WPS needs to develop that personal touch

By: Melissa | February 14th, 2009

Listening to the new Lilly Allen at the moment (music’s pretty good… I also follow her on Twitter but her tweets are kinda dull. She’s going to LA right now and getting some In N Out). So this past week, news within CONCACAF took a backseat to Wednesday’s USA v Mexico World Cup Qualifier. My game predictions on the main page were almost accurate – I got the score and one goal off a set piece part correct. And I watched the game in a bar while my drunk-ass friend kept sending completely out of focus pictures from her spot among the USA supporters in the stadium. I also had an interesting conversation with a SJ Earthquakes fan about WPS and a few misconceptions he offered regarding the new women’s league and it’s relationship with MLS. Although, as we both kept drinking, I doubt either of us maintained any level of intelligence regarding the subject. But I think after this week’s fiasco, I feel pretty confident when I write WPS should make it a priority to allow video of the games to be accessible in as many places and as many formats as they can. Even to the point of turning a blind eye to some of the less acceptable means many US soccer fans use to watch their favorite international leagues. And I agree with leyrocks over at the Women’s Soccer Show when they write, “I hope that the games in the WPS will not be full of just soccer moms and 11 year old kids screaming.” Except the non-soccer-mom-&-kid-average-game-attender already assumes this new league is ONLY marketing to that demographic. So leyrocks’ hope for “traditional rowdy soccer fans” to attend games isn’t going to happen unless A) it’s extremely easy for these rowdy fans to watch the games on their televisions or over the internet and B) each WPS team develops a positive relationship with these rowdy fans in their respective geographic areas. For B, I’m specifically referring to something like when the Red Stars CEO attended a recent meeting of the Chicago Fire’s supporters group & gave a Red Stars update. As for A, I think about something seemingly completely unrelated when a few years ago, Viacom forced Youtube to take down Daily Show episodes and a short time afterwards, there was a brand-new official Daily Show site containing every single full episode. Or perhaps more closely related, the Premiere League forcing The Offside to remove team crests from the site EXCEPT for Hull whose marketing department emailed The Offside’s Hull blogger and personally allowed the site to use the crest (and then some). Right, so who comes out a winner among fans in both scenarios? I think in this country especially, soccer generally takes a backseat to so may other professional sports leagues, that participants automatically have a more personal relationship with each other through blogs and messageboards and even through being Facebook friends with MLS players (just sayin’ — I did not learn from the press that Joe Cannon signed a new contract). So I guess I’m just asking WPS to tap into that. And fans really need more opportunities to watch crazy-ass shit like Lisa Devanna scoring a stunner against Italy last weekend:

Devanna was apparently supposed to replace Marta at Umea but is instead rumored to be joining Abby Wambach at the Freedom. Yikes! Imagine that pairing.

Ok, I think I’m done ranting for now. I’m going to try to get in a quick news update cause lots of stuff happened while we were waaay too focused on watching video of Frankie getting slapped:

* Thank goodness for team blogs! FC LA’s-just-a-freeway signed three new players including an American! Yay! Welcome to professional football Tracy Hamm! Oh and I guess that means teams can now sign domestic players so make way for…

* …Sky Blue FC sign six players including three Americans! Woo Hoo!

* Perhaps hot on the heels of five players leaving Arsenal to play in WPS, Lyon players Camille Abily and Sonia Bompastor want to leave too except their club is willing to go to court to keep them. Yikes! (thanks to teenny for the link).

* Aya Miyama signs with LA Sol and immediately says she doesn’t want to be compared to David Beckham. Good for her – especially after the crap he’s pulled.

* Speaking of LA, the Soccer Nation Expo will take place on February 21st at the Convention Center featuring Wambach and Marta. This will be Marta’s first public appearance in LA. The Women’s Soccer Show will be at the event so maybe they’ll post a few interviews and video.