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Greeson: Soccer opportunity could be big for city

USA's Kelley O'Hara, Carli Lloyd, and Lauren Holiday, from left, react to a point scored during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's match against Costa Rica at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team is playing in Chattanooga as part of its Women's World Cup victory tour.
USA's Kelley O'Hara, Carli Lloyd, and Lauren Holiday, from left, react to a point scored during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's match against Costa Rica at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team is playing in Chattanooga as part of its Women's World Cup victory tour. USA's Kelley O'Hara, Carli Lloyd, and Lauren Holiday, from left, react to a point scored during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's match against Costa Rica at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team is playing in Chattanooga as part of its Women's World Cup victory tour.

By Jay Greeson 5 min read

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* Through storm, rain U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team wins a 7-2 blowout * Wiedmer: Stormy weather no match for U.S. women’s soccer team * Wednesday became an eventful day for Julie Foudy * Victory tour means winning for U.S. World Cup champs * Sold-out crowd set to watch World Cup champs’ exhibition match tonight * Wiedmer: World Cup champs know how to inspire their fans * AstroTurf president in town to see Finley field, watch women’s soccer * Road closures planned for U.S. Women’s match against Costa Rica

Paul Smith, the executive director of Finley Stadium, has enjoyed a great month professionally.

“Pretty safe to say this will be a record August,” he said before the U.S. Women’s National Team played Costa Rica in a soccer exhibition called a friendly. (Side question: When you beat a team by a combined score of 15-2 in two matches, exactly how friendly is this so-called friendly and what in the world would happen if it were called a hostility?)

photo Jay Greeson

Smith has welcomed close to 50,000 soccer fans and supporters to Finley in the first 19 days of this month to watch the Chattanooga FC and the U.S. National Team. It’s been a staggering three matches – two FC playoff games and the sell-out Wednesday night for the U.S. women – that will leave a lasting memory on our town’s sporting and social scene.

From the glowing faces of little girls watching real-life heroes to the pageantry of the Chattahooligans entering by song-filled parade to watch the international collection of amateurs that is the FC, the images have been memorable.