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Sporting Club Jacksonville's women's soccer players began their summer in a country hosting the World Cup.
Now, they're spending time in a country two games away from winning it.
As the World Cup rolls toward the finish line in the United States, Sporting Jax is headed across the Atlantic Ocean to England and Wales for the first overseas trip in the women's soccer team's history.
The Sporting Jax schedule was planned out long before England embarked on its deep tournament run, but now, they'll get the extra thrill of plunging directly into a nation gripped by World Cup fever — and, possibly, hopes of a first World Cup trophy since 1966. England faces Argentina in a July 15 semifinal.
"It's the best place to be to go watch England," said Sporting Jax women's coach Stacey Balaam, originally from Suffolk on England's eastern coast.
The Sporting Jax itinerary includes a July 16 game against the women's squad of Wrexham AFC in Wales, a club that has surged in worldwide popularity through the television series "Welcome to Wrexham." Sporting Jax also scheduled a closed-door scrimmage with an English club not yet announced.
The Wrexham match compensates for a planned preseason game in Jacksonville that was called off in 2025 because of Wrexham's injuries and player availability issues.
Between Balaam, assistant coach Alan Kirkup and Scottish national team defender Georgia Brown, Sporting Jax has a strong contingent from Great Britain, and American-born players like midfielder Ashlyn Puerta are eager to take in the English atmosphere during World Cup time.
"I've heard a lot about the English culture and I think it's going to be fun to see that first-person," said Puerta, who has several recent trips outside the country with the United States Under-19 women's national team but hasn't yet traveled to the United Kingdom.
The trip is the most important preseason tune-up for the Sporting Jax women ahead of their second Gainbridge Super League campaign, a shortened 14-game fall season as the league begins its transition to a spring-to-fall calendar for 2027.
And they're making the trip not only buoyed by their debut performance in spring, when the first-year club topped the standings for much of the year before disappointment in the semifinals, but also riding the wave of the World Cup buzz across the United States.
Even for experienced Sporting Jax players like team captain Sophie Jones, who also played in the National Women's Soccer League before coming to Jacksonville, this summer feels a little different.
"You go around the airports and everyone's watching and tuned in to it," Jones said. "I feel like it's definitely building up for sure."
Although the nearest World Cup games to the First Coast have kicked off several hours away in Atlanta or Miami, Sporting Jax is still soaking in the excitement.
Balaam said she's still recovering from the emotional roller coaster of England's round-of-16 battle with co-host Mexico, a 3-2 English triumph with two goals from midfielder Jude Bellingham: "I think my heart stopped about seven times."
She's also sampled the World Cup flavor up close, traveling to Atlanta to watch her native England survive a harrowing round-of-32 battle against the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 1. Down most of the way and nearly out, England survived with two late cannonball strikes from national captain Harry Kane.
"The atmosphere was amazing. The English fans, their songs are so funny. Just to be a part of all of that was awesome," Balaam said.
In between their other summer preparations, the Sporting Jax players have also been adding World Cup viewing to their activity list.
"We were all rooting for Team USA [in the round of 16 against Belgium] and unfortunately it didn't exactly go to plan," Puerta said. "But it's definitely super exciting that the World Cup is here. I think it's been so great, even just to see all the memes and different stories coming out about all the Europeans coming here and seeing what America is like."
For Balaam, tracking the World Cup is more than just entertainment.
"You get really well educated by watching games," the second-year head coach said. "We encourage it, that they do it. They watch all the games, they enjoy it, they talk about it, they're students of it and so it's good that they've had that to stay mentally checked in and mentally sharp."
On course to return more than a dozen players from last year's Super League semifinal squad, including All-League selections Brown, Jones, Puerta, Baylee DeSmit, Paige Kenton and Kaitlyn Parks, Sporting Jax intends for the week across the ocean to build their chemistry for next month's regular season opener in Fort Lauderdale.
"For us, it's really about sharpening the tools," Balaam said, "making sure we're mentally and physically ready for Aug. 15."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: World Cup buzz boosts Sporting Jax women's soccer on UK trip
Continue reading...
