Comments on: Where Women’s Soccer is King

By: The Role Model Thing: Perspectives from the Women’s Game | Pitch Invasion

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:24:34 +0000

[...] to a pretty good sample through her participation with the US Women’s National Team and with the Portland Pilots. So we looked at the somewhat limited existing scholarly literature on role models, surveyed her [...]

By: Going Pro: Kelsey Davis, American Soccer, and Emerging Adulthood | Pitch Invasion

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:30:55 +0000

[...] a collision while playing in an exhibition with the U-23 team. In the fall she helped lead a good Portland Pilots team to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, losing at that stage after being sent on the road [...]

By: Bruno Alves

Bruno Alves — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:11:28 +0000

very good article. I remember USA soccer girl win the world cup championsip long before the man team qualify for WC. Now when USA soccer man team getting better and better in WC, the USA woman soccer team have much better than before. I hope….

By: Sports Autograph

Sports Autograph — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:55:01 +0000

Very good post, woman soccer is growing very fast, even in holland we have a new competion. Not yet paid, but that is only a mather of time.

By: Sports stuff I’ve enjoyed this week « Wait until next year

Sports stuff I’ve enjoyed this week « Wait until next year — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:33:05 +0000

[...] Invasion looked at where women’s soccer is king, the story of the success of the University of Portland women’s soccer team, and how soccer [...]

By: purple haze

purple haze — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:28:36 +0000

Andrew: Thanks for pulling together the many threads that unite fans of womens soccer into a really entertaining piece.Today for my daughter’s 15th birthday I was able to e-mail her a video greeting from one of her favorite Pilots, who was obliging enough to be recorded wishing her a happy birthday. To my daughter, these players are goddesses and yet real people that she can relate to and emulate. More power to the lady Pilots!

By: Andrew Guest

Andrew Guest — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:59:43 +0000

Thanks to Clare Krill for noting my error on the “first national championship” claim–I went in and changed that part to try and give credit where credit is due. Sorry for the error.

I also think A. Ruiz’s comment raises an interesting question: is the claim that the women’s game is more tactical accurate? Overall, of course, there is way more variation within than between: there are men’s teams that are tactically sophisticated, women’s teams that are tactically sophisticated, men’s teams that are crude and overly reliant on athleticism, and women’s teams that are crude and overly reliant on athleticism. But it makes me wonder how that would actually be defined for any accurate distinctions to be made–what actually leaves a fan tactically satisfied? Maybe something to think through in another post for another week….

By: Clare Krill

Clare Krill — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:37:55 +0000

I would like to point out that the FIRST University of Portland women’s national championship belongs to the 1984 Cross-Country team and that this feel good story that has been so beautifully written has many similarities to to our title. Our coach, Mike Johnson, recruited 7 freshman from Oregon to round out the team along with 2 seniors. Most of us were average runners but he believed in us and got us to believe things about ourselves that we had never imagined. I will never ever forget the support of the community, students,
and professors (along with Clive) throughout the years and especially the welcome from the entire campus upon returning with the championship trophy.

It was just two days ago that I took my two kids to watch the thrilling lady Pilots take on Miami. It is a magical experience to return to the bluff, see the cherry blossoms in the spring, but most of all… watch soccer in the late summer/early fall. See, I drooled when I walked by the lady Pilot s soccer team every day on my way to practice because I started playing soccer when I was five and I lived for the sport. I still have dreams of being able to live out those amazing years all over again. Although that is not possible, I can live the dream of going out and watching the most entertaining and passionate sports team in all of high school, college, or professional sports: the Pilot Women’s soccer program.

Best wishes for another national championship in 2009!!!
Clare Krill, class of 1987

By: hc

hc — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:45:30 +0000

Thanks for the great article. As an alum of the women’s program I can honestly say there is something so special about the student, faculty and community support for the program. Every game produced chills as we stepped on the pitch to the roar of the fans. Every team that came to Merlo would talk to us afterward about hating coming to Portland because of the fans – they never let up and the drum beat kept going which made the game very fast for them. Kudos to our community – you may have been in the stands, but please know you were the 12th (wo)man on the field!

By: A. Ruiz

A. Ruiz — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:27:45 +0000

I hear people say that the women’s game in the US is more “tactical” that the men’s game, but I don’t see it*. They’re played at about the same tactical level (way too much longball), it’s just that the women have more time and space to do their thing.

Anyhoo, great story. I wasn’t aware of the program before but it’s great to know that womens soccer can find such great support. Especially when you read stories about a South African player being raped and killed for daring to play the sport.