By MIA RUPANI | The U.S. women’s national soccer team did more than just win the FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 5. They also became heroes to many young girls throughout the city, who waited eagerly to watch them in the parade along the famed Canyon of Heroes at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Members of the Downtown Little League girl’s softball team — which won the state championship last year — arrived over an hour early to the parade, which honored the 23-member soccer team. It was the first time in the Canyon’s history that an all-women sports team was saluted with a ticker-tape parade.
Many of the Downtown Little League girls play more than one sport, including soccer, and they were all in agreement that “girls can do anything boys can do.”
“Everyone should look up to them, they are very inspiring,” Marianna Dowd, 11, said of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions.
By watching these women play, the young girls’ goals of achieving the same success seem attainable.
“Anything can happen if you try hard enough,” Anabella Pelaez said.
Many of the girls said that they didn’t have a favorite player, but they look up to the entire team: “It’s not just one player, it takes the whole team to win…they are my heroes, I would love to do this someday,” Grace Kirwin, 12, said.
Donning their Little League jerseys, the girls situated themselves against the barriers at the start of the parade route near Battery Park. As the players rode by on four of the parade’s 12 floats up Broadway to City Hall, the girls all began to chant “U.S.A. U.S.A.”
The Downtown Little League softball team were nowhere near the only children to celebrate the U.S. women’s national soccer team championship victory over Japan. Throngs of young girls and boys alike lined the streets to cheer on the team as they paraded up Broadway before a City Hall ceremony.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team defeated Japan 5-2 on July 5, securing their spot as three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champs. Previously, the team won the championship in 1999 against China.
