It was a hot and sweaty drive to Texas on Tuesday from morning to evening, but I embraced the resulting back pain with gratitude knowing such a trip would be worth it in its sure reward. I was a little tentative as that very morning there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Frisco, where the match was being held. The She Believes Cup came out with a statement earlier in the week stating that play would go on as planned, but it was still a risk making the long drive from New Mexico with the chance of cancellation looming. Anyway, I got to Coppell safely, rested that night and enjoyed a serene morning workout in the sun room on match day ready to cheer on my ladies in my #15 jersey.
Match Day
Pre-Game
I got to Toyota Stadium early ready to bargain my way in with camera, two lenses and clear fanny pack. I called ahead about the fanny pack, since they are oddly banned at this stadium. I bought a clear stadium approved one off of Amazon just for occasions like this so I was not leaving it behind. Cameras with lenses longer than 3 inches were also banned at this stadium, which is nowhere on their website and was not mentioned by their ticket agents who are their front line of customer service that I spoke with earlier that day for this exact reason. His suggestion was just not to bring my camera at all, which we all know is not an option. I detached both my lenses so as to appear less intimidating and because they both fit within the guidelines. There was no fuss made about my camera or lenses, only the fanny pack which I disputed since I’d called ahead. The security person at the gate had to check with her manager, but in the end, they begrudgingly let me in with it.
My first stop was the US Women's National Team (USWNT) booth where I purchased a She Believes Cup scarf to accompany my Outlaw’s Olympic Qualifying commemorative scarf I’d gotten at the match in Carson, CA. Tickets became my next issue at this stadium. AXS switched up tickets at the last minute leaving me freaking out the night before when I couldn’t find my ticket. They sent an updated one which, once I opened the email, appeared in the app. I always get my tickets early with the American Outlaws because the supporter’s section is the best match experience. This was quite fortunate given that the match sold out that day. Apparently, this last-minute change caused a mix up in the ticketing systems, though, because I was printed a GA 122 ticket at the gate, which ended up being false when someone showed up for the seat I’d chosen. It also printed the wrong date on there which caused further confusion. When I compared it to the app, the online ticket for the right day read ‘Stadium’ seat. They figured out where to send me after much debate with Guest Services but, because of my competing tickets, the agent at that gate also gave me trouble. All in all, despite the frustrating experience, I got an even better seat on the front line behind the US Goal. I settled in with scarves and switched out lenses.
The Texas sun is not to be rivaled. I came so close to passing out sweating buckets through the Spain vs. England match that I sprang for a $4 water. I am grateful not to have gotten burned for my lack of skin armor. I am also glad I chose to wear the white jersey to alleviate what little heat I could. It really took me back to the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup quarterfinal match between FC Dallas and my New Mexico United. They played on Westcott Field and I was, unfortunately, wearing our black home jersey. It was so humid and even more exposed to the, then summer, Texas sun. Remind me to try avoiding soccer matches in Texas during peak hot months if I can help it.
Match Play
The premise of the She Believes Cup is to stand for the prospect that young women around the world can achieve their dreams. This is in sharp contrast to a surprisingly sexist statement made by US Soccer on their lawsuit with the USWNT over gender discrimination in pay within the confines of the tournament dates. In response, the USWNT took the field in Frisco for warm-ups bravely sporting inside out jerseys to hide the US Soccer shield without compromising their four hard-earned stars, representative of 4 Olympic Gold Medals and 4 FIFA World Cup wins.
Within the first 7’ of the match, following multiple on-target attempts, Megan Rapinoe was right in front of me with a rocket arching into the left corner of the net on a penalty kick. She ran with inversely flexed fists and a lion’s roar towards the American Outlaws in celebration as the team jumped her. It was truly the most beautiful goal I’ve witnessed in person from my heroine and one of the most passionate goal celebrations I’ve seen from these women since the World Cup. Christen Press followed it in the 26’ with another well-powered shot into the net off of an interceptive play from ‘Pinoe, securing a 2:0 lead.
It was devastating to be scored on in the 58’. The ball that Japan got through Adrianna Franch and our back-line, after multiple attempts on goal, hurt. The collective sigh of exasperation from the crowd mirrored the pained expressions on our team’s faces. It shook our confidence a bit, but the USWNT held strong throughout the next half. Lindsey Horan secured our lead with a third goal in the 83’ from a corner kick and, seven(ish) minutes later, the whistle blew our third She Believes Cup triumph.
The roar of the crowd’s “Equal Pay” chant was so great that it became impossible to differentiate from shouts of “USA” and, so, the two became synonymous in that moment. Fists raised in solidarity with the USWNT players who nodded and smiled approvingly towards their fan-base as they took the stage to, once again, be medaled victors. It was the second stage for a minor tournament in the last few months where they continued to prove their international valor on the pitch while fighting their employers in legal papers. The audacity of US Soccer’s most recent insult was dashed with support from sponsoring organizations, namely CocaCola, who came out publicly against the statement prompting US Soccer to fumble for an apology and for the president of the organization to step down the next day. Their intentional release of such language in the wake of the She Believes Cup did nothing to shake the USWNT confidence or support. If anything, if fueled their footwork and put more power behind their shots which led to a sweeter victory in this tournament so they could prove to the world once and for all just what “skill” in soccer looks like. It was an honor to witness this history in the making and be able to cheer on these brave women from the stands. #EqualPayforSuperiorPlay
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