red card Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 (edited) Lots of players suffering ACLs with many likely to miss the World Cup. One list has 112 players going down in the past year with ACL injuries. 20 year old research said female football players suffer 3-6x more ACL injuries than men. ACL injury rates have decreased among boys and men in the past 20 years. Besides physiological differences, they may not be getting adequate training and treatment, play on smaller squads & subpar pitches, wear boots not specifically designed for them and have seen more match workload in the past few years. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lo_URWXEx_shrNtGDdw9tA33dm3ZClcYwsi0x6IDqZA/htmlview Edited April 22, 2023 by red card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Watched the European u-17s final France vs Spain. France has a bunch that is physical, fast, not too tall. Spain are lithe and technical but often couldn't execute as France pressure the whole game. And in deep too. France score two then a penalty mid 2nd half, 0-3, Vicky López got two beauties back in two minutes, ended that way. Don't think Canada can compete here, we'd be a candidate for semis maybe. Many of these players have debuted on top flight teams already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 7 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said: Watched the European u-17s final France vs Spain. France has a bunch that is physical, fast, not too tall. Spain are lithe and technical but often couldn't execute as France pressure the whole game. And in deep too. France score two then a penalty mid 2nd half, 0-3, Vicky López got two beauties back in two minutes, ended that way. Don't think Canada can compete here, we'd be a candidate for semis maybe. Many of these players have debuted on top flight teams already. We need to do better selection of players and remove the politics of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 55 minutes ago, The Ref said: We need to do better selection of players and remove the politics of the process. We don't have a pro league with B teams, where you'd expect a top teen could get minutes. But it is true where in the past we saw many younger players having a competitive role, like in a lot of women's sports, it's changing. The ages of top pro female players is pushing up. So your NT u.17s, even u19s, aren't going to get pro minutes as much, but they do need to get into pro systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 (edited) Wolfsburg almost pulled off an upset with a 2-0 start but succumbed to Barca's 3 second half goals. Barca almost blew it as they did last year. Match was free on DAZN Youtube but on at the same time as the FA Cup Final. Next year, about 70% of the matches will only be on DAZN but quarters onward will be free on DAZN Youtube. DAZN said Youtube viewership jumped by 14 million YoY. They have the rights till 2025 and also show Liga F (also free on Youtube). Edited June 3, 2023 by red card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 (edited) As @red cardrightly says, Barça almost blew it. An early Bronze error led to the first goal, then Wolfsburg got another before the half. Barça was dominating but was not really pushing back, and the right side, with Graham Hansen, was ineffective. I think she had a very poor game, and did not help defend either. Rolfo pushing up the left from the LB position was more effective, she is a very consistent player with an excellent competitive mentality. This paid off second half. Overall, it was a naive 1st half performance, as Bonmati got pushed off the ball, the CBs played out slowly and with no variations. Although Barça could have gotten a goal in the first half, there were a few misses. Wolfsburg are very direct, a bit rudimentary with no midfield finess, but are dangerous and experienced. Then they have Popp, who I find dirty and arrogant. Second half Barça came out fast and got quick two goals from Patri Guijarro, with her foot and then a header; she is a real journeywoman of the game and is rarely praised. Then Barça was more comfortable and got the winner in a mix-up in the area. Until the final whistle Wolfsburg could have tied with balls into the box causing problems. Edited June 3, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 DAZN will be showing Frauen Bundesliga in Canada till at least 2027. They will showing 4 matches/matchday. So, in term's of women's football on DAZN Canada, this is in addition to UWCL & liga F. In some other countries, DAZN also has rights to WSL, NWSL & WE (Japan). No national team players but there were 5 Canadians who played in FB in the past season. But De Filippo & Culver's Potsdam got relegated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Barcelona has signed a 16 year old from Poland, along with other underage teens from various countries, including the States. https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20230710/1002036211/centrocampista-polaca-szymczak-16-anos-fichaje-futuro-barca-femenino.html To go along with 