An Overview of Women's Soccer History in the USA
By... David Litterer
US Soccer History Archives
spectrum@sover.net |
This page is a detailed historical overview of United States Soccer Women's Soccer from...
its roots in the 19th century to the present day. Enjoy!
Women’s soccer has had an unusual genesis in the United States. As the
21st century commences, the US finds itself as arguably the top country
in the world for women’s soccer, both in terms of participation and in
international competition. Yet, women’s soccer got off to a fairly late
start in this country. Women’s leagues existed in Europe as far back as
1930, and international competitions date back to the 1950s. In the
United States, however, organized women’s soccer did not take root until
the late 1970’s, and even this was partly an outgrowth of the Title IX
legislation of 1972 mandating gender equity in education. Varsity
college teams began to spread in the early 1980’s, and a national squad
was only established in 1985. The first national women’s league did not
launch until 1995, and it was not until 2001 that the first professional
women’s league made its debut.
But when women’s soccer did finally take off in the US, it was with a
vengeance, fueled by enormous participation at the youth and amateur
levels, rapidly growing interest by mainstream sport fans and the media,
and the growing acceptance of women’s sports in general. After two World
Cup titles and Olympic gold and silver medals, the US dominates the
world in the women’s game, leading the way as it takes root throughout
the rest of the world, with all the cultural implications that follow.
But the story leading to this pinnacle of success is an interesting one.
For much of its history, organized soccer had been almost exclusively a
man’s game. But not completely so. Prior to the establishment of the
modern game in the 19th century, and for centuries before that, women
often participated in the “mob” games often played by large numbers of
participants from neighboring villagers. These were a combination of
rugby/soccer type competitions and all-out riot, and were constantly
being derided and suppressed by the governing authorities. Little
accurate information is available about the true nature of these
activities, but it appears that when it was one village against another,
most everyone who could use their legs took part.
The early years: European Origins
The modern form of soccer, established in London by the Football
Association in 1863, was a refinement of the organized local leagues of
the time, and this was an exclusively male pastime. However, many
historians describe informal village competitions in England and
Scotland of matches between married and unmarried women which took place
near the end of the 19th century. By the early 20th century, women were
playing informally in scattered areas of Great Britain, France and
Canada. Even in central Europe, competition was not unknown, although
often in defiance of civil and religious authorities.
During World War I, the Dick, Kerr factory in Preston, England
organized a pioneering women’s team which would leave a significant
footnote in US soccer history. Female workers often joined the
apprentices who made up the company team for soccer matches during lunch
and tea time. On one day in October 1917, a time when the company team
wasn’t doing so well, some of the female players bragged that they could
play the game better. This led to a challenge by men to a men vs. women
game. The match was held and duly reported in the press, but the score
was not given. Nevertheless, this marked the formation of the Dick, Kerr
Ladies team was formed. This team attracted a great deal of attention,
at a time when even women working outside the home and not in floor
length dresses, was considered unprecedented. Soon other women’s teams
were formed, and played against each other, sometimes in front of fairly
large crowds, to raise money for charity and to help the war effort. The
Dick, Kerr Ladies would continue to play for almost fifty years.
One of the most famous of these games was played on Boxing Day in
1920, at Goodison Park in Liverpool. There, on the hallowed turf of one
of England's greatest soccer grounds, Dick, Kerr Ladies, played another
Lancashire team, St. Helen's Ladies, before a crowd of 53,000 with
another 10 to 15,000 fans locked out when the ground was full.
This game, and in particular the size of the crowd, set alarm bells
ringing in the headquarters of the austere Football Association in
London. Women's soccer was now seen as a threat to the professional
men's game and something had to be done. So in 1921, under pressure, the
all powerful governing body of the game in England barred women from
playing soccer for an incredible 50 years.
Unfortunately, this early golden era ended abruptly in 1921 when the
English Football Association, long viewing soccer as a male preserve,
banned all female competition from its grounds. Ever since a famous game
between Dick, Kerr Ladies and Lancashire’s St. Helen’s Ladies played
before a crowd of 53,000 on Boxing Day in 1920, the establishment had
seen this success as a threat to the men’s game. Since the FA controlled
almost all football grounds in the country, this was a knockout blow for
the women’s clubs, and crippled their game for decades to come, having
repercussions in other countries as well.
A few countries were not seriously affected by this action, and in
fact, Italy and France both established women’s leagues in the early
1930’s. But the women’s game was fairly dormant until after World War
II, when it began to develop a following northern European countries
such as Norway, Sweden and Germany. From this point, momentum was
inexorable; Italy formed its national association in 1950, and Germany
organized the first informal European championship in 1957. By the late
1960’s, several national and regional federations, as well as national
leagues had formed, building on the increasing local club competition
taking place.
