Charge add a little electricity to Philly sports

There's a lot of things fans have come to expect when they attend a professional sporting event.

They expect to see players arguing with each other or coaches screaming at refs.

They expect to see fights at midfield or excessive trash talking.

And perhaps worst of all, they expect to see drunken spectators yelling out obscenities.

But if one day you decide to join the capacity crowd cheering on the Philadelphia Charge -- the city's newest professional women's sports team -- at Villanova Stadium, don't be disappointed when you don't see any of these things. Because chances are you won't.

Instead, expect to see two classy teams putting forth their best efforts with sportsmanship and fair conduct.

Expect to see the players spending more than enough time after the game signing autographs, posing for pictures with fans and thanking the crowd for coming out to support them.

And most importantly, expect the 20 members of the Charge to play hard, and do what they love with an undying passion -- play the game of soccer.

"I play because I love the game," forward Erin Martin said. "To play at a top level like this is just a dream come true. And [the league] is off to a great start."

But with opportunities come responsibilities.

"We have responsibilities to these kids who come out here and watch us," midfielder Michelle Demko said. "We go out and we play hard, but we play fair.

"And we stay within the rules."

Demko, along with her teammates and the rest of the Women's United Soccer Association, take these responsibilities very seriously.

And they should, as more young girls in the United States are playing soccer than ever before, and are looking up to these women as role models.

"I think we're definitely role models," Martin said. "I try to conduct myself in a professional manner no matter what I'm doing. I think it's very good for young girls to have a league like this."

Perhaps the explosion of soccer onto the U.S. scene is a direct result of the success of the U.S. women's soccer team in the 1999 World Cup.

Or maybe it can be attributed to the increased opportunities for female athletes in the country overall.

But whatever the reason, women's soccer is here, and it looks like it's here to stay.

"This has been a long time coming, and it's been building up for us," midfielder Lorrie Fair said. "And I think the fans thoroughly enjoyed it."

Philadelphia has the privilege of being one of eight U.S. cities to host a team in 2001, the inaugural season of the WUSA.

The other seven teams are the Atlanta Beat, the Bay Area CyberRays, the Boston Breakers, the Carolina Courage, the New York Power, the San Diego Spirit and the Washington Freedom.

If the inaugural season is a success, the league will expand to other U.S. cities which may include Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Portland and St. Louis.

And while all the teams are based in the U.S., the goal of the founders and chief investors of the WUSA was to create the premier women's soccer league in the world.

So not only did they convince players like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain to become founding members of the WUSA, they also sought out the top international talent in the world.

Three big-name international stars -- Liu Ailing of China, Doris Fitschen of Germany and Kelly Smith of England -- will play for the Charge this season.

Along with the other 17 members on the roster, these three stars look to ride the wave of success that has carried several of the city's professional sports teams -- including the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies -- this year.

The Charge are off to a great start in the inaugural season, posting a 2-0-2 record that currently puts them in a tie for second place.

The offense has been spread out in the first four games, with seven different players scoring one goal each for the Charge.

And while the fans come to see the players, the players gain something too from a packed stadium.

"When we came out of the tunnel and we heard those roars, it was indescribable, to be honest," Demko said after the team's first home game, a 3-2 victory over the Bay Area CyberRays on May 6. "It's overwhelming to look up and see the stands packed."

So with all the time and effort that the players, investors and league executives have put into the creation of the WUSA, there is only one question remaining.

Has all the hard work paid off?

Demko is counting on the fans to provide the answer.

"It's the responsibility of the fans to come out and support this league," Demko said. "So one day I can be up in the stands and I can buy the tickets.

"And I can be up there cheering the kids on that are coming out to the games now."

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