PORTLAND, Ore. – This is what the National Women’s Soccer League is about.
As important as the 23 players who helped the United States win the World Cup are to the league, soccer’s future in this country, as well as women in sports in general, the backbone of the NWSL is the players whose sacrifices help fill out the rosters; they’re the players who’ve put off other careers to pursue their dreams on the field; the players whose growth takes place in the shadows.
The NWSL is about Tyler Lussi. Three years ago she was selected with in the third round of the league’s annual college draft, joining a roster whose depth meant she was unlikely to see the field.