Despite the obvious trends, it was not until England rescinded their
ban on women’s soccer, long after it had become an anachronism and an
object of derision throughout much of Europe. By this time, more than 35
countries had national leagues, Mexico had hosted an unofficial (and
largely exhibition) world championship, and international competition
was becoming common. The game was still seen as little more of a
curiosity however, and the level of skill was low, due to lack of needed
infrastructure, training and coaching. As these issues were being
tackled, the game was finally beginning to have its beginnings in the
United States.
The Early Game in the United States
For much of the 20th century, women’s soccer had consisted primarily of
informational recreational games and intramural college games,
particularly at women’s colleges. The first notable exhibition took
place in 1922 when the Dick, Kerr Ladies team made a tour of the United
States. After having been snubbed by the Canadian association, the team
arrived in the States to find that there were no established women’s
teams for them to play. So they resolved to play against men’s teams,
and these included some of the top teams in the country. They opened
with a 6-3 loss to Paterson F. C., but drew with J&P Coates, and Fall
River Marksmen, and defeated New Bedford Whalers, all; of the
professional American Soccer League. Overall, their record was 3 wins, 2
draws and 2 losses, an impressive record against such high caliber
talent, although the men’s sides were sometimes going easy on the
Ladies, much to their chagrin. The Dick, Kerr Ladies would go on to play
for 48 years with a 758-46-24 record, impressive by any standards.
Unfortunately, the team folded in 1970 the same year as England ended
their ban on women at FA grounds.
For most of the first six decades of the 20th century, women’s soccer
was confined to gym class, informal pickup games and college intramural
competition. One notable exception to this history was the establishment
in 1951 of the first organized women’s league. This circuit was
established in 1951 by Father Craig of St. Matthew’s Parish of North St.
Louis. The Craig Club Girls Soccer League consisted of four teams, and
played full schedules for two seasons. Although their history was short,
it was a milestone in the history of women’s soccer, although it would
be over a decade before the sport began to make a true start in the
colleges.
Unlike the men’s game, women’s soccer had much of its early growth in
the college game. Although their was resistance to women’s soccer in the
college ranks, there was even more at the club level, due to the game’s
male-oriented and tradition-bound institutions. The first college
varsity team in the United States was established at Castleton State
College in Castleton VT in the mid 1960s. Until that time college soccer
consisted of intramural and phys ed class activity. Around this time,
soccer also enjoyed increasing popularity in high schools as an
inexpensive alternative to the other major sports of the time, one that
did not require specific physical abilities and would be open to all
students. The growth of soccer as a recreational sport among youth grew
steadily through the seventies and that growth has continued to this
day.
A major factor in the growth of women’s college soccer was the passage
of the Educational Amendments of 1972, an omnibus package of changes to
the landmark Education Act of 1965. Title IX of these amendments
mandated equal access and equal spending on athletic programs at college
institutions. As a result, college varsity soccer programs for women
began to be established at dozens of colleges and universities
throughout the country. This, combined with the accelerated entrance of
girls into the burgeoning recreational sports programs provided numerous
new opportunities for female athletic participation, and provided the
talent pool for the new college teams.
By 1981, there were almost 100 varsity programs established in NCAA
women’s soccer, and even more club teams. The AIAW, a women’s
counterpart to the NCAA, was established in the mid 1970s and
immediately began sponsoring women’s varsity programs, establishing an
informal national championship in 1980, won by Cortland State. It became
official a year later, and that 1981 tournament was hosted by North
Carolina’s young program, which won the tournament.
The following year, in 1982, in a controversial decision, the NCAA began
to sponsor women’s sports, and immediately almost all existing varsity
institutions switched allegiances. A few programs remained with the AIAW
that year, but switched after the season and the AIAW was history. There
was considerable controversy over this move. Some saw the NCAA as having
the resources and exposure to give legitimacy to the sport, while others
decried the more competitive and less holistic approach taken by the
NCAA and the loss of influence of women at the administrative level,
where often the women’s programs were put in a subservient position to
the established men’s programs. This would change over time as the
seismic cultural shifts in the country accelerated, but in 1982, there
was much trepidation over the move.
One telling difference in the growth of women’s college soccer is that
unlike the men’s game, it did not start out primarily in one region of
the country and spread through the decades. With the seeds planted by
,men’s soccer, the women’s program was able to take root all over the
country at once, and grow from there. However that did not mean there
were dynasties. The University of North Carolina, coached by Anson
Dorrance immediately took a commanding position in the women’s college
game, one they would maintain into the 21st century. Of the first 20
NCAA championships, 16 were won by UNC, including nine in a row from
1986-1994.
