Massive Attack Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 National members question women in men's league By JIM MORRIS http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2003/09/04/176214-cp.html Canada's Christine Sinclair, (right) puts pressure on Mexico's Maria De Jesus Castillo Nicacio during an exhibition match on Aug. 31. (CP/Adrian Wyld) BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - Don't expect members of Canada's women's soccer team to begin looking for spots on men's clubs now that the president of a top Italian league side is courting Swedish player Hanna Ljungberg. Several members of the World Cup team questioned if a woman would be effective playing in a men's league. "Soccer is a lot different than golf," said striker Christine Sinclair of Burnaby, B.C., who has 40 goals in 49 international games. "The men are so much faster, so much stronger. The game is completely different. I think it would be really hard for a female to go into a men's team and make an impact." Charmaine Hooper, who spent a season playing indoor soccer in a men's league, said it would be a much different story playing outside at an elite level. "The two games are so different," said Hooper, who was to collect her 100th cap in a friendly Thursday night against Mexico. "The men's game is so much faster, so much more physical, the players are bigger. If a female was able to play on the team it would be very difficult. That female would have to be that much better to compete." Luciano Gaucci, president of the Italian Serie A club Perugia, has said he plans to sign a female player "within a month." The five-foot-three Ljungberg is Sweden's leading scorer with 48 goals in 88 international matches. "What would they need a woman for?" Ljungberg, 24, told the Associated Press. "But if they would contact me it would be a great honour." Clare Rustad, a defender from Salt Spring Island, B.C., applauded the idea of Ljungberg joining a men's league. Rustad, 20, spent part of the summer playing with a Czech under-20 men's team. "A think a lot of girls are capable of doing it," she said. "I think it's really great for female players to play with guys. It makes you so much faster you wouldn't believe it." Andrea Neil, a midfielder from Vancouver, compared Ljungberg possibly playing men's soccer to Hayley Wickenheiser returning to play hockey with a men's team in Finland. "Hanna is a very strong, physical, fast player," said Neil, 32. "It's not like women are trying to break down barriers or prove anything. She is trying to be the best player she can possibly be. To do that you have to put yourself in an uncomfortable environment. In this case it would be an incredibly uncomfortable environment for this Swedish player to be part of." Three female golfers have also challenged the gender barrier, playing in men's tournaments this year. Annika Sorenstam, at the Colonial, Suzy Whaley, in the Greater Hartford Open - both PGA events - and Michelle Wie, the 13-year-old Hawaiian sensation who played the Canadian Tour's Bay Miles Open, all failed to make the cut. All the players agreed they wouldn't sign with a men's team simply as a publicity stunt. "I'm not going to a team and just be on the team so more people come to the game," said Sinclair. "That's ridiculous." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoyleG Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 Neil bringing up Wickenheiser is a bit strange. She's probley one of a few female players that can take from the men as good as they give. She'd worked her way into the men's hockey and earned the respect of those around her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Yank Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 The US womens national team is tbe best women's team in the world. They lose to U17 boys select teams on a regular basis. At 16 these guys are already bigger, faster, and stronger than world class female athletes. The thing with Perugia is a joke. She wouldn't have a chance with a Serie D side, let alone Serie A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 I think Rustad has been watching the movie "Gregory's Girl" a bit too much. Great movie by the way, made in Scotland in 1980, one of the best soccer films I've ever seen. Saw it on home video about 20 years ago, just picked it up on DVD for a fairly cheap price (just as well considering that there are very few extras). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_n/a Posted September 13, 2003 Share Posted September 13, 2003 Hey!! It's truth also that Canadian womens national team is the best in womens icehockey!! And we laugh at thing that canadian women shall join in mens teams. But there is one H. Wickenheiser who's now playing in Kirkkonummi. Now it's time to ask, how many other women could survive in mens teams?! (for ex, 2nd high level in Finland)? - Maybe noone! I think that's same question in Football too!! Maybe there is 2-3 women who are able to shake the soccerworld by coming to play in mens team. who ever knows?? Otherwise i think that there are some other woman players too who could be important players in at least first-divion level but they are not usually seen at right side. Best luck to them, too!! Let's let them rise up the grundlevel of womens football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Yank Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 There aren't any women who could play men's pro football at any level. You'd be hard pressed to find one who could play NCAA football. You can't overcome biology. The women's world record for the 100 meter is more than half a second slower than my highschool's boys record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Crazy_Yank's got a point, but football has more to it than running and speed. IMO skill is the most important factor when you're trying to determine who is a good footballer and who is not, and gender does not affect skill. Of course physical abilities count a lot, but I don't think it would be impossible for a woman to play men's football. One should remember that not all male footballers are fast and strong, even professionals. What I do think is that this Hanna Ljungberg-Perugia link is ridiculous. Serie A requiers such physical abilities that if a woman wanted to achive them, she would have to give up developing her skill, which takes time and effort, which would eventually block her from Serie A or any other top league for that matter. But it is possible for a woman to develop adequate physical abilities to match men's top league standards. Look at Maria de Lourdes Mutola if you don't believe me. The skill issue theoretically would allow women to play professional football with men in a lower level, say, Finland. I'm quite positive that Hanna Ljungberg or Mia Hamm would have at least some impact in our premier league because of their skill. They would not be stars, but anyway they could cope with it, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Yank Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Not a chance. The US women's national team is a lot more skilled than these boys select teams, but all the boys do is kick the ball over their heads and run past them. Even at the A-league level these ladies would get spanked. A pro team is not going to put out a player who is a physical liability. I play on a very strong men's amatuer team. All the American players have at least played in college, and our Mexican players played semi-pro or 2nd division in Mexico. I have no doubt we'd whipp the best women's team in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I admit a TEAM consisted solely of women would get bashed by just about any 11 men who know what shape a ball is. But still I think an individual woman with superb ability could cope it in a relatively low-intensity pro or at least semi-pro league. Even if Crazy_Yank's side could raise the trophy in the womens' WC any time they wanted to, I refuse to believe Mia Hamm would not strenghten their squad. One should also remember that unlike men, women very rarely have the possibility to earn a living, not to mention make a fortune, playing football. This means they rarely have motivation to dope, again unlike men. Claiming football is "clean" would be hypocrisy. Many top and even not-quite-top players in Europe have already been caught, even though very few tests are performed. This fact does not actually even up the "male superiority" in football. If women doped in the same scale, men would not be so far ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I admit a TEAM consisted solely of women would get bashed by just about any 11 men who know what shape a ball is. But still I think an individual woman with superb ability could cope it in a relatively low-intensity pro or at least semi-pro league. Even if Crazy_Yank's side could raise the trophy in the womens' WC any time they wanted to, I refuse to believe Mia Hamm would not strenghten their squad. One should also remember that unlike men, women very rarely have the possibility to earn a living, not to mention make a fortune, playing football. This means they rarely have motivation to dope, again unlike men. Claiming football is "clean" would be hypocrisy. Many top and even not-quite-top players in Europe have already been caught, even though very few tests are performed. This fact does not actually even up the "male superiority" in football. If women doped in the same scale, men would not be so far ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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