16 year old Spanish star Vicky López, all of whom will live at La Masia. Basically expanding the female contingent at the residences, and planning for the future, as they'll mostly start with the B team, which was the winner of Spanish 2nd Division last season. I wonder if the FIFA rules in underage boys changing countries don't apply to girls. While others laud the English women's leagues, Spain's advantage is there are 16 teams in top flight and 16 in 2nd, far more younger women are getting pro experience. And while there's a quality dropoff in principle after the top team the development model across the board is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympique_de_Marseille Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said: I wonder if the FIFA rules in underage boys changing countries don't apply to girls. The policy also applies. 18+ The exception is that FIFA treats the whole of the EU as a country so Barcelona can sign minors from Italy or Germany etc.. and let's say Juventus or Bayern could sign any 16 year old they wanted from Spain. The American Onyeka Gamero has a Spanish passport through her father so that is how they got her. Unnamed Trialist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted September 6, 2023 Share Posted September 6, 2023 Copa 71, a doc by the Williams sisters and Alex Morgan, will premiere at TIFF on Thursday. Distribution deals are TBD. Played in Mexico, Copa 71 was the second unofficial women's World Cup featuring 6 teams. Denmark won the final 3-0 over Mexico led by a hattrick by a 15 year old. A couple of matches reportedly got over 100k which would be the world record for women's sports rather than last week's 92k for Nebraska volleyball. Sponsor Martini & Rossi paid for each team's travel, accommodation, and kits. They backed it because it combined what men are most passionate about: football and women Goalposts were painted in pink hoops. 1971 tourney was organized by a private Italian org that backed Italian women pro clubs. In 1970, they organized the first unoffcial women's football World Cup in Italy right after Mexico World Cup. 8 teams played in 7 Italian cities with 50k attending the final. https://deadline.com/video/copa-71-womens-world-cup-soccer-documentary-clip-premiere/ BearcatSA and rkomar 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 Nigerian Ashleigh Plumptre has become one the most high profile women’s players to join a Saudia Arabian side after signing for Al-Ittihad. No money details mentioned but she was making US$30k at Leicester while her market value is listed as US$50k. She played 3 years with Leicester. The manager at A-Ittihad is an American who has managed Afghanistan & Morocco. It's the second season for league of 8 clubs. Second tier has 30 clubs split into 6 regional groups. Winning club gets US$534k. In comparison, WSL winner gets US$128k while NWSL winner gets 5k/player (Challenge Cup winner gets 10k/player due to sponsor UKG but tourney is set to disappear next year). https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/13/plumptre-signs-for-al-ittihad-in-boost-for-saudi-womens-premier-league Olympique_de_Marseille 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted September 29, 2023 Share Posted September 29, 2023 DAZN Canada has captured the rights to Serie A. Tomorrow morning, you can watch Roma v Como. Monday will have Inter v Fiorentina. DAZN has become the platform in Canada with the most women's club football with rights to UEFA Champions League, liga F, Frauen Bundesliga and Serie A. Some matches are also available free on their Youtube channel. https://www.sportcal.com/media/dazn-expands-figc-deal-to-include-womens-serie-a-coverage/?cf-view WSL season kicks off this weekend with 9 Canadians. Of the 6 opening matches on Sunday, 4 are free to watch on the FA Player which includes LaCasse with Arsenal and D Rose with Leicester. The 2 UK televised matches are on SN which includes Leon at Aston Villa, possibly Riviere at Man United, Zadorsky at Spurs and the Chelsea 3. https://faplayer.thefa.com/home/all https://m.livesoccertv.com/competitions/england/fa-wsl/ narduch and Unnamed Trialist 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) DAZN Canada is reinforcing it's position as the home of women's football by adding the Saudi Women's Premier League. They'll start with showing 2 matches/week starting with the season opener on Friday and Al Ahli v Al Shabab on Saturday at 1300 EDT. They have worldwide rights ex MENA region. The Athletic just released a special report on the Saudi women's league. It's an 8 team league going into its second season. The league is run by the federation and the government while all the clubs are owned by the government. League winner will get US$533k which is more than WSL's £100k. Base salary for foreign players range from US$60-120k tax free which is 2-3x more than the minimum taxable salaries of the NWSL & WSL. Offers include flights, accommodation and cars. League allows 7 foreign players but max 4 on the pitch. They're a transfer window or two away from