Title IX and the growth of Youth and College Soccer
This institutional domination did not discourage other programs, and the
growth of women’s soccer was dramatic at both the youth, high school and
college levels. By 1980, the growth in youth soccer was already
dramatic, with almost 900,000 youth participating. By 1985, this was
over 1.5 million, reaching 2 million in 1990, three million in 1995 and
nearly 2.7 million by 2000. The proportion of girls steadily grew until
by now over half of youth participation was female.
At the high school level, participant growth was no less dramatic. In
1976, barely 10,000 girls played in high school, less than 10% of the
total. That had quadrupled to 41,000 in 1980, almost 25%. The number
topped 100,000 eight years later and by 1990, had hit 122,000, 35%
female. By 2000, nearly 270,000 girls played high school soccer, almost
42% of total high school participants. Such a dramatic change was almost
unprecedented and was a dramatic indication of both the growth of soccer
and the growth in female participation.
The change was no less dramatic at the college level. Although
participation numbers are not readily available, a good estimate can be
gleaned from the number of NCAA institutions sponsoring soccer. In 1981,
men’s soccer was already well established, with 521 varsity teams,
compared to 77 for women. By 1985, women were up to 201 teams, by 1990,
318. By then, nearly 40% of NCAA colleges sponsored women, up from 10% a
decade earlier. Men had only grown from 521 to 569, and remained steady
at 69% of institutions. The growth for women not only continued, but
actually accelerated during the late 1990’s, passing the men in 1997,
and by 1999, there were MORE women’s varsity programs in the NCAA than
men’s, 790 to 719. Women, who could only count on 11% of the NCAA
institutions to provide them a soccer opportunity now had a choice from
77% of the colleges, while men remained steady at 70%. This growth was
equally dramatic at all divisions, not just at the smaller colleges, and
this was an important factor in the attempts to grow the women’s game
beyond the professional level.
A number of factors made this possible in addition to the growth in
women’s participation. The number of NCAA colleges had grown
dramatically from 750 to over 1,000 during this time. Also, the impact
of Title IX, which required not only equal expenditures among all men’s
and women’s sports, also required equal participation. This had a
negative impact on men’s varsity programs because so much of men’s sport
participation and expenditure was gobbled up by varsity football that
often men’s teams had to be dropped to keep things in balance. Even at
that, many NCAA programs were not in full compliance with Title IX even
by 2000, although they were making enormous effort and progress.
An unfortunate side effect of this was the disbandment of a handful of
men’s varsity programs at some major institutions, and many people have
wrongly blamed women’s sports for this, but this sentiment is
misdirected. The major problem is the unnaturally large size of football
rosters and scholarship commitments, and the need for women’s sports
parity is simply too important to sacrifice for the sake of some men’s
programs. As it is, men’s varsity soccer was not hurt as much as some
other sports such as Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Swimming and Wrestling, which
were really struggling by the end of the century.
As women’s college soccer grew, along came the powerhouses and
institutions. By the early 12980s, the NJCAA and NAIA launched their
women’s championships, and the NCAA added champions in Division 3 in
1986 and Division 2 in 1988. Through the 1990’s, these tournaments all
steadily grew in size, culminating in the 2001 expansion of the
Division1 tournament to 64 teams, compared to 32 for the men. This
simply reflected the greater participation in women’s soccer, which
figured more prominently in the national scene than the men’s game.
Throughout this time, teams such as Central Florida, George Mason,
Connecticut, Santa Clara, Notre Dame, Portland, UCLA and Penn State
became regular contenders for the national title, although they usually
lost out to the unbeatable North Carolina in the end. These top teams
became a prime conduit of talent for the National Team, and many of the
established Nats began their international careers while still attending
college.
With the major demographic changes under away in the later 20th century,
women finally made their mark in the club scene, with older women
wanting to continue playing after college, and as with USYSA and AYSO,
women’s clubs and leagues became a major part of the United States
Amateur Soccer Association (USASA), and their growth was no less
dramatic than it had been at the lower levels.
The National Team
With the explosive growth of women’s college, and the rapidly growing
presence of amateur leagues, the next step was to establish a national
team. By this time, women’s soccer already had a reasonably long history
in some European countries, but was still seen as a novelty in much of
the rest of the world. However, the United States was one of the few
major soccer countries without a national team. Some preliminary
attempts were made in the early 1980s, but it was not until 1985 that
the first Women’s national squad was formed. Given the enormous success
of the women’s National Team at the dawn of the 21st century, the team
actually got off to a very modest beginning.
The women’s national team began in 1985 as a hastily collected roster of
unknowns with names like Enos, Boyer, Orrison, Bender and Wyant. There
was little practice time, no equipment to speak of, and travel
conditions primitive. The press didn’t even notice. Hardly household
names today, and the season consisted of nothing more than a quick trip
to Jesolo, Italy where they played a quick four games, losing to
Denmark, England, and Italy, and only managing a draw in their rejoinder
with Denmark. However, one item to note: the first goal scored by the US
was by a young collegian from Univ. of Central Florida named Michelle
Akers-Stahl, who would go on to make history in the years ahead.
