World Cup Time for pre-qualifying in the Women's game?

[Robie]

I watched and enjoyed the England game.

I then watched the Wales game with France afterwards. Wales unlucky not to earn a point versus a strong France side. There was good play from two strong teams in that game.

Anyone who hasn’t seen Women’s football for 5 years, and believes their knuckle dragging opinion of the quality of football should have any sort of credibility, should pick this game to watch back to reeducate themselves.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Why?

 

[bazzer9461]

It’s embarrassing for football that teams can be regularly beaten by big scores and very demoralising for the players on the losing side.
There should be a qualifying system for teams of this ilk.
Every country has the right to enter an international sporting competition, but for countries that would suffer humiliation nearly every time they compete then I think there should be a qualifying round.
Off course a great result for England but it was embarrassing and how can such a one sided game be of interest? Boring more like.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I'd have thought that one of the points of pre-qualification for the weaker nations (in either the men's or women's competitions) is that it gives them something to aim for. As it is, San Marino or Latvia (as examples) just get plonked into a group from which they have very little hope of getting any sort of positive result. In a qualifying tournament, they would be against other nations at a similar level and would have a much more realistic change of wining a game or two and have the carrot of actually qualifying for the world cup - which would be a massive achievement.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Have I missed something?

There is literally one poster on this thread who has questioned the quality of the women's game (although I may be missing a couple of those on my 'ignore' list!). That is not the point. The mismatch is the point.

 

[ECYellow]

I watched and enjoyed the England game.

I then watched the Wales game with France afterwards. Wales unlucky not to earn a point versus a strong France side. There was good play from two strong teams in that game.

Anyone who hasn’t seen Women’s football for 5 years, and believes their knuckle dragging opinion of the quality of football should have any sort of credibility, should pick this game to watch back to reeducate themselves.

How can you enjoy a GK not being able to kick the ball beyond the 18 yard box from a goal kick?? For anyone that doesn't know what i'm on about, check out England's 18th goal last night.

It isn't a knuckle dragging opinion, it is a decision based upon what you can be seen before our very eyes! Look at the scores in the women's game last night for an idea of the 'quality' on offer:

England 20 Latvia 0
Ireland 11 Georgia 0
Luxemborg 0 Austria 8
Spain 8 Scotland 0

If you choose to watch and enjoy the kind of spectacle that is on offer, then good for you. No problems with that. However, please do not be that guy that decides that anyone who chooses to question the 'product' and decides to not tune in to 20-0 stuffing's must have 'knuckle dragging opinions'.

Someone else mentioned the 10,000+ crowd. For balance, these were the ticket prices for last night's game:

£15.00 – Category 1 (Full Price Adult)
£5.00 – Concessions (Over 60's & 18-24)
£2.50 – Child (Under 16s)

For group bookings of 9 or more, please use the Group tab when booking tickets. Group prices:
£7.50 – Category 1 (Full Price Adult)
£5.00 – Concessions (Over 60's & 18-24)
£2.50 – Child (Under 16s)

There is plenty of peddling of the women's game in the media and on various social platforms, not sure it is needed here too.

 

[Big Ron]

How can you enjoy a GK not being able to kick the ball beyond the 18 yard box from a goal kick?? For anyone that doesn't know what i'm on about, check out England's 18th goal last night.

It isn't a knuckle dragging opinion, it is a decision based upon what you can be seen before our very eyes! Look at the scores in the women's game last night for an idea of the 'quality' on offer:

England 20 Latvia 0
Ireland 11 Georgia 0
Luxemborg 0 Austria 8
Spain 8 Scotland 0

If you choose to watch and enjoy the kind of spectacle that is on offer, then good for you. No problems with that. However, please do not be that guy that decides that anyone who chooses to question the 'product' and decides to not tune in to 20-0 stuffing's must have 'knuckle dragging opinions'.

Someone else mentioned the 10,000+ crowd. For balance, these were the ticket prices for last night's game:

£15.00 – Category 1 (Full Price Adult)
£5.00 – Concessions (Over 60's & 18-24)
£2.50 – Child (Under 16s)

For group bookings of 9 or more, please use the Group tab when booking tickets. Group prices:
£7.50 – Category 1 (Full Price Adult)
£5.00 – Concessions (Over 60's & 18-24)
£2.50 – Child (Under 16s)

There is plenty of peddling of the women's game in the media and on various social platforms, not sure it is needed here too.

I tuned in for a while and turned off fairly soon after - it was an embarrassing mismatch and I found no viewing pleasure in it.

However, for someone who posts a lot of good sense on this board, that last comment is small minded and ignorant. We should all just ignore women's football because there's plenty 'peddled' elsewhere and it's not 'needed' here? How about you just ignore the thread rather than question its worthiness? There's plenty of what I consider to be rubbish on other threads, so I've stopped engaging with it, rather than saying it shouldn't be here.

 

[boogaloo]

Women’s football is absolutely rubbish and the most unwatchable sport imaginable. I watched 15 minutes of it about 5 years ago and that was enough for me, haven’t watched a minute since and have no interest in it. The standard is atrocious and that was an international match I watched quarter of an hour of. In my opinion it’s local pub league football at best and anyone of Oxfordshire’s semi professional sides would rack up double figures, without reply, against any women‘s side you care to mention.

20-0 is just ridiculous and for SSN to donate time and reporting of this is an absolute joke. This is the sort of ‘result’ you get in the school playground during lunch hour and Sky should wash their hands of this comedy until the standard sufficiently improves. I see an 11-0 also flash up on SSN.

Hmm, there's always one. If you only watched 15 mins of it 5 years ago, I don't see how you're in any position to comment on the quality of women's football. I suggest the Women's World Cup, where you see the likes of England, Canada, USA, Brazil, Germany battling it out. The standard of play is very good - the only noticeable difference from the men's game are the power in the shots, and they don't roll around on the floor from the slightest touch or brandish imaginary yellow-cards, which is a good thing.

Admittedly it is quite strange to see the sport being dominated by a team that insist on calling is 'Soccer', but the talent is definitely there. As for pub league comparisons - you're just being silly.

 

[holdsteady]

Hmm, there's always one. If you only watched 15 mins of it 5 years ago, I don't see how you're in any position to comment on the quality of women's football. I suggest the Women's World Cup, where you see the likes of England, