ASN: Christen Press:

Over the weekend 4 members of the victorious U.S. girls’s nationwide crew returned to their membership, the Chicago Purple Stars, and mentioned the way forward for girls’s skilled soccer.

BY

John D. Halloran

Posted
July 20, 2015
12:30 PM

SHARE THIS STORY

SINCE WINNING THE WORLD CUP two weeks in the past in Canada, the gamers on the USA girls’s nationwide crew have returned to the U.S. as conquering heroes. They’ve loved a ticker-tape parade in New York Metropolis, made the rounds on the morning speak present circuit, and attended the ESPY’s—the place they gained one thing known as the “Outstanding Team Award.”

On Saturday, 4 U.S. gamers returned to NWSL membership obligation with the Chicago Purple Stars. Talking with the media forward of the crew’s 1-1 draw with the Boston Breakers, the quartet recalled their expertise over the previous few weeks and talked about what’s subsequent for the league and ladies’s soccer in America.

Shannon Boxx, who performed in her fourth World Cup for the U.S., was fast to credit score the American followers for his or her assist through the event.

“It was so close to the U.S.,” she mentioned, “it almost felt like we were in the U.S. We had such a great crowd, the fans were amazing. It felt like home. We definitely had the advantage for every game with our crowd.”

That sentiment was echoed by teammate Julie Johnston, who was a key element of the U.S.’s protection within the World Cup and a finalist for the Golden Ball.

“Every single game, it was remarkable to see how many U.S. fans were there. Especially when we came back to the States, it was even greater—which I thought was going to be really hard to top,” Johnston mentioned. “But doing the parade, just walking around, the amount of support we got as a team was awesome.”

However now that the parades and celebrations are winding down, the important thing for girls’s soccer in America is what comes subsequent. The ladies’s sport benefited from sturdy public curiosity following the 1999 and 2011 World Cups however the success and recognition of the nationwide crew did not translate into long-term success for the skilled leagues within the U.S. The WUSA—born out of the 1999 World Cup—ultimately collapsed, as did its successor, the WPS, which folded solely months after the U.S.’ inspiring run within the 2011 World Cup.

Lori Chalupny, who made an unbelievable run to make the World Cup roster this summer time, sees transferring the U.S.’s World Cup success to the NWSL as the following take a look at.

“The challenge is to keep it going,” Chalupny mentioned. “World Cups solely occur each 4 years. Successful gave us a bump in viewership and the eye that has been given to the game. The good factor is we’ve this league—we play yearly. It is in folks’s hometowns and other people can come and watch us play.

“Hopefully, that will continue the momentum.”

Christen Press, who scored within the People’ World Cup opener towards Australia, believes that fan assist shall be essential on this step.

“It’s an incredibly important moment for women’s soccer,” mentioned Press. “We have had such a terrific trip by this summer time and we’re hoping to proceed it. The vital factor is for the followers—who’ve been so nice for us and the nationwide crew—to proceed to assist and are available out to the NWSL video games and see that there are a whole lot of ladies on this nation that play nice soccer.

“It’s something that’s worth watching. If the fans continue to support us, in our league, that’s going to push women’s soccer in America forward.”

The U.S. win within the 1999 World Cup, and the long-lasting second of Brandi Chastain hitting the successful penalty kick in entrance of a packed home within the Rose Bowl, was extensively credited for uplifting a technology of younger American gamers. And 2015 World Cup winner Press sees the identical factor occurring once more.

“A lot of us play so the young girls can look at our team and say, ‘I can do that.’ That’s why I thought the ticker-tape parade was so special—because we looked out into the crowd and there were girls there and I could see it in their eyes that they were thinking, ‘I want this.’

“That is the long run,” Press continued. “They are often higher than us, they will push the sport ahead. A whole lot of my journey has been to permit folks to dream.”

Making the home league profitable can also be vital to the way forward for the nationwide crew, as a number of gamers over time have used the WUSA, WPS, and NWSL to make the transfer to the worldwide stage. Chalupny used her play with the Purple Stars to earn a recall to the nationwide crew after a five-year absence and Boxx first earned her manner onto the U.S. squad again in 2003 based mostly on her membership kind.

“That’s the important part of the league, that we get to train every single day,” Boxx mentioned. “I’m a byproduct of a league: the WUSA. I got noticed in that league and that helped me get to the national team.”

Boxx, 38, additionally confirmed on Saturday that she shall be retiring following the 2015 season.  

“I’m going to be done at the end of the year,” mentioned the midfielder. “I would definitely like to continue playing through the victory tour and trying to enjoy the last moments of playing, but I definitely want to continue to be a part of the game as much as possible. I definitely think my time has come—pass the torch and enjoy my family.”  

Shifting ahead, the U.S. will embark on a 10-game victory tour whereas the nationwide crew gamers can even be seeking to carry success to their membership groups. The Purple Stars are in first place within the NWSL and Press is already wanting ahead to including one other championship to her resume.

“This team has done phenomenal while we were gone and that puts us in a great position to start to dream again,” she mentioned, “to dream about successful the NWSL.

“We’re all here because we love the game and we love to play.”