This team disbanded after that series, and the players went their
separate ways. The next year was largely the same, a return trip for
four games in Jesolo, as well as a three game set back in the States at
the new national soccer complex in Blaine, Minnesota. This time,
however, the team was coached by North Carolina coaching legend Anson
Dorrance, and he brought a more professional coaching regimen, and a
bevy of talented players, including many from North Carolina. Joining
Akers-Stahl were future Hall of Famer April Heinrichs and NCAA
All-American Debbie Belkin, two of the early stars. The improvement was
dramatic; the Nats took 3 of 4 in Italy and were 2-1 at home, although
their only game against a superpower was taken by Italy. Nevertheless,
Heinrichs, Akers-Stahl and Belkin quickly distinguished themselves this
year.
In 1987, the USA really took off as five significant players were
promoted to the top squad from the U-19 team: Joy (Fawcett) Biefield,
Kristine Lilly, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Linda Hamilton. The schedule
was more challenging too, with tours of Taiwan, China and a four game
series back at Blaine, with the team pulling off a 6 win 1 draw and 4
loss record, including their first wins against powerhouses China and
Norway. The year 1988 was a transitional one; Julie Foudy and Shannon
Higgins made their debuts. But the lack of a full-time team with regular
practice took its toll. Once again, the team only was together for a
couple months, time for quick sets in China and Italy, and they were at
.500 quality for the season. Frustration set in, with no real
tournaments to play in or goals to strive for, the team lost its focus
and sense of purpose. Continental championships in Europe had proved a
powerful incentive, but there was no equivalent in the Americas, and the
US had no interest in the unofficial women’s championships that seemed
little more than exhibition exercises. The team basically disbanded at
this time, regrouping in 1989 only for a scoreless match against Poland.
The struggles at the national were endemic in the 1980s; the men’s team
was in a similar fix; teams were hastily assembled for tournaments or
friendlies with little practice time. With no overarching purpose, the
teams had lost focus and were disheartened by the lack of success at
tournament levels. The USSF underwent major changes after they
successfully landed World Cup 1994, and began in earnest to establish a
full-time men’s team to prepare for the big event. But the women were
left behind, waiting for a raison d’erte of their own. They would not
have to wait for long.
The Women’s World Cup is Born
Everything changed when FIFA established the Women’s World Championship,
quickly dubbed the World Cup. Finally, there was the goal to fight for.
The first event would be held in China in 1991, and the women would
finally have an opportunity to prove how far the US had come.
The team did not jump to life right away though. Coach Dorrance took his
time, evaluating talent. With the exception of Hamilton and goalkeeper
Mary Harvey, Dorrance already had an established roster, and he put them
through the moves in a light summertime schedule, with three games at
Blaine, 3 at Canada. This time however, there were signs of a superpower
coming to life. The opponents were some of the top women’s teams in the
world, including Norway, Soviet Union, and West Germany, and the US
swept all 8 games, with 3 shutouts, including a 8-0 thrashing of the
Soviet Union.
The real test would come in 1991. Dorrance assembled his squad in April,
fortified by newcomers Brandi Chastain and Wendy Gabauer, and
immediately put them through a five game tournament in Bulgaria, which
was swept by the Americans in five consecutive shutouts. The qualifying
tournament was their first test of strength in the North American Region
and quickly established the US as the only superpower in CONCACAF, in
fact the only power at all. Five more shutouts, with only Canada able to
hold the US to less than ten goals. A typical game would show 4 players
scoring multiple goals, and Chastain scored 5 against Mexico in the
opener.
Dorrance then tested his strength against tougher competition, and
showed that the Cup was anybody’s game. Despite several losses to
Norway, China, and Denmark, the US always played a close game, even if
they weren’t invincible. But this series was a coming out party for
several players who would become world leaders for the rest of the
decade, including Akers, Hamm, Chastain, Lilly, Foudy, and Jennings. The
Cup was attended by large crowds in China, averaging almost 20,000 per
game. The scene marked a triumph for the women’s game as the world’s
best finally competed in a sanctioned world tournament. And the USA
didn’t disappoint. After a close 3-2 opening win against Sweden, the US
cruised through pool play and the quarterfinals with powerful shutouts
against Brazil, Japan and Taiwan, with Michelle Akers scoring 5 goals in
the last game. The semifinal put the US against powerhouse West Germany,
and Jennings enjoyed a hat trick as the Nats moved into the final
against Norway, China having already been eliminated. Norway was perhaps
the finest team of the time, and the game was close and tenacious, but
Michelle Akers goal in the 88th minute put the US ahead for keeps, and
they took the Cup to reach their pinnacle.
