Tale of two NWSL expansion teams: A lesson on what...
Key takeaways
- Cohen wondered: Were they going to be ready, or should they push back the team's launch?
- A day later, Denver smashed the NWSL's single-game attendance record, with 63,004 fans in the stadium to see the Summit and Washington Spirit battle to a scoreless draw.
- Millet, who also helped launch Bay FC as an NWSL expansion team ahead of the 2024 season, said that "the iron was hot" to strike with a 2026 launch.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Cohen wondered: Were they going to be ready, or should they push back the team's launch?
"We kind of looked at each other and said, 'This market is so excited about this club, there is so much momentum, that we can get through this because we have such strong tailwinds,'" Millet told ESPN in the tunnel of Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. A day later, Denver smashed the NWSL's single-game attendance record, with 63,004 fans in the stadium to see the Summit and Washington Spirit battle to a scoreless draw.
Millet, who also helped launch Bay FC as an NWSL expansion team ahead of the 2024 season, said that "the iron was hot" to strike with a 2026 launch. Denver was officially announced as team No. 16 in January 2025.