Worldwide women's news

[rkomar]

It's bad timing for us.  It seemed that Herdman was grooming people for future jobs, but it's early in the process.  Will an off-the-shelf successor continue with that if Herdman leaves soon, or continue to oversee the training of U-15 and up players?  I wouldn't count on it.

Edited September 20, 2017 by rkomar

[The Ref]

5 hours ago, rkomar said:

It's bad timing for us.  It seemed that Herdman was grooming people for future jobs, but it's early in the process.  Will an off-the-shelf successor continue with that if Herdman leaves soon, or continue to oversee the training of U-15 and up players?  I wouldn't count on it.

Randy Waldrum is available.  Former coach of the Houston Dash.

[Vic]

It's a great time. No majors until 2019.

[DoyleG]

On 9/20/2017 at 3:02 PM, Vic said:

Herdman has been good to us and it is likely his end run. We should give them permission to talk to him. As long as we get a buyout to help finding a quality successor.

Why would he want to jump into the shark tank that exists in the FA right now?

He would be expected by the politicos and SJW to take the "aggrieved" players back onto a squad that doesn't want them.

Better that he sticks it out with us for now and let the England drama unfold.

[The Ref]

16 minutes ago, DoyleG said:

Why would he want to jump into the shark tank that exists in the FA right now?

He would be expected by the politicos and SJW to take the "aggrieved" players back onto a squad that doesn't want them.

Better that he sticks it out with us for now and let the England drama unfold.

Are you talking about the recent firing of Sampson?

[Jamaicanadian]

8 hours ago, DoyleG said:

Why would he want to jump into the shark tank that exists in the FA right now?

He would be expected by the politicos and SJW to take the "aggrieved" players back onto a squad that doesn't want them.

Better that he sticks it out with us for now and let the England drama unfold.

After reading about the latest information I now think your last sentence is credible. I too would be inclined let the dust settle before jumping in that ring... 

  

Edited September 22, 2017 by Jamaicanadian
more information = change of heart

[The Ref]

I wish Hope Solo will be the U.S. keeper for 2019 in France.  The U.S. team needs her badly.  All seems sorted out now for her to return.  http://nypost.com/2017/09/22/hope-solos-first-step-back-toward-us-womens-soccer-team/

[Vic]

It's a stunning job with fantastic resources and where the game is exploding (it exploded here decades ago). 

If you don't have the guts to go big, go home. Ironic the way that is reversed (go home) - if you have the guts to go big, go home.

Sampson should never have had the job. Embarrassing for the FA but credit for admitting their failure to properly vet.

England is a world ahead in terms of professionalism in women's football, and that's not just the national teams and WSL at the high end. It's the training centers and club development programs.

And there are countries like the Dutch that put them to shame.

We are backwoods savages that succeed on being a country of progressive women's rights (and their access to and participation in sport), numbers (so many girls playing), and a trompe l'oeil system of pouring all our money into our national teams and nothing into the development of women's soccer.

Anyone with a good global comprehension of what is going on in the women's game, of which John Herdman would be one, knows the jig is up.

Hope Solo.... used to be a great goalkeeper, maybe still is. But one thing is for sure,  the world of women's goalkeepers has changed vastly in the past decade. There are great goalkeepers everywhere now.

 

Edited September 23, 2017 by Vic
typo

[rkomar]

If Herdman knows the jig is up, then why is he and the team pushing to be number 1?  It's true that Canada is a crappy place to try to have a major league.  No national team coach will ever be able to change that because it's not in their power.  I'm sure Herdman saw that right away, which is why he focuses on the few and pours all the resources into them.  There's no other way for us to have high performing players here.

I also question whether the Dutch are suddenly good because of grass roots support.  We handled them pretty well a year or two ago.  Today, those very same players won the Euros.  I suspect they are going through a similar program to our players for personal training.  It's probably the done thing all over the world now.

[The Ref]

3 hours ago, Vic said:

Hope Solo.... used to be a great goalkeeper, maybe still is. But one thing is for sure,  the world of women's goalkeepers has changed vastly in the past decade. There are great goalkeepers everywhere now.

