Question

Which passage from the article best supports the idea that early female players played a big role in the history of women's soccer?

They persisted. And in doing so, they paved the way for future generations of women to have equal opportunity to play.
The factory team competed against other female teams to raise funds for charity.
On July 9, 1999, the final match of the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament took place in California.
But that changed in 1921. Women's soccer was sidelined by England's male soccer association.

Answer 1

"They persisted. And in doing so, they paved the way for future generations of women to have equal opportunity to play."

This sentence directly states that early female players created opportunities and shaped the future of women's soccer.