Aaron Gordon is always looking for ways to grow the sport of soccer.
When you’re trying to build a successful program in one of the nation’s most competitive conference, it’s natural to try to find a way to use the momentum from another top team to help you generate enthusiasm.
Gordon and the Mississippi State women’s soccer program will try to do that at 6 tonight when they play host to a Women’s World Cup watch party for the match between the United States and Japan at Buffalo Wild Wings on Highway 12 in Starkville.
“I thought it was a great idea,” said Gordon, who is preparing for his third season at MSU. “All of the kids will be coming in for (the second session of) summer school. Most of the kids will be getting here in the afternoon, so what a great way to get together and celebrate our Women’s National Team in the World Cup final.”
Gordon credited the MSU marketing department for coming up with the idea to hold the watch party. There will be giveaways and drawings throughout the World Cup Final. Fans also will have opportunities to take photographs and to have the players sign autographs at the event.
With the start of the 2015 college season a little more than five weeks away, Gordon knows he and the Bulldogs don’t have much time to build team chemistry. He feels the watch party will be one way to bring all of the newcomers together and meet MSU fans. He also hopes the event generates support for his program, which will open its exhibition schedule with a match against Tennessee-Martin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. It will play host to Memphis at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at the MSU Soccer Field in its only home exhibition match.
MSU will play host to South Alabama at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in its regular-season opener.
“Hats off to our marketing group,” Gordon said. “They are always trying to do new things to get exposure to every sport at Mississippi State.”
Gordon said at least 16 players from a roster of 24 or 25 are expected to be at tonight’s event. He said MSU expects to have nine first-year players join a program that is coming off back-to-back 3-15 seasons (0-11 in the Southeastern Conference).
Despite losing Shannen Jainudeen and Morgan Ferrara, the only players on last season’s team who scored multiple goals (seven and two, respectively), Gordon is optimistic about what this year’s squad can accomplish. He feels his Class of 2015 represents what most of the country is doing in terms of recruiting.
After being hired on Nov. 27, 2012, Gordon, a former assistant and associate head coach at Texas Tech, has focused on improving the talent level and the depth in the MSU program. The 2015 squad features 15 freshmen or sophomores on the 18-player roster on the school’s website.
“When the World Cup ends, in a couple of weeks our fans at Mississippi State and soccer fans can come to the Mississippi State Soccer Complex and watch some high-level players,” Gordon said. “I think we are starting to produce those high-level players as well.”
Gordon oversaw all areas of Texas Tech’s program, including recruiting, scouting, team training, and video match analysis, so he is well versed in how to develop a program. In 2012, Gordon’s last year at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders won a school-record 16 games, advanced to the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament for the first time, and made their first trip to the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the second round.
While in Lubbock, Texas, Gordon helped the Red Raiders to more overall (60) and conference (23) wins than the previous nine years combined, and a spot in the Big 12 Conference tournament all six seasons.
Gordon also has served as the director of coaching for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer, the second- largest youth club program in North Texas. He also was an assistant coach for the Women’s United Soccer Association’s Atlanta Beat. The WUSA pre-dated the current National Women’s Professional League. With the Beat, Gordon coordinated the daily training schedule, served as head of scouting and video analysis, and handled other responsibilities.
After helping players develop at the club, college, and professional levels, Gordon has seen similar maturation in his two-plus years at MSU. He feels his program has more athletes who have competed in tougher environments prior to coming to Starkville. In the SEC, MSU will compete against some of the nation’s top squads. Seven of MSU’s 11 SEC matches will be against NCAA tournament teams. MSU will play host to Missouri, Kentucky, Florida, and Auburn. It will play at Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Georgia.
With another World Cup, which happens every four years, coming to a close, Gordon sees this as a “special” time and a chance to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the sport. He hopes MSU fans will come out tonight to meet the Bulldogs and will plan to come back to see the team play.
“It is a unique opportunity to reach out to our community and let them know we have a soccer team here and that when the World Cup ends, the next place to watch soccer is at Mississippi State University,” Gordon said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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