NWSL: Can the league sustain momentum amidst crisis?

Every club in the NWSL had reason to be optimistic for the 2020 season. But with the sports world on pause, can it keep up the momentum?

The National Women’s Soccer League was coming off a historic year in 2019. Teams like the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars set attendance records for their respective clubs. Clubs around the league were looking to build off the momentum of the U.S. Women’s National Team World Cup victory provided. The NWSL was on the up.

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But with COVID-19 shutting the league down for the foreseeable future, it is a wonder if the momentum will last.

It’s easy to understand why attendance spiked like it did after the 2019 USWNT World Cup win. Fans were eager to see their heroes playing week in and week out against one another. According to a recent survey by Meg Linehan at The Athletic, the NWSL sees a large jump in fans after World Cup years. 2019 was no different.

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The entire league enjoyed the boost. A report from Soccer Stadium Digest shows that every team’s attendance increased from 2018, a league-wide average increase of 22% per match. But even after the 2019 success, there was even more reason to be optimistic for 2020.

The USWNT was set to begin their quest for the 2020 gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the first-ever team to win gold after winning a World Cup the previous season. Individual clubs were making strides to improve their place in the league.

France powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais purchased OL Reign (previously Reign FC) to mark a new era for the club and the NWSL. The purchase signalled greater investment, a new stadium, and the chance to become one of the elite sides in the league.

While OL Reign was looking to jump from good to great, Sky Blue FC in New Jersey was making strides both on and off the field. On the pitch, Sky Blue constructed a team to fill up the stands in 2020. The club acquired USWNT star Mallory Pugh from the Washington Spirit and Midge Purce from the Portland Thorns. Both players are under 25 and look to be goal-scoring threats in the NWSL for years to come.

Off the field, they made the jump from their old home, Yurcak Field at Rutgers University, to Red Bull Arena for the entire 2020 season. The club previously played two matches at Red Bull Arena in 2019.

Across the board, the NWSL had reason for optimism ahead of the 2020 season. The future of the league was bright. Attendance was up, new stadiums were coming into the league and expansion was on the horizon with Louisville joining in 2021.

But the recent COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent pause on the sporting world asks questions of the growing momentum. The league will no longer be coming off a record-setting season, if and when if returns. There will be no World Cup win to bolster support midway through the campaign.

Instead, the NWSL must launch off a pandemic that touches every corner of the globe. With everything in question right now, it is a wonder if the NWSL can keep their momentum up, whenever sport comes back on the radar.