Although the tournament did not receive much press notice outside of
China, it was certainly noticed in the US soccer community, and it can’t
be understated what an impact this triumph had on the entire women’s
program. No mountain was too high to climb, the sky was truly the limit.
And there would be many more triumphs to come, and this time the nation,
and even the world, would notice.
The team had a hiccup, however, after this triumph. With no other major
tournament on the horizon, the team was dispersed for a well deserved
rest, only regrouping briefly for two friendlies in late August 1992.
Perhaps out of practice, the US lost both. Meanwhile much attention was
being focused on the upcoming Men’s World Cup in 1994 and the advent of
a men’s professional league known as Major League Soccer.
In 1993, the team regrouped, this time with Tiffeny Milbrett and Tisha
Venturini fleshing out the ranks. Over the next two years, play
consisted of participation in tournaments interspersed by scattered
friendlies. But the US had a special advantage with the enormous pool of
talent made possible by the burgeoning youth and college programs and
the growing amateur leagues to keep older players in shape. The US
cruised through their schedules, including a major tournament in
Hamilton, Canada and their initial foray into the Algarve Cup in
Portugal in 1994. They did still have trouble frequently against the
other big three, namely Germany, Norway, and China, often splitting the
results. The World Cup in 1994 was an enormous financial and critical
success, giving unprecedented attention to soccer in the US, and even
the women’s team was attracting more attention. Shortly after Brazil
took the Big Prize, the women began qualifying, which again was an
embarrassment of 1-0 and 11-0 walkovers. Mia Hamm was quickly showing
her scoring prowess, on her way to running away with the all-time
scoring records.
A key gap in the women’s soccer landscape was filled this year by the
United States Interregional Soccer League. The USISL provided a base of
support with their division 3 outdoor league, acting as a farm system
for the A-League and the soon to be born Division 1 Major League Soccer.
Seeing themselves as the foundation supporting the top levels, the USISL
established the W-League, a national amateur league that would provide
playing time for the top players. Although many of the top National
squad remained with their colleges or the USSF full-time, the W-league
would sign many of the remaining top players in the country and several
international stars, while allowing active college players an outlet to
gain additional exposure and continue their careers. They played a brief
exhibition schedule in 1994 and launched for real in 1995 with 19 teams
spread nationwide in a very successful debut. In another recognition of
the growth of amateur soccer, the US Open Cup launched their women’s
competition in 1994.
The same could be said about the USA’s performance in the 1995 Women’s
World Cup, despite their disappointing loss to Norway in the semifinals.
This loss to Norway was a bitter pill to swallow, and marked the launch
of a fierce rivalry, but nothing could be taken away from the players’
performances. They were second to none, and the game could have gone
either way. The fact was that there were four superpowers, no final
victory was assured. The US had again swept through most of their
tournaments and friendlies, only faltering in the final rounds of the
Algarve Cup and T.I.F. cup in France. But that was against those same
teams that dominated the final rounds of all major tournaments. It game
the women more hunger for victory, and incentive for 1996, which would
prove to be a seminal year for the program. The year ended with another
major lodestone for the future. In recognition of the rapid strides in
the US game, and the great success of the 1994 World Cup, the 1999
Women’s World Cup was awarded to the United States.
The 1996 Olympics
The Olympic year was when the women’s team truly captured the notice of
the American public. Women’s soccer had been added for 1996, and
immediately attracted the lions share of attention in the US. The men’s
competition was seen as secondary to the World Cup, and the US men had a
disappointing run. But the Women took the Gold. Soccer always draws well
in Olympic competition, and this was no exception. Even the smaller
women’s crowds, 16,000, 20,000 were unprecedented compared to the homey
3-5 thousand the team was accustomed to. The crowds built throughout the
competition, culminating in over 76,000 for the final. NBC gave no
coverage at all to the women’s competition to the chagrin of many, but
the fans adopted the team as one of their own.
The Americans started the year by sweeping the B.S.C. tournament in
Brazil; that was followed by a grueling series of exhibitions against
teams big and small, with only a loss to Norway marring an incredible
winning streak of 21 games leading right into the Olympic tournament.
The US’s final three games were against the other Top Three, with a draw
to China being followed by identical 2-1 victories against Norway and
China, giving the US the Gold. The WWC 91 prize was sweet, but this was
even sweeter. This time, the country noticed. But there was an even
bigger victory to come.
In another sign of the growth of the program, the USSF launched the
women’s USA cup to complement the men’s cup now entering its fifth year.
Not surprisingly, the USA swept the inaugural tournament. Also, women’s
U-21 and U-18 teams were launched in the late 90’s, to help train the
next generation of players.