a marquee signing as per agents. For now, managers have been recruiting from their native land. PSG player Diallo who was charged in the attack on Hamraoui has gone to Saudi Arabia. It's going to open up the market for non-western origin players especially from Africa, Middle East & West/South Asia. Saudi is in the bottom 10 in World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap. So, some agents will not place players in the league other than those at the end of their career. Some agents have been told that players can bring same-sex partners with them to live in the country but they would want them to refrain from excessively publicising that fact. Facilities vary club by club. Some clubs share with their men's team. But Al Nassr train in a separate women’s team centre some 400km away, the gym is in their private compound and have to take a 45-minute flight for home matches. Standard of football is hindered by Saudi girls not playing any sport or doing PE. So, some don't even know what "let's stretch our quads" means. Saudi women are also not used to taking decisions for themselves. On the pitch, they say, ‘Why don’t you just tell us where we’re meant to pass the ball?’ They never make decisions. Crowds in season 1 were only in the hundreds but are expected to grow. Lay's has become the league's headline sponsor. In watching some minutes of Friday's match, the production & stadium is on par with matches from liga F, Serie A & Bundesliga. Good atmosphere with drumming, rythmic clapping, flares & chants throughout the match. PxP noted players from Brazil, England & USA. But standard of play was subpar. https://theathletic.com/4956136/2023/10/13/saudi-arabia-women-football/ Edited October 13, 2023 by red card Unnamed Trialist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 18, 2023 Share Posted October 18, 2023 (edited) Canadian national team players that will be in the Group stage of UWCL are: Marie-Yasmine Alidou (Benfica) Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea) Clarissa Larisey (BK Häcken) Vanessa Gilles (Lyon) Evelyne Viens (Roma) Alidou & Viens scored goals in their second leg victories today. Riviere is out as Man United got tossed by PSG. Riviere lost a track meet on 2 of the 3 goals with Chawinga but a slowish Man United back line largely playing a high line left Riviere exposed. Tabitha Chawinga is on loan at PSG from Wuhan Jianghan University FC. You didn't see her at the World Cup as she reps Malawi. The story so far is Paris FC as they upset Arsenal and now upset last year finalist Wolfsburg. France will be the only country with three teams. Germany, Spain and Sweden two each. Edited October 18, 2023 by red card narduch, rkomar, Olympique_de_Marseille and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 (edited) The Jamaican players that played at the World Cup have not made themselves available for Gold Cup qualifers selection because not yet paid or fully paid. So JFF is following RFEF's path by suspending these players and calling up uncapped, youth and other misc players. New head coach was just announced in the past day. https://radiojamaicanewsonline.com/sports/world-cup-players-unavailable-for-reggae-girlz-upcoming-matches Edited October 21, 2023 by red card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmen Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 The Jamaican team has now withdrawn from Gold Cup qualifiers. RJB and rkomar 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, Watchmen said: The Jamaican team has now withdrawn from Gold Cup qualifiers. That's just the World Cup players putting out a statement saying they're out of Gold Cup qualifiers - confirming earlier ad hoc social media posts. Jamaica Fed is still fielding a team of replacements. Edited October 22, 2023 by red card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 There is a Jamaican team partaking in the Panamerican Games in Chile 2023. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 (edited) FIFA put out their member survey report. Items of note include 24% growth in players in organized football since 2019. 19k professional players. 5% of coaches and 9% of refs are female. Concacaf has the most players at 7m, followed by UEFA at 5.2m, 1.8m for CAF, 1.6m for AFC and 913k for Conmebol. 59% of clubs are in UEFA, followed by AFC with 22%. 64% of matches are on free-to-air tv but close behind 63% are on social media platforms. 