This is just something I've been throwing around in my head for the past day or two ... Personally, I think it will benefit women's soccer far more than another U.S. (or even Norway) win. Thoughts? I'd especially like to hear from all fans out there. (And if you're a U.S. fan, be prepared to hear things you may not be able to handle just 24 hours after their defeat.) --Bon
I agree with you 100% Bonnie - The idea that the US has to win a World Cup for a pro league to be viable is bullsh!t beyond words. Whoever makes a second stab at a pro league, be it WUSA, MLS, or another independent entity, won't be trying to go down the golden path trying to build it on a house of cards this time. They'll try to build it on real soccer fans who will actually watch Sunday's final, supports soccer in all forms, etc, and not trying to build it by attempting to forcibly convert families who just want to wave a flag once every four years into soccer fans and alienating real fans in the process. So yes, I think this will benefit women's soccer in the US in the long run (and in Europe immediately!)
It'll be harder to establish a league without the coat tails of a US victory to ride on, but in the long run, it's better because it'll be built on a stable foundation. A league should be built on real soccer fandom, not mia or brandi fandom that will wear off in a year when the next pop culture focus rolls into town.
Altough I really feel for the American women when their dream was shattered by Germany But I think it's good for Women's Soccer. Every country needs a turn at ruling the world if the game's popularity is to spread Just wait till Brazil starts to care about women's soccer!
(Sorry ... Was away on my weekend) I think that this go round, however far down the road it may be, a league should and will be based on overall interest as opposed to a interest in a single tournament/event/team. And, if this new league has a clue, they'll alter their marketing ploys. (Which I ripped into a year ago in an ECG article) Not only that, but the tighter and better the competition becomes, the better matches will become. That in and of itself will draw more serious soccer fans to watch. Honestly, I think I've skipped every single U.S. match (that didn't involve Norway) for the past two years because I was so ... Well, bored. If they played anyone even remotely below their skill level, they seemed to always play down to them. Even matches that ended with a 5-0 win, should have been more like 10-0. They would get sloppy because they had plenty of room for error. Not to mention, more and more non-U.S. fans are popping out of the woodwork. Which can only mean that women's soccer is starting to get notced elsewhere.
Well, if you think about it. The WUSA was formed as an aftermath of the US winning the 1999 World Cup. Now that the WUSA is gone, certainly a US victory wouldn't have hurt US soccer at all. Maybe it could have convinced sponsers to shell out more money so we can have our WUSA back!!!