Caught it by accident on BBC iplayer
and hooked!
Less cheating and diving too.
Not sure how old it is.
It's not bad, if you haven't really watched top level Women's football before it comes as a surprise how good they are. You don't get the depth of talent there is in the men's game and the difference in speed an athleticism is noticeable, but definitely worth a watch is you like football.
Yeah. Watching it here.
Despite the skill level being lower it's better than a lot of mens footy to watch
The competition only started on friday night (France Vs Korea)
this afternoon is Scotland Vs England (half 4 BBC1)
Women’s and Men’s Triathlon in Leeds too.
Damn I need to work on my bike and a quick blast.
Normally hate BBC and TV.
Junior (6) and I are big fans, we often get free tickets for the local games (Real Sociedad Feminino) through his school. Last match was the cup semi final against Sevilla, some great players and the atmosphere was amazing, better than most men's games. Players stopped for selfies with the kids after the game, they went on to win the final too.
Just reading the BBC lead up to the Scotland match hard pressed to see who England are playing.
Not sure about the less cheating and diving bit. Very much depends on who is playing.
You really appreciate the difference in style as a result of the size and speed of the players vs men
The best bit is you can get a preview of just how much of a shmables the rule changes and VAR are going to make of the upcoming seasons
scotcherland started enthusiastically here, under pressure since the penalty though.
This is entertaining football! 🙂
it alright aye, competitive so it's entertaining and holds your interest.
I went to the England New Zealand game at the Amex last weekend. 20000 fans, amazing atmosphere and great to see loads of families enjoying the day. I was shocked to hear about the cosh put on women's football when they were outstripping the attendance of men's games in the 1920's.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33064421/the-secret-history-of-womens-football
Half time in the first match of the group and BBC are showing how the table stands now. Surprisingly England top everyone else not.
skill levels are pretty good, pace and power obviously are not the same as the men, the only thing as an ex GK myself is that I think the goals should be reduced slightly. I said this last WWC, and got flamed but I'll say it again. A goalkeeper in the men's game will be at a min 6'2, probably taller - not unusual to see 6'5 or so.
In the women's game, for example the 3 in the England squad are 5'7, 5'9 and a slightly odd 5'12 (so 6 foot, which is a comparative giant)
Take into account lower power and hence capability to cover the area, I just think goals are a little bit too big and hence it can be a little too easy to score. And I think the balance between defence and attack is just a bit skewed. I know it's the same for both so I'm not complaining, just commenting.
I've been very impressed with what I've seen so far. Great crowds. Great skill and athleticism. There's definitely an appetite for the woman's game at a high level. That's fantastic.
But jeepers - the keepers have a hard time. Not sure of the best solution. But going forward, with the popularity of the game growing, if I was a scout for a woman's team, I'd just be going around finding freakishly tall girls and teaching them some rudimentary football skills, but intensely training them to be keepers. In the same way that pre-London 2012, e.g., the rowing scouts just went around finding people with long legs and saying "Don't care if you can row or not, we can show you how - but with those legs, you have the potential, etc..."
I think reducing the goal-size immediately puts it in the realm of it being "not the same game anymore" - and I don't think the players want any concessions. I'm not flaming you theotherjonv - but I don't think it's a goer of an idea, however well intentioned
skill levels are pretty good, pace and power obviously are not the same as the men, the only thing as an ex GK myself is that I think the goals should be reduced slightly. I said this last WWC, and got flamed but I’ll say it again. A goalkeeper in the men’s game will be at a min 6’2, probably taller – not unusual to see 6’5 or so.
In the women’s game, for example the 3 in the England squad are 5’7, 5’9 and a slightly odd 5’12 (so 6 foot, which is a comparative giant)
Take into account lower power and hence capability to cover the area, I just think goals are a little bit too big and hence it can be a little too easy to score. And I think the balance between defence and attack is just a bit skewed. I know it’s the same for both so I’m not complaining, just commenting.
It's a fair comment, something for the future I guess, slightly smaller goals and smaller pitch.
Over the next 10/20 years the womans gave will probably develop a fair bit I think. More power to them.
I think reducing the goal-size immediately puts it in the realm of it being “not the same game anymore” – and I don’t think the players want any concessions.
Might have a point there. I defo wouldn't see it as undermining it though, just common sense, but I do take your point.
Really good game that. By the sounds of it, far better than the bloody awful, standard, men’s 0-0 bore-fest earlier (which we didn’t watch. Lifes too short...)
As I’ve a 15 year old daughter who’s shaping up into a decent Centre back, and absolutely loves her footy, I know from experience that the women’s game is no less competitive than the men’s. Jesus! You should see the challenges going in on a Saturday morning league game. Especially if you’re playing in Salford. It’s no cleaner or less full-blooded than the blokes
It’s so popular as well that I expect the standard is going to improve massively, very, very quickly as the kids come through
In my daughters side they’ve got a girl who’s tiny but who can bend a ball like Beckham. It all bodes well for some top notch female players coming through
Totally agree with theotherjohn except I actually prefer more goals.
how about increasing the size of the goals in the Mens? 😉
I hope the England ladies stay in to the finals, mainly because one of my customers is the head of the women’s FA and I’ve got to fit her kitchen before she comes home!
I read an article about penalties a while back, on the area a GK can be expected to cover when trying to save one. There are parts of the goal (just inside the posts stretching into an arc leaving a surprising amount of the top corners) that they just cannot physically get to*. A smaller woman with lower spring - the area is just bigger still. That's all I'm saying, forwards don't have to be as precise to score goals, which as GK offends me 😉
* it also made me think that it's virtually inconceivable that someone paid 10's or 100's of thousands of pounds a week can't score a penalty every time. It's all in the head.
Things balance themselves out though - the women strikers shoot a lot less hard than the men, so the smaller woman goalkeeper has more time to get to those hard-to-reach spaces.
Please no, there are plenty of high-scoring games (rugby, cricket, basketball, American football ...), if that’s your thing. Football is a bit more subtle than that.
A goal is a rare and precious thing; let’s keep it that way.
Maybe they should do what other sub 6’ goalkeepers did and spend some time wandering around by the half way line for no apparent reason other than to induce panic in their own defence and give the fans heart attacks
Less cheating and diving too
Fewer Alice bands in the women's game as well 🙂 🙂
Finding 6' tall goalies won't be a problem for long.
Anyone watching the Holland v Cameroon game? It’s a belter! 1-1 at half time with two cracking finishes, and some pretty bloody hefty challenges going in!
Looking like it’ll be a great second half
Was pleased to find the England game on at the pub last night. Enjoyed watching France score an own goal and USA playing Thailand. USA seem streets ahead of any other team I've seen so far so we will need to up our game!
there was a comparison between the ICC 50 over thing and the Womens World Cup UK viewing figures. Women (England) vs Men (England Cricket) 6+ million vs 500,000
One being more accessible to watch than the other too 😉
Women's football is now so popular it's allowed 2 threads on STW. Whoop whoop who'd have thought it! Anyway come on France!
I wish they'd stop spitting.
Imho it left a lot to be desired sadly.
I wanted to like it however left gormless nearly as much as the players were giving away the ball time & time again! 🙄
Come on England, you have to get 3rd place now!
