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US Women's National Soccer Team inspires next generation of players at friendly match

Soccer fans packed CITYPARK to cheer on the U.S. Women’s National Team just before they take the world stage.

ST. LOUIS — It was an exciting Tuesday night for St. Louis soccer fans as CITYPARK hosted the U.S. Women's National Team and the Republic of Ireland for the last international friendly match ahead of the Women’s World Cup in July.

Soccer fans packed CITYPARK to cheer on the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Scott Gallagher Soccer Star Grace Restovich said it’s a dream come true to be here watching this match.

“I have a number 16 Roosevelt jersey on. So I've been watching her since I was little and she's been my favorite player and just seeing how they've developed the game. It's been awesome,” Restovich said.

Restovich said soccer means everything to her and her family.

“It's a sport I've grown up playing my whole life with my whole family, my little sister, my mom. So being able to see players out there today is amazing. Being on the youth national team, then playing all throughout my days has been awesome. So it's definitely inspiring to be out there and be somewhere you want to be when you get older,” Restovich said. 

The friendly match brought out lots of families hoping to fuel the dreams of young girls, such as the Rogers family.

“It's really cool to see not only role models but strong women who are out there. It’s great supporting them and what they believe and what they stand for as well as it's really fun to see these women on the field. They’re also great people off the field, too,” Ryan Rogers said.

A whole team of girls' soccer players and their coach from Canton, Missouri made the trip to be a part of this special game.

“I think it's a great opportunity, a once in a lifetime opportunity for these young ladies to be able to experience and to be able to see soccer at the next level,” Canton Soccer Head Coach Sarah Mueller said.

Senior Canton Player Delanie Pierce is just one of many hoping to fill some really big shoes on the national stage someday.

“To see that they came from a high school team just like this and they eventually made it that far in life is amazing to me,” Pierce said.

The USWNT won 1-0 giving them some pretty good momentum as they take the stage for the Women's World Cup in just a couple months.

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