After the Olympics, the national team took another rest, not regrouping
until February 1997. Now the task was not just keeping the team going,
but making plans for the 1999 World Cup, which had the potential to be
an even bigger blockbuster than the Olympics. If FIFA would allow that
however. Some traditional male sentiments remained among much of he
world, and FIFA envisioned a small regional tournament, ideally held in
high school stadiums that would not create too much attention and fuss.
Hank Steinbrecher, of the USSF would have none of that. Declaring that
“The future of women’s soccer is feminine”, he was determined from the
start this would be a full-blown tournament, in large stadiums coast to
coast. And that it would be. Full advertising and marketing budgets,
large stadium crowds, and world attention were to ensure the tournament
would get the press it deserved and be taken seriously, and that was the
word from day one.
Meanwhile, the national team continued to beef up on talent and conquer
on the field. Cindy Parlow and Shannon MacMillan joined the already
talent laden roster, the US played a dizzying schedule, winning 16 of 18
games that year. Not much tournament play this time, most were
friendlies, but the team did sweep an Australian tournament as well as
USA Cup ’97. The W-League enjoyed a successful second season. Although
attendance was low, it was not much different than at the amateur men’s
division of the USISL, and was already expanding to more cities, and
quality of competition was quickly improving. Coming on the heels of
Major League Soccer’s successful debut, there were soon calls for the
establishment of a professional women’s league to be in place before the
1999 World Cup, and soon a group was organizing what would be the
National Soccer Alliance for 1998. They received commitments from a
number of major World Cup veterans, bit financing fell through and the
effort collapsed. People felt it would be better to make an attempt
after the cup with more solid financial footing. For now, the W-League
would suffice, although the west coast teams broke away and joined with
top amateur clubs to form the west coast based Women’s Premier Soccer
League.
The playing schedule grew ever more grueling in 1998, but that appeared
to simply make the players more determined. With few players active in
the W-League, it was essential to give the team as much experience as
possible, and they didn’t disappoint. The Nats set a new record with 22
wins in 1998, against only 2 draws and 1 loss. Nobody could stop the
Americans, with the one exception of Norway, which spoiled the teams
return appearance in the Algarve Cup. They got the bronze though, and
took the Guangzhou cup for good measure. They also took the USA Cup,
highlighting their performance with a 9-0 thrashing of Mexico in which
Mia Hamm scored two goals and gave at least four scoring opportunities
to teammates, even as she denied herself her 100th goal.
As World Cup neared, the schedule did not let up. They played right
through the winter, with another winning run married only by a 1-2 loss
to the FIFA All-Stars in San Jose and a loss to China which denied them
yet again the Algarve Cup championship. To help publicize the World Cup,
the team launched the Road to Pasadena series, a set of games against
major opposition which drew large crowds coast to coast. Once again, the
US was almost unbeatable, dispatching Japan, Canada, Denmark and others,
once again losing only to China.
The 1999 Women’s World Cup
If the 1996 Olympics captured the attention of the US public, the
Women's World Cup 1999 captured their hearts. WWC ’99 was easily the
most significant event ever for the women’s program, a triumph that
brought the game not only to the US, but to the world. When that final
penalty shot went in to give the US a victory over China after a hard
fought scoreless tie, a threshold had surely been passed. The team made
the covers of major magazines, and the front pages of the major
newspapers. Even normally hostile radio talk-shows had positive
commentary. No longer was women’s soccer just noticed by the soccer
community and soccer moms. The decision to promote this as a major event
paid off handsomely. Attendance totaled 658,000 for an average of 38,000
fans per game, far surpassing the previous cups, and even besting
several of the men’s cup attendance averages. TV ratings for the final
even surpassed those of the men’s final in 1994.
The US opened with a 3-0 shutout of Denmark, and followed in pool play
with a 7-1 thrashing of Nigeria, and another shutout, this time against
North Korea. The US had to fight hard to pull out a 3-2 victory over
Germany in the quarterfinals, and then held off a surprisingly strong
Brazil 2-0 to set up a rematch against China in the final. China had
fought the US in the Olympic Gold Medal game, and had won their last two
meetings. The game itself, attended by 92,000 screaming fans in the Rose
Bowl was as close as it could get. The teams were perfectly matched, no
one could gain an advantage and it came right down to the penalty kicks,
with Brandi Chastain putting in the winning shot, and putting on an
impromptu athletic wear fashion show in front of a world audience.
The tournament itself was surprisingly competitive, and the US had to
fight hard for most of their victories. Part of this reflected the fact
that women’s soccer was finally taking off in many countries in the
developing world, and the big four would be soon joined by a lot of
other contenders, even some in traditionally male-dominated cultures. It
will be interesting to see how the success of women’s soccer impacts the
culture in these regions. It is possible that the US will never be in
such a commanding position in the future as the game grows. The team was
also facing the fact that many of its veteran stars were approaching
retirement, and urgency was coming to the forefront as the team
struggled to develop its next generation of stars. But many of the
players were determined to hang on until the 2000 Olympics.
In the fall, the team went on a victory tour playing major opponents.
This tour was very well attended, averaging over 34,000 fans per game,
unprecedented for friendlies. The fans did not leave disappointed, as
the US registered five consecutive shutouts.
After the Cup, the premier players used their new clout to press for a
more generous contract. Initially the USSF balked, and the players
organized their own unofficial tour playing in indoor stadiums. They
received the lion’s share of revenue, and this led to considerable
friction with the USSF, but it was the only way they saw to receive
proper compensation. Ultimately, the pressure helped, and they received
a much better compensation package, although the walkout was lengthy and
the US had to compete in the Australian Cup in January 2000 with the 2nd
string players. Nevertheless, they got two wins and a tie.
The 2000 Olympics
The 2000 Olympics promised to be another major event, but without the
attention of 1996, as it would be played in Australia at difficult times
of day. But the US still planned for back to back Gold. To prepare, they
engaged in a few friendlies as well as the Algarve Cup. This time, the
jinx was broken, and after late round wins against Norway, Sweden and
Denmark, the Algarve Cup was finally theirs. This was followed by
triumphs in the USA Cup, the Pacific Cup and the inaugural CONCACAF
Women’s Gold Cup. A few more friendlies, and a well attended Road to
Sydney series, and it was off to Australia.
This time, the Olympics were a lot tougher. Age was beginning to take
its toll, and the team often struggled. Wins came, but they were close,
and the US finally fell in a close 2-3 loss to Norway. Bitter memories
of WWC ’95. The Men’s team was delighted with their own performance, for
the first time, they made a decent showing, losing in the Bronze medal
round, but the women were clearly expecting another Gold and the
disappointment was palpable. But the performance did indicate again that
the team was entering a new era.
The national team was at a crossroads by this point. After the Olympics
Michelle Akers and Carla Overbeck retired, and several other veteran
members were dropped from the team. The core was there, but from this
point, the younger generation would play an ever increasing role in the
future of the team. The question was whether they would be able to
develop quickly enough to maintain the level of performance fans were
accustomed to.
Women’s United Soccer Association
With the Olympics concluded, attention turned again to the establishment
of a professional women’s league. This time, there were investors lined
up, and proposals abounded. For a time there was the danger that two
leagues would be formed; one headed by John Hendricks, CEO of Discovery
Corp, and another proposal formulated by Major League Soccer. MLS
already had a going operation, but the Hendricks proposal was backed by
$40,000,000 from major media companies. Fortunately, sane heads
prevailed, and Hendricks was able to get sanctioning for his Women’s
United Soccer Association, with a partnership agreement between WUSA and
MLS promising to work to the benefit of both parties.
Eight cities were awarded franchises, which spanned the country, and
compared to MLS’s rocky launch, WUSA got off the ground very smoothly. A
good set of smaller stadiums was secured, as well as an adequate
television package. More importantly, nearly the entire national team
was signed by the league, and in the draft, many of the top world stars
joined the league as well as the cream of W-League talent, and college
draft choices. WUSA arranged a farm club agreement with the expanding
W-League, and the player development system was off to a successful
start. When WUSA finally debuted in the spring of 2001, the final piece
of the puzzle was completed for a complete US women’s soccer program.
WUSA started off well, and improved rapidly through the season.
Attendance was predicted at 4,000-6,000 per game but averaged close to
8,000, and TV ratings met expectations. More importantly, the crowds
were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and young girls had their own
heroes to look up to. Best of all, the women provided excellent role
models of sportsmanship which was eagerly lapped up by both girls and
boys, and the enthusiastic family atmosphere provided an excellent
outlet for people wanting a pleasurable spectating experience. The play
was initially rocky as the players got to know each other and team plans
got settled. The top players had to adjust to the inevitably lower
standard of play, but had to accept the fact they would never have such
a bountiful calendar of national team fixtures.
With the advent of WUSA, the women’s team took a much lower profile, and
concentrated on developing its young players. Games were considerably
more infrequent after the torrid pace of the past few years, consisting
of the Algarve Cup (ended with two disappointing losses), some
exhibitions and the ill-fated USA Cup which was aborted after the first
weekend because of September 11. The team had its first losing season
since the late 80’s. But at this time, WUSA was where the major action
was, at least until the next World Cup, and perhaps that’s the way it
should be.
Women's World Cup 2003 and the 2004 Olympics
The National team’s fortunes revived in 2002 as preparations were made
for World Cup 2003, which would prove to be the last one for many of the
veterans who had played on the WC 1991 championship squad. The team
received a boost when China withdrew as host of Womens World Cup 2003
because of the SARS epidemic. Looking for a place that could quickly set
up to host the games, the United States was chosen, and quickly set up
venues, and the team prepared to make a good run in the games.
There wasn’t much time to prepare for the games, and crowds weren’t
quite as big as before. Nevertheless, WWC ‘03 was an impressive event.
The US was not as dominant this time around, and in fact fell in the
semifinals, having to settle for a 3rd place finish.. This could be
attributed in part to the enormous strides made in the women’s game in
many countries. At least five countries could easily vie for bragging
rights at the top, and other countries, such as Brazil, Japan and Mexico
were improving rapidly.
A major setback occurred just before the start of the games when the
WUSA suspended operations because of financial difficulties. The league
may have started out too big and tried to grow too quickly; financial
losses were enormous. But the seed had been planted, and the league
began organizational efforts to raise money and relaunch in a different
form in the near future. In the meantime, WUSA players dispersed to the
W-league and overseas as the national team prepared for Olympics 2004.
The 2004 Olympics would be the true swan song for a core of veteran
players, and the USA put on a magnificent show, winning the gold medal,
and allowing the players to bow out in style. They finished the year
with a successful victory tour of the country.
Olympic Glory and the Return of
Women's Professional Soccer
Women’s soccer development was an example of ascending from one triumph
to another, and the steady growth and finally explosion of women’s
soccer into the hearts and minds of Americans is truly astonishing. It
is easy to forget than a mere fifteen years ago, the national program
didn’t exist, professional leagues didn’t exist and people actually
wondered if women’s soccer would be more than a college and recreational
sport.
Some of the change in perceptions can be attributed to changes
throughout the country, both cultural and demographic. Women are moving
into all aspects of US society, even the traditionally patriarchal
sports world. The 90’s saw the maturation of women’s college programs,
and great success in basketball, hockey and other traditionally male
pastimes. Professional leagues have been established in softball,
football, basketball and hockey. Soccer may have been the last sport to
launch a women’s pro team, but the seeds of this were long in coming.
In many ways, the creation and growth of women’s soccer in the US was a
process of assembling the components. College soccer, the youth
programs, amateur clubs, the national team, tournament success, the US
Open Cup, farm clubs and finally a professional league. But once it was
done (and at an amazingly quick pace at that), the US had gone from a
latecomer to the premier women’s soccer program in the world, and is a
spearhead that inspires the growth of the women’s game throughout the
rest of the world.
After the 2004 Olympics, the task of rebuilding the National team began
in earnest. Fortunately many talented players had undergone development
during the last years of the legendary players. Beyond the National
Team, opportunities for female players lay either with the overseas
professional leagues, or at home in the W-League and the WPSL. The WPSL
began growing dramatically in the latter half of the 2000’s, expanding
nationwide and soon becoming the premier women’s league for the country.
There was a notable ebb and resurgence of activity at the national level
in these days; after the Olympics, the team typically took it easy the
following year, with only the Algarve Cup and a few friendlies to keep
the players occupied. Much work was limited to training and
conditioning. The team had a full schedule of tournaments in 2006,
winning the Four Nations Cup, Peace Queen Cup and CONCACAF Gold cup,
while losing in PK’s in the Algarve Cup final.
The women’s juggernaut continued in 2007 with the team winning the
Algarve Cup, Four Nations Cup and every opponent who dared play them en
route to a 19-4-1 record, the only loss being in the semifinal of the
World Cup, forcing them to settle for 3rd place. This performance led to
possibly their busiest year ever in 2008 when they went 34-1-1, again
bowk,ing over almost every opponent who came in the way. During this
stellar year, they won the Algarve Cup, the Four Nations Tournament, the
peace Queens Cup, and the Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympics. This was
capped bu a triumphant victory tour across the country.
By this time, major efforts had paid off to establish a new professional
women’s league, and Women’s Professional Soccer was established, finally
completing the pyramid of the infrastructure. Once again, the best
female players would have a league of their own, and soon nearly the
entire National Team as well as an impressive array of top international
stars were on the rosters. WPS operated on a smaller scale than the
WUSA, with strict financial controls in place in the single-entity
circuit to prevent overspending from dooming the league. But there was
no shortage of talent; although crowds were more modest during the 2009
inaugural season, the league had a successful first year, adding two
teams for the sophomore season. The national team took it easy in 2009,
but began to gear up in 2010 as they prepared for the upcoming World Cup
and Olympic tournaments. Although the women weren’t getting as much
attention these days as they were during the WWC 1999 and WUSA heyday,
they were definitely building a solid organizational foundation that
would serve them well in the glorious days that clearly lie ahead.
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