34% of top tier leagues have a dedicated sponsor. Average spend on women's football for a Concacaf Fed is US$2.7m. Surprisingly, Conmebol Feds spend the most on average at $5.8m while UEFA is at $4.8m. Numbers a bit stale as it appears they're from 2021. If you want more of an overview, Canadian Soccer Daily's She Scores Bangers did a vid. https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/28ed34b... Edited October 27, 2023 by red card Olympique_de_Marseille 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 (edited) NWSL has signed a 4 year US media deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon & Scripps for 118 matches. Value of deal is US$60m/yr but includes rights fees, production costs and marketing commitments. So, if production costs are in line with MLS production costs of $60m/yr, the prorated NWSL figure is about $30m/yr. Previous deal was only $4.5m/yr before production costs. - 25 Friday night matches will be on Prime Video + kickoff match/1 quarterfinal - 25x2 Saturday night double-headers on Scripps over the air ION network - CBS/CBSSN/Paramount+ will have min 18 matches + 1 semi and the Final - ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPND/ESPN+ will have 17 matches & 2 quarterfinals/1 semi. English, Spanish and Portuguese-language rights in Latin America are with ESPN. The other 72 matches will be streamed on a NWSL direct-to-consumer platform. Not disclosed if it will be free or not. NWSL clubs can also broker their own local rights deals for regular-season games not included in the four national packages. Con: Lots of subscriptions to juggle to see matches; many will get confused trying to know where a match is being shown Pro: Big money increase and richest deal amongst women footy leagues. After costs, net amount is way higher than the US$10m/yr for WSL (renewal is next yr) and close to WNBA's $40m/yr (renewal is in 2025). Expanded over the air reach from 1 network to 3. International rights haven't been decided yet. This season, all matches were available for free on NWSL's streaming site for non-US residents. So, they could continue it given international demand isn't strong. TSN could also easily show ESPN matches - likely mostly on TSN+. DAZN had non-exclusive rights for selected Euro countries this season and have become a hub for women's football leagues. So, they could get worldwide rights ex US/Latin America. https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/nwsl-announces-landmark-media-partnerships-with-cbs-sports-espn-prime-video-and-scripps-sports Edited November 10, 2023 by red card rkomar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 (edited) On 11/10/2023 at 5:07 AM, red card said: NWSL has signed a 4 year US media deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon & Scripps for 118 matches. Value of deal is US$60m/yr but includes rights fees, production costs and marketing commitments. So, if production costs are in line with MLS production costs of $60m/yr, the prorated NWSL figure is about $30m/yr. Previous deal was only $4.5m/yr before production costs. - 25 Friday night matches will be on Prime Video + kickoff match/1 quarterfinal - 25x2 Saturday night double-headers on Scripps over the air ION network - CBS/CBSSN/Paramount+ will have min 18 matches + 1 semi and the Final - ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPND/ESPN+ will have 17 matches & 2 quarterfinals/1 semi. English, Spanish and Portuguese-language rights in Latin America are with ESPN. The other 72 matches will be streamed on a NWSL direct-to-consumer platform. Not disclosed if it will be free or not. NWSL clubs can also broker their own local rights deals for regular-season games not included in the four national packages. Con: Lots of subscriptions to juggle to see matches; many will get confused trying to know where a match is being shown Pro: Big money increase and richest deal amongst women footy leagues. After costs, net amount is way higher than the US$10m/yr for WSL (renewal is next yr) and close to WNBA's $40m/yr (renewal is in 2025). Expanded over the air reach from 1 network to 3. International rights haven't been decided yet. This season, all matches were available for free on NWSL's streaming site for non-US residents. So, they could continue it given international demand isn't strong. TSN could also easily show ESPN matches - likely mostly on TSN+. DAZN had non-exclusive rights for selected Euro countries this season and have become a hub for women's football leagues. So, they could get worldwide rights ex US/Latin America. https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/nwsl-announces-landmark-media-partnerships-with-cbs-sports-espn-prime-video-and-scripps-sports The problem is really that there is no powerful appeal of any one team. They lack tradition, there is no real powerhouse, and the rivalries are not even developed in any meaningful way. So fans who might watch for these reasons won't. So for me it is over-reaching and the deal is far too rich for the product. It is just the opposite in Europe, and in Latin America, where the clubs are almost always part of larger club structures with fanbases for the men. I've seen this repeatedy: PSG fans will occasionally go to or watch women's matches on tv, and if it is a derby (Lyon) even more. And across the board. I'm going to the women's Clásico next weekend, and for the first time in over 20 years my wife is coming to a match with me. This is a major factor for the English teams going forward, because they have a fanbase they could tap into; and will be for the stronger teams in all European nations, even when the scale is modest (say two teams in Norway or two in Denmark). The NWSL teams have to