NWSL attendance spikes in first games with USWNT stars since World Cup win
From Megan Rapinoe to Rose LaVelle, Team USA saw no shortage of breakout stars during its exciting victory at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. It appears that excitement might be spilling into the club side, as many hoped.
Several teams have seen a significant increase in attendance for their first games with USWNT players since the World Cup, as the Washington Post’s Steven Goff documented.
NWSL announced attendance this weekend with #uswnt players returning to action from World Cup:
Chicago: 17,388 (sellout)
Utah: 15,931
Orlando: 9,415
Washington: 5,500 (sellout)— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 21, 2019
For comparison’s sake, the Chicago Red Stars’ average attendance last year was 4,368 per game. Utah Royals FC’s was 9,466, the Orlando Pride’s was 4,837 and the Washington Spirit’s was 3,892.
Each of those teams features a significant player from the USWNT as well. Chicago has Julie Ertz, Utah has Christen Press, and Alex Morgan and Rose Lavelle play for Orlando and Washington, respectively, though neither played this weekend.
Lavelle also met an interestingly named fan after her game.
Watch Rose Lavelle meet...Rose Lavelle. This made me melt. @WashSpirit @USWNT @roselavelle pic.twitter.com/xl8uoKEftS
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) July 21, 2019
As with any post-event jump, the question now is if the NWSL can retain its new fans as the World Cup moves further and further away. That remains to be seen, but the league is probably still happy with where it is right now compared to a few months ago.
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