The first trick of this World Cup is done, the point goes to the USA. Megan Rapinoe forestalled FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “I think this will be – like every World Cup – by far the best World Cup, you will see the best product on the field,” said the superstar of the US team. It wasn’t entirely clear whether she was being serious or ironic. Usually in traditional football folklore, this phrase is reserved for Infantino. If a tournament like this one for women begins, then according to the propaganda of the Fifa boss, it will always be the most excellent, most beautiful, greatest in history.
Whether this can really be redeemed cannot be reliably predicted with this ninth edition of the format. It is true that two host countries are a first in the history of women’s football, as is the venue in the southern hemisphere. However, never before have more teams participated. 32 will romp in the ten venues in Australia and New Zealand. More than at any other tournament so far.
At the first World Cup in 1991 in China, just twelve teams took part. Eight nations are now making their World Cup debuts, including Haiti, Panama and Vietnam. The question is therefore whether the width is an enrichment or whether the level of the games will initially suffer. “This is a milestone for many nations. We’ll have to wait and see whether there will be a lot of high results,” said Joti Chatzialexiou, who is responsible for all national teams at the German Football Association (DFB).
Fifa needs to give away cards to fill arenas
It is also questionable how the mood in the stadiums will be. The last European Championship in England should serve as a yardstick, which was a football festival thanks to the fans and well-filled stadiums, crowned by the hosts winning the title in the final against the German team. She, too, fell into the frenzy of the tournament – and so did her homeland. “Poppi”, meaning DFB goalscorer Alexandra Popp, was suddenly on everyone’s lips.
also read
Sustainable muscle building
With co-hosts New Zealand, on the other hand, the party has to be given a helping hand. As a precaution, Fifa gave away 20,000 tickets to combat the lack of interest in the country. “Whether you’re a hobbyist or an expert, this is your chance to get involved!” ex-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tweeted on Instagram. But it is clear that a fringe sport has to beg for attention from a rugby nation.
New Zealand will open the World Cup this Thursday against Norway at Eden Park in Aotearoa. ARD broadcasts the game (9:00 a.m. CEST)
What: pa/Photosport
In Australia, the distances for the traveling fans are enormous. For example, if you want to travel from Brisbane on the east coast to the Western Australian city of Perth, you have to travel more than 4300 kilometers by land. A flight takes between four and five hours. In the group stage, teams remain in one country, but from the knockout stage onwards they have to fly back and forth between countries. Many top players will also miss the tournament for various reasons, mostly injury-related.
The Bayern professionals Giulia Gwinn and Linda Dallmann, who were unable to recover in time after their injuries, are missing from the DFB squad. The same applies to defender Becky Sauerbrunn, midfielder Mallory Swanson (both USA), England captain Leah Williamson or striker Beth Mead, who scored six goals for the “Lionesses” last year to the European Championship title.
With the Dutch Vivianne Miedema and the French Marie-Antoinette Katoto as well as Delphine Cascarino, other top strikers had to quit the tournament injured. Costa Rican legend Shirley Cruz, on the other hand, is missing for political reasons, according to the “ffussball” portal – the 37-year-old attacker is said to have strongly criticized her association. And Christiane Endler, 2021 world goalkeeper, failed with Chile in qualifying.
Rapinoe can keep making history
In return, Megan Rapinoe’s farewell tour can be attended. The 38-year-old US striker, on and off the field the most influential personality in women’s football in this decade and the past, will in all likelihood no longer play a central role in the US team, but rather as a reserve player.
After 2015 and 2019, however, she can become world champion for the third time in a row before, as she recently announced, she will end her career at the end of the current NWSL season. More than a decade ago, she came out as homosexual, throwing the door wide open for many women. She knelt in solidarity with black footballer Colin Kaepernick when many did not dare. And she fought resolutely for equal pay for men and women in her own football association. He gave in last year.
This is where you will find content from Instagram
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
It’s her fourth World Cup. When she won the title in France in 2019 and was honored as the best player and top scorer, she announced that she did not want to go to the “fucking White House” to honor US President Donald Trump at the time. Last year she did it after all, because the landlord was someone else. Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rapinoe is the first footballer to be honored with it. She doesn’t deserve any more. And also the title?
The USA have always been among the favourites, and this time too. The German team has ranked itself there, despite mixed performances this year. “It’s our big goal to reach the final, and then, as our ex-coach Horst Hrubesch always said, ‘it doesn’t make sense to lose there,'” said first-choice goalkeeper Merle Frohms. At the DFB, the association leadership hopes that after all the disillusionment and embarrassment of the men’s national team, “our women will kiss the German football fans awake again this summer”, as team boss Chatzialexiou once put it.
It won’t be an easy mission. The United States holds the record with four world titles. The German team triumphed twice, but has not made it to the final since 2007. But that doesn’t seem to bother me. Striker Svenja Huth, for example, reported on the flight to Australia: “My wife said: See you in six weeks!” That would be on August 20th, the final day of this World Cup.
also read
