So this has become a thing now. The US Women's National Team won the 2015 World Cup and, as has been the case with Olympic wins, have recently begun a victory tour all over the country that will see them play 10 (now 8) games against other countries leading up to 2016 Olympic qualifiers. Some fans see this as a problem considering the National Women's Soccer League is at the end of their season and there is a hotly contested race for the playoffs. Numerous players are on these club teams vying for a spot in the postseason, but have been with the national squad for the first two games of the victory tour and will continue to leave every month or so to play two-game sets with various countries. This may be a small majority, but they're loud. They want all players with their clubs, or at least the ones that have teams in possible playoff positions. Carli Lloyd, Meghan Klingenberg and Morgan Brian of the Houston Dash, as well as Christen Press, Julie Johnston and Lori Chalupny of the Chicago Red Stars have been the most criticized for favoring the national team over their clubs. Fans crying out about how they need to build the NWSL for women soccer instead of being with the USWNT. I don't know any of these people personally so I'm not sure if they're being serious or just trying to spit some hot takes on everyone. But they're wrong. Teams are still selling a huge number of tickets without their national team players. And really, what would draw more viewers: Seattle Reign vs. Boston Breakers with a total of 3 WNT players on the field, or the complete winning roster dropping a healthy, 8-0, American hammer on Costa Rica? Forget the fact that theres only been one NWSL game on TV this year (after the World Cup, featuring Tobin Heath, the consensus face of US Women's Soccer Alex Morgan, and their Portland Thorns against the aforementioned Red Stars) compared to all of the US squads World Cup, Victory Tour and Send Off games, as well as multiple other friendlies. You're getting more viewers with option two. But lets do something here. Throw out TV ratings. You know why the players should be on the victory tour? They earned it. They proved they were the best in the world at what they do and earned the right to celebrate with their fans, new and old, on a cross nation tour to showcase their skills and, in turn, begin tuning up for Olympic qualifiers. You know how many teams have gone for the double in women soccer (Winning the World Cup and Gold Medal at the Olympics back to back)? None. The US ladies can be the first ever, and frankly I would like to see it happen. Representing your country, in any sport or event, is the highest of honors, something those ladies have been dreaming about their entire lives. So just because you keyboard warriors think they're hurting the NWSL by playing games for their country (their dream) on a victory tour (which they earned) after winning the WORLD CUP, doesn't mean you're right. They're still growing the game, just not how you want them to.
