Comments on: Women’s World Cup to Expand: A Wise Move? http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/12/03/womens-world-cup-to-expand-a-wise-move/ A soccer blog featuring essays, news and photography exploring soccer around the world Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:59:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ned flanders http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/12/03/womens-world-cup-to-expand-a-wise-move/comment-page-1/#comment-19998 ned flanders Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:38:55 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=5049#comment-19998 Nooooooooooooooooooooo. I hate the fact that the euro cup is going to be bigger because I dont want to see the best competition be watered down like the world cup but the reason the women shouldnt do it is because there just arent that many good football nations that are in the US caliber. You have about 3-4 teams far ahead of others then another 10 or so in another category and then the next drop is even more pronounced. And Canada should NOT get any official FIFA competition until it puts on its pants and has at least ONE professional footbal league. Its a country of 35 million and it has no mens pro or even less a women's league. The cold is not an excuse when Russia and Norway and Denmark have leagues and are as cold. The last two have populations of 5 million each on top of that. If Canada wants to be a banana republic, that's their own thing but the US got the first world cup on condition they get a pro league going which they did. I think Canada and other countries should do the same (then again, how many countries in the world dont have a pro football league) if they want to get a FIFA event. They have no intention of ever having a pro league (the country has only one professinoal league of their own) so I think they have to show they are serious before they jump ahead of other countries to organize marquee events. Nooooooooooooooooooooo.

I hate the fact that the euro cup is going to be bigger because I dont want to see the best competition be watered down like the world cup but the reason the women shouldnt do it is because there just arent that many good football nations that are in the US caliber.

You have about 3-4 teams far ahead of others then another 10 or so in another category and then the next drop is even more pronounced.

And Canada should NOT get any official FIFA competition until it puts on its pants and has at least ONE professional footbal league.
Its a country of 35 million and it has no mens pro or even less a women’s league.
The cold is not an excuse when Russia and Norway and Denmark have leagues and are as cold. The last two have populations of 5 million each on top of that.
If Canada wants to be a banana republic, that’s their own thing but the US got the first world cup on condition they get a pro league going which they did.
I think Canada and other countries should do the same (then again, how many countries in the world dont have a pro football league) if they want to get a FIFA event.
They have no intention of ever having a pro league (the country has only one professinoal league of their own) so I think they have to show they are serious before they jump ahead of other countries to organize marquee events.

]]> By: dave http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/12/03/womens-world-cup-to-expand-a-wise-move/comment-page-1/#comment-18803 dave Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:53:14 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=5049#comment-18803 Expanding the women's field only works if Europe gets around 8 or 9 slots. If Canada hosts 2015 then Europe should get 8, Africa 3, Asia 5, Oceania 1, South America 2 and North America 3 (plus Canada). That still leaves one slot for a playoff between two confederations likely South America 3 against an unnamed confederation probably Europe. Or it could be Europe 9, Africa 3, Asia 4, Oceania 1, South America 2 and North America 3 slots plus Canada leaving a playoff between South America 3 and Asia 5. Expanding the women’s field only works if Europe gets around 8 or 9 slots. If Canada hosts 2015 then Europe should get 8, Africa 3, Asia 5, Oceania 1, South America 2 and North America 3 (plus Canada). That still leaves one slot for a playoff between two confederations likely South America 3 against an unnamed confederation probably Europe. Or it could be Europe 9, Africa 3, Asia 4, Oceania 1, South America 2 and North America 3 slots plus Canada leaving a playoff between South America 3 and Asia 5.

]]> By: James http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/12/03/womens-world-cup-to-expand-a-wise-move/comment-page-1/#comment-17328 James Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:58:10 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=5049#comment-17328 On first read, I agree that expanding the tournament could be a bigger hindrance to the women's game. Though, looking at what's happened in the men's game in 'smaller' nations, expanding the world cup has no doubt benefited the smaller nations. Look at Zambia in the seventies - they had never seen a cross and didn't know all the rules. Now Africa is hosting a world cup, and has leaped on in its football development. I suppose the difference is that men's football was already established as a sport, and it was just the minor nations that needed to catch up. Women's football still needs to establish itself as a serious sport in most 'major' countries (except probably for the US?). In which case, even though expanding the world cup will benefit smaller countries, it certainly could harm the game overall - which won't help the smaller nations in the long run anyway. On first read, I agree that expanding the tournament could be a bigger hindrance to the women’s game. Though, looking at what’s happened in the men’s game in ‘smaller’ nations, expanding the world cup has no doubt benefited the smaller nations. Look at Zambia in the seventies – they had never seen a cross and didn’t know all the rules. Now Africa is hosting a world cup, and has leaped on in its football development.

I suppose the difference is that men’s football was already established as a sport, and it was just the minor nations that needed to catch up. Women’s football still needs to establish itself as a serious sport in most ‘major’ countries (except probably for the US?). In which case, even though expanding the world cup will benefit smaller countries, it certainly could harm the game overall – which won’t help the smaller nations in the long run anyway.

]]> By: Brandon http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/12/03/womens-world-cup-to-expand-a-wise-move/comment-page-1/#comment-17221 Brandon Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:29:58 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=5049#comment-17221 i think this is a good idea on paper. the issue i have is that i feel that the women's game has gone back a few steps since 2003/2004. this is when a good class of players chose to retire and the game has not been the same since. it isn't just the american players but a number of international footballers in the women's game were no longer on the scene. Sissi of Brazil was getting less playing time as the years rolled by. Sun Wen of china virtually disappeared it seemed. Everybody remembers mia hamm and julie foudy but cindy parlow disappeared from the scene. tiffany milbrett wasn't the same player she once was. these were great players in their prime. I can watch just about any level of soccer and i have watched women's soccer for quite some time and it is not at the same level it was from 98 to 2004. in fact, it is not even close. they do not possess the ball like they used to. now i am speaking specifically on the usa women because i rarely see a match that they are not playing. so other nations i am not sure of their progress. but the 2003 usa womens soccer team would demolish the current roster. so on paper expanding looks like a good idea, but if the quality of soccer isn't there than this won't bode well for women's soccer. i think this is a good idea on paper. the issue i have is that i feel that the women’s game has gone back a few steps since 2003/2004. this is when a good class of players chose to retire and the game has not been the same since. it isn’t just the american players but a number of international footballers in the women’s game were no longer on the scene. Sissi of Brazil was getting less playing time as the years rolled by. Sun Wen of china virtually disappeared it seemed. Everybody remembers mia hamm and julie foudy but cindy parlow disappeared from the scene. tiffany milbrett wasn’t the same player she once was. these were great players in their prime.

I can watch just about any level of soccer and i have watched women’s soccer for quite some time and it is not at the same level it was from 98 to 2004. in fact, it is not even close. they do not possess the ball like they used to. now i am speaking specifically on the usa women because i rarely see a match that they are not playing. so other nations i am not sure of their progress. but the 2003 usa womens soccer team would demolish the current roster. so on paper expanding looks like a good idea, but if the quality of soccer isn’t there than this won’t bode well for women’s soccer.

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