April 2, 2002

WUSA fans in for treat this season as quality of players climbs

After a successful first year launch WUSA shows every promise of settling down into a more even distribution of talent among its member teams, and that should result in an extremely competitive season. The sheer quality and professional spirit of the players won through in spite of being weighed down by all the spin and hype of high pressure advertising companies who showed little knowledge of women's soccer, and who reminded us of the dreadful mistakes made in their portraiture of the men's game in the early years of the MLS. At the beginning we cringed as we realised how many of the top level supernumary staff came from past careers with the MLS, NFL, or U.S. Soccer, and saw how some executives were true to form in their interest in dealing only with big money corporations. We found ourselves explaining to our readers in the 85 countries logging on to Women’s Soccer World that when an amateur sport such as women’s soccer turns professional it takes an investment of millions of dollars by the owners. Those interested and courageous enough to give such financial support to a new and somewhat risky venture are surely entitled to promotional and advertising groups they are comfortable with.

Just as the management structure of WUSA this second season has sorted out into an efficient, professional group so the players are being sorted out.

With the addition of draftees like Slaton and Wambach, and players at the top of their international game from China , Norway and Germany the level just keeps rising.

Our mail indicates an increasing interest in WUSA around the world , and it is fast becoming the dream of girls playing soccer in every continent to be playing in WUSA when they are older. Surely the real mark of its success.

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