 

Hope Solo has been away only a year not a decade.  I was moved after reading her book.  It is an eye opener.

[Vic]

Hopefully he's pushing to be #1 because he believes in aim high and he hasn't gone full crazy like SImple Jack in Tropic Thunder. Because to think we can be is really disrespectful to the great programs and bigger and better countries out there investing far more financially and emotionally than we are.

"No national team coach will ever be able to change that because it's not in their power.  I'm sure Herdman saw that right away, which is why he focuses on the few and pours all the resources into them.  There's no other way for us to have high performing players here."

(a) Is that his job?  Is his job to coach the national team or develop women's soccer in Canada or both?
(b) Is that the right thing to do for the long-term development of Canadian women's soccer?

"Today, those very same players won the Euros.  I suspect they are going through a similar program to our players for personal training.  It's probably the done thing all over the world now."

The won the Euro because they got the breaks and played to their potential in a gift run:

GROUP Norway 1-0  > FIFA #14
GROUP Denmark 1-0  > FIFA #12
GROUP Belgium 2-1  > FIFA #23
1/4 Sweden 2-0  > FIFA #11
1/2 England 3-0  > FIFA #3
FINAL Denmark 4-2  > FIFA #12

The only top 10 team they had to play was England who outshot them 20-9 but Jodie Taylor's magic ran out and England couldn't hit the net.

The Dutch are a 1/3 the size of England but with as many Pro and A licenses. Their programs and facilities at the high end are tremendous, especially compared to the measly programs we have. Hell even their low end programs are incredibly run and with great coaches and facilities.

The irony is on the girls side the Dutch aren't even a soccer country, they're field hockey in the summer and speed skating in the winter. They are hockey world champions and you can't go a block in the city at night without seeing them all over the place biking with their sticks. Go int a sports store and it's half field hockey gear. How ironic they win the Euro. And how many great athletes will that convert over to soccer?

I'm sure their fitness was fine-tuned, but most of that was likely assisted at the club level, and yes most players at the Euro would have been similar. I think it was a combination of luck, an easy gauntlet, home fans, and great coaching.

If you go over and see how these players are training year-round, their facilities, the great youth elite programs, the simple lifestyles, the room for incredible opportunities for professionalization young, the focus and commitment, etc. They will funnel 250 players for every 25 players we funnel, and a very costly 25 at that. It's a losing battle.

One day, when we sink to #25 in the world, it will be a national tragedy and we will actually invest in women's soccer (and not the women's national teams).  But by then it will be too late, the peloton will already be in the next town and we will be lamenting Coventry and São Paulo like Galt FC a hundred years ago on the men's side.

[Vic]

On 9/23/2017 at 6:48 AM, The Ref said:

Hope Solo has been away only a year not a decade.  I was moved after reading her book.  It is an eye opener.

A year at age 20 isn't much, at 36 it can be harder to come back from.  I have no strong feelings either way about her, if she's got game great, if not well she had a great run.

It used to be European female goalkeepers were dodgy by trade. Not the case any longer, a lot of professionalization in that regard lately.  There are some fantastic young keepers coming into the ranks.

[rkomar]

I completely agree with you about the poor state of support for women's soccer below the national level; I think the only real point we disagree on is how much of that is on the manager of the national team.  I've heard or read that our current level of funding for our national team depends on money from Own the Podium, and that if we drop down the standings too far coaches and programs are going to get cut.  That's just for the national teams.  If Herdman is struggling to keep his own staff and programs in place, what can he possibly do to provide similar resources in one or two dozen locations around the country?  The money is just not there for him.

I suspect that the Dutch women are piggybacking on the excellent resources available to the men's clubs.  Maybe if we had the latter (first the clubs, and then excellent resources for them), our women could benefit from that, too.  Perhaps the CPL will help in that regard if it can succeed itself.

