Athens gold may be key to WUSA return

By Phillip Brents
Contributing writer

   It was a bold and exciting idea and one, perhaps, that was overdue: a professional women's soccer league. The fit seemed perfect but something went amiss -- as things often seem to do with leagues that operate with a largely cult audience base and on minor league revenue.

   The Women's United Soccer Association, born from the throes of an American victory at the 1999 Women's World Cup, now clings to life-support. The pulse is feeble but the patient refuses to die. Whether there is a full recovery or upcoming autopsy will likely hinge on whether they get a bounce from their gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The United States (third at last year's Women's World Cup) fielded a team hugely reminiscent of years past. In other words, many of the same heroines of the 1999 Women's World Cup once again donned Team USA colors. A core of those same (now aging) players wore the same colors in the 1991 and 1995 tournaments.

   The WUSA was founded by that core of veteran players. It launched in 2001 and expired following the Founders Cup III championship game last August at USD's Torero Stadium, where newcomer Abby Wambach scored in overtime to give the Washington Freedom the 2003 title against the Atlanta Beat. The league presented itself as nothing but professional -- nice, clean stadiums, plenty of staffers and a desire to match the aura of the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball with star player appearances in limousines and road stays in posh hotels. The founding players also made sure their salaries were commensurate with their status.

   Did overblown egos cause these WUSA troubles? There is no question that the talent did not fail the league, which ironically helped do in the Americans' championship fortunes at last year's Women's World Cup by raising the caliber of play worldwide through the league's resident international players. Prospective sponsors for a full relaunch of the league in 2005 will be looking at Team USA's on-field results in Greece, but its off-field appeal as well.

   Having attained a final gold medal, several of the core players retired after the Athens Olympics. Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm have served as the team's heart and soul since the inaugural Women's World Championship in 1991, thus ending a golden era for women's soccer in the United States. Will there be a future without Hamm, the most recognized face (though usually wearing a frown) in the world? Will women's soccer make a return to its unglamorous Stone Age days?

   For Bonita Vista High (Chula Vista, Calif.) grad Jen (Lalor) Nielsen, the current state of affairs may seem unsettling. However, the California native can clearly hold her head high as one of the sport's trailblazers. One of the original players drafted to fill WUSA rosters, Nielsen was on the field for June's WUSA Festival at The Home Depot Center in Carson, the second of two events hosted by the league this summer to keep its image alive. The doubleheader pitted the San Diego Spirit against the Carolina Courage and the San Jose CyberRays against the Philadelphia Charge. The games gave players and fans one more chance to make a connection, as well as the prime opportunity for the league to court prospective sponsors with a "live" product. A member of the 1995 U.S. Women's World Cup team, Nielsen was reunited with Spirit and U.S. national team members she had long played alongside: Foudy, Fawcett and Shannon MacMillan (who was a surprise omission from the 2004 Athens Games roster).

   Hamm and Wambach participated as guest players for the Spirit, which eked out a 2-1 victory in the opening game. "It felt good to play. I didn't play with coaches evaluating me. The game wasn't about that. It was OK to make mistakes. It was relaxed," Nielsen said. "It was the first time in a long time since I had played with Mia. It was the first time I had played with Abby. Both are very talented players and they make you feel relaxed playing with them. You feel comfortable playing with them." Nielsen had not put on her cleats for competitive game action since the Spirit's last game in August 2003 -- a WUSA semifinal playoff match in Atlanta during which the Spirit held a tenuous 1-0 lead until the final minutes of regulation before absorbing a disheartening 2-1 overtime loss. "I kind of had retired," she said. "The last second, I decided to do it -- to give it one last hurrah."

   Like many of the WUSA's luminaries, Nielsen serves as a bridge to the sport's future -- enriching the lives of and serving as inspiration for a younger generation. She coaches three teams for the FC Bratz (San Diego, Calif.) organization -- two under-15 teams and one under-14 team. Her players were present at the Carson event. "It was nice for them to see how things develop on the field after you've explained something to them," Nielsen said. "Since there wasn't that much pressure in the game, it gave us players a chance to try things, to be able to just have freedom in trying something new. It's great for development." Nielsen, who graduated from Bonita Vista in 1992, helped the United States to a third-place finish at the 1995 Women's World Cup in Sweden. She has played professionally around the globe and was one of the first players chosen in the inaugural WUSA player draft in advance of the league-wide training camp at the ARCO U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif..

   She spent two seasons with the New York Power before appearing in 16 games last season with the Spirit following an off-season trade. She now considers herself fortunate for being in the right place at the right time. "I was fortunate to be in it for three years. It puts it into perspective for me to have been in a position to get paid to play," she said.

   Nielsen's only regret is that younger players will not have that same opportunity she now feels she was blessed with. "I feel bad for the college players who won't have the opportunity to get paid to play. I know it (the WUSA) is going to come back in some fashion. But I know it must be frustrating for the kids who are playing now. They might have to wait one or two years. They'll need to find a place to play," she said.

   Toughing it out may be the only option right now. While some former WUSA players have found teams overseas to play for, lower level domestic circuits have lent themselves as proving grounds. Allie Sullivan and Amy Sauer of the Spirit both appeared in selected games this past summer for the San Diego FC Sealions of the Women's Premier Soccer League, as did Mandy Clemens (CyberRays) and Melissa Moore (Charge). Nielsen initially attended a couple practices early in the season and at one time, perhaps optimistically, was listed on the team's roster. The Sealions finished 8-4-4 to just miss qualifying for the WPSL's "Final Four" championship tournament won by the California Storm. In the meantime, Nielsen said she is looking at making coaching a career. She has acquired a national B-level coaching license and she said her next step is to look for an assistant coaching position at the collegiate level, preferably with a Division I school.

   The next step for the WUSA is anyone's guess. The attendance at this summer's two league-sponsored events was not spectacular. The two games in Minnesota attracted crowds of 2,011 and 5,017. The two-game WUSA Festival at the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center drew 7,123 fans. Little girls and teen-agers, some festively face-painted in colors of red, white and blue, held up homemade signs imploring the league's return. Fans got the chance to see what they had been missing, though the intensity in play may have been lacking.

   Now that Team USA has won gold in Athens, fans should likely expect more such festivals next season as the WUSA tries to keep a heartbeat going. But women's soccer is not necessarily all about the numbers, though millions of girls and women do play the sport with a determined passion across the country. The fan base may be small compared to baseball, football or basketball, but the game, according to players, is played for the fans. The league's appeal has always been its ability to touch those who want to dream. What was most telling about the WUSA Festival was the horde of young fans clamoring for post-game autographs. Spirit, Washington, Carolina and Atlanta players obliged -- remaining on the field to oblige their supporters even after the second game had started.

   "Looking back, I think we took it for granted. Now we need to take the responsibility to (do) what things (that) need to be done," Wambach said. "It's not about the players -- not how many people are in the stands, but the ability to touch people's lives. It's amazing what these founding players have done to build the sport and maintain it over the years, their dedication to the game and how they have managed to touch so many people with their passion for the game."

   "I play for the love of the game," Nielsen said succinctly. Hamm actually smiled while signing autographs. Perhaps there is a future after all.