Local Fans Gear up for U.S. Women's World Cup Final Today

The United States' dramatic run through the 2011 Women’s World Cup will come to an end in the finals today against Japan in Frankfurt, Germany. ESPN is airing the 2:45 p.m. game and will start its pregame coverage at 2 p.m.

Win or loss, the United States has generated a lot of positive buzz during its tournament run and a lot of interest in women’s soccer. That’s a good thing for local soccer camps and teams, according to area coaches.

“I do believe that it affects the younger girls, ages 6-10, that may be seeing the game for the very first time and seeing the excitement that the games and athletes are creating,” Ferndale boy's and girl's varsity soccer coach Steven Motter said.

Motter pointed to the dramatic U.S. quarterfinal win over Brazil in a penalty shootout and Abby Wambach’s header goal against France in the semifinals as moments that can help “light a fire” in a young athlete, inspiring him or her to take up the sport.

The spotlight ESPN is shining on the games has only helped increase soccer’s visibility.  

ESPN and ESPN2 have averaged more than 930,000 viewers for its 30 matches during the Women's World Cup. That’s up 218 percent from the previous World Cup in 2007 when the network averaged just 294,000 viewers for the games. The last two U.S. matches have averaged about 3.6 million viewers.

“Soccer is getting a lot of really good exposure right now,” Coach James Tyers said. “I certainly think it will increase the attraction for younger girls; the exposure they’ve had through ESPN has been a big part of that." 

Tyers recently left his position at Birmingham Seaholm High School as the head coach of the girl’s varsity team for University of Detroit-Mercy. He will be an assistant coach with the men’s program next season, but he won’t totally be leaving the area. 

He still is coaching club teams for the Force football club in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham.

And the games are a great tool to help teach his young athletes at that level the game of soccer.

“It makes it easier for us as coaches to get certain things across to players,” Tyers said. “Younger children and teenagers can see things that they’ve been taught to do, replicated at a high level. When they see those things at a professional level it helps them realize it’s the right way of doing things.”

Motter and Tyers agreed the way for younger soccer fans to learn something while watching World Cup games it to focus on a player that plays the same position.

“I ask them to watch the positions that they play and the decisions that that player makes and how those decisions shaped the game,” Motter said. “I also like them to watch and try to get a feel for overall team strategy and formation especially in a game with teams that play with complete opposite philosophies such as the U.S. and Brazil.”

As for the finals match Sunday, Tyers expects another good game. He called Japan’s squad very disciplined and structured, but thinks that the momentum the U.S. has will help give it the edge.

“The best teams are the teams that get stronger and stronger as the tournament goes on,” Tyers said. “I think the game will probably be pretty cagey at the start. I would expect the U.S. will win, but obviously you never know with soccer.”