Two and a half hours before the Atlanta Beat were set to kick off against the magicJack, traffic slowed to a crawl on George Busbee Parkway in Kennesaw. As cars approached KSU Soccer Stadium, fans, young and old, flocked in from the parking lots, many donning America’s red, white, and blue.
The game was an enticing one for fans, with the two rosters featuring 10 players who competed in the 2011 FIFA World Cup in Germany, including the magicJack’s Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone.
A sellout crowd of 8,306 was on hand for a pregame celebration that honored all of the World Cup players, including the magicJack’s Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe and Shannon Boxx, who were not in attendance. In addition, the Beat’s Carli Lloyd, Heather Mitts and Kelly Parker, and the magicJack’s Becky Sauerbrunn and Jill Loyden were recognized in the ceremony.
Wambach and Rampone ran across midfield to cheers and a standing ovation as their names were called.
In Germany, Wambach notched stunning, game-tying goal in the national team’s quarterfinal game against Brazil. Wambach nailed a header on a cross from Rapinoe that tied the game at two-all, and the U.S. team went on to win on penalty kicks.
Back in the United States, the team’s inspired performance ignited a women’s soccer fever.
According to ESPN, approximately 13.5 million American households tuned in for the World Cup final between the United States and Japan. While the U.S. team came up short, the team’s journey through the tournament inspired new and old fans alike.
“I think it’s great that they’ve proven that women can play this sport as well as men,” said Canton’s Sarah Berry, who was in attendance at Saturday’s game.
Fans traveled from near and far for Saturday night’s game, lining up outside the stadium’s gates more than two hours before kickoff. While it was only a 20-minute drive for Berry from her home in Canton to the stadium, one of her friends had a much longer trip, coming from Kingston, Tenn.
“It was about three-and-a-half hours for us,” said fan Christina Neal, who was thrilled at the chance to see Wambach play in person. “When I first found out they would be here, my heart dropped.”
Berry, who played soccer at Cherokee High School, sat next to her teammate, Amanda Lopez, in the stands once the gates opened. Lopez was in Germany for the World Cup, celebrating her birthday with tickets to a number of the matches. But she’s thrilled at the chance to see some of her favorite players.
“I’m really just proud,” Lopez said. “Now, more people are aware that women’s soccer is a real sport.”
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