While record crowds at National Women’s Soccer League games are evidence of a World Cup bump Cheap Mexico Soccer Team Uniform , players want the momentum to extend beyond the ticket office.Portland drew a league-record 25,218 fans to a game against the defending champion North Carolina Courage earlier this month, and last weekend Sky Blue staged its first game at Red Bull Arena before a club-high 9,415 fans. The Chicago Red Stars had to open the upper-deck section at SeatGeek Stadium when they drew more than 17,000 to a post-World Cup game.Across the league, attendance is up about 15% overall this year, with the most dramatic swings coming after the United States‘ victory this summer at the Women’s World Cup in France. That’s the bump: Both the NWSL and its male counterpart, Major League Soccer, traditionally see increased interest during a World Cup year.In the NWSL, the bump is likely to be larger once the entire season plays out. In 2015, following the national team’s World Cup victory in Canada, the league drew an average of 5 www.thetopsoccer.com/national-team-kit/portugal ,046 fans per game, up from the league’s all-time low average attendance (4,137) in 2014. Following last weekend’s games, average attendance across the league was 6,917.But players aren’t satisfied. In addition to bringing in new fans, they want sustained growth and stability.The key is investment.“We’ve won two World Cups back-to-back. We’ve done everything on the field to encourage and inspire players and kids and parents and coaches, boys and girls to come to the games,” said Carli Lloyd, who plays for Sky Blue and is a member of the U.S. team. “Now again it’s up to the people with money to market it, to buy into this, to invest in it, and to promote it.”While the NWSL has been incrementally drawing bigger crowds since its inception in 2013 Cheap Russia Soccer Team Uniform , there have been recent questions about the league’s health.The league and A&E Networks terminated their broadcast agreement in February, leaving the NWSL with no TV partner. Last season, a game aired each week on the Lifetime channel. A&E surrendered its stake in the league, but Lifetime remains a jersey sponsor.The NWSL has also been operating without a commissioner since 2017, and there’s been no new teams coming on board despite persistent rumors to the contrary. The league contracted to nine teams before the start of the 2018 season when the Boston Breakers folded.But there have been recent positive developments beyond attendance. Budweiser announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with the league this summer. The NWSL also reached an agreement to air 14 games this season on ESPNews and ESPN2, including the playoff semifinals and the final. ESPN recently signed an agreement for worldwide rights to the league.“I think that it’s going to take a lot of investment from owners. We want it to grow, we want big companies to come on as sponsors, like the Budweiser thing is huge. We want more teams, we want a longer season,” said North Carolina’s Sam Mewis, echoing Lloyd.It’s a sentiment that players amplified in France.“Hopefully it grows, hopefully we get more teams www.thetopsoccer.com/national-team-kit/spain , and more people buy into us and realize how important it is for the women’s game — and that our NWSL gets better and better so we can get better for our national team,” Lindsey Horan said before the World Cup final.One club that has provided something of a blueprint for NWSL success is the Thorns. The team drew an average of 16,959 fans per game last season, and that’s risen to 20,072 this year. For perspective, that’s better than the average attendance for seven Major League Baseball teams.The Thorns have been able to capitalize on the game’s roots in the city. The University of Portland’s women’s team won NCAA titles in 2002 and 2005. Current U.S. team star Megan Rapinoe and Canadian star Christine Sinclair both played for the Pilots.“They’ve been the same from the get go. I mean we lost the championship last year against this team and they stayed at least 30 minutes to continue to chant. So you know if anything the Thorns fans are the ones that have started the hype in this county,” Thorns goalkeeper Adrianna Franch said.Some have suggested that Portland’s model — it is affiliated with Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers — is one key to sustained growth. Four teams, the Thorns, the Houston Dash, the Utah Royals and the Orlando Pride are connected to MLS teams. At least two other MLS teams, LAFC and Atlanta United, have expressed interest in adding a women’s team.At the end of this year Cheap USA Soccer Team Uniform , U.S. Soccer’s management agreement with the NWSL will come to an end, which could potentially give greater control to the league’s owners and a more hands-on approach to growth. The federation currently pays the salaries of the national team players and has also invested considerably in the league, and that support is not expected to end.Players say they’re hopeful for the league’s future — even beyond the bump.“I think that we’re taking steps in the right direction,” Mewis said. “I feel like it’s stable. I don’t know like how tuned in I am to what goes on behind the scenes, but I’m relying on it and I’m counting on playing here for a long time.” MADRID (AP) — With a home loss to a team that hadn’t won in more than two months, Real Madrid wasted all the hard work that had allowed it to move closer to Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league.After winning five in a row to cut Barcelona’s lead to six points, Madrid was stunned 2-1 by relegation-threatened Girona at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, and is now nine points behind its rival in third.“It’s a shame that we let these points slip by,” Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari said. “We were coming off a good run and we were getting closer to the lead.”Girona, which hadn’t won in 13 matches in all competitions and was coming off six straight losses, scored two second-half goals to reverse a 1-0 halftime deficit.The Catalan club hadn’t won in the league since November and had entered the weekend one point above the relegation zone. Its last win in all competitions had been on Dec. 5 against Alaves in the Copa del Rey.“It’s a well-deserved prize after several matches without being able to win,” Girona coach Eusebio Sacristan said. “We deserved the victory after the way we played in the second half.”Girona Mallory Pugh Jersey , which moved to 15th, had lost twice to Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey last month, being outscored 7-3. It eliminated Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 on away goals after consecutive draws.The surprise loss dropped Madrid to third place after the weekend matches. Atletico Madrid moved to second after defeating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 on Saturday to halt a two-game losing streak in the league. Barcelona edged Valladolid 1-0 with a penalty kick converted by Lionel Messi at Camp Nou Stadium to end a three-game winless run in all competitions.Madrid had won seven of its last eight matches in all competitions, with the only setback a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.Solari left Vinicius Junior and Gareth Bale on the bench after they started midweek in the 2-1 win at Ajax in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Marcelo, who had been left out of the Ajax game, played from the beginning at the Bernabeu.Casemiro opened the scoring with a firm header from near the penalty spot in the 25th minute after a cross by Toni Kroos, and Girona equalized with a penalty kick converted by Cristhian Stuani in the 65th after a handball by Sergio Ramos inside the area.Girona had a golden chance to equalize about five minutes before the penalty, when Aleix Garcia’s close-range shot went over the crossbar. The visitors moved in front with a 75th-minute header by Portu after Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois initially saved a shot by Anthony Lozano.Portu had hit the post a few minutes earlier with a booming shot from inside the area.Solari put on Vinicius Junior and Bale in the second half and Madrid pressed to try to reverse the deficit. Courtois made it to the area in a last-gasp attempt, but couldn’t get enough on his header, sending the ball just wide of the post.Ramos was sent off in the 90th after receiving a second yellow card.