WUSA Folds Not sure if this is exactly the right forum, but this *is* about soccer in the USA. http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-wusafolds&prov=ap&type=lgns "ATLANTA (AP) -- The WUSA shut down operations five days before the Women's World Cup, saying it didn't have enough money to stay in business for a fourth season."
Does soccer in the USA need women’s soccer to succeed? Does soccer in the USA need women’s soccer to succeed? I don’t know the answer to this question. I’m not even sure of the scope and range of the question. But in light of WUSA folding today I thought I’d ask it. Is it imperative for the long term viability and success of American soccer that women’s soccer have a strong presence in this country?
Re: Does soccer in the USA need women’s soccer to succeed? What soccer needs to succeed in the US is fans. Hardcore fans, casual fans, and everything in between. The problem with the WUSA was that it didn't have enough fans to sustain it (and that may have been in part a result of a flawed business plan and several bad decisions). The worst thing about the WUSA folding is that there is now one less league that could help create new fans. While I don't think it's essential that there be a women's league for soccer to keep growing to the point where we can eventually consider it a successful venture in the US, every fan with whatever degree of commitment is important, and now there might be fewer of them in the immediate future. So that's my waffling take: US soccer doesn't need women's soccer to succeed, but women's soccer could (still) play an important role toward bringing it about by introducing the sport to other fans.
No the US soccer does not need women's soccer to succeed. The reason the league failed is because it is a women's league. The WNBA is going bankrupt as well. There is no room for women's sports (with the exception of women's tennis) in an already crowded US sports market. Why watch Mia Hamm or Lisa Leslie play when you can see Landon Donovan or Tracy McGrady? There is no comparison. Women's sports just don't bring the same quality to the table.
It's easy to say that becuase we are 18+ year old men. Try walking up to a 13 year old PTH who had a Hamm poster on her wall since she was 6 and ONLY watches WUSA. What does she do now? Watch MLS? WUSA was 40 % about soccer, and 60% about being a Women's sport. Girls had female sports role models to look up to, and that was very important. I for one hope they can revive it.
No. IMO, the future of the game in this country rests on the collective shoulder of MLS and the USMNT. Like it or not, sports in this country (and everywhere for that matter) is based on the success of male sports leagues. We've seen these women win the ultimate prize in their sport, and the longest they could stay in the spotlight was for a singel month. The zenith of what the USWNT and the WUSA can do for US Soccer has been reached, IMO, this upcoming WWC will be a shadow of 1999. Trying to force its way into a crowded sports season in America was a bad idea from the start, but now with the demise of the WUSA, there's a gloomy cloud hanging over this tournament. The only way I can see this Cup salvaged (from an American view) is if the USA turn in a dominating performance and storm their way to gold. As far as US Soccer goes, nothing has changed. The MNT and MLS still hold the responsibility of carrying the torch for soccer in this country. It was the same in 1999, the same today, and will be the same tommorrow.
No, of course a female league is not needed for soccer to succeed in this country. But, I would like to say that I find it disheartening the way people have been responding to this news with such callousness. These women are fine athletes, and great role models for young girls that are lacking in that department. And now they are all out of a job. This is a sad day. I wish all of them well.
As a woman Mia Hamm is a better player than Landon Donovan is among men. The WUSA was the best women's soccer league in the world. I wouldn't say MLS is in the top 25 men's leagues. If any American sport needs its women's game to be strong, it's soccer. But I don't think MLS's survival was ever tied to that of the WUSA.
Not even in the top 25! Thats a bit harsh. 1) Seria A 2) La Liga 3) Premiership 4) Bundesliga 5) Championnat 6) Eredivisie After these 6 leagues, things get pretty close. I would rate MLS around 15th. The Mexican, Brazilian, and Argentinian leagues are still better.
[ Unfortunaitely, most die-hard soccer fan would rather see the 25th men league in the world than the top women league in the world. Women sport, in general, do not sell.....
I think the answer to this question is yes. In the general view of women's soccer over all. However, if you insert the word pro between women's and soccer the answer is no. There are still going to be little girls playing youth and high school. There are still going to be college teams playing soccer at a high level. And you will still have a league above them providing organized soccer after they are done with university. It will probably stifle our growth for women at the internatinoal level. However, it should be noted that the WUSA was the only truely professional women's soccer league in the world. But overall not having a professional women's league won't stop soccer overall from moving forward in this country.
US soccer doesn't need women's soccer. Nothing is absolutely imperative. But women's soccer can certainly help a lot.
Womens soccer give the sport a competitive advantage if it plays its cards right. What women's soccer brings to U.S. soccer is the whole family. I mean this in the literal way. Other sports are basically male dominated. Decsions to attend these sports fundamentally grow out of the male desire to attend them. Most women have never played football or baseball (unless you consider softball) or hockey. Basketball has a large number of women's teams but look at your school yeards and notice how few women are playing this sport. Therefore the average americans connection to these sports is muted at best. I don't want to be sterotypical but it seems to me that a lot of (don't call me a chauvinist- there are women who like football but I think there numbers are limited) women's interest in football reflects the fact that women are basically accompanying men to events the guys are interested in. But a considerable percentage of girls play soccer. If soccer plays its cards right it will have a two-sex audience in the years ahead. This is its long-term competitive marketplace advantage. As we see with the demise of the WUSA nothing is set in stone, but eventually women's soccer will recover from this setback to the advantage of the sport as a whole.
juventino, I'll defer to you on that. For arguement's sake I'll assume you're correct because, for all I know, you might know better than me. I was just trying to make a point. Comparing Mia Hamm to Landon Donovan vis a vis Lisa Leslie to Kobe Bryant is a little off base. Some people who know more of basketball than me may say that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA and thus the de facto best player in the world. It's debatable. I've heard time and again that Lisa Leslie is the best in her portion. Now Landon Donovan, as good as he is, isn't close to being the best male player in the world, so says FIFA. But Mia Hamm is the best female player in the world by a country mile. Maybe a more meaningful comparison would be that Mia Hamm is no Luis Figo.
Frankly US soccer does not need the WUSA or the MLS for the game to survive. leagues come and go and clubs come and go. The game is great so that will keep players playing. Will it effect the womens performances in the WWC? No, but mentally It might effect this one unless the women can forget their disappointment and just play. Will it effect the mens game no. ---------- Will there be another womens league in the next 5 years to replace the WUSA probably not. But the lower leagues will continue and they will get the players that played in the WUSA so the lower leagues will get a lot better then they are now.