The FIFA Women’s World Cup has been thrilling us all through the group stages, and now that we have a day to reflect and to plan our Round of 16 movements, the stark realisation has hit that we have neglected all the other football in our lives.
In two weeks, the best tournament ever will be over and we will be looking around in panic to see where we get our next football fix, before remembering that we’ve missed a whole host of action that would normally be the No.1 priority through the winter months.
Locally, the National Premier League competitions continue and are in fact reaching the home straight.
The honeymoon period, where women’s games were rearranged so players could go and watch their sporting heroes in the World Cup, has been suddenly shattered, in NSW at least, and the midday Netherlands-South Africa blockbuster at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday clashes with every NPL youth women’s game.
Once FIFA has left the country, we’ll be back on the sidelines cheering on the next generation of football stars, and perhaps we’ll be joined by one or two more fans as a direct result of the hype from our biggest football tournament ever. But this weekend we make that unwanted choice.
The A-Leagues are in pre-season, but the national knockout cup competition, the Australia Cup, is taking full advantage of a unique situation, and is scheduled in for the rest days of the World Cup, the round of 32 kicking off on Friday night. Peninsula Power versus Wellington Phoenix, anyone?
Internationally, the major European teams have been in friendly action, West Ham and Tottenham having played in Perth in July, and a host of EPL teams have played in the USA and around the world.
Arsenal beat Barcelona, Bayern Munich won 27-0 and Inter Milan beat PSG in Tokyo. This has all flown under the radar as our heads have been turned by what’s on show in our own country.
This weekend sees the start of the Scottish Premier League, the FA Community Shield sees Arsenal and Manchester City meet at Wembley and the English Football League is back up and running.
Next weekend, as the Women’s World Cup reaches the quarter-finals stage, the English Premier League and other European leagues return, and we’ll have to make choices about what we watch.
Heung-Min Son (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Soon we’ll have the Socceroos returning to action with a game against Mexico in Dallas, the Champions League draw will unfold, and we will return to the crazy normal that us football fans in Australia know and love.
But how good is it to have been wooed by the FIFA Women’s World Cup? The best women’s players, the best teams from every continent, all coming together in our country with the eyes of the world firmly fixed on packed venues that we often only see at quarter capacity or less.
Even if it is two teams from elsewhere in the world who play out the World Cup final, the football landscape in Australia is changed forever, and even if Gianni Infantino says that football will be the biggest sport in Australia, those inside football already know that it is.
chris1
Roar Rookie
"The men’s Italy team have been despised by most football fans forever due to their negative, cynical and boring tactics." Have you watched any football these past 20 years?
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@Waz you sound like an Italy fan. The men's Italy team have been despised by most football fans forever due to their negative, cynical and boring tactics. They have long brought football into disrepute and the many women's national teams who play similar do the same. They turn fans off and it's a dumb way to play. The best teams defend and attack equally well. You have to score goals to win. The fact that negative defensive tactics are dumb was again exemplified by Denmark last night. Although having over 60% possession they created no scoring opportunities mainly because they didn't try. They've not been coached to score goals so when they get behind on scoreboard they've got nothing. So Denmark got what they deserved from Australia. They were extremely boring to watch, played dumb, scored no goals and lost :thumbup: The problem with this women's WC is that almost all the teams play the same as Denmark. Sweden, Morocco and France are appalling to watch and play dumb also. In sport fortune always favours the brave :laughing: :laughing:
338
Roar Rookie
Probably but all they talked about was football world cup and the netball yesterday.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Dear Sir, We write in response to your recent criticism of “negative football” at the women’s World Cup. Yeah, but nah bro … There’s no such thing as negative football. Instead, be impressed by the defensive organisation and appreciate the hard work, coordination, and footballing abilities of an under appreciated half of a football team - the Defenders! Yours Faithfully, for and on behalf of … All past, present & future defenders who do way more hard work that their gloried strikers anyway, and no - we’re not bitter.
