Women’s pro soccer league needs a Bay Area team
The fights against gender discrimination and unequal pay are ongoing in women’s soccer, but as we saw at the recent World Cup, the United States’ top players aren’t waiting for change. There’s too much to showcase on the field, too much hard work in preparation, too much satisfaction to be gained from playing on a captivating, worldclass team.
And have you noticed the encouraging developments taking place back home?
Behind a rather modest facade — just nine teams, none based in California — the National Women’s Soccer League is a highly watchable product. Attendance is dramatically on the rise, with longstanding strongholds in the Northwest, and a new television contract finds ESPN televising 13 matches during the league’s stretch run leading to the Oct. 27 championship game.
More than anything, though, it’s the players. If you enjoyed the World Cup, take note how well the elitelevel talent has been distributed throughout the league (all current and former U.S. players unless noted): Portland: Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Meghan Klingenberg, Christine Sinclair (Canada) Orlando: Alex Morgan, Marta (Brazil), Ali Krieger, Sydney Leroux North Carolina: Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Samantha Mewis, Heather O’Reilly Chicago: Tierna Davidson, Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher, Sam Kerr (Australia) Seattle Reign: Megan Rapinoe Houston: Kristie Mewis, Sofia Huerta Utah: Kelley O’Hara, Christen Press, Becky Sauerbrunn Sky Blue FC (New Jersey): Carli Lloyd Washington (Maryland): Rose Lavelle, Mallory Pugh
Overall, more than 55 players on women’s World Cup rosters perform in the NWSL, and the spectacle feels much the same, with feverish excitement in the stands, young girls dreaming of their own future in the game, and the players hanging around to distribute Tshirts, jerseys and posters. The stadiums are small, listing capacities less than 20,000, but the intimacy is something not often found in professional sports. With the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, league officials hope to sustain the World Cupgenerated momentum.
There really should be a team in Northern California, which has produced many great players out of an expansive youth program. As colleague Ann Killion noted in a recent column, about a third of the women on the worldchampionship team played collegiately here and/or reside in the Bay Area. But in terms of sponsorship, facilities and ownership generosity, the NWSL can’t compare with the wealthy European clubs able to provide players a yearround option.
As for FIFA, the governing body prone to big promises and little action, here’s a message: Based on everything we’ve seen since 1999, the U.S. women’s team should be paid more than the men’s. Way more. How about we start with equality?