There is a major international sporting event every year for pretty much every sport imaginable. Some of the largest events are obviously the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cups. But the FIFA Women's World Cup is the only major international tournament that is comprised solely of women. That's just one of the reasons why the Women's World Cup matters.

This tournament matters because the women who compete in it are some of the toughest people in the world. Women's soccer does not get enough praise, in my opinion. The professional leagues for women's soccer are not as established, nor are they as equally funded as the men's leagues, particularly in the United States. Which, again in my opinion, is a huge problem, especially in the United States, which brings me to my next point.

The Women's World Cup matters because this US team is arguably the best team in the world. They have been consistently amazing for over fifteen years, and yet the US men's team and national league (MLS) get more media coverage over the course of the regular year. But this US Women's team is worthy of serious respect and support from America.

This tournament matters because last year in Brazil, the men's tournament fields were outfitted with pristine grass, that was well manicured and cared for. But this year, in Canada, the women will be playing on artificial turf fields. FIFA has released statements saying that the decision to use turf rather than grass was not based on gender but because of budget and weather considerations. They also have said that turf fields do not cause more injuries, or more severe injuries. But that claim has been constantly refuted. There is a huge difference between a grass stain and turf burn which scrapes skin and draws blood. There is a difference between playing on a turf field that feels, on average, ten degrees hotter than the temperature outside, and playing on a grass field. There is a huge difference between playing on the ground like we all grew up doing, and playing on fields that are situated on top of cement slabs covered with shredded up old tires. It's a completely different game.

This tournament matters because for every little girl playing soccer in the U.S., stars like Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan are huge role models. The women playing in this tournament are testaments to the possibility that these little soccer players can become international athletes if that is what they want to do and they work their hardest to do so. Specifically, this will be Abby Wambach's final World Cup and throughout her career she has been a model athlete who has proven time and time again how important reaching for your dreams is.

This tournament matters because the teams are not limited to fielding players in a specific five year age group. On the U.S. team, the ages range from 22 to 39. Also, and this is directed at UVA students, alums, and fans: Morgan Brian, the youngest player on the squad, is making her first appearance at a World Cup. It's so exciting to see someone at such a young age do so well in her first start (against Sweden last Friday). Also, Becky Sauerbrunn, who went to and played at UVA from 2003 to 2007, is on the team, and our head coach Steve Swanson is serving as an assistant coach to the national team. (Wahoos have started their takeover of the national team.)

This tournament matters because the women who are playing in it love the game, and they prove at every game that they deserve the same respect that the men do. These athletes show that "playing like a girl" is not to be used as an insult, because there aren't many men who would be able to play like these girls do.

This tournament matters because when commentators say that Landon Donovan is the leading scorer for US soccer with 57 international goals, they're leaving out that Abby Wambach, who has scored 182 international goals, or Mia Hamm, who scored 158. They're forgetting to mention that Abby Wambach is not only the all-time leading scorer for women, but for both men and women, with 73 more goals than the all-time male leading scorer.

This tournament matters because of all these reasons and so many more. So whether or not you're rooting for the USA, I think that more people should be paying attention to women's soccer. It's just as, if not more, exciting than men's soccer, but with fewer flops and more interesting game play.