chris1
Roar Rookie
The insiders is an AFL program dressed up to be an all sports program isn't it? It's funny that they mention "it doesn't matter who is on top" when football is currently leading the way.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
So now we can add Sweden onto the long list of other crashingly boring teams at this 2023 WC. After putting just 1 shot at goal on target during regular time people had to endure Sweden not trying to score a goal for another 30 mins of extra time. It was made easy for them by USA being too inept to score. And so Sweden were rewarded for being the more negative and boring team to watch :laughing:
338
Roar Rookie
No mates…Who cares? As they said on offsiders this morning…. whoever is 1,2,3 is irrelevant and so variable in this country. All Australian football needs is to maximise its potential which we are still a long way off from doing. This tournament should help football head in the right direction. That’s all any of us who support football should really care about. I have no interest in AFL, but I’m quite happy for others to enjoy whatever sport they are into and them to celebrate when they have a successful time. This world cup has been very successful in Australia and it’s great that so many people have come out and made it such a vibrant success on so many levels…multi culturalism, women’s sport, encouraging youth sport, international tourism, putting money into local businesses, demonstrating our nation’s ability to yet again host successful international tournaments. It’s also great some of the media are slowly getting their heads around it too…..maybe.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Was it on 7 Plus or on a channel like Mate? Was the AFL on 7? That does make a difference. Last night’s AFL was a Sydney derby and the World Cup beat it in Sydney. Norway v Japan (no Australian team) did beat the NRL, that’s pretty good. The AFL had virtually half their number from Victoria alone and there were no fan sites for Aussie Rules, Rugby Union or league. I think the women are doing VERY well. And when the Matildas play tomorrow, it will blow all those figures away.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
SEVEN’S AFL: SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Seven Network 346,000 BLEDISLOE 2023 GAME 2 Nine Network 215,000 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023 JPN V NOR Seven Network 187,000 PEPPA PIG-AM ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 102,000 AFL the winner once again over football.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@Texi While I continue to be a fan of Women's Football I don't think this WC has been dazzling at all. It's been very disappointing imo due to the extremely negative tactics played by too many national teams. Every game involving Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, NZ, Ireland and France have all been dire to watch imo. I blame the (mostly male) coaching staff who've coached their teams to make almost no attempts to ever score a goal. They just push it around at the back and wait (hope) for the opposition to fluff it in front goal so they can poke in a default goal from 3m out. These teams don't even attempt to score from a break and look to be unable to score any kind of attacking goal. The tactical naivety of these nations has also been shown to be inept as they've mostly been been knocked out early. Aust will beat Denmark unless they gift them a few goals. Denmark don't know how to score and never try. So that'll be another tedious and totally negative team out. If the women want equal pay to the men they'll have to start trying to score goals. I blame the coaching staff :thumbup:
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Exciting thoughts! Chile would be great. However, the travelling distances may cause issues. Nonetheless, it would add another dimension as you say, 24 hours of WC football every day for a month, how good would that be? :thumbup:
moe_syzlak
Roar Rookie
agree with the undercurrent of sarcasm in your post …. the idea anyone would get pi$$ed at cross code markings on a sporting field is ridiculous – ridiculous in the extreme ….. but it was a long time soccer poster here on the roar that went ape $ h1t over this very issue recently …. i enjoy sarcasm as much as anyone but youre best directing your efforts at that 1diot …. for now, off to watch a netball international
338
Roar Rookie
That house next the Caxton....always rocking!! Now I just need to decide whether to watch Matilda's on Monday night after the England v Nigeria game at Southbank or try and make it home in time for kick off. Still got a day to decide!
Texi
Roar Rookie
That is so true. The strip clubs seem keen to attract the crowd their way, so why not the local A-League club? And whoever owns that house next to the Caxton Hotel, I love your vibe on game day. There always seems to be a party there. Enjoy the England v Nigeria game - I had contingency tickets for that fixture just in case Australia finished second in the group and they were snapped up in seconds when I put them on resale. Should be a momentous game with a lot of England fans in attendance.
Texi
Roar Rookie
On behalf of the code of football I apologise to the code of rugby for having traces of line-markings. As long as you promise never to do it again, we'll call it quits eh?
Texi
Roar Rookie
I've been at a few games recently where, at the end of the game, a guy comes on with a hose contraption and blasts away the line markings as the goalposts are dismantled and any trace of football is sanitised. Admittedly that was after a single game and two weeks of football is probably going to leave traces.
Texi
Roar Rookie
Having an extra country in there would be exciting, and it makes sense as there are so many games to fit in. 48 teams at the next World Cup in USA/Mexico/Canada is going to mean 104 games instead of the 64 games at Qatar. That's a lot of football. And yes, why not Japan? A big nation in football terms and a great place to visit. Although it may pay to have a country in a different time zone, so we could have 24 hours of football every day for a month. Now there's a prospect. Australia/NZ/Chile!
Texi
Roar Rookie
Isn't it great that we can follow the action from afar as our Aussies ply their trade in the UK. I did get BeIn Sports for a month arlier in the year as my team (Newcastle - forgive me) were in the cup final and I could see a lot of other leagues on there. The only problem is time - there's so much football it's hard to fit it all in. Even during the Women's World Cup, going to so many games, with associated travel, pre- and post-game I've still not caught up with all the other games. And don't forget the girls in the WSL and elsewhere - Sarah Hunter to Paris FC, Mackenzie Hawkesby and Charlie Rule to Brighton. The golden generation is here!
Grem
Roar Rookie
Just say thanks to football for letting rugger use one of our old pitches.
Grem
Roar Rookie
You’re right – huuuge difference.