Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

They'll never get anywhere near the fitness levels of the men, reduce the game to 60 minutes, at least it's half an hour less crap to endure!

Got to remember the game is in its professional infancy at this level.....give it ten years who knows what level they could achieve

Hey ho. The best side won in the end

England did well in the end to give the USA a game. Had it all that one. Is it just me who thinks that England played much better when they changed shape and put personnel back in the positions they've been playing in all tournament?

I like Phil Neville as England manager, but I have a feeling that he over-thought that.

Still..... well done England. I've enjoyed the ride

Durhamfootman wrote: England did well in the end to give the USA a game. Had it all that one. Is it just me who thinks that England played much better when they changed shape and put personnel back in the positions they've been playing in all tournament?

I think the main problem for England was some pretty lousy performances from the central axis at the back. The two balls into the box for both goals, neither centre back is with the forward challenging for the ball, they get sucked into no mans land areas..... and thats before we mention the calamity of a keeping performance from England's number 1 Telford. A keeper should not be beaten at their near post from a header that far out, she really should be able to block that first goal but she reacts at the speed of an ice age. For the second one her positioning is terrible, as the ball comes she for some reason begins to run off her line despite the fact she has no hope of getting to the ball, and in doing so she leaves a massive gap to her right for the USA player to slot past. Had she stayed where she should of, shed have made the save..... massive error. She also made 1 throw and one appalling error from a pass that should have cost goals in the second half. Not sure she did anything right at all.

Obviously we had to endure the BBC commentators all tournament telling us that these horrible male pundits were just sexist pigs for suggesting women cant keep and that the cliche of terrible keepers in the womens game was just a myth..... while I am very supportive of the womens game, the stereotype is pretty true. The standard of keeping is the most noticeable technical problem that needs sharpening up.

Durhamfootman wrote:that's a pessimistic view, SP

I think Phil Neville agreed before the game. We seen last night two sets of players dying on their arse after 60 minutes, and this was between the only two ladies teams with squads fully professional, with proper access to facilities and fitness and diet regimes; can you imagine what advantage these sides would have over others who dont have that?

I know people after the Japan and Norway games were keen to point out England had knocked out former powerhouse champions, but the womens game is in such a state of flux, its hard to really gauge anything on past glory. Take one fact; in 2015 the Japanese and English FA had the same amount of regular players according to FIFA stats (approx 50,000).... Japan have the same number in 2019, England has 2.6 million now!! English ladies football has gone from gear 1 to top gear in relative standards, and really there should be no comparison. Sweden's champions are an independent team with no facilities, England's share facilities with the best training centre built in the history of football.

The biggest gulf can be shown between their group stage opponents; Argentina. I read an article that said their kit is actually just the mens team stuff that was going to be thrown away because they cant afford a fresh one, that their top player retired before the tournament because she couldnt afford to play, and that the team as a whole are paid 8 Euro's per match compensation. And yet we are supposed to believe its a success to beat a team like this? Its the male footballing equivalent of a fully functioning champions league team playing non-league team setups.

Its easy to see England's setup improving and assuming the changes are in women's football generally, but its not the case. Virtually all of these teams at this tournament are coming from abhorrent relative positions, with amateur coaches and players, and thoroughly amateur realities. England played well last night vs the USA, but in losing I dont think you can really still ignore the fact that they have failed in the tournament. The only comparable nation to them beat them, the others really should have been dispatched. Its a missed opportunity. To get anything from the tournament they needed to beat USA, and they were unable to.

On the above..... what is clear is that FIFA should be legislating to support womens football more. The fact that Argentina can have players on 400,000 grand in their male national team, yet their female equivalents have to reduce themselves to wearing Messi's dirty shorts, is simply not acceptable. I am not an equal pay advocate, as to a certain extent I believe that the women's game already operates at a loss and should be encouraged to be sustainable on its own terms.....

But there are limits to that. FA's should for instance be professionalizing their national teams and providing coaching and facilities to their women. Buenos Aires has 20 odd top flight teams, you telling me these women cant share a facility that can help them? Its more lack of will in a lot of big countries, and that is wrong. Think about how massive football is in Brazil, but they are another country that completely ignore womens football. They should be given the opportunity, and while European countries are waking to that fact, you do get the opinion a lot more can be done. So lets do it! Are we scared as men that the woman might show us up? I get that feeling that some men are, but sod that.

Been suggestions (which I fully support) about playing womens games back to back after PL games to get the crowds to stay.... think that should be implemented asap. Its a great idea, charge an extra quid on a ticket and give it to the women.

budgetmeansbudget wrote:They'll never get anywhere near the fitness levels of the men, reduce the game to 60 minutes, at least it's half an hour less crap to endure!

Having a 22 league season just does not build up match fitness levels and intensity, players are not going to get better by training alone. Not like the women have six weeks of pre-season training, a 46 game league campaign and three cup competitions to play in.

sussexpob wrote: FA's should for instance be professionalizing their national teams and providing coaching and facilities to their women. Buenos Aires has 20 odd top flight teams, you telling me these women cant share a facility that can help them? Its more lack of will in a lot of big countries, and that is wrong. Think about how massive football is in Brazil, but they are another country that completely ignore womens football. They should be given the opportunity, and while European countries are waking to that fact, you do get the opinion a lot more can be done. So lets do it! Are we scared as men that the woman might show us up? I get that feeling that some men are, but sod that.

Been suggestions (which I fully support) about playing womens games back to back after PL games to get the crowds to stay.... think that should be implemented asap. Its a great idea, charge an extra quid on a ticket and give it to the women.

as it happens, it was mentioned on comms at HT tonight, that the premier league is going to involve itself more in the women's game. I know nothing more than that, but it could be significant.

watch this space

here we are

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48850853

It might help.

what wouldn't help is selling TV rights to Sky. Making big bucks by selling TV rights won't be the answer if it hides the game away in the corner of another subscription box

Sweden going well against the Netherlands

I thought NL would dominate this game, but Sweden look the more likely to win up to now

Extra time.

A good goal to break the deadlock.

Holland 1-0.

Seemingly the whole world is apoplectic with rage at the disgraceful, disgusting tea drinking celebration of Alex Morgan in the WC semi


pffffff

what a silly world we live in...... imagine the reaction if she said she did it because it was a lovely sunny day (totally offensive to hayfever suffers)


another reason for not bothering with all this social media nonsense

Piers Morgan was outraged

well, he would have been

I'm only surprised it hasn't been discussed at the Tory party leader hustings

something as important as that ought to be on question time at the very least