KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The "Super Bowl" of Women's Soccer kicked off on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium. The Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit took to the pitch to secure the trophy. Before the match, fans participated in "Fan Fest".
It's where KSHB 41 met three sisters from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
"I know that they really love soccer too and being able to watch it," Kaitlyn Smith said about her parents who surprised them with a trip to the NWSL Championship. "I’m super excited we could get tickets to be able to experience this moment.”
In March, CPKC stadium opened its gates for its inaugural match. March 16, 2024 is arguably, one of the most historic days for women's sports as the first stadium dedicated to women's athletics.
"There’s just so much potential to grow," said the girl's mom, Riann Smith. "This is the only stadium in the country that was built for women. And there is how many NWSL teams that should be doing the same thing? It shows that anything is possible.”
Fan Fest ahead of Saturday night's match was filled with excitement. Seas of purple and yellow for the teams playing in the final game, along with a fair share of KC Current teal. It also offered the opportunity to meet a few of the game's biggest stars, one of the Smith sister's favorite players, San Diego Wave Defender, Naomi Girma.
"We had an entire conversation of what we were going to say to her before we got up there," Kaitlyn Smith said.
Those moments are what makes their dad proud, watching the important women in his life, lift each other up.
"It’s not only a tremendous source of pride. But these girls have positive examples," said Gary Smith. "To say, 'Here is someone I aspire to be and aspire to play like,' is really exciting.”
"You can see what other women have done. They were once little girls too. They’ve grown up and done all of these amazing things. This stadium is built for them," added Riann Smith. "All these resources are at their feet. A lot of those players didn’t have those things growing up. The more things thrown at women’s sports shows that it’s important, and equally as important as men’s sports. Women can do just as well as men, if not better.”
The Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit, 1-0 to secure the 2024 NWSL Championship.
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