Goal-den girls!
CANYON OF HEROES PARADE FOR WORLD CHAMPS WEDNESDAY
The World Cup-winning US women’s soccer team will be showered with ticker tape Wednesday in a parade up lower Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes.
“On and off the field, this team represents what’s best about New York City and our nation, said Mayor de Blasio, who was campaigning for president in South Carolina as he announced plans for the parade after the team’s 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday.
“The confidence, grit and perseverance of the US Women’s National Soccer Team serve as an inspiration to all who watch them,” the mayor said in a statement.
Team co-captain Alex Morgan later tweeted, “SEE YA SOON NYC!!!”
A de Blasio rep said Hizzoner would be back from the campaign trail for the parade, which will follow the traditional route up Broadway from Battery Park to City Hall.
It will be the city’s first ticker-tape parade since the women’s team won the 2015 cup.
De Blasio’s announcement came as New Yorkers and US fans across the globe celebrated the historic win — the squad’s fourth in the cup’s eight-tournament history, twice as many as any other national team.
Heavily attended watch parties under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn and near the World Trade Center in Manhattan erupted into a churning sea of patriotism, with revelers shouting, “USA!” at the top of their lungs after the clock ran out.
“We couldn’t be happier with the US team,” said Lisa Montalvo-Diaz, who watched the game on a projector at T2 Plaza at the foot of 2 World Trade Center as she cheered herself hoarse for the team. She spoke through a sign-language translator because she is deaf.
Kevin Cruz of Passaic, NJ, who was draped in an American flag, said, “I’m glad we came into the city to watch this game. It’s a historic game, and it just feels right to watch the USA win in New York City.’’
The team even won praise from President Trump, who has been feuding with team co-captain Megan Rapinoe after she said in June she would not visit the White House if the team won the Cup.
“Congratulations to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on winning the World Cup! Great and exciting play. America is proud of you all!” Trump wrote on Twitter several hours after the victory.
It is commonplace for a president to invite winning sports teams to the White House — especially those that bring home international victories — but Trump on Sunday told reporters that he hadn’t considered whether he’d have the team over. “We haven’t really thought about it,” he said. Former President Barack Obama also took to Twitter to congratulate the team.
“Yes! Fourth star. Back to back. Congrats to the record breakers on the @USWNT, an incredible team that’s always pushing themselves—and the rest of us—to be even better. Love this team. #OneNationOneTeam,” he wrote.
Congrats to the US Women’s National Team for scoring their second straight World Cup with Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Netherlands.
They embody excellence not just as global champs, but as one of the top teams ever.
Co-captain Megan Rapinoe was the clear star all tournament long, the top scorer and rightful winner of the Golden Ball award for best player. That she nailed what proved to be the winning score, her sixth goal of the tourney, is just icing on an extremely sweet cake.
Here’s hoping the USWNT can score one more win, in their suit against the US Soccer Federation for pay equal to the men’s team.
It’s now hard to see why the women don’t earn more: They’re not only markedly more successful, they also bring in more revenue.
In any case, Mayor de Blasio was clearly right to invite America’s newest champions to a ticker-tape parade on Wednesday, the city’s first such celebration since the one for the 2015 USWNT.
That was the city’s first ticker-tape honor for a women’s team; perhaps the most important legacy of this team is that they’ve surely inspired countless girls to pursue athletic excellence themselves — and make women’s-team marches a regular future Canyon of Heroes feature.