[tc-in-bc]

2017 NPLW Victoria Grand Final   ( tier two Australia women's football in the state of Victoria ):

19'  GOAL  Lisa De Vanna  for South Melbourne , assisted by Canadian Natalie Martineau

South Melbourne FC‏Verified account @smfc 33m33 minutes ago

19' GOAL DE VANNA !!!! Martineau flies into the area, cross tap in off the cross bar for @lisadevanna11 we lead 1-0 #ps4nplwvic @FFV365

South Melbourne 1 - 0 Galaxy United FC

( for anyone awake , South Melbourne in blue, Martineau # 10)   livestream playing on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WNPLVIC/   

UPDATE :

South Melbourne FC‏Verified account @smfc 23m23 minutes ago

28' AMAZING GOAL !!! De Vanna to Pollock who fires it in, Martineau finishes with perfect unstoppable header. We lead 2-0 in Grand Final

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by tc-in-bc

[tc-in-bc]

Equatorial Guinea WNT :   Banned - Of - Sisters. 

So earlier today, Equatorial Guinea were banned from the 2019  FIFA WWC France  and they were already banned from the 2020 Olympics Tokyo. They're also banned from the 2018 and 2020 Africa Cup of Nations ( women ).

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/05/equatorial-guinea-expelled-2019-womens-world-cup-fifa

 

[Vic]

Last I read on them years ago the President could naturalize anyone he liked. So they may be FIFA illegal but they wouldn't be illegal as EG nationals.

What hope do small countries like EG with a population of a million have?  Should they have to operate by the same rules as countries 500 times bigger?  Isn't that an oligopoly?  Should they always get their ass kicked until the end of time?  Shouldn't they be allowed to win something?

[tc-in-bc]

^[ 1 ]   Iceland has  a small population ( roughly. 300 000 )  and their  national teams (men & women) seem to be able to compete internationally without a lot of naturalized foreign players.

[ 2 ]  Genoveva Anonma , who was actually born in EG , was a top scorer for Turbine Potsdam for 4 seasons  in the Frauen Bundesliga. So EG are capable of producing some good players.

[ 3 ]  There is some wilful dishonesty here by EG that shouldn't be overlooked. EG forged documents ( passports and birth certificates ) to  deceive governing bodies and opponents  about the nature of their team , going into competitions.

[ 4 ]  EG almost made it to the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the fourth round  of 2015 CAF  Women's Olympic Qualifying  Tournament , the difference ( over 2 legs ) between either EG or South Africa winning a spot in the Olympics was a single goal. I remember seeing some South African fans on social media complaining derisively about EG. There was the  sense that EG was not competing fairly, and that their success was undeserved.

[The Ref]

The women's Libertadores Cup 2017 is taking place in Paraguay.  The four clubs that made it to the semi finals are River Plate from Argentina, Colo Colo from Chile, Audax/Corinthians from Brazil and Cerro Porteño from Paraguay.  Semi finals game start October 18.  This is an annual Conmebol championship.

[Vic]

Iceland have qualified for 1 WC on the men's side and 0 on the women's side.  In other words they have no hope of EVER winning anything.

Equatorial Guinea unless they are playing men in women's tournaments are crap.

Small countries should not have to go up against countries with hundreds to thousands of times the people/players. They shouldn't have to dream of "qualifying" once every 50-100 years. That's a crap hand in any gaming establishment. 

No country under 40 million has ever won a World Cup. Including the Women's World Cup only one country (Norway 1995, who were far ahead of the curve).

There are only 35 countries in the World over 40 million.  That means 200 will never win it. Or, over 85%. An oligopoly is deemed "a state of limited competition". There's a good argument that's what the World Cup is.

[Blackdude]

7 hours ago, Vic said:

Iceland have qualified for 1 WC on the men's side and 0 on the women's side.  In other words they have no hope of EVER winning anything.

Equatorial Guinea unless they are playing men in women's tournaments are crap.

Small countries should not have to go up against countries with hundreds to thousands of times the people/players. They shouldn't have to dream of "qualifying" once every 50-100 years. That's a crap hand in any gaming establishment. 

