This is such a broad question,. Fans come in all ages and commitment levels, from casual fans dragged to games with friends or family to die-hard internet types (I happen to know a few of those, personally). My view is that the problem lies not so much with the fans, but with the individual teams and leagues, whether they be USA, WPSL, or USL. All of these entities need to make money to survive and they need to figure out how best to do it with the fan base they currently have or want to have.

In order to grow your fan base, you need to know who they are and how they consume the game. This varies in large degrees depending on the level of the league, of course.

At the lower tiers most fans are local and can attend games in person. These are the tickets buyers, the kids who play and the parents who support them, the friends and family of the local players on the team. These are the fans the local advertisers want and expect the teams to deliver.

As you move up the ladder to semi-pro and a new pro league the circle of fans widens and the distance they are willing to travel expands. These fans are maybe more “committed” to following a team and not just its stars, but stars certainly add appeal to a traveling fan and influence their choice of which games to travel furthest for. Teams that cultivate their players into “stars” can benefit from this. Each team should at a minimum have a marquee player that is the face of their team. A ‘supporters group’ of fans willing to travel to away games would be beneficial at this level. These fans not only buy tickets, but merchandise and probably have a little more disposable income to spend on bigger advertisers.

At the top tier, the national team, you have the most varied mix. You’ll get bandwagon fans of the 2 or 4 year variety; die-hards that know everything about every player; fangirls who only care about their ‘favorite’ player’; fans of the women’s game in general and every permutation of the mix. These fans want it all, from merchandise to the “Ultimate Fan Experience”. They will travel cross country to be at a game, usually multiple games. They buy tickets and hype the team to anyone who will listen. These fans spend money, on airfares, hotels, rental cars, merchandise, tickets, special events..you name it.

And the common denominator for all these fans, other than soccer itself..is media, in all its forms. Teams need to use media to its full potential, to inform fans and to form fans. Fans won’t stay fans if they can’t get information on their team or players. They won’t attend games they don’t know about and won’t form an attachment to something they only hear about on game day. This applies to every team that wants fans. It doesn’t matter if you have stars, if no one knows where or when they can see them. It doesn’t matter if you have merchandise, if no one knows where or how to buy it. It doesn’t matter if they play the most beautiful version of the beautiful game if no one sees it.

So, I guess my answer to your question is No, women’s soccer doesn’t have a fan problem. Women’s soccer has a communication problem.

If the USWNT places second in their group, they’ll face the first place team in group F (which will likely be Japan) during the quarterfinals. There’s a very good chance that the USWNT could face an early exit from the Olympic Games this summer.

Going back to the fans, if the USWNT is forced with a dramatic early exit from the Games, I wonder how many fans will stick around post-Olympics for other friendlies and such. It seems as though many fans (especially the younger crowd) love the USWNT because of their impressive winning-streak. If their streak ends, how many fans will stick around? It’s frustrating to be a fan of a team that has an awful record (I should know, I’m a Philadelphia Union fan!) so it’ll be interesting to see how the USWNT’s placing in the Olympics will affect their fan base– not that I’m doubting the USWNT’s ability to win friendlies AFTER the Olympics. But I think their placing could shape their fan base, either good or bad. I’m sure most fans will stick around and support the team no matter what, but I also believe that some fans (aka the glory hunters) will become less interested, which would be a real shame.

It’s easy to be a fan of the US Women’s National Team. They’re successful, they’re talented and they’re number one in the world. It’s fun to root for the best.

But the world is catching up and we’re edging closer and closer to a point when our superior athleticism isn’t going to be enough. I’ve said this to some of my soccer friends and one of my colleagues here at Two Touch Pass and I’m pretty sure they look at me like I’m talking about the Mayan’s prediction of the end of the world.

However in my opinion, you’re wearing blinders if you aren’t a bit worried (watch that 1st half from the game against China – awful soccer).

That said, if and when that happens, it will be interesting to see how that affects women’s soccer fandom.