The First-Ever Champions of a Pro Women’s League

A scientist, a World Cup icon, and a track star. With Bay FC debuting in NWSL this week, we look back at the 2001 Bay Area CyberRays – the first-ever champions of a fully professional women’s soccer league in the world. Elsewhere, we turn to the only soccer player to have won an Oscar, the Homeless World Cup, and an exclusive spotlight on the most precious collection of 80s vintage kits in North America.

This week’s stories:

• 🎬 The Only Soccer Player to Win an Oscar

• 🐂 The Soccer Stock Exchange

• 🌊 When CyberRays Ruled the Bay

• 👕 Grails: Episode 1

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

ENTERTAINMENT
The Only Soccer Player to Win an Oscar

Neymar, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, and even Pele have starred in Hollywood films. None of them have won an Oscar, though. 

That honor is reserved for former Dundee United captain Neil Paterson. After a brief stint in the pros, Paterson left for the Navy in WWII, where he picked up a pen and became a renowned novelist. Soon enough, his writing took him all the way to Hollywood, where he managed to get eight writing credits to his name by 1959. 

In 1960, Paterson took home an Oscar for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay,’ handing out the only loss to the legendary ‘Ben-Hur’ that evening. More importantly, it turned Paterson into the only pro soccer player in the world to win an Academy Award. 

SOCCERNOMICS
The Soccer Stock Exchange

At the end of February, Club America became the first Mexican soccer team to be listed on the stock exchange, with some of the money raised going towards the renovation of its famous Azteca Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Although you’ll only see the listing on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), there are other teams more accessible to invest in if you’re based in the US. 

Forbes came out with a handy guide this past week for how to buy shares of a club and important factors to consider in the amusing world of global soccer stock trading.

COVER STORY
When CyberRays Ruled the Bay

Before the WUSA was established in 2001, there were no fully professional women’s soccer leagues in the world. Coming off the ‘99 World Cup victory, the US was the perfect place to make this long-fought dream a reality. 

And that’s how the CyberRays were born – one of the eight original pro teams in this revolutionary league. Among their ranks, they had World Cup icon Brandi Chastain, certified geoscientist LaKeysia Beene, and track state champion Thori Staples Bryan. The last two would go on to win Goalkeeper of the Year and WUSA Ironwoman titles, respectively. 

It was a long campaign, culminating in a palpitating final dubbed as the ‘Founders Cup’ at Foxboro. The match ended in a 3-3 draw with the CyberRays edging the Atlanta Beat on penalties. 

In a week where Bay FC are bringing women’s soccer back to NorCal, it’s fitting to remember the CyberRays: the first champions of the Bay, and the first champions of a pro women’s soccer league in the whole world. Their success in 2001 ushered in the new century of growth we’re experiencing today. 

OUR HISTORY
The Two Americans in FIFA 100

Exactly twenty years ago this month, Pele unveiled the ‘FIFA 100,’ a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players at the time. The list was released as a way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the foundation of FIFA, and two Americans made the list: Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers. 

These two American heroes were also the only women to be featured in the list. They had both won the World Cup twice with the USWNT and were at the forefront of the growing tide in women’s soccer in the 90s and early 2000s. 

The list was largely selected by Pele himself, and it does include some bizarre choices. However, the inclusion of Hamm and Akers can’t be disputed. Their already immaculate legacy in 2004 has only grown since.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

You can check out the results from last week’s poll at the bottom of this email. 

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Goalie Goal: It’s a one-in-a-million chance, but Orange County goalkeeper Colin Shutler managed to do it. He scored an improbable last-minute equalizer on Saturday to kick off the USL season in style.

Oppenheimer and Alex Morgan: Believe it or not, the striker’s old stomping grounds were used as a set for several scenes in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Nice to revisit this weird connection after the film won Best Picture.

The Homeless World Cup: The last edition was in Sacramento in 2023, and this organization’s work is an inspiration for how soccer can uplift underserved communities around the globe. There’s a new doc on it coming out this month.

Eurosport is Back: This one hits right in the feels. For many who grew up playing soccer in the States, Eurosport was a staple. Last week, they dropped a wonderfully nostalgic collection, shot by the great Daniel Kobin.

Time Is a Flat Circle: Back in 2000, the USWNT and Brazil faced off in a continental final. This past weekend at the W Gold Cup, it was the same scenario. Both of these games ended 1-0, with the US lifting the trophy. Soccer heritage.

Reality TV: Tech mogul Alexis Ohanian, TV producer Alex Baskin, and soccer star Midge Purce unveiled their new series ‘The Offseason.’ They describe it as soccer meets Vanderpump Rules meets Drive to Survive.

FANDOM
The Big Poppies

Happy wife, happy life. Bay FC is kicking off its inaugural season this weekend, and the owners’ husbands are playing their part in supporting the team. 

Bay FC was started by four former USWNT stars: Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Ally Wagner. And now their spouses have banded together to create a supporters group like no other. 

As they put it, ‘The women are leading the charge on the pitch and in the front office while the fellas are here to support the team, wrangle the munchkins, and have some fun in the process.’ It’s free for anyone to join too.

CLUBELEVEN
GRAILS: Episode 01

There’s global soccer history hidden all over North America. In our new video series ‘Grails,’ we set out to find these scattered treasures and the people dedicating their lives to look after them.

To kick off, we met up with Tobias Meyer, an attorney in Miami who has been collecting kits for over twenty years, amassing a selection of some of the rarest items you’ll ever find. From game-worn jerseys to lost relics, we dug through one of the most precious collections of 80s football kits in the world, and we got to hear Tobias’ enthralling story as a collector. 

For him, it’s been a way to reconnect with his childhood, and it’s helped him preserve the history of Platini’s Juventus, Zico’s Brazil, Sutter’s Grasshoppers, Beckenbauer’s Cosmos, and hundreds of other soccer teams from across the globe.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you to choose your favorite soccer movie of all time. Here are some of your best answers:

• “Escape to Victory” - Eric and Dave

• “She’s the Man!” - Mat

• “Green Street Hooligans” - Travis

• “The Big Green” - Chris

• “Looking for Eric” - Daniel

• “Shaolin Soocer da 🐐” - Calvin

In the poll, the movie “Goal!” and the “Other” option tied with 26% of the vote each. Once again, there were a lot of varied opinions and awesome recs. The Netflix queue is working overtime. 

Thanks for some great takes this past Tuesday, and make sure to drop us a line on this week’s poll to be featured up next.

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Make sure to forward this email to a friend! It’ll start paying off soon 👀. We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer. 

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo