Atlanta probably won’t have to wait another eight years to see the U.S. women’s national team play a match.
The USWNT broke its attendance record for a standalone friendly on Saturday, as Mercedez-Benz Stadium welcomed 50,644 to watch a SheBelieves Cup semifinal against Japan.
That crowd exceeded a crowd of 49,504 that turned up for a 4-0 win over Portugal at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field in August 2019.
The USWNT’s last visit to Atlanta had been in 2016, when it claimed a 3-1 win at the Georgia Dome before a crowd of 15,652.
However, since then Atlanta has established itself as one of the country’s major soccer cities. Atlanta United is one of MLS’s most well-supported sides, and U.S. Soccer has begun work on a headquarters and training center in the city’s suburbs.
5️⃣0️⃣, 6️⃣4️⃣4️⃣
The largest crowd ever to watch a domestic USWNT friendly and the largest crowd for any USWNT home match since the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final.
👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/9X4n7wZBeN
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) April 6, 2024
“The energy in the stadium was unbelievable,” said USWNT coach Twila Kilgore after the match. “I think the fans had a huge part in the game today. You can feel them the entire time… I think the players deserve this sort of energy around them.”
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