NEW YORK _ Welcome back, ladies.
For the second time in four years, the Canyon of Heroes belonged to the U.S. women's soccer team as Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and their teammates rolled through Lower Manhattan to celebrate their latest world championship.
Crowds began arriving long before the 9:30 a.m. kickoff on a sticky summer morning, with supporters lined up behind steel barricades the length the parade route through Lower Manhattan. A heavy police presence was visible and streets in the area were closed to traffic.
Spectator Kelsey Parisi, 29, said the women's victory was a lifesaver for her. The Pennsylvania woman was struggling with depression when she headed to France to watch the Americans in the World Cup _ catching every game through the 2-0 victory in the finals over the Netherlands.
"I was in the hospital six months for a suicide attempt," said Parisi. "I've always loved this team but being able to follow them through this process is amazing. It meant more than soccer."
Many in the crowd were young women wearing team jerseys who admired the players as much for their activism as their soccer skills.
"It's inspiring for women of all ages," said Nora Anderson, 19, a college student from Iowa.
The ticker-tape celebration came four years to the day after the 2015 parade honoring their World Cup victory.
