We have now arrived at day one of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and the anticipation leading up to the event has been palpable. Tournament brackets have been furiously filled out and debates one which teams might do well have been raging through offices. social and mainstream media, and everyone your turn colleagues can’t stop arguing over which players will stand out, who might be this year's surprise and which games will be the most enjoyable to watch.
The tournament kicks off today at Parc des Princes in Paris with host France taking on North Korea and the tournament will run until 7th July and is set to be one of the most intense sporting events of the summer. If you aren't lucky enough to be able to travel to France and grab a ticket or tickets to some of the matches, don't worry, pretty much wherever you are there is extensive broadcasting of the games and you and your friends can get together, share some adult beverages and snacks while you cheer on your chosen team. You can start to hear the familiar rumbling of football chants in the air? People everywhere draping themselves in their favorite team jerseys, painting our faces, and seek out pubs and terraces that will be broadcasting each and every game. I am sure, no matter where you are, World Cup is palpable and in full view with every establishment showing sporting events showing the game and people flying flags on their cars indicating their allegiances. You can't go anywhere without having the fact that the World Cup is on being fully on display ! Except, that’s not quite what’s happening, is it? While last year’s men’s World Cup caused a collective excitement to sweep through most nations and not just those participating, the attention on the women’s equivalent is barely comparable. When I mention a summer filled with World Cup coverage, most people respond with a confused look, or politely tell me that I am mistaken and that we’ve got another three years left. It’s hardly inspiring. If you don’t know, now you know: This year, France hosts the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will see 24 of the best teams in the world competing for one of the biggest accolades in women’s sport. Of course, fans of the women's game around the world have been excited about this competition for what feels like forever. We have arrived at the showcase event for the sport, and as the sport grows in popularity among women and all fans of the game, we're intrigued to see if we'll be seeing any traditional ardent soccer ( read men) chanting and sporting their countries colors. Love it or hate it, there’s no reason why anyone should be absent from the Women’s World Cup hype this year. If you’re a huge men’s football fan, if you know your Kante from your Conte, or have jumped on the exciting Liverpool frenetic title chase, or exciting brand of play that lead them to the Champions League title ( I throw this in even if as a Spurs fan, the loss still stings), then you’re going to love this upcoming summer. Many of the same traits you know and love are there: the balls go in the goals; the referees prance around the pitch, players play hard and with pride representing their respective countries, we will see screams of excitement and tears of disappointment. This version of the World Cup, will be in my opinion that most intensely contested competition in the short ( this is the 8th version) history of the World Cup. It is no longer the US head and shoulders above everyone with a few team close to them. I truly think there might be 8 viable contenders to take top spot this year. The tide in the women's game being more mainstream is changing. As mentioned above, many outlets announced unprecedented coverage of the event. FIFA has noted a record interest in bidding to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, while we've seen some recent announcements from major corporations about significant sponsoring initiatives. Companies like Coca-Cola and Visa have implemented sponsor a series fronted by Clare Balding on Channel 4, which will see her travel across the world to uncover more about the sport. It’s slow, but it’s something. While big shifts at the top of the game are coming, it’s time for this to translate into our day-to-day culture. It’s simply not good enough that the women’s equivalent of the competition is considered lesser in comparison. Dress it up whatever way you like by saying it’s a different style of game or that you just find it less interesting than the men’s—it’s still sexism. Unfortunately, it’s a chicken and egg situation with women’s football. Sponsors are reluctant to support the games and broadcasters are tentative to show them if they feel like the eyeballs on the day aren’t going to translate financially. Less coverage means less public interest—and so the cycle continues. If anything’s going to push the game to its full potential, it’s the a combination of full broadcast schedule, higher than ever viewership numbers, new converts to being fans of the game, a great competition and sponsors realizing that the interest is there and that if they harness it, it can actually be a wise financial decision ( something I previously blogged about , see this link) investing-in-womens-sports-a-smart-move.html Considering some of the fringe sports people seem to think are mainstream of the fact some would be open to watching some semi-professional, salt-of-the-earth men’s action on a Saturday afternoon, then there should be no problem watching the highest performing women’s teams across the world. Alternately, if you hate soccer in general and don’t want to endure another year of pretending you know what “VAR” means or fully understand the complexity of the off-side rule, then why not enjoy the true satisfaction of knowing more than your colleagues on this subject they hold so dear? Talk about Canada's Christine Sinclair being on the cusp of setting the game's all time goal scoring record, or how the most recent Ballon d'Or winner Hegerberg has chosen not to play with her national team due to conflicts with her coach and federation, or discuss the emerging proffesionalism of the women's game or any women's soccer-related topic. Do a little research, learn a little about the game and you will be ahead of any of those hard core soccer fans who have little time for the women's game. Women’s football wins; you win; everybody wins. So get it up on the sports bar TVs, watch live streams, record the games and watch at your convenience, read up on all the coverage about game results, individual performances and player stories. It’s time to get excited!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|