It’s been a cruel joke that Los Angeles hasn’t had its own team in the National Women’s Soccer League, but it looks like those of us who live here are getting the last laugh. Today, we are super excited to announce the arrival of Angel City, a women’s team that is planning to launch in 2022. If the heavens open up for us all, that will be more than enough time for us to be done with the pandemic and ready to get behind some angels looking to cause a little bit of trouble in the NWSL!
Every fan in the area has been vocal about the absence of a women’s team. How could southern California, a place that produces players like Alex Morgan and Christen Press, not have a women’s soccer team? Many kids are indoctrinated into the sport before they can even walk. The infrastructure of soccer in the youth sports market in So Cal is so strong that it just builds upon itself. From great community and recreational leagues, to highly ranked and well-organized clubs, and finally to universities like UCLA and USC. With a climate that favors blue skies, the game has grown in this region and it seems that girls, in particular, are making it their number one choice when it comes to dedicating themselves to a sport.
Here are some quick, female driven soccer stats for LALA Land:
- # of ECNL Clubs in California: 19 (11 from SoCal)
- # of girls registered in 2019 for AYSO: 65,706
- # of NAIA Nat. Champs Won by California Schools: 8 (6 from SoCal)
- # of NCAA Nat. Championships Won by California Schools Across All 3 Divisions: 15 (9 from SoCal)
- #of Women’s World Cup Winners and Olympic Gold Medalists from California: 19 (10 from SoCal)
While most players won’t make it to represent team USA at a World Cup, a seed is planted on their soccer journey and a lifelong love of the sport is born. That is especially true of girls, who seem to gravitate towards the sport for reasons that are social, physical and emotional. The community that creates is powerful. Imagine if there was an actual professional team to unite that community in a way that has never been done before? Girls have always gone to see professional male teams (hello, there are TWO here), but now they can gather around women who have achieved something remarkable and are playing their game on a field of their own. It’s a bit of news when we can all use something to look forward to.
Stay tuned for more about Angel City and the new women’s soccer team for Los Angeles.