The World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s National Team will have some unlikely guests sharing the stage at their Canyon of Heroes Ticker Tape Parade on Friday.
New York City FC, the New York Red Bulls and Major League Soccer will each have separate floats in the World Cup victory lap in downtown Manhattan.
Joining them will be the National Women’s Soccer League and Sky Blue FC — the local NWSL affiliate. As of now, it is unknown whether either organization will have their own float down the Canyon of Heroes. The possibility exists they will instead share space with some of the other attendees on two separate floats. Of course, that can change as logistics continue to be worked on ahead of this unprecedented event.
The NASL’s New York Cosmos were offered a spot on the parade but declined the offer in respect to the Women’s victory.
The NASL itself, however, did not receive an invite from U.S. Soccer.
Word first broke about the unexpected participation of the MLS triumvirate after New York City FC began a Twitter campaign Thursday afternoon inviting members of their “Cityzens” program to “bid” on a pair of spots on the club’s parade float. EoS reached out to league contacts who revealed the New York Red Bulls — and yes, Major League Soccer — will both have floats in the World Cup celebration.
The news of the added participants, particularly on the MLS side, has been received with a mixed response from fans. On the one hand, the U.S. Women’s World Cup victory is a celebration of soccer throughout the nation, making the addition of clubs and leagues to the parade a larger homage to the sport in this country. On the other, the addition of MLS and their affiliates arguably draws attention away from the celebration at hand — a historic World Cup victory for the Women’s National team.
Whatever perception may be, the Red Bulls, NYCFC, MLS, Sky Blue and the NWSL will find themselves right in the middle of the party. The parade begins Friday, 11 a.m., starting from Battery Park down Broadway to City Hall.
Archived content originally from EmpireOfSoccer.com by Dave Martinez
