Jenny Chiu was there, telling the story for everyone. World Sevens, in its first iteration in Portugal last spring, was an immense success. Clubs from around Europe gathered to play small-sided soccer in what felt slightly insane but undeniably entertaining - a celebration of the women’s game that leaned fully into joy.
But it didn’t stay put. Organizers decided the tournament had to go transcontinental, staging its second edition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in early December. This time, clubs from the NWSL, Liga MX Femenil, the Northern Super League, and Brasileiro Femenino descended on South Florida for a new - and perhaps improved - version of the event.
San Diego Wave won it all, collecting $2 million for their efforts. The money mattered. But the vibes mattered more. Chiu, who hosted and broadcast the tournament for DAZN, spoke to players every day - and kept coming back to the same answer.
"In every conversation, it is kind of like feeling childlike, a reminder of what they played growing up, why they fell in love with it, and it is so beautiful to see," she tells GOAL.
It was a nice change of pace from what can often be a painfully intense 11-a-side version of soccer.
"We cover games all the time. We see these players, and we talk to these players, and I have never seen them this happy. I've covered a lot of these players multiple times during NWSL or with the national teams. I've never seen this level of joy in the players," Chiu insists.
That joy, though, exists alongside a far more serious reality for women’s soccer in the United States. Trinity Rodman's future in the NWSL has become a hot topic of late, with the league unable - and perhaps unwilling - to stretch its salary rules in order to pay the USWNT's most marketable star. Chiu thinks it's bad for the league.
"I do think that they will lose credibility if they lose Trinity. They're kind of headed down that road. Alyssa Thompson goes. Naomi Girma goes, and you're like, 'Whoa, interesting.' Well, you know what, [USWNT manager] Emma Hayes has said that she wants her players to play in Europe, and so, they're doing exactly what they've been asked, and it works for them," she says.
She knows the landscape well. A former player and long-time broadcaster, the analyst and host has seen women's soccer grow and evolve in the United States. World Sevens is one of the positives. Rodman's uncertain future is a negative.
Chiu talked Women's Sevens, NWSL, and Rodman's future in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
