PARIS _ This was so much more than a soccer game, but that aspect of the Women's World Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. and France lived up to the hype and anticipation that had built since the defending champion Americans secured this matchup against the hard-challenging host Bleues.
This was a chance to showcase some of the best athletes of a sport that is still seeking a wider audience and firmer financial base to support its development, a chance to grab and hold the world's attention on a hot summer night at Parc des Princes and dream of more occasions like this in the years to come, when even more eyes will be drawn to the action, and the level of play outside of the U.S. and Europe will be better.
These women bear the responsibility of selling and growing the game in addition to playing it, and they carried out their mission splendidly in a ferocious and tense match on Friday. U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe scored twice, once on a free kick in the fifth minute and again off an excellent setup from Tobin Heath in the 65th minute, as the U.S held off France for a 2-1 victory that won them a place in the semifinals against England on Tuesday in Lyon.
Rapinoe had become a lightning rod for criticism after a videotape of a months-old interview was released earlier this week and she used an expletive to express her distaste for the idea of visiting the White House should the U.S. women win a second consecutive championship. She stood by her words on Thursday but then said she intended to focus on soccer from then on; she kept her word on Friday with her clutch goals, which were her third and fourth in the last two games.
France pushed hard in the second half, cutting its deficit in half when Wendie Renard launched herself into the air and headed the ball past U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. The U.S. barely hung on but came away with one of the most significant victories in its recent history.
The game was a sight to see and to enjoy, a festival of rhythmic drums and chants being sung by fans of both sides in the crowd of 45,595. France had more supporters but American supporters were here in great numbers too, adding their cheers and roars on a hot, sticky night.
Les Bleues, as the French women's team is known, had the better possession and passing statistics early in the game. But the U.S. women showed more of the grit they had displayed in their 2-1 victory over Spain in the round of 16. The defense that had been doubted before the tournament began again made the case for cohesiveness being as important as sheer skill, and Naeher appeared to have firmly put behind her the blunder that contributed to Spain's only goal in the Americans' previous match. She was confident and assured, and her communication with her defenders seemed fine.
A big city can often swallow up a sporting event and leave little trace that it's taking place. That has been the case in Paris, which is swarming with tourists who are visiting its museums and monuments when they're not seeking shelter from the sweltering heat inside its cafes. Beyond the immediate area of Parc des Princes there hasn't been much evidence that the World Cup is taking place, no banners on the streets or souvenirs for sale alongside the tinny miniature Eiffel Towers and refrigerator magnets depicting the Arc de Triomphe that are available almost everywhere.
There is still work to be done to elevate the game, and minds and hearts to be won. Some fans might never warm to women's soccer at an elite level or watch anything other than the Olympics or World Cup. But Friday's game was the best possible advertisement for what this sport can be and the power it has to inspire passion in its players and its fans. It was more than a game _ it was a promise of greater things to come for the sport.
