EDMONTON

When you have 11 games to sell within a span of 30 days in a now 56,302-seat stadium, you work every angle.

When you have a goal of selling significantly more tickets in one month than the Edmonton Eskimos sell in an entire season, you try it all.

Hard sell. Soft sell. Corporate sell.

Tuesday Mayor Don Iveson gathered 50 CEOs for a 50-days-out breakfast to the FIFA Women’s World Cup opening ceremonies and game here June 6 versus China.

Peter Montopoli hit them in the head and Kara Lang hit them in the heart.

First Montopoli, the general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, was able to deliver the good news.

“For Edmonton we’ve seen a significant spike in the last month with the arrival of more soccer-like weather and I’m delighted to report that we’ve sold over 50% of the seats in Commonwealth Stadium for the opener.

“With head coach John Herdman coming next week to talk to the Chamber of Commerce and later our announcements on acts for the opening ceremonies etc., the remaining tickets should go fairly fast.”

In terms of dollars, they’re probably closer to 70% of the projected $5 million gate for the opening. Tickets for following games are much less expensive.

“I expect the second game and remaining games will move more in the May time frame,” he said, offering the idea that the sooner they can get the opener sold out, the sooner they can get on with selling the following games.

“For the 52 games of the tournament we’ve passed the 700,000 mark,” said Montopoli, who has a goal of hitting a million before kickoff and 1.5 million by the end.

“At 53 days out, we’re pleased with where we are. We feel like we’re in a very, very good position.”

Back in 2002 they were Christine Sinclair, Kara Lang and the gang. Due to knee injuries, Lang is no longer part of the gang, but she is absolutely eloquent about how the girls feel about this city and the effect of what happened here in the past on their careers and lives.

Sideline commentator for TSN’s Women’s World Cup and MLS soccer telecasts, Lang is an official ambassador. She was here to deliver the first tickets printed for a photo op and to speak at the Mayor’s breakfast.

“I was able to speak as someone who had first-hand experience about how Edmonton embraces sport and has a history of embracing women’s soccer since 2002,” said the girl who was 15 at the time and is now pregnant with her first child with a September due date.

“In some ways it was a little bit overwhelming but it was also incredibly inspiring,” she said of playing before 160,000 people in six games here that year.

“We were shocked. We had some games leading up to the tournament where we had a couple thousand fans. For us, as teenagers, that was a big crowd. To walk into Commonwealth and have almost 50,000 people in red cheering and for us it was definitely awe-inspiring.

“I know I wasn’t the only player who felt like I was playing in my hometown whenever we played in Edmonton, no matter what city we were from in Canada. And not just during the U-19s but when we came back for games with the women’s team. It always felt like we were coming home when we came to Edmonton.”

That was especially true for Lang.

“The majority of my family on my dad’s side are from Edmonton, Viking, Strome, Killam, Camrose and Sedgewick, where my dad went to high school. But I felt it from hundreds of people just from walking around on the street. When we went for team walks we really felt like everybody in the city was on board. It was something we’d never experienced before — something most of those players haven’t experienced since.

“I’ve seen the way this city takes it on and makes the tournament and the team its own and trying to encourage Edmonton to do it once again even though I’m confident they will. I wanted to thank Edmonton for the support over the years and to encourage everybody to really come out and outdo themselves 50 days from now.

“There’s definitely an energy building in whatever city I’m in Canada. People are asking me all the time about the tournament and how our team looks. A lot of people come up to me just to say ‘We’ve already got our tickets.’ I can definitely feel the excitement and the energy growing. There’s no doubt in my mind that Canadians are going to embrace this tournament.

“I look forward to some of my dearest friends on the team inspiring the whole county.”

ONE ON THE WAY

Kara Lang is expecting.

There will be a new little soccer player, or possibly baseball player, joining the Canadian sports scene in late September.

Lang, in Edmonton Tuesday for 50-day-out appearances prior to the FIFA Women’s World Cup is a former member of the Canadian team who is now a soccer sideline reporter for TSN.

Lang said with changes in her life, including her broadcasting career and other directions in her life, she doesn’t think she’s going to be working the sidelines feeling sorry for herself that injuries have kept her out of the event.

“With motherhood approaching, I’m really happy,” she said.

And dad, she says, is pretty excited, so the news is starting to come out.

Dad is Ricky Romero, a rehabbing Toronto Blue Jays organization pitcher with a 51-45 record.

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terry.jones@sunmedia.ca