do it all on their own: marketing, name recognition, merchandising, social media. A team like Chelsea or Juventus makes it simple, they add sections to existing websites, you go into a shop and on the same purchase you could put Sam Kerr on the back of one shirt and Chilwell on another. Then fans actually care when they play Arsenal women, they are engaged. NWSL has virtually none of this, which makes me wonder how that model can be at all sustainable. In Canada, if it's Project 8 or something else, let's hope we have clubs associated with existing men's clubs, whether directly (Whitecaps) or indirectly (in Calgary seems like), because that will do wonders for fan interest. Edited November 11, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 Speaking of powerful appeal and tradition, Hammarby win the Damallsvenskan for the first time since 1985. Here's the scenes from today and 1985. Angel City in NWSL has shown what are the advantages of being a club with no ties to men's football ex playing in same stadium. Nearly 100% brand focus on women from owners to kits to sponsors to social issues. Though, they haven't backed it up with their performance on the pitch so far. And they haven't always committed to their branding this year such as with the Israel/Palestine issue. So, we did start to see some of the bloom wither towards the end of this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 (edited) USSF finally announced Emma Hayes is their new manager as of end of May. She will not work with the U.S. in any international windows till then. The hiring process included psychometrics and abstract reasoning tests, in-depth discussions of strategy, coaching philosophy and the current player pool, as well as evaluation on the reactions to pressure, culture-building and interactions with players and staff. Terms were not disclosed but media say Hayes will earn a base salary of US$1.6 million, highest for women national team manager and same as Berhalter. While USSF say Hayes salary wasn't tied to equal pay, many are saying that it puts a ceiling on USMNT manager pay. It is understood Hayes is seeking a better work-life balance. Hayes gave birth to her son Harry in 2018 and international management will allow her to spend more time with her family. Of interest, Hayes wrote an op-ed for the Telegraph post US World Cup exit in July. “They seem to me like a team that is very stressed, but it is also important to point out that the pressure on the U.S. is greater than any other nation. My feeling is that the US as a nation will have to adapt its expectations around international success in women’s football. It is not that the team are necessarily failing, and it is not just about this team or this coach. For the US, there needs to be a bigger conversation about their collegiate system and youth development as well as the NWSL. People often say we would scream out for a collegiate system here in England. I don’t agree. Going to the US for academic reasons, for lifestyle reasons, are wonderful ones. But I do not believe that going to play in the US college system is a better one for the players. Going forward, I’d be shocked if the top young players in England and Europe go to America anymore to play in the collegiate game. There’s still a huge amount of talent in this US team but with so many of the squad playing solely in the NWSL, it doesn’t offer enough diversity to their squad in terms of playing against different styles. Here in Europe, where you’re playing in different competitions,Champions League or cups, players aren’t going to be fazed by other things because they come up against different football week in, week out. The US are a team that do better when the game opens up, that’s when they shine – if there is a game that isn’t open, they struggle to break down teams – whereas Japanare shining in all sorts of different tactical moments. I think America are massively short of creative talent. When you’re playing against more well-organised teams, better-coached teams, you have to break them down,and that breaking teams down is a combination of strategy, tactics and personnel, and I don’t see that they’ve got the personnel to do that. It is not just about this group of players, though; it is the whole structure. The realities are, it is going to be very, very difficult for the US to climb back to the top. I’m not saying they won’t, with hard work and the right conversations around their model." Edited November 15, 2023 by red card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, red card said: USSF finally announced Emma Hayes is their new manager as of end of May. She will not work with the U.S. in any international windows till then. The hiring process included psychometrics and abstract reasoning tests, in-depth discussions of strategy, coaching philosophy and the current player pool, as well as evaluation on the reactions to pressure, culture-building and interactions with players and staff. Terms were not disclosed but media say Hayes will earn a base salary of US$1.6 million, highest for women