There is a new professional women’s soccer team coming to Los Angeles. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced this week that a new team will be coming to Los Angeles in the spring of 2022. Natalie Portman and some other celebrities are also helping to make this happen. So what is Portman’s role with this team and why is he helping to bring women’s football to Los Angeles?
Natalie Portman and other stars are bringing a professional women’s soccer team to LA
According to E! News, the NWSL made the announcement about the professional team on July 21, 2020. There has not yet been an announcement about the team name and venue partner. However, the investor-owned group calls their organization “Angel City”.
The group includes Portman, tech venture capitalist Kara Nortman, venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian, and media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman. Ohanian and tennis star Serena Williams are married.
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“I am proud to be part of this wonderful group that works to bring a professional women’s soccer club to Los Angeles,” Ohanian said in a statement, according to E! News. “Mainly because I am a fan of the game, but also because I think there is enormous potential for the sport and that it has been undervalued by too many people for too long.”
He went on to say that he is someone who “spends hours kicking a soccer ball” with his two-year-old daughter. So he wants her to be able to see something like this up close.
“I am personally investing on behalf of my family because creating more opportunities in women’s sports is important to my wife and me, and we want to be part of making a better future for our daughter,” said Ohanian.
Natalie Portman discussed why she is helping to bring women’s soccer to LA
Speaking to the sports industry outlet Sportico, Portman revealed some of the benefits of bringing a team to Los Angeles.
“After spending time with him [U.S. Women’s National Team] The players, their union representative, and knowing some of the NWSL owners and league supporters, it became clear that having a team in Los Angeles could not only raise the league and player exposure, but also attract these incredibly talented women to the city of Los Angeles, my city, ”said Portman. “We have the ability to engage, promote and support the world’s best players in the world’s most popular sport annually, not just every four years.”
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He also added that Angel City believes in setting high expectations on and off the field.
“Our story from the beginning was different, from starting with three female founders to building a movement before having money, stadiums, rights or fans. [to now] to grow our list of founding investors, “said Portman.” Success for us is not only on the field, but also in our impact on our community, the payoff to our players and the entertainment of the world. We are not a legacy team but a team of activists, athletes and entrepreneurs who are used to challenging the status quo and changing expectations. “
Who else is part of the investment group?
In addition to Portman, Nortman, Uhrman, and Ohanian, several big names are also members of the investment group.
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Serena Williams and her two-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. are part of this, and several actresses are also members. Uzo Aduba, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner and Eva Longoria, and talk show host Lilly Singh are part of the group. In addition, several former players from the US Women’s National Team are also in the group. This includes stars Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.
According to ESPN, the team that will be brought to LA by all of these superstars will become the eleventh team in the league. There are currently nine teams, but Racing Louisville FC will start playing in 2021, becoming the tenth team.
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