FIFA’s ranking system is under fire after the Matildas somehow dropped out of the top 10 despite making it all the way to the semi-finals at the recent World Cup.
While their skill and bravery captivated a nation, the FIFA analysts must have been asleep at their desk.
Australia have dropped from 10th to 11th while Japan, who were bundled out in the quarter-finals, have risen from 11th to eighth.
FIFA claimed in the official announcement that the Matildas “pay the price for their defeat in that tussle for the final podium place”, alluding to their 2-0 loss to Sweden in the playoff for third place.
Adding to the confusion, Spain are still not ranked No.1 despite winning the Cup, they have jumped from fourth to second with Sweden now queens of the world, at least when it comes to rankings.
The United States dropped from top spot to third after their early exit while the Netherlands rose two spots to seventh, Germany went two ranks the other way to sixth and Olympic champions Canada plunged from seventh to 10th after they were bundled out early on the back of their crushing 4-0 loss to the Matildas.
But despite thrashing Canada, the FIFA system still ranks the Matildas lower than them and not worthy of a spot in the top 10.
Meanwhile, Matildas striker Sam Kerr faces a three-way battle to be crowned Europe’s 2022/23 women’s footballer of the year.
Kerr, along with Spanish duo Aitana Bonmati and Olga Carmona, is in the running for the award presented by European soccer’s governing body UEFA.
The Australian forward scored 29 goals in all competitions last season as Chelsea won their fourth consecutive FA Women’s Super League title as well as the Women’s FA Cup.
She also reached the semi-finals of the World Cup with Australia, scoring one of the goals of the tournament as the Matildas went down 3-1 to England in the last four.
Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Bonmati and Carmona were part of the Spain team which beat the English 1-0 to win the World Cup in Sydney on Sunday.
Bonmati had a stellar domestic campaign with Barcelona, helping the club seal a fourth consecutive Spanish League title as well as winning the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup.
Carmona scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, but had little success with her club side Real Madrid, who finished second behind Barcelona in the league and runners-up in the Copa de la Reina.
UEFA also announced the candidates for women’s coach of the year, with Barcelona’s Jonatan Giraldez, Spain’s Jorge Vilda and England’s Sarina Wiegman the three final nominees.
The winners will be announced, along with the men’s player and coach of the year, at the 2023/24 Champions League group-stage draw in Monaco on August 31.
with AAP
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
$5m- watch out for the misinformation Bill
Blood Dragon
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Thats true and I personally won't vote Blue Team because there is a slightly better chance, they may fund football it's not worth all the downsides that come with it that said not a Red Team voter either.
Waz
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Agree that the current head of FQ is politically an issue (with Labour) but to be fair - left or right in power and football doesn’t get funded in this State..
Bernie Vinson
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"Bears were responsible for the famous saying – snatching defeat from the jaws of victory." Garbage like some of your other stuff.. Still no counter arguments to the soft draw...
Bernie Vinson
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Yes I will bet 1 Euro or is it Kina?
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Football Queensland is run by a former Newman Government Minister, Our Sport has no connections to the Red Team and only quite limited connections to Blue Team that's why it isn't funded, and this is also part of the reason Perry Park will never be upgraded. Ballymore unlike QSAC is a Rectangle and has a far smaller capacity which is far more suitable for our sport the only issue with Ballymore is transport which is going to have to be addressed for the Olympics anyway. You are correct that QSAC is near a busway entrance, but the two closest busway stations Griffith University and Upper Mount Gravatt are not exactly close to QSAC.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
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Yes Paul Hayward, I forgot about me ol' mate Paul. I served him in a men's wear store where I once worked as a casual, he bought a suit from me in Marrickville (gateway to Thailand). Yes the good ol' days when Nifty Nev ran NSW. :happy:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Garry Sullivan went to jail for armed robbery, Cris Dawson is in jail for murder (hopefully Paul is OK) and unfortunately Paul Hayward died of aids after his time locked up in Thailand for drug smuggling. The good old days and that’s just what we know about!
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
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Do you want to bet? PNG will be the new NRL franchise.
Bernie Vinson
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Link to that story it will never happen - Perth will get in first but this is a football page
Anthony Ferguson
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FIFA rankings are not important. I'm much more interested in the Matildas winning the Asian championships, and/or an Olympic medal.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
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Chicka Moore... Go Chicka!!! was the cry at Henson Park... the theatre of dreams. :happy: Too bad about the Dawson twins, the less said about them the better. :unhappy: And of course Tommy Redonicous RIP :happy:
Grem
Roar Rookie
No wonder I like you. That was my team. I knew their team inside out and regularly went to Henson Park, even after they folded. Favourite player - Mark Wright.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
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Also, Albo has underwritten the new PNG franchise to the tune of $10m to join the NRL as a new expansion club. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Bernie Vinson
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I note no rebuttals to my evidence - rather a tangential deflection to the Bears
Bernie Vinson
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The RL World Cup is a Joke as the Western Sydney Tongans play the Western Sydney Samoans but Albo is tone deaf by spending $7m on a RL Pacific Cup when the Matildas are searching for money- $200m for amenties is OK but of course adds to $1 trillion debt
Denzo
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Definitely not top 10. Their last three games (all at home) in the World Cup were against quality European sides. The Matilda’s record was P3 W0 D1 L2 with a goal difference of F1 A5. Couple this with the Nigerian loss and you see why they are not top 10. If you look at the growth, investment and development of the game in England, Spain, Sweden and France then I think Australia will only fall further behind in the rankings in the coming years. Enjoy the glow of the Matilda’s achievement as this is as good as it will get.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
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"Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" Not that there's anything wrong with that. I come from a family that supported the Newtown Blue-bags/Jets. I can feel his pain. :rugby:
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Actually winning on penalties is worth 0.75 compared to 1 for a win and 0.5 for a draw. The actual reason why the Matildas dropped ranking was that they factor in a home ground advantage. Its also suprising to find out the have been using different procedures for the men and women. The womens has been ELO since 2003, the men has been changed a couple of times, the latest edition for the men 2018 is now based on ELO but not only has no home ground advantage it actually discounts knock out losses in major tournaments. So under the new mens ranking system the women would have got more points for the wins without the home ground advantage , and only have lost points for the Nigeria match. Tennis the WTA finals has a round robin format, so thats the one tournament you can lose a match and then continue on.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Squad depth is probably the biggest lesson to come out of this for me - not a surprise to anyone I guess and an expanded ALW may help, as will more players going overseas and playing full time