WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015 SPORTS Back to obscurity for all but a few after World Cup VANCOUVER: With the Women’s World Cup Soccer League earn yearly wages of Cup, soccer is merely part-time job notice of soccer in Asia,” Japan’s Aya Miyama more women in decision making positions. party over it was back to reality for many of between $6,842 and $37,800, which pales in squeezed in around jobs and families. said before her team fell to the United But it is at the domestic league level the players who headed home on Monday comparison to Real Madrid’s Cristiano The Women’s World Cup and the expo- States. “But just before the World Cup this where the sport must see real growth if to resume 9-to-5 jobs, school studies and Ronaldo ($79.6 million) and Barcelona’ sure it received allowed the sport to take time the popularity has begun to decline in women’s soccer is to flourish. “The national raising families. Lionel Messi ($73.8 million), who both rank another step forward but there is a still a Japan as well as Asia.” The challenge facing team is always the icing on the cake, it is the Women’s soccer basked in the spotlight in the top five on Forbes’ 2015 highest-paid large mountain to climb before the women’s soccer officials in Japan was not made any bit everyone sees,” said England coach Mark during the month-long tournament, deliver- athletes list. The US team will get $2 million game can come close to matching the men easier after their devastating loss to the Sampson, whose team was the World Cup ing an entertaining spectacle that produced for their World Cup win, well below the $35 in popularity. While the 2015 World Cup can United States. But efforts are being made surprise package and won the third-place record-smashing television ratings and an million Germany received for winning the be considered a massive success by most across the board to level the playing field match over Germany. eye-popping total attendance of 1.35 mil- men’s World Cup last year. sporting standards-entertainment, atten- and improve on the depth and quality of “But we can’t forget the hard work, the lion after 52 matches. Some of the American World Cup win- dance, and viewership-it will not dramatical- sport. FIFPro, world soccer’s players’ union, dedication that goes on back home to get But only a lucky few from the record 24 ners, however, will cash in on their success ly catapult women’s soccer into a new orbit. announced an initiative during the World these players into a position where they can teams that qualified for the tournament, through endorsement deals, most notably The trick now for FIFA and the national asso- Cup that it would allow women worldwide play in a World Cup, to get this team in a which the United States won on Sunday Carli Lloyd after she fired a sensational hat- ciations will be building on that momentum to join the union as direct members. position where they can compete in a World with a 5-2 win over Japan, will return home trick within the first 16 minutes of the final. and maintaining interest between major At the same time FIFA staged a three-day Cup and put the game in a place where to earn a living as a professional soccer play- But for the vast majority of the 552 play- international events. “When we won the women’s soccer leadership symposium in there are so many people playing it and so er. Players in the US-based National Women’s ers who competed in the Women’s World World Cup (in 2011) people began to take Vancouver with the purpose of putting many people interested in it.” — Reuters US seek Gold Cup glory NEW YORK: There are few countries where a men’s national team can be overshadowed by its women’s side but Juergen Klinsmann’s United States face the task of grabbing public attention back for this week’s CONCACAF Gold Cup start. The Americans won the Women’s World Cup on Sunday with a 5-2 triumph over Japan, watched by a reported 25 million fans on television, but on Tuesday Klinsmann’s U.S. men’s team kick off their attempt to defend their regional title. There will be a fraction of the audience for the opening group game against Honduras in Frisco, Texas, but Klinsmann knows his side will be expected to out- shine CONCACAF rivals Mexico and Costa Rica to win their sixth Gold Cup. “It is very, very important to us obviously to do everything possible to win this competition. Winning it would qualify us for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, so putting the pieces together is very crucial,” said Klinsmann. The Americans have been placed with Honduras, Haiti and Panama in Group A in the 12- nation tournament which concludes with a final in Philadelphia on July 26. Mexico, who with six titles are the most suc- cessful team in CONCACAF competition, will pres- ent, as usual, the strongest challenge to Klinsmann’s team. Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela has ended his dispute with the Mexican federation which led to him missing the World Cup last year and is back in the squad for the tournament. But ‘El Tri’ will be without striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez who broke a collar bone in DALLAS: In this March 24, 2015, file photo, Michael Bradley (foreground) of the USA national soccer team trains with teammates.— AP a friendly against Honduras last week. The Mexicans are in Group C with Cuba, Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago. A tournament win for Mexico would force a Carli Lloyd seen as marketing darling playoff against the United States for a place in the 2017 Confederations Cup. The US won the 2013 WASHINGTON: Carli Lloyd has the person- Gold Cup and if they triumph again they will take ality and grit to become the next advertis- the CONCACAF spot in Russia. After Costa Rica’s ing sensation but the World Cup star exploits at the World Cup in Brazil last year, where should start aggressively hitting the mar- they reached the quarter-finals for the first time, ket because of the limited interest in the Central American nation believe they have a women’s soccer in the United States, ana- chance to win their first Gold Cup. The best finish lysts said on Monday. for the Ticos, who face El Salvador, Canada and Lloyd had three goals in the first 16 min- Jamaica in Group B, was a runners-up spot in utes to lead the Americans to a 5-2 victory 2002. The top two teams from each group qualify over Japan in the finals of the Women’s for the knockout phase along with the two best World Cup on Sunday in Vancouver, British third-placed teams. — Reuters Columbia. “She has what all corporate America is searching for - humility, intelli- gence, a sense of drama and aggression to Micronesia her game,” said Rick Horrow, chief execu- tive of Horrow Sports Ventures. humiliated 46-0 “And let’s not forget a record-setting hat trick in a dominant U.S. performance as SYDNEY: Micronesia were humiliated 46-0 by well.” Lloyd, 32, is a two-time Olympic gold Vanuatu yesterday in one of the most lop- medal-winning midfielder who plays for sided scores ever seen in football, with the the Houston Dash of the fledgling National Pacific nation urging FIFA to help them Women’s Soccer League. The New Jersey improve. native scored six goals in seven World Cup The latest drubbing followed a 38-0 loss to games. “She’s certainly more marketable Fiji and a 30-0 scoreline against Tahiti at the than she was even 48 hours ago,” said multi-event Pacific Games, meaning the David Carter, executive director of the USC Federated States of Micronesia conceded 114 (University of Southern California) Sports goals in their three group matches. Business Institute. Micronesia’s Australian coach Stan Foster “But the World Cup is one of the period- admitted it was “boys against men” on the ic events and it’s going to be up to her rep- field and called on FIFA officially to recognise resentatives to figure out how to maintain the nation and give them a world ranking, that after America gets back to baseball which he said would open the door to techni- and starts to prepare for training camps of cal assistance. “I’m hoping that FIFA will be the National Football League.” While the coming (to Micronesia) next week for inspec- NWSL is struggling to find its niche in the VANCOUVER: United States’ Carli Lloyd celebrates in this file photo. tions and to hopefully affiliate us with Asia,” sporting landscape, the Women’s World the men’s World Cup drew 18.2 million that you see once every four years,” he said. est in the United States wanes after the Foster said. “If they do, that will lead to us Cup was a rating bonanza. An estimated viewers on ESPN and ESPN2. AJ Maestas, “There’s far less competition in being a World Cup. having technical assistance and everything 20.3 million people watched the finals on else that brings. That would be a huge boost.” president of a sports marketing research broadly visible female athlete.” But he added the advertising industry Fox television in the United States, accord- firm, Navigate, said Lloyd was “extremely” Horrow said Lloyd’s representatives was looking for a women’s soccer star to The half-time score was 24-0 and Vanuatu, ing to preliminary data from Nielsen, a ranked 200 in the world, did not let up after valuable because there were not that many should have been on the phone with highlight following the storied career of record high for a soccer match in America.