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NWSL franchise in Nashville? USWNT's Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan say yes
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- NWSL franchise in Nashville? USWNT's Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan say yes
U.S. women's national soccer team forwards Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and coach Vlatko Andonovski said Sunday that Nashville is ready for a National Women's Soccer League franchise.
"I think this atmosphere was the best we've had in a long time," Rapinoe, a forward for OL Reign in the NWSL, said about the spectacle at Geodis Park. "Obviously, the fans are amazing here. And that's great for us. That hypes us up and keeps everybody engaged and brings the level of our game, I think, up to another level and Nashville is always a great place to come."
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The USWNT beat Japan 1-0 in front of 25,471 announced in attendance for its second game of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, an invitational tournament held in different U.S. cities.
There are currently 12 teams in the NWSL. The North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville FC are the only franchises in the South. The league is reportedly expanding to Utah, the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston, according to the Wall Street Journal. Expansion fees reportedly are $50 million for the latter two because of Utah's agreement with the league as a former franchise holder.
Alex Morgan, Vlatko Andonovski praise Nashville
Feb 19, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; USA forward Megan Rapinoe (15) shoots the ball during the second half against Japan at Geodis Park.
But the USWNT has history in Nashville. The last time it played in Nashville was March 2019, a 2-2 draw against England in front of 22,125 in attendance during the SheBelieves Cup. Rapinoe scored the first goal in that game. As it was then, the U.S. is preparing for the FIFA Women's World Cup in July. This time, in Australia and New Zealand. That didn't stop Andonovski from praising Nashville, saying Music City is ready for NWSL.
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"It was unbelievable," Andonovski said. "It was loud. I mean, the support was so obvious and it was just nice to be on the field. I want to thank the fans that showed up, thanks to the city and everyone that made this possible. It was a very good experience. And obviously, I think that it would be nice to see an NWSL team here. I think that there will be good stadium, a good good environment and it's it's very obvious that Nashville supports soccer."
Feb 19, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; USA forward Alex Morgan (13) chases down a loose ball during the second half against Japan at Geodis Park. Mandatory
The USWNT became the first national team to play at the 9-month-old, soccer-specific stadium in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. The crowd's bellows ricocheting off the canopies of the stadium, its natural grass and engaged fans all scored points with Morgan, who has played for the Portland Thorns, Orlando Pride and San Diego Wave in NWSL.
"We've been here (in Nashville) a couple of times and obviously playing in a soccer-specific stadium is the best-case scenario, having 25,000 (fans) like this where the crowd is energetic and it's fun," Morgan said. "The pitch is perfect. It was actually a great a great game for us. So hopefully there is more NWSL teams and Nashville would be a great candidate for that."
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For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake . Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook .
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: USWNT forwards Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan want NWSL in Nashville