No country under 40 million has ever won a World Cup. Including the Women's World Cup only one country (Norway 1995, who were far ahead of the curve).

There are only 35 countries in the World over 40 million.  That means 200 will never win it. Or, over 85%. An oligopoly is deemed "a state of limited competition". There's a good argument that's what the World Cup is.

They have qualified to the past 2 Euros. Plus qualifying for the World Cup when there were 5 teams qualifying out of Europe was hard when there are I think 13 teams on the men's side. Now I think that there is around 8, but still 5 less teams make it out of Europe on the women's side. Iceland can win at the international level, because they are well structured. I think it's easy to say well no one has done it with a populationunder 40 million, but didn't Uruguay win 2 World Cups with less than 5 million? So it's a bull argument. It's a challenge for smaller countries, but you only need around 40 players from a group of  20 years and you have enough depth. 

[Vic]

I stand corrected.  However, Uruguay won the first ever WC and another 70 years ago. Since then no one under 40 million has won either.  70 years is pretty strong proof.

The Icelandic women have never qualified for a World Cup.

It's called the World Cup but it's more about size than geography.  85% of the world has little chance of winning.

 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Vic

[Blackdude]

 

2 hours ago, Vic said:

I stand corrected.  However, Uruguay won the first ever WC and another 70 years ago. Since then no one under 40 million has won either.  70 years is pretty strong proof.

The Icelandic women have never qualified for a World Cup.

It's called the World Cup but it's more about size than geography.  85% of the world has little chance of winning.

 

But Iceland women just beat Germany in a WCQ in Germany. So, while you are maybe at a disadvantage, I think what you are saying is just a statistics that sure it helps to have a big population, but it's not the be all end all. 3 of the 4 most populated countries have played in a total of 2 Men'S World Cup and 6 Women's World Cup.  So, it's not the be all end all. And to say  that because they've never made it. Also, Iceland did make  it to the last 3 Women's Euros and I do think it's worth something unlike you who only sees well they werne't able to get out of Europe which is super hard to get out of it before you'Ve done in. I still think Iceland has a shot at winning a Women's World Cup. They can beat any team in the world, now can they get a good qualifying stage and follow it with a great 3 weeks? It's not impossible. I mean Iceland winning the next Women's World Cup is a  less crazy than Greece winning EURO 2004.

[The Ref]

Audax/Corinthians from Brazil versus Colo Colo from Chile will play for the Libertadores Cup title on Saturday in Paraguay.

[tc-in-bc]

^[ 1 ]  This is a bit interesting:   the group stage  fixtures of the 2017 Copa Libertadores  Femenina  were interrupted  midway ( by a two day delay) and rescheduled  because of  a mass food poisoning. 

http://dibradoras.com.br/libertadores-de-mentira-e-as-migalhas-para-o-futebol-feminino/

[ 2 ]  A great looking goal ( maybe the goal of the tournament ) scored by Laura Romero of River Plate against Union Espanola  in group stage -- the shot was  a  bicycle kick of  the cross into the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPe0oUZgw_c

https://twitter.com/lauromeroj

Edited October 20, 2017 by tc-in-bc

[Vic]

There are only 7/48 countries in Europe with more than 40 million, so naturally you will always have small countries fairly deep.

Like a lot of countries in the women's game Iceland can frustrate and bunker an opponent to get a result but have slim chance of going on a run. They lost their other three games, including 3-0 to Austria who did it much better.

The men's Euro used to be more difficult to qualify for when it was just eight teams but the women's is 16 now.  And there ain't anywhere near as many great women's programs as there are in the men's game. You can run the Euro like the Dutch did and only face one quality team.  That's more difficult in the World Cup because when you get to the semi's you're not likely to face an Austria.

Regardless though the point was simply the winner statistically "always" comes from 15% of the pool. And when you consider that leaves out 200/273 countries it makes you realize why hockey went to tiers and separate tournaments and awards and promotion/relegation.  Gives more of the participants a chance to win something.