Soccer Fever Grows as Local Fans Back U.S. Women in World Cup Final

The future of American women’s soccer turned out to cheer its present at  on July 17, as the U.S. Women’s National Team took on Japan for the right to be called world champion.

Team USA and Japan were the last teams standing in the quadrennial tournament in Germany, which saw record-breaking numbers turn out and tune in for the games.

In as exciting as a World Cup Final – male or female - as you will ever see, Japan defeated the U.S. on penalty kicks after the game deadlocked at 2-2.

The Americans, an outside favorite at the start of the tournament, stunned Brazil and France along the way to the championship game with many youngsters from the Brandon Area Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) cheering them along for every game.

The BAYSL has around 3,000 players, with girls accounting for about 35 percent of the total. But the boys were onboard throughout the tournament, said club director Gary Ruch.

“What the women’s team has done is awesome when you consider the team is rebuilding. Our girls and the boys both followed the games.”

“It’s great to see the team do well because it will to aspire to the professional game or, maybe more importantly, to the college game,” said Peter Gutsche, as he watched the game at O’Brien’s.

“We have some great women’s soccer teams around the area and even before the World Cup we would take the teams to see some of those like the Newsome High School girls’ team,” said Gutsche who coaches a boys and girls BAYSL team.

Amy Cripe’s daughter, Gianna, is one of Gutsche’s young stars. An 11-year-old, she is already playing for the U-13 team and it’s made all the difference in the world to her says her mom.

“She has been following ever move of the Hope Solo (Team USA’s goalie) throughout the tournament. She really enjoys the sport. Her grades have improved and she even comes home and cooks us dinner sometimes.”

Steffan Baumann, a German native who lives in Brandon, said the success of the U.S. team has brought women’s soccer back onto the front page.

“The team’s success has a very positive influence on the youngsters,” said Baumann whose son plays in the BAYSL. “I would like to see that influence last more than a few months but even so there are plenty of great role models for the girls in BAYSL.”

Despite their final loss, this generation may just be the one that puts soccer on par with baseball and basketball, said Brenda Quintero who has three boys playing in the BAYSL.

“Just a year ago we took them to watch a game like today and they were just running around,” Quintero said. "Today, they are completely absorbed in it.”

Youthful soccer fans were as riveted to the screen as the adults were.

“I’m inspired,” said Taylor Lobrutto, 12, who has been playing soccer “ever since I was little."

“My whole family plays it and I’ve been playing for about eight years,” she added. “It just gets me going. I just love soccer, the motivation from the players and your playmates."

Troy Zajac is a coach for the Florida Revolution, a local youth soccer club in Riverview.

The World Cup final, he said, means “maybe we’ll get more interest in the sport and more kids wanting to play and keep playing as they get older."

As it did in 1999, when the U.S. Women’s Team took home the cup, the final on July 17 holds out a promise for deeper interest in the sport.

“Definitely, it keeps the sport in front, center stage,” Zajac said. “These kids don’t remember 1999, they were too young, so this game today [July 17] keeps it going for another generation.”

His daughter Shayna Zajac, 13, said she has been playing soccer since age 4.

“I like it because it’s a fun sport to play and it’s physical,” she said. Watching Team USA compete on the screen was icing on the cake.

“They’re my inspiration,” Shayna Zajac said. “They make me want to play more. If they can do it then anybody can do it."

In another room, also at O’Brien’s, Chris Fisher sat with his parents and a large group of BAYSL members.

“It’s an interesting sport,” said Fisher, 10, who noted that he has been playing soccer for about eight years and loves best “running around the field.”

Parents said it was important to share the moment with their kids, watching a big game on a big screen in a community setting.

“Any game we can get them to watch, to see the skills and the teamwork, is very important for them,” said Jennifer Fisher, Chris’ mother and manager of his BAYSL U-11 Blue Team.

In the early years you learn your skills, Chris Fisher said.

And then, he added, “the more you grow up playing soccer the more you have to make sure you pass to your teammates.”

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Brandon Patch Editor Linda Chion Kenney contributed to this report.