San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
PACKED HOUSE WAVE OF FUTURE
Nwsl-record crowd at Snapdragon Stadium shows off soccer to all the girls — and boys
When women’s sports shatters ceilings or splinters another stubborn door, those trying to parse the pieces and parts ask what it means to young girls. Jessica Berman, commissioner of the NWSL, offered a fresh take on an ageless question.
What does it mean to young boys?
Gazing at Snapdragon Stadium from the southeast concourse before San Diego Wave FC faced Angel City in front of the biggest league crowd in American history, she wisely repositioned the lens.
“I’ve always been inspired by Billie Jean King,” Berman said. “One of her many inspirational quotes is, ‘You have to see it to be it.’ I think it’s important not just for little girls to be able to see themselves on the field and know they can achieve anything, but also for little boys.
“I’m the mom of two young boys, and for me, it’s equally meaningful for them to watch women achieve this type of success. That will shape the way they view girls and women the rest of their lives.”
What boys and girls, men and women witnessed was one of those “forever and ever” things, where people lock away memories of seeing it, hearing it, living it. The game — a stirring 1-0 final that pushed the Wave to the top of the table in NWSL — was more than women’s sports history in San Diego.
It was sports history period, in San Diego and beyond.
“I hope it has a ripple effect in our community,” Wave President Jill Ellis said. “I’ve had a lot of great messages from owners and GMS in the league congratulating us, because it’s not just about us. It’s not just about these two teams. It’s about women’s sports and the belief and investment we have in it.”
The Wave sprinted past the 25,218 who watched the Portland Thorns face the North Carolina Courage in 2019. They pushed the 27,248 who saw the OL Reign play the Courage during a 2021 doubleheader with Major League Soccer into the rearview mirror.
Most of all, they raced in front of tired narratives.
The Wave rolled out skydivers, videoboard shoutouts from married
actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, former NFL star Drew Brees and others decked out in club colors.
There were fireworks. There was a Marine helicopter flyover. After a trio reimagined the national anthem. Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan raced over to deliver high-fives.
Coming out of tunnel at start, players were in awe.
“It was such a beautiful moment,” Wave striker and international star Alex Morgan said. “To see (women’s) soccer in California not exist before this season for many years, to see San Diego embracing us as a women’s professional soccer team so quickly in the way that they did, it was just a great moment.”
San Diego heard Snapdragon’s first full-throated roar. The home of the Aztecs was muted in its football opener against Arizona, as fans scrambled for shade in record heat.
The volume knob was cranked in the 31st minute when Sofia Jokobsson banana-curled a cross to Jaedyn Shaw, who buried a header into the left corner for the game’s only score.
The decibel level skyrocketed when Sheridan fought off a penalty kick by Savannah Mccaskill in the 73rd minute. When the goalkeeper smothered a rebound attempt, she uncorked an ear-to-ear smile as the crowd erupted.
“Unbelievable,” said Wave defender Abby Dahlkemper. “As a centerback, it’s so important to have a confident, good goalkeeper. She’s that. She’s so reliable. She’s one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in the world.”
On Saturday, men wore jerseys sporting “Morgan” on the back. A man walking the concourse said to a friend, “So, San Diego State plays here, too?”
Progress comes in all shapes, sizes and off-hand conversations.
“It’s another piece of evidence that this is a movement, not a moment,” Berman said.
Lining up before gates opened, Lynn Struiksma of the San Diego Sirens supporters group appeared as if his wardrobe required a fresh watering. A floral jacket with matching vest and hat — a walking, talking field of pastels — vividly displayed his enthusiasm.
Wave FC breast pocket patches completed the ensemble of Struiksma, who grew up in Lakeside and Ramona before living in L.A.
“If you can’t shout with your voice, shout with your attire,” he said.
Berman, the NWSL boss, compared the momentum to the Vegas Golden Knights energizing the NHL when she worked as an executive in that league.
“Their success didn’t only help them in the market, it infused a level of enthusiasm across the entire league,” she said. “It drove innovation and creativity.”
Ellis, Berman said, is proving to be cut from the same trailblazing cloth.
“The moment I knew it was going to be historic was when Jill Ellis told me in a phone call, they were going to declare they were going to sell this out,” Berman said. “There’s something really powerful when you set a goal and state it. It creates a level of confidence courage for a framework that allowed them to achieve it.
“When Jill said it with conviction and unapologetically, I knew that this was going to be a special day.”
That it was.