national team manager and same as Berhalter. While USSF say Hayes salary wasn't tied to equal pay, many are saying that it puts a ceiling on USMNT manager pay. It is understood Hayes is seeking a better work-life balance. Hayes gave birth to her son Harry in 2018 and international management will allow her to spend more time with her family. Of interest, Hayes wrote an op-ed for the Telegraph post US World Cup exit in July. “They seem to me like a team that is very stressed, but it is also important to point out that the pressure on the U.S. is greater than any other nation. My feeling is that the US as a nation will have to adapt its expectations around international success in women’s football. It is not that the team are necessarily failing, and it is not just about this team or this coach. For the US, there needs to be a bigger conversation about their collegiate system and youth development as well as the NWSL. People often say we would scream out for a collegiate system here in England. I don’t agree. Going to the US for academic reasons, for lifestyle reasons, are wonderful ones. But I do not believe that going to play in the US college system is a better one for the players. Going forward, I’d be shocked if the top young players in England and Europe go to America anymore to play in the collegiate game. There’s still a huge amount of talent in this US team but with so many of the squad playing solely in the NWSL, it doesn’t offer enough diversity to their squad in terms of playing against different styles. Here in Europe, where you’re playing in different competitions,Champions League or cups, players aren’t going to be fazed by other things because they come up against different football week in, week out. The US are a team that do better when the game opens up, that’s when they shine – if there is a game that isn’t open, they struggle to break down teams – whereas Japanare shining in all sorts of different tactical moments. I think America are massively short of creative talent. When you’re playing against more well-organised teams, better-coached teams, you have to break them down,and that breaking teams down is a combination of strategy, tactics and personnel, and I don’t see that they’ve got the personnel to do that. It is not just about this group of players, though; it is the whole structure. The realities are, it is going to be very, very difficult for the US to climb back to the top. I’m not saying they won’t, with hard work and the right conversations around their model." I'll be honest: I don't think she's a very good manager at all and I don't think she'll be successful. I have seen her Chelsea play, a few times, last time earlier this year vs. Barcelona, and I did not like what I saw, on a lot of levels. Hayes plays the old way, relying on physicality, powerful strikers, direct play, and not trusting midfield talent. They are not that entertaining, they just have had good players, who resolve games. Then there are little details, which I saw this year when Chelsea were warming up in Camp Nou. The drills, the warmups, everything was like high school stuff from the 1980s, I was shocked. The idea is that the girls have to do it that way, they can live in the past because it doesn't matter. There are women's teams that are trained to play modern football, 21st century, and others that are not. It is not a problem of being physical or direct, because many solid teams combine their skills, like Sweden. England has the right balance and was properly coached as well. It may not show entirely in results but for the US to put themselves in her hands, I think is a mistake. It doesn't take you forwards, it keeps you were you are and most likely--and not being a US fan at all I'm glad for this--it will ensure that the gap you see closing between the world and US superiority will close entirely. Edited November 15, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist mtlfan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 Meant to post this, the Spanish national team players have received 248,000€ each, regardless of playing time, for winning the WC. Plus compensation to help families travel to it, around 15,000. I think there's more from the federation for games played, so it pushes 300,000. For many, most, that triples or more annual salary. Spain lost to Italy yesterday 2-3 with a bonehead move where they choose to make subs at the half late, they aren't ready, and the team plays a minute 2nd half with 9… another couple with 10, and Italy scores. In salary news, Alexia Putellas has her contract up at Barça next summer and the renewal would likely be a million a year plus incentives. Not sure who's the world's highest paid player. If you pay Alexia that, how do you balance the rest of salaries of the squad, these veterans who are all elite winners? Barça women's budget is around 15 million a year but income is mostly sponsorship, average attendance at the second stadium is under 5000. rkomar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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