No matter how excited you are about the USL Super League, the reality of what was actually going to happen over the weekend was always in the balance. Launching a league isn’t easy and making it a Division one league only ratcheted up the pressure of getting it right from the start. That’s one of the reasons I completely understood when the USL decided to delay the launch of their women’s professional league by a year. This is a hearts and minds thing, get it wrong and you might never recover. With all eyes on Charlotte on Saturday, the Super League launched and crushed it.

Carolina set the tone for the entire weekend, with a crowd that would have put it in the top ten of that OTHER professional women’s league (you know, the one that’s been around a decade already). I know USL doesn’t want that sort of comparison, but it’s there if you’re looking and I couldn’t help myself. Topping 10k for your first match is a high bar to set for the rest of the league, especially when most of the teams don’t play in stadiums that could hold that many people (let’s see what Dallas draws to the Cotton Bowl when Barcelona comes to town).

The crowd in Charlotte’s American Legion Memorial Stadium was on display from start and the North Carolina fans delivered a home field advantage. The scenes from this match warmed the heart of every fan of women’s soccer. Vibes off the charts. You couldn’t have asked for a better backdrop for hometown legend Vicky Bruce’s game-winning goal. USL couldn’t have scripted it better.

But Carolina was only the beginning of the weekend. Spokane would also deliver an amazing home field advantage for Zephyr with another packed house for their home opener. Over 5k fans showed up to see the launch of their Washington women’s side. And that number would be matched on Sunday night when Tampa Bay Sun faced Dallas Trinity. Tampa’s stadium revitalization project (a partnership with a downtown high school) was on full display and the stands were packed for another sold out USL Super League opener.

From afar, Peacock’s broadcast also delivered. I’m not sure what people expected, but the viewing experience didn’t disappoint. Announcers were on point, with details and facts about players that gave texture and background to the teams on the field. For the casual fan tuning in, this had every appearance of a league that was ready for the spotlight. There was admittedly some issues with the sunlight washing out parts of the field, particularly in the first half, but the overall experience delivered for fans who watched from home.

For doubters, play on the field lived up to the hype. It is abundantly clear that there is so many talented players in this country that need this opportunity to shine. Players like Enzi Broussard (Dallas), Ashley Orkus (Tampa), and Emina Ekić (Spokane) are going to be well-known to Super League watchers over the rest of the season. They showed up on the big stage of opening weekend and looked every bit like they belonged. Over and over again, Super League execs have been talking about the gap in opportunity they hoped to bridge and it’s clear there’s plenty of players looking to take advantage of their chance.

The leadership of this league, particularly League President Amanda Vandervort, should be proud of how far they’ve taken this project. If things go to plan, this eight team league will blossom to double digits next year and the map will begin to fill in. There’s no guarantees, but this weekend looked every bit like the start of something great and the USL’s experience in league growth indicate they have the ability to pilot the Super League to sustained growth.

Just as a single swallow doesn’t make a spring, a spectacular opening day does not make the USL Super League a success…yet. But for the hopeful, there was plenty of reasons to look forward to the rest of this season. Professional women’s soccer has a new league on the rise and day one was a rousing success!

- Dan Vaughn