Des Moines soccer fans revel in surprising Women's World Cup fever

Danielle Russell's trip to Sunday's Women's World Cup final was booked long before the United States Women's National Team's.

The 29-year-old Urbandale resident planned her vacation and holiday schedule around this summer's event, and she has a seat in Vancouver after spending a week in early June watching in Winnipeg.

What Russell didn't plan for was being surrounded by other women's soccer fans from Iowa for the entire tournament.

"I just assumed people didn't know or didn't care about women's soccer in the Des Moines area, but I have been so impressed," Russell said. "When I got back from Winnipeg, the watch parties were standing room only.

"People do focus on the men's game, but I was surprised at how knowledgeable most people there were."

One year after the (men's) World Cup in Brazil captured the country's sporting consciousness, Canada has maintained the game's fever pitch for fans from its neighbor to the south.

Television coverage has been nearly non-stop from the FOX family of networks. And for those not content to watch from their couch or local watering hole, crossing the border and securing tickets has been relatively easy.

"The joke is that the U.S. got a World Cup without having to pay for it," said Kim Von Ahsen, president of the Des Moines chapter of the American Outlaws, the national supporters group. "Anything on the border that was a close drive, Americans were doing it. It's just so accessible and easy to embrace."

Von Ahsen traveled with 10 fans packed into a pair of vans to Winnipeg, a manageable 10-hour drive from Des Moines. The red, white, and blue-clad group caught the first two U.S. group stage matches — a 3-1 win over Australia on June 8 and a contentious scoreless draw with Sweden on June 12 — and paid just $25 per ticket each day. Other than crowded hotels and long lines from North Dakota into Manitoba, the trek was hassle-free when compared with 2014 in Brazil.

"It was so inexpensive," Von Ahsen said. "I don't even think people fully understood until we got there. You could afford to take your family."

The American Outlaws have hosted one of Des Moines' growing group of watch parties at The Keg Stand in West Des Moines. Wellman's Pub and Rooftop in West Des Moines has pledged all four of its high-definition projectors and the bar's sound system to the final.

The British — and thus occasionally soccer-themed — Royal Mile has held growing crowds for the games, and pockets of other casual fans have started cheering from other bars across central Iowa.

"The cross-section of people has been great," Von Ahsen said. "You hear stories about women's soccer being very, for lack of a better term, soccer mom-ish, or just families. But we've got 20- and 30-year-old guys out here, excited to watch women's soccer and grow the game. It's fabulous."

It's excitement that wasn't entirely expected at the tournament's outset, from Des Moines or the sporting public.

Tuesday's semifinal between USA and Germany on FOX drew 8.4 million stateside viewers according to Nielsen, the third-best women's soccer audience ever on an English language telecast.

FOX is averaging 1.3 million viewers per game on all its networks, a 45 percent increase from ESPN's coverage in 2011.

"Soccer fans are no longer the ugly stepchild of American sports fans, said ardent Des Moines-based fan Tanya Keith said with a laugh. "I am amazed at the level of support and how many people are engaged and following closely. My husband went in to work and said he had about 20 people ask him about England's own-goal in their semifinal, so it's not even just interest in the U.S. team. It's never happened like this before."

Keith attended the famed 1999 final that produced the USA's last World Cup title and loves that Des Moines now has multiple viewing and cheering options come game day. Iowa's ties on the field may be sparse — Colombia's reserve goalkeeper Stefany Castano is a Graceland alum — but that has done nothing to diminish local demand.

"You used to have to beg people to get the satellite feed for what lots of bars felt like was an obscure game," Keith said. "Now, I have to choose from a number of great local venues where I want to go watch soccer. And not just World Cup soccer, Women's World Cup soccer. That is mind-blowing. And this team deserves it."

Attendance for the American games in Winnipeg topped 30,000 and Sunday's final at Vancouver's B.C. Place — a rematch of 2011's thriller in which Japan beat the United States 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 match — is a predicted sellout, with more than 50,000 tickets accounted for.

Russell paid just $50 for hers through the American Outlaws supporters section.

"I had to do this," Russell said. "In four years, the tournament's in France. I can't just drive up to France for four days."

She's just happy the U.S. women could join her in Vancouver.

"After I bought my ticket, I kind of came to terms with the fact that the U.S. might not make it, but I figured I'd go either way," Russell said. "Tuesday's win really helped things."

SUNDAY'S GAME

WHAT: Women's World Cup Final: United States vs. Japan

WHERE: B.C. Place, Vancouver, British Columbia.

TIME/TV: 6 p.m., FOX, Telemundo

ABOUT THE FINAL: A sluggish group stage has produced an outstanding knockout round for the United States, including Tuesday's impressive 2-0 semifinal win over top-ranked Germany. Questions surrounding coach Jill Ellis' decision-making have eased, as the defending Olympic gold medalists are playing for their third title. Japan is still the reigning World Cup champion, though, and its quick-passing attack has won all six matches by a one-goal margin.