Canada’s new league attracts thousands: « Felt surreal »
Canada’s football ladies took Olympic gold in 2021.
But the big country in the West has not had any professional professional. Until now.
Northern Super League (NSL) is called the league that started last week. A former national team player (Diana Matheson) is its founder, the large broadcaster TSN broadcasts all matches, all players have a minimum wage and heavy sponsors have jumped on the train.
Already at launch You created headlines.
« By intentionally omitting the word ‘women’ (ladies/women) in the league name clearly shows its ambition to be equal to other leagues in professional sport, » NSL then wrote on its homepage.
– It’s a league. And we play football, says Vancouver striker Sara Lilja Vidlund now.
– And it’s not that men put the word « men » in their leagues.
The former KIF Örebro- And the Djurgård player is one of several Swedes who have chosen to move to Canada.
It is early morning on the Canadian west coast, nine hours of time from Sweden, when DN reaches her on the phone.
-I felt I needed to test something new, says the 23-year-old.
– I was a little craving abroad and then this came up. I had a meeting with the sports manager and she talked about everything around, the conditions, the leadership staff and how they look at developing players. And it felt right away – except it was very far away!
At home in Damallsvenskan Big invests clubs such as Hammarby, Häcken and Malmö FF. But other teams are still fighting Hard with the economy.
In terms of audience average, Damallsvenskan in 2023 climbed over a thousand people per match for the first time since 2005 – just to last year back Again, to 863.
The Stockholm Act drew 164 people (Brommapojkarna), 603 (Djurgården), 972 (AIK) and 2 174 (Hammarby) to their respective home premieres.
Vancouver’s historic opening match in NSL? 14 018.
– It felt Surrealistically, says Sara Lilja Vidlund, who, like the club’s other Swedish, Sofia Hagman, jumped into the second half in the 1-0 victory at home against Calgary.
– I got a real adrenaline rush. I did some kind of superstition and the whole audience as well as … thundered.
The high audience figure does not seem to have been any coincidence. A few days later, 14,518 people saw Montreal win away against Toronto – and this weekend new teams step into the game.
Swedish Sara Olai plays in the cheese coast team Halifax Tides.
Halifax Arena certainly takes « only » around seven thousand spectators.
– But playing for 7,000 I have only done at one time in Sweden, says Olai.
The 25-year-old defender Comes most recently from the Brommapojkarna but has also played all -Swedish in Linköping, Uppsala and Djurgården.
The Swedish law has worked hard based on the conditions they have had, she says. But in Canada, she can be a full -time professional in a different way than before.
– I felt I wanted to take the next step in my career.
– The biggest difference is the conditions, everything is more professional here.
The shark around this weekend’s premiere is also something new.
What does it mean for you to experience the difference?
– It feels very cool and something that you have dreamed about since you were little.
Sara Lilja Vidlund also notes that conditions and facilities are something other than what she is used to.
Damallsvenskan struggles with audience, money, taking the next step. What makes Canada succeed?
– The people behind the entire league have been very clear about what they want to do, replies Lilja Vidlund.
– You have made a huge investment and I think that is what is ultimately crucial.
The stage change in Canada is also total.
Just two years ago, the Canadian women’s team went a huge ride against its own union on compensation and agreements. For a while, the Olympic Master’s World Cup participation looked to be threatenedand the year after was true The players the covenant.
Now women’s soccer is talked about everywhere.
– It is very exciting to be part of this venture, says Sara Olai.
– It feels like the Canadian girls have lacked a professional in the country, role models when growing up and a clear goal.
In terms of football, it is However, it is difficult to say exactly where the new league is. Many Canadian players have moved home to join the trip, though:
– I’ve never been to a club where really everyone is new, says Sara Olai.
Sara Lilja Vidlund laughs:
– If I’m going to be completely honest, I don’t keep track of the other teams!
In her Vancouver Rise was it the Canadian national team star Quinn which decided the premiere. But the names behind the team are almost larger than those on the pitch. Football icon Christine Sinclair (331 international matches for Canada) is a partner and former goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé-she who guarded the goal in the Olympic final against Sweden 2021-sports manager.
– We have been expecting our entire careers for this, Sinclair tells Canadian CBC.
– Women’s sports have repeatedly shown that if you let us play in the big arenas, show us on TV, market us – then the audience comes.
Read more:
Canadian Olympic gold medalist: « Can’t see myself return to the United States »
