When Abby Wambach lifted the World Cup in Canada the winds of change for women’s soccer in the U.S. were beginning to blow. A Victory Tour was scheduled giving proud American’s the chance to see their ladies perform in front of their own eyes. The first stop: “the Steel City”, Pittsburgh, PA. The result: 44,028 people rocking Heinz Field to watch the U.S. thrash Costa Rica 8-0.
44,000 is a record attendance for a non-Women’s World Cup match in the U.S. People came in droves hours before kickoff to tailgate in 90 degree weather. For context, last year’s average attendance in the Premier League was 36,000. The crowd comprised tens of thousands of young females next to rabid U.S.A. supporters waving the traditional Pittsburgh “terrible towel” (Steelers’ fans never change, doesn’t matter what football they are watching). Meghan Klingenberg got in on the action borrowing the famed yellow towel from her coach and waving it about after scoring.
In 2004, just months after winning gold at the Olympics, the USWNT also played at Heinz Field to a crowd of under seven-thousand. Fast forward 11 years and interest in women’s soccer is at an all-time high. Interest isn’t just reserved for the National Team either. The NWSL is also seeing a lift from this summer’s spotlight, setting a new attendance record on August 3rd with 19,123 people at Providence Park, Portland to watch the Portland Thorns take on the Houston Dash.
Categories: Domestic, NWSL, Women's World Cup