Independence Day may have been a week earlier, but thousands dressed in red, white and blue in Lower Manhattan on July 10 for USA’s World Cup victory. Loyal soccer fans from the city and beyond had less than two days’ notice to make travel plans to see the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team celebrate their fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup win (but first back-to-back title) that took place three days earlier. Our paper was the only Brooklyn-based outlet, aside from News12 Brooklyn, to be there to cover the historic occasion.
The team made their way up along Broadway from Battery Park to City Hall, also known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” in the traditional ticker-tape parade. Just as they had done back in 2015, the athletes waved from their floats as fans threw confetti, cheered and excitedly displayed their homemade posters. Other sports teams that have had the same honor in the last decade were the New York Yankees (2009) and the New York Giants (2012) for their World Series and Super Bowl XLVI wins respectively.
FAN FEEDBACK
Nearly 2,000 tickets for the City Hall Ceremony, given out on a first-come, first-served basis, were quickly claimed. City officials reportedly said 1,400 tickets were distributed online through the city and 500 through the U.S. Soccer Insider fan program.
We spoke with a group of teenage soccer players and fans, who had temporary American flag tattoos on their cheeks and wore Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Julie Ertz jerseys. They were five of the lucky 500 hundred to have received tickets through the U.S. Soccer Insider fan program. The crew travelled by train from Connecticut, leaving at 5:30 am to arrive around 8:30 am – two hours before they would see their favorite players on stage.
Sarah Burkhart explained that she had received an email two days earlier, instructing her to enter a desired number of tickets that would put her in a lottery system.
“I picked the maximum number [of tickets – 5], and got them,” she explained to us as her friends took selfies in a pretty empty City Hall Plaza behind her. “Two of us came here the last time the team won the World Cup, and we were like, “We have to go again.’”
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is their hometown hero, which is why this celebration held more significance.
“We’ve been supporting [the sport and team] for about 10 years now and have travelled to the last two World Cups! These 23 women are extremely inspirational to us and we loved supporting them throughout their journey this past month. Now it’s time to celebrate,” said Amanda Motkin on behalf of the group.
We also spotted superfans from the Upper West Side, decked out red, white and blue headwear and clothes, waving a giant American flag all morning at City Hall Plaza. Mother-daughter duo Laura and Hudson Graybill went to France to watch the team win the semi-final match against England, 2-1, on July 2.
EQUAL PAY
Before the 23 players and staff members were announced one-by-one at the City Hall celebration, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray provided their two cents on the victory and the issue of unequal pay within the nation’s soccer federation.
The U.S. Women’s National Team filed a lawsuit in March against the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination and unequal pay, despite having more success on the field. According to the lawsuit document, if the men’s and women’s teams won each of 20 non-tournament games (aka “friendlies”), the women would each earn a maximum of $99,000 ($4,950 per game) in comparison to the men who would each earn $263,320 ($131,166 per game).
“They have showed us what it means to work hard and never give up,” McCray said. “They inspired us with incredible skill and flawless teamwork, and they showed us that playing like a girl is to be unbeatable.”
“Now everyone loves a winner, but do you know what everyone loves even more? A winner with a message, and a message that demands equal pay in the USA. Don’t you agree?” she continued. “We cheer for them on the field and we are with them too for equality off the field.”
The mayor also detailed the team’s extraordinary performances on the field, before leading the chant of “USA, equal pay.”
U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro later took to the podium to directly address the team on the matter, as the crowd chanted “Equal pay” and “Pay them.”
“In recent months, you have raised your voices for equality,” he said. “Today, on behalf of all of us at U.S. Soccer, I want to say we hear you, we believe in you and we are committed to doing right by you.”
“We believe at U.S. Soccer that all female athletes deserve fair and equitable pay, and together, I believe we can get this done,” he later continued, “Because, as this team has taught us, being the greatest isn’t just about how you play on the field, it’s about what you stand for off the field. It’s about who we are as a sport and [as] a country.”
SOUNDBITES FROM THE TEAM
“I think we have been known as America’s favorite soccer team. But from here on out, we’ll just be known as America’s team.” – forward Alex Morgan
“Here’s to the next chapter. We will see you in another four years.” – forward Carli Lloyd, third all-time leading scorer in history for USA women’s soccer.
“I think [Cordeiro]’s with us. I think he’s on the right side of things. I think he’s going to make things right. He was with us every single day of the World Cup, … in the tunnel every single game; he was celebrating every single game. We appreciate that, thank you. We look forward to holding those feet to the fire.” – co-captain Megan Rapinoe, the World Cup’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards winner
“We have to be better. We have to love more, hate less. We’ve got to listen more and talk less. We got to know this is everyone’s responsibility. … It’s our responsibility to make this world a better place. I think this team does an incredible job of taking that on our shoulders, and understanding the position, platform we have in this world. Yes, we play sports; yes we play soccer; yes, we’re female athletes, but we are so much more than that. You’re so much more than that; you’re more than a fan. … It’s time to come together.” – Rapinoe
Top photo by DeGregorio
