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Local Soccer Gets A Boost From World Cup Play

DETROIT (WWJ) - World Cup action Sunday afternoon as The U.S. Women's Soccer team plays Japan in the final.  The coach for the women's soccer team at the University of Michigan, Greg Ryan, says soccer hasn't taken off here like some sports, but this helps.

"They've just, they've just grown so much.  Players like Carly Lloyd at attacking midfield, Lauren Cheney's playing left side of midfield , which was a shock to everybody.  Alex Morgan just finishing college  and scoring goals for the U.S.  Megan Ripino was on the U-21 team I coached many years ago," said Ryan.

While soccer hasn't taken off like some sports in America, Ryan thinks soccer will continue to grow....saying it's the second largest participation sport in the country.

"You're still going to see in American: football, basketball, baseball, our traditional sports, that's not going to change, I just think you're going to see more soccer fans as time goes along because more of the kids are playing," said Ryan.

Ryan says that the World Cup Soccer game is just another boost to the sport. Soccer is still growing ... major league soccer has been around now for 10 years.

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