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So the World Cup won you over, here’s how to keep watching soccer

If you can’t get enough of the thrill the World Cup provided, check out how to keep up with the game locally and abroad.

Wendy Rodriguez intently watches the USA play soccer against Iran in the World Cup on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022 at Danny Coyle’s Irish pub in the Lower Haight district of San Francisco, Calif. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

If you liked what you saw during Argentina’s thrilling win over France in the final of the 2022 World Cup, I have good news for you—there’s more where that came from. 

OK, maybe not every game is going to be that awesome. But the point is, if the tournament has piqued your interest in the beautiful game, you don’t have to wait four years to enjoy it. 

More Americans are playing the game here and abroad. On television or a screen-of-your-choice, it is now easier to watch than ever.

Whether you are new to it or not, here’s how you can keep up and deepen your relationship with the game.

The Women’s Game

Alex Morgan of the United States warms up prior to playing Germany before a women's international friendly match. | Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images | Source: Getty Images

Since the recent Men’s version moved from its usual summer slating to November this year—due to the Qatari heat—the 2023 Women’s World Cup will kick off in Australia and New Zealand just 212 days from the time of publication. 

As opposed to their male counterparts, the U.S. Women’s National Team are world-beaters, ranked number 1 in the globe and are gunning for their third consecutive World Cup title after winning in 2015 and 2019. 

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The English-language broadcast will be carried on FOX and Spanish-language on Telemundo. 

At home, the NWSL, the top-flight women’s league in the U.S., kicks off its 2023 schedule in March on Paramount + and CBS Sports Network. The Bay Area is still currently in the development stages of launching its own team (opens in new tab)

Until then, the USL W-League, a pre-professional league, launched a brand new NorCal competition that will kick off in May. Matches can be streamed on ElevenSports.com. 

Otherwise, go check out a local match at any of these teams: SF Glens and Olympic Club (San Francisco), Oakland Soul, California Storm (Sacramento), Stockton Cargo, Marin FC, Pleasanton Rage and Academica SC (Turlock). 

In the college ranks, where the nation’s best players still emerge, Santa Clara University (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)and Stanford (opens in new tab) are national powerhouses. 

Professional Soccer in The Bay

A pre season friendly between Real Madrid and Club America at Oracle Park. | James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images | Source: Getty Images

The only northern California team in Major League Soccer (MLS) is in San Jose: The Earthquakes. You can check out their games at the newly built PayPal park, or tune into games across the league starting February on Apple TV and FOX. 

The nation’s second division, the United Soccer League (USL), might be home to the coolest sports team (opens in new tab) in the Bay Area: Oakland Roots S.C. 

The 2023 USL season kicks off in March and games across the league will be streamed on ESPN+. The Roots play home games at Laney College. 

In San Francisco, the semi-professional club SF Glens recently broke ground on a new soccer stadium on Treasure Island. The Glens compete in USL League Two, which kicks off in May. Select games are streamed on KRON 4’s app KRONon. 

San Francisco City FC, also in the USL League Two, plays its home games at Kezar Stadium. 

Two people in jackets and caps stand in a stadium holding a scarf that reads "THE CITY IS OURS," with trees and floodlights in the background.
San Francisco City Football Club fan Eric Schaefer (R) with fellow fan Tyler Hinman at the Historic Kezar Stadium. | Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard | Source: Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard

Meanwhile, a newly formed amateur side called Inter SF just qualified for the U.S. Open Cup (opens in new tab), the nation’s oldest single-elimination tournament featuring professional and amateur clubs, in March—similar to England’s FA Cup competition.

Americans Abroad

For the first time in team history, all eleven of the U.S. starters at the recent World Cup plied their trade for European club teams. 

The English Premier League, which is where “Captain America” Christian Pulisic and actual U.S. captain Tyler Adams plays, resumes its season on what the Brits call “Boxing Day,” Dec. 26. Games are broadcast live on NBC’s affiliated networks and streamed on Peacock. 

Crysencio Summerville (center) of Leeds United celebrates with Wilfried Gnonto (right) and Tyler Adams (left) of Leeds United. | Daniel Chesterton/Offside via Getty Images | Source: Offside via Getty Images

Golden boy and recently scandalized Giovanni Reyna (opens in new tab) plays for powerhouse Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga which streams all of its games on ESPN+. Breakout star Yunus Musah plays for Valencia in Spain’s La Liga which also streams all of its games on ESPN+. 

Elsewhere, Weston McKennie (for now) plays for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A, which streams all of its games on CBS and Paramount +.

Kevin V. Nguyen can be reached at [email protected]