Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
September 19, 2003, Washington Post

A World Cup of Their Own

The Women's World Cup, the biggest event in women's soccer, starts this weekend. But just like girls are different from boys, the Women's World Cup is different from the men's World Cup. How? Let me count the ways.

U.S. Rules. The U.S. World Cup team is the best women's soccer team in the world. The Americans are heavy favorites to win just as they did in 1999. The U.S. men, on the other hand, have never come close to winning a World Cup.

Why is the American team so good? Simple, Title IX. That's the law that says schools in the United States have to give girls the same opportunities they give to boys, including sports. Title IX has helped lots of American girls get the chance to play sports such as soccer for the last 30 years.

The United States is one of the biggest countries in the world. And soccer is super-popular. So millions of little girls play and dream of becoming Mia Hamm, Tiffeny Milbrett or Briana Scurry. Only the best of the best are chosen for the national team. That makes the United States a women's soccer powerhouse. Another reason the U.S. team rules is that . . .

The World Drools. The rest of the world does not have many good women's teams. Some soccer-crazy countries such as Italy and England don't even have a team in the women's tournament. Other traditional soccer powers, including Argentina and France, are not very good in women's play.

Only a couple teams have a real chance to win the Cup. If the U.S. team stumbles, look for China, the team that beat the United States in the 2002 Olympics, or maybe the young, improving German team to sneak into the winner's circle. But I don't see the U.S. women losing to anyone.

Familiar Faces. Unlike men's soccer, where the best professional leagues are in Europe and South America, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) is probably the best women's soccer league in the world. Or should I say, was the best women's soccer league in the world. WUSA announced this week that it does not have enough money to field teams for another season.

It's too bad the league folded, but soccer fans can still see their favorite WUSA stars in the World Cup. Nineteen of the 20 players on the American squad played for WUSA teams. Washington fans can root for Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Siri Mullinix of the Freedom. And there are plenty of WUSA players on the international teams.

Familiar Places. Best of all, the World Cup will be right here in the United States. Originally, the 2003 Cup was scheduled to be played in China. But an outbreak of the illness known as SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in China earlier this year scared the organizers into moving the games to the United States. Three games, including a key matchup between the U.S. team and a tough Swedish squad, are scheduled to be played in RFK Stadium in Washington.

Sure, the Women's World Cup is different from the men's World Cup. Different and great.