DETROIT — When the U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup back on July 5, it was a moment that brought the country together around soccer in a way that, perhaps, has never been seen before.
A record-breaking audience of 26.7 million Americans reportedly watched the U.S. Women’s National Team put on a show in a 5-2 beat down of Japan in the World Cup final. That was reportedly more viewers than Game 7 of the most recent World Series. It was more viewers than the NBA title game between Stephan Curry and LeBron James.
Quite simply, it was arguably the highest pedestal that women’s team sports has ever been on.
RELATED: MLive’s fan guide to the U.S. women’s soccer team visit to Detroit
That was then, however. Now, what matters is the residual effects that the one game in July can have on the sport of soccer in America.
With the U.S. women’s team on its current 10-game Victory Tour, it really is a good chance to quantify the fallout.
Considering that 31,000 tickets have been sold for the American’s friendly match against Haiti at Ford Field tonight at 7 p.m., it is safe to say that the interest in Detroit has gone up.
Despite Detroit not being home to one of the 20 Major League Soccer men’s teams or the nine National Women’s Soccer League teams, U.S. coach Jill Ellis sees the Ford Field match as another opportunity to leave a “footprint” for the sport of soccer.
“I think (Detroit) is a city that loves its sports,” Ellis said. “I think we can come in here and put on a good show and continue to grow our game in areas that maybe don’t have a professional team women’s team in the area. But, any time we can showcase our sport in a city that is so steeped in tradition in sports, I think that’s fantastic.”
The last time the U.S. women’s team played at Ford Field in 2012 against China, there were around 17,000 fans in attendance. A jump to 31,000 is quite staggering. It’s nearly double the fans – including children, importantly – that can be drawn deeper into the soccer fandom.
“That’s amazing,” U.S. defender Julie Johnston said of Detroit’s jump in attendance. “We just want to grow the sport. To have that many fans here on the Victory Tour amazing. Just to show the support that they have for us and for us to grow the game.”
Growing the game of soccer – especially for girls – is the real mission of the U.S. women’s team moving forward.
When the U.S. women’s team won in 1999 on home soil after Brandi Chastain netted her illustrious game-winning penalty kick, it sparked a whole new generation of young girls to pick up a soccer ball and reach for the stars.
Now that 15 years have passed between World Cups for the women, Ellis is hoping that the current World Cup will have the same effect on a new generation of soccer players. After all, many of the young kids that watched the World Cup in July were not even born in 1999.
“You want little girls to go out and dream about being on that stage,” Ellis said. “If it’s a matter of a kid going out and picking up a soccer ball and playing, that’s fantastic. If it’s the bigger picture that now we get more fans and now there’s more marketing opportunities and we can grow our game on TV and all of those types of things, those are all of the pluses and benefits of being involved in a big showcase event like the World Cup.”
Names like Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan are recognizable across the country, comparable to what it was like in 1999 with Chastain and Mia Hamm.
“Going into it, there were two things that were really at the forefront for me in terms of what I wanted to try and do,” Ellis said. “Primarily, I wanted to have some of our senior players have the experience of winning the world championship, to finish their careers with a World Cup. The other part was to try and inspire the next generation.”
For U.S. forward Abby Wambach, the time is now since the growth potential is through the roof.
“We now can monetize this thing we have,” Wambach said. “Not very often can women in sport – women in general – say that. Right now, it’s not just the feel-good thing to do. It’s actually the smart business play because it has huge potential for actual, real impact. Actual, real social change.”
