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And second of all, you know that the post-WomensWorld Cupfunk is real.
Getty / picture alliance
Take it from me: Womens soccer doesnotbegin and end with the World Cup.
If you havent been watching, youve been missing some phenomenal soccer.
Well,Sam Kerr scored a hat trickin her first game back from the World Cup.
Unfortunately the NWSLwhich employs more than 50 of the biggest stars from this summers World Cupremains criminally underappreciated.
Even die-hard USWNT fans are sometimes surprised to learn that theres a professional league in their own backyard.
But I want to change that.
How can I support the NWSL?
First, you need a team.
A very easy way to do this is to think about your favorite players.
Love Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh?
Congratulations, youre a Washington Spirit fan!
How about Marta,Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger?
Welcome to the Orlando Pride!
Do you love Sam Kerr hat tricks and watching Julie Ertz absolutely steamroll over people?
The Chicago Red Stars have your number.
Do you miss Lindsey Horan, Tobin Heath, and Christine Sinclair on your screen?
The Portland Thorns will see you now.
Shes out with an Achilles injury right now, but when shes healthy, she plays for Reign FC.
But big-name stars are far from the only reason to watch.
As for the Courage, theyre defending league champs and have been playing like it all season.
Keep an eye on Debinha, Kristen Hamilton, and Lynn Williams if you like goals.
(And really, who doesnt?)
after you grab a team, the single best way to support them is to go to games.
At about $20 a pop, general admission tickets are relatively inexpensive.
Best of all, the atmosphere is unbeatable.
Whether youre a veteran fan or total newbie, your fellow spectators will be thrilled to have you.
I dont have a local teamcan I watch on TV?
In theory, yes, in practice…maybe.
While things are kinda looking up, we have a long way to go.
Youll see what I mean the first time you have a go at tune in for a game.
If youre cool with watching NWSL games on a tablet or phone, youve got options.
Viewers in the U.S. canstreamall but one NWSL game each week for free on Yahoo!
Sports or the NWSL app; the other game airs on ESPN.
Getting those streams onto a bigger screen is an entirely different matter.
The NWSL appisn’t available on any TV-connected devicesat all, while the Yahoo!
You cant even Chromecast Yahoo!
Catching a game on ESPN isnt exactly easy either.
Unlike ESPN and ESPN2, ESPNewswhich airs most of the NWSL gamesisnt included with basic cable packages.
Unless you have a superdeluxe sports-focused package, you cant watch that weeks featured game.
Yes, thats a lot of work.
Heres why you should do it anyway.
Sure its unfair that NWSL fans have to perform an elaborate routine to catch a game on TV.
Id like to promise you that next year will be better, but in womens soccer nothing is guaranteed.
Im hopeful that in a few years well look back on the Yahoo!
Sports days and laugh.
More than anything, that’s why I keep coming back season after season.
I really hope youll join me.
