Baltimore leads nation in Women's World Cup Final ratings

Baltimore, MD - What does that mean for soccer women's soccer in particular here in Maryland?

Soccer is fun.

It would have to be if you are going to run full tilt in 80 degree heat in an indoor soccer arena.

But that's okay...it just gives these kids at Baltimore Blast soccer camp a chance to try out some big moves they saw on TV courtesy of the US women's soccer team.

The love it when the big girls play.

"That the girls are playing.” Eight year old Riley Dobbin says. I learned to pass the ball more.” "

“I like to learn how they do it." Seven year old Ann Bethel says.

Baltimore is a football town...the non pads and helmets football type of town.

Out of all the cities in the nation watching this weekend's women's final, more people watched in this area than an in any other town in the nation.

Dillon even listened to it on the radio.

"Pretty much the only parts you can catch is when someone a block is made or when someone scores but apart from that it's pretty hard to follow but you get the main parts of the game." 11 Year Old Dillon Ricks says.

And that says something for an area that when you say football at least 97 percent of folks think Ravens or Colts...and not the game that 99 percent of the rest of the world considers football.

“It's not shocking it's a very rich soccer time that's why they support the Baltimore Blast so well why they support the international games with Chelsea, Manchester City, AC Milan that's why we have a good rich tradition and that's why soccer's big here." Baltimore Blast Midfielder Patrick Healey says.

But for soccer to really make it to that next level it needs the big stars and that's why learning from the watching big girls play for the cup can lead to not only growth someone’s personal game but to the growth of the sport.

Kids just want to get better we have very good clubs here starting with the Baltimore Bays that do well not just do well not just locally but nationally and kids just want to be outside and playing." Healey says.

Healey says the way that soccer is going to go over the top in the US is when we get that Kobe Bryant or Ray Lewis type of star in the game.

A great American soccer star who shows the nation that you can have a great and successful career in the game have fun and get paid very well to boot.