Women's World Cup: Businesses respond to Canberra United's call for support

Just a day after The Canberra Times revealed the Capital Football chief executive's frustration at the lack of corporate support for Canberra United, businesses were ready to talk.

Amid a wave of public adoration for the Matildas in their journey to the World Cup semi-final, Slavich had called on the region's businesses to put their money where their mouth is and back the city's only elite soccer team. He even offered tickets to Wednesday's sold out clash in Sydney for those willing to sign up.

While disappointed it took public comments to trigger support, the chief was pleased sponsors have come to the party. The challenge now, is to turn the interest into financial backing.

"There's certainly been a significant reaction in terms of interest," Slavich said. "Whether or not that translates into actual dollars is yet to be seen. We certainly need more support.

"It's a very exciting time for the sport. There's been a lot of hype for the game and support for women's football, which is terrific."

Slavich's quest for more corporate dollars comes amid a challenging financial environment for Canberra United, after the team lost $600,000 in 2022.

The ACT government has doubled funding from $125,000 to $250,000 for the upcoming season, however costs are expected to go up as the salary cap rises and the competition grows from 18 to 22 matches.

Amid the challenges, Slavich is viewing an opportunity to attract new fans.

Canberra United memberships go on sale on Wednesday and the organisation is keen to capitalise on the wave of support for soccer.

The past month has provided an unprecedented level of coverage for the sport, however officials at all levels recognise the challenge is converting casual fans into long-term supporters.

Given Canberra United is the only elite soccer team in the region, Slavich urged the community to get behind the team for the upcoming A-League Women's season.

"If people are excited about the Matildas and want to see a continuation of that elite level, I encourage them to sign up for memberships of Canberra United," he said.

"A number of Matildas have come through Canberra, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Ellie Carpenter. Michelle Heyman is a former Matilda and the leading goal scorer in the A-League. We've got quite a young team for the upcoming season and there's no question a number of these players will end up going into the Matildas."

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