Bay FC match at Oracle Park breaks records for National Women's Soccer League
History was made on Saturday in San Francisco, as the largest crowd to ever watch a National Women's Soccer League game filled Oracle Park.
While the hometown Bay FC fell to the Washington Spirit 3-2, it was yet another milestone in the growth of women's soccer that can be traced back to what many feel is the single biggest goal in U.S. soccer history.
The meeting of Bay FC and the Washington Spirit wasn't called the "game" or the "match"...they called it "The Show" because it was as much about the fans as it was about the players. And it started with the tailgate parties in the parking lot.
"We live in Oakland and we drive down to San Jose for every home game," said Leone Baron. "So, when they had something up here and it could potentially set records, we'll absolutely be there. Yeah, we love our team, you know? Go Bay!"
Inside, the stands began filling up. With more than 40,000 tickets sold, it set a new record for attendance at an NWSL game. Which seemed pretty cool to all the young soccer players who showed up to watch.
"I did not know that they're saying a record or something," said Schuyler Vinefield, a young soccer player from Sacramento, "so, now I'm even more excited!"
"This is history right here because it's the first women's game at Oracle Park," said Paige Terrazas, visiting with her Sonoma Valley United soccer team. "I feel like just being able to witness it is very inspirational."
There was plenty of pre-game fun, including music from Oakland's native rapper, Mistah Fab and featuring iconic San Francisco Giants players from Oracle Park's baseball history: Barry Bonds, Sergio Romo and Hunter Pence.
But this day was about women's soccer and no one means more to that sport than Brandi Chastain. Her penalty kick to win the 1999 World Cup for Team USA will go down as the iconic moment when American women's soccer came into its own.
"When I started playing soccer some 40-something years ago, I had no idea that I could be a professional, let alone bring a team here to Oracle Park and play in such a phenomenal place," said Chastain.
Now, she is a co-founder of Bay FC, a team that is said to represent the largest investment in global women's sports. And Chastain felt that the crowd at Oracle Park had a significance far beyond just a soccer match.
"The meaning is when you bring a girl to an event like this, she starts to have her dreams lit on fire," she said. "It doesn't mean she has to be a professional soccer player. She can be whatever it is she wants to be. And I think sports gives us that opportunity. I mean, It gives me chills just to think about how awesome this opportunity is for our players and our fans to see this happening."
The match brought 40,000 soccer fans together, but for Kristen Lee and her 10-year-old daughter Clementine, who traveled to the game from Fresno, the impact was on a more personal level.
"I just like to watch it and it's really fun," said Clementine. "It's something that...it's like a bond that me and my mom have together. We like doing that together."
"We do, we have a bond over soccer," said Kristen. "I played, she plays, and we watch the games together and we watch these amazing women show us what hard work and talent looks like together."
Meanwhile, sitting in the front row, Sunny Moun from Sacramento gazed in amazement at the huge crowd behind him.
"Who would have thought a sold-out arena...?" he said. "Major League Baseball games don't even sell out arenas. But right now, a women's soccer game is selling out. Yeah, pretty much, if you put your mind to it, you can do it."