When they write checks to candidates, their motives are almost always fiscal. But like ships in the night, sportsmanship and gamesmanship can pass each other without realising. Every other club – seven that played in the inaugural season of 2013, plus two expansion teams – remains healthy, a major improvement over the constant reshuffling in WPS. Rooney also served as the US ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012, becoming the first ambassador from the US to visit each of Ireland’s 32 counties.