture.

    But I agree with kernelthai. The name of the tournament seems a minor issue compared to the lack of television coverage. This is not the Algarve in Portugal. These are major stadiums within the US and games between 4 of the top 5 teams in the world. We can do better than one game televised and 2 streamed.
     
  7. Blaze20

    Blaze20 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Seattle Reign FC
    Sep 22, 2009
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    I'm willing to cut them some slack as this is the first year and this seems hastily put together. But come year two I expect a name change and better coverage and hopefully some sponsors. I won't even mind if it is named the National Mango Board cup
     
  8. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No you are not. It's slightly sexist. Are only females allowed to believe?

    Whatever she wants, I guess. I might have liked "WeBelieve" [that we will win] better.

    Kind of defeats the purpose of having the games in television-conducive stadiums, which many venues in the Algarve apparently were not, if they're still not really on TV...
     
  9. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    That USSoccer cant find a corporate sponsor for this is mind boggling. AT&T sponsored the VT. Ur telling me that no company would want to throw their name on this? My thinking is they were determined to name it #shebelieves come what may when they could have done much better.
     
  10. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    At Algarve the problem was lighting I believe.
     
  11. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    AT&T probably felt that the VT was a safe investment because it directly fed off the World Cup wave of WOSO's popularity, just as Panasonic had taken advantage of the relative crest of the 2012 Olympics using that victory tour.

    Unfortunately the potential sponsors of this tournament likely believed that it lacked the underlying power of a victory tour. I'm sure the name didn't help either.
     
  12. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    What didnt help is lack of a cable presence to place ads on. If ur a big company why attach ur name to anything that has only one of six matches on cable.

    For me the question I want answered is didnt Fox want all the US matches? If Fox would only commit to one then I can see ESPN3 being a viable choice to a money grubbing USSoccer. What I couldnt get is if Fox would have taken more but the #SheBelieves Soccer Club still went with ESPN's inferior coverage to keep them in the picture.
     
  13. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good point. But I'm not sure if we'll ever get the answer to that question.
     
  14. jackdoggy

    jackdoggy Member+

    May 16, 2014
    Big D
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not surprised, first week of March sports channels go wall to wall College Basketball.
     
    sitruc and taosjohn repped this.
  15. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    True, but FoxSports did broadcast the Algarve last year (except for the Iceland game) which was at the same time of March. Although to be fair, their broadcast of the Algarve was a lead-in to the WWC, and they won't get the same benefit since they don't have rights to the Olympics.
     
  16. Gamecock14

    Gamecock14 Member+

    May 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    I think ESPN3 offered to have all three matches and FS1 said they would have a live telecast for the first game which led to the split.

    The latter two sets of games will compete with some college basketball more because of the time than date. Algarve matches did not really have this problem.
     
  17. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    non wc or olympic woso is not an easy $$ producing telecast. if there's an audience somebody will pick it up. if not, be glad you have something, and go make more fans.
     
  18. sitruc

    sitruc Member+

    Jul 25, 2006
    Virginia
    Also worth mentioning, there's a bit of a time zone difference between the east coast of the US and Portugal.
     
    Gamecock14 and taosjohn repped this.
  19. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    USSF should have let AO name the tournament; they've already come up with something better:

     
  20. Gamecock14

    Gamecock14 Member+

    May 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    There is some irony in the #Shebelieves campaign and the composition of the team.

    But the overall message of the campaign is very good.

    The AO tournament name sounds better.
     
  21. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    The way u make more fans is by putting the matches where the casual fan can easily see them. One of the things that drove the popularity of the ncaa basketball tournament was ESPN deciding to broadcast every game which was unheard if at the time.
     
    Semblance17 repped this.
  22. BrooklynSoccer

    BrooklynSoccer Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    oh brother, If that's the excuse they made it's a false one. If there's enough light to play, there's enough light to film.
    Many Algarve cups are shot in the middle of the day and other nations broadcast their algarve matches. including the night games.
     
  23. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    That's what I said at the time. If there isnt enough light for tv there isnt enough light to safely play the match.
     
  24. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    not if you don't have enough fans (a big problem with non wc or olympic woso) and are losing too much money. the people putting up the real $$ to telecast these games have all the data, and altho i too want to see all these games, they have the right to make the call. like i've said, one of them might still come thru.

    betting on basketball vs woso in the u.s.? no contest!
     
  25. lil_one

    lil_one Member+

    Nov 26, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not sure what you're referring to here.
     

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