CARSON Calif., June 27, 2004 -- They were all there. Brandi Chastain.
Shannon MacMillan. Julie Foudy. Even Mia Hamm showed up. In fact, everybody
in soccer showed up for the WUSA Summer Soccer Festival. Except for the fans.
Down in the stands, the shouts of seven thousand fans echoed
throughout an embarrassingly empty stadium. Upstairs in the boxes, potential
sponsors watched and evaluated. It is up to those potential sponsors whether
the league can begin again, and the decision has not yet been made. However,
the light fan turnout might have inadvertently turned the Soccer Festival
into the funeral of the league.
Where were the fans?
To be completely honest, the WUSA Summer Soccer Festival
was an oddball event. It was essentially a test, for the sponsors' benefit,
of the viability of the league. Nothing was at stake in the games -- not
even a trophy was offered to the best team. (The Philadelphia Charge would
have captured it, with a win and two goals-for). So it should not be too
surprising that the Carson crowd (7,123) was about the size of an average
WUSA match.
Still, it was in L.A. And nothing else was going on
at the time. And there should have been a pent-up demand for the first WUSA
game in nearly a year. And, all the national team stars were there.
Interestingly, the cumulative two-day attendance in Blaine, Minnesota the
week before was about the same.
So, where were the fans? And not just where,
but who. For some reason, the main body of fans are nine to 13-year-old
soccer-playing girls, and their parents. That's a pretty thin demographic.
The teenage players won't come, and male fans aren't attracted. Understanding
and fixing this should be the first priority in re-inventing the WUSA.
But the main reason for the league's finale, if this
is indeed it, is the fans themselves. For the most part, they are also players.
There are millions of them. With so many, running a professional league should
be a snap. But they don't like to watch. On that sunny Sunday, the fans were
presented with the opportunity to show their support for the league -- and
ensure themselves a possible playing future out of college -- but they
mostly stayed home. And as the sponsors know, if they can't be troubled to
come out and watch the stars of today, how can they expect people to support
them when it's their turn to play?
Comments on this issue?
Other suggestions on how we can have a women's league? Email
Paul Martinez.
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