photo credit: Lilly Wood
There are over 7.9 billion people on earth. According to Gitnux, over half of them are
enthusiasts of the most popular sport ever. Although an impressively large number, most
members of the sports world are not shocked at the whopping four billion soccer fans.
This competitive game is popular for many reasons, but perhaps the most important is its
simplicity. “The rules are easy to understand, there is not much equipment needed, and anyone
can play,” according to KU sports.
While soccer has always drawn much attention overall, statistics show that fans are starting to
pay a closer look to women’s sports. A CNBC article, released in early March, shared that the
revenue from women’s sports is on a 300 percent increase from 2021, and because of this for
the first time, “women’s elite sports will generate a revenue that surpasses $1 billion.”
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) growth statistics remain consistent with the
amplification of women’s sports. According to Forbes, the NWSL game attendance exceeded
over 1.2 billion during its regular 2023 season. These numbers were reflected during the
Kansas City/Portland matchup on March 16. The team reported an attendance of 11,500 to
watch its 5-4 win.
“In front of a sold out CPKC Stadium, Vanessa DiBernardo scored the first goal,” according to
the KC Current website.
The group of 28 athletes are led by 47 year old, head coach and sporting director Vlatko
Andonovski. He was the head coach of the United States Women’s National Team for four years
and is known for being direct with his players.
Although he may appear strict at times, he is described as having much integrity and work ethic.
Oftentimes people report Andonovski’s interviews appear stern, but agree they exemplify the
determination he puts in, and how much he cares about his players and the sport.
“Our goal is to win the World Cup. There’s no question about it. And I don’t think that anyone on
our team thinks anything different,” Andonovski said, according to NPR.
Kansas City Current was formed in 2021 as an expansion team. According to Sporctio, the team
has a $75 million work from- fueled by their growth. The development in women’s sports had
direct impacts on the KC Current. On the day of this year’s season opener, the team played in
their new home with fans, for the first time.
“I am happy for the three points, but I’m so much more excited for the stadium, the atmosphere
and the moment. This is the beginning of the change. This is going to forever change women’s
soccer,” Andonokski said in a post game interview.
“I love the KC Current stadium and think that it’s amazing that women’s soccer is finally getting
stadiums made specifically for them. I definitely think that there should be facilities designed
exclusively for women’s sports because they deserve to have stadiums because women
deserve the same stadiums as men,” sophomore Midfielder Cat Sausz said. Sausz has 12
years of soccer experience.
The KC roster is stacked across the board, with many versatile players who bring a lot of
experience to the field. The team consists of several national team players and currently have
three Olympians on their team including Desiree Scott, who has previously been a part of Team
Canada. Scott is a KC Team Captain and is one many who are beyond excited about the first
women’s professional training facility and stadium.
“It’s important because it just sets a standard for the sport not only in football, soccer, but also
just women’s sport in general that we deserve to have our own facilities, treated like true
professionals and to set those standards really high for us,” Scott said.
To all the young girls out there, looking up to female athletes, and hoping for change, Scott said,
“trust the process. Be your own biggest cheerleader but enjoy the journey. Enjoy the ride
because it’s fun.”
