If it feels good, do it again.

With the news yesterday that 32,000 tickets have already sold, it's already a happening, already an event.

One year to the Sunday after the stunning scene for the fabulous final of last year's FIFA U-19 Women's World Championships, Edmonton will welcome the girls of summer back for another memory maker, this time a combined deja vu, bon voyage game.

If ever an event defined this city, that might have been it. And now the girls are back Aug. 31 for an official sendoff to the Women's World Cup in China.

Officially it's an exhibition game against Mexico. As much as anything it's a kickoff for a Canada 2007 Women's World Cup bid.

"Two hours ago it moved on The Associated Press wire service that France has made an official bid for the 2007 World Cup as well,'' said Canadian Soccer Association president Andy Sharpe at a press conference here yesterday.

Two days earlier, as expected, Canada officially submitted the bid, which was inspired by the phenomenal success of the FIFA U-19 tournament here last August.

"France is a major, major contender,'' said Sharpe who detailed the strategy outlined months ago on these pages.

CITY A KEY PARTNER IN BID

"Edmonton is the key partner in our bid,'' said Sharpe. "The final would be played in Commonwealth Stadium.''

While the Canadian bid requires a 60,000-seat stadium, a 30,000-seat stadium (hopefully one FIFA has provided $400,000 US seed money to inspire in Toronto) and two 15,000-seat facilities, Edmonton would be the epicentre of the entire tournament, as was the case with the FIFA U-19 event.

The idea, says Sharpe, is to prove to the world that what happened here was not a one-time mystical, magical phenomenon.

The idea is to try to convince as many FIFA delegates as possible to fly here on their way to China (assuming the SARS virus has run its course by then and the event is still on) to see it with their own eyes.

"What a great scene it was here last year. And it's going to be great again,'' said Sharpe.

Selling 32,000 tickets is a whale of a start.

Mario Charpentier and his crew lined up that many $5 ticket sales to Edmonton and district minor soccer players, most through registration fee setups. After last year it was an easy sell. It's the same concept as for the U-19 event but with an eye to proving they can learn from their mistakes.

This time a sold-out stadium should mean a full stadium, not one with 46,000 fans because they weren't legally allowed to sell any more tickets.

To do that, the minor soccer players would receive ticket vouchers instead of actual tickets. Any vouchers not exchanged for tickets would allow final week and game-day sale of tickets.

"We're still deciding how, exactly, to implement it,'' said John Gill, who is returning as chairman for the game.

Also in place is a busing plan for all regional and provincial teams attending the game.

Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster for $18 for west side, lower bowl reserved seats and $10 for general admission rush seats.

But that's the landscape and the background.

The team itself is still what this will be all about. And the team itself has bid overtones because Canada has to prove itself as a top team in the world at the 2003 Women's World Cup to seal the deal.

"We have a quiet confidence about what we can accomplish,'' said Canadian co-captain Andrea Neil. "The world's best teams can no longer look past Canada. We've really closed the gap. Nobody wants to be drawn in the same group as Canada anymore.''

She said it was a personal thrill for her and Charmaine Hooper to be asked to talk to the U-19 team before the golden goal final against the U.S. and to sit in Commonwealth Stadium with all those fans last year.

"Charmaine elbowed me more times during that game than in all our practices combined,'' said the veteran of 77 games with coach Even Pellerud's team.

"The way that whole scenario in Edmonton gripped everybody ... nobody could have predicted it,'' Neil continued.

She said she wasn't envious.

"I had a lot of pride and felt very involved. The road was paved by the older players.''

Now Christine Sinclair, Kara Lang, Candace Chapman, Brittany Timko, Carmelina Moscato, Sasha Andrews, Erin McLeod and the like are every bit a part of the team as veterans such as Hooper, Neil, Sharolta Nonen, Christine Latham, Randee Hermus, Breanna Boyd and Silvana Burtini.

VETERANS CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT

The former U-19 players are looking forward to this in terms of deja vu while the veterans can't wait to find out what it's like.

"The prospects of playing before 50,000-60,000 people ... we don't know what that experience is like. We've never played before a big crowd like this in Canada,'' said Neil.

A special Aug. 29 autograph session is planned as well as a special sendoff dinner.

"It's going to be such a great celebration and sendoff. The whole team is looking forward to this.''

It'll feel good. Edmonton will do it again.