Now, they're spending time in a country two games away from winning it.
As the World Cup rolls toward the finish line in the United States, Sporting Jax is headed across the Atlantic Ocean to England and Wales for the first overseas trip in the women's soccer team's history.
The Sporting Jax schedule was planned out long before England embarked on its deep tournament run, but now, they'll get the extra thrill of plunging directly into a nation gripped by World Cup fever — and, possibly, hopes of a first World Cup trophy since 1966. England faces Argentina in a July 15 semifinal.
"It's the best place to be to go watch England," said Sporting Jax women's coach Stacey Balaam, originally from Suffolk on England's eastern coast.
The Sporting Jax itinerary includes a July 16 game against the women's squad of Wrexham AFC in Wales, a club that has surged in worldwide popularity through the television series "Welcome to Wrexham." Sporting Jax also scheduled a closed-door scrimmage with an English club not yet announced.
The Wrexham match compensates for a planned preseason game in Jacksonville that was called off in 2025 because of Wrexham's injuries and player availability issues.
Between Balaam, assistant coach Alan Kirkup and Scottish national team defender Georgia Brown, Sporting Jax has a strong contingent from Great Britain, and American-born players like midfielder Ashlyn Puerta are eager to take in the English atmosphere during World Cup time.
"I've heard a lot about the English culture and I think it's going to be fun to see that first-person," said Puerta, who has several recent trips outside the country with the United States Under-19 women's national team but hasn't yet traveled to the United Kingdom.
The trip is the most important preseason tune-up for the Sporting Jax women ahead of their second Gainbridge Super League campaign, a shortened 14-game fall season as the league begins its transition to a spring-to-fall calendar for 2027.
And they're making the trip not only buoyed by their debut performance in spring, when the first-year club topped the standings for much of the year before disappointment in the semifinals, but also riding the wave of the World Cup buzz across the United States.
Even for experienced Sporting Jax players like team captain Sophie Jones, who also played in the National Women's Soccer League before coming to Jacksonville, this summer feels a little different.
"You go around the airports and everyone's watching and tuned in to it," Jones said. "I feel like it's definitely building up for sure."
WORLD CUP BUZZ 'SUPER EXCITING'
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Although the nearest World Cup games to the First Coast have kicked off several hours away in Atlanta or Miami, Sporting Jax is still soaking in the excitement.
Balaam said she's still recovering from the emotional roller coaster of England's round-of-16 battle with co-host Mexico, a 3-2 English triumph with two goals from midfielder Jude Bellingham: "I think my heart stopped about seven times."
She's also sampled the World Cup flavor up close, traveling to Atlanta to watch her native England survive a harrowing round-of-32 battle against the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 1. Down most of the way and nearly out, England survived with two late cannonball strikes from national captain Harry Kane.
"The atmosphere was amazing. The English fans, their songs are so funny. Just to be a part of all of that was awesome," Balaam said.
In between their other summer preparations, the Sporting Jax players have also been adding World Cup viewing to their activity list.
"We were all rooting for Team USA [in the round of 16 against Belgium] and unfortunately it didn't exactly go to plan," Puerta said. "But it's definitely super exciting that the World Cup is here. I think it's been so great, even just to see all the memes and different stories coming out about all the Europeans coming here and seeing what America is like."
For Balaam, tracking the World Cup is more than just entertainment.
"You get really well educated by watching games," the second-year head coach said. "We encourage it, that they do it. They watch all the games, they enjoy it, they talk about it, they're students of it and so it's good that they've had that to stay mentally checked in and mentally sharp."
On course to return more than a dozen players from last year's Super League semifinal squad, including All-League selections Brown, Jones, Puerta, Baylee DeSmit, Paige Kenton and Kaitlyn Parks, Sporting Jax intends for the week across the ocean to build their chemistry for next month's regular season opener in Fort Lauderdale.
"For us, it's really about sharpening the tools," Balaam said, "making sure we're mentally and physically ready for Aug. 15."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: World Cup buzz boosts Sporting Jax women's soccer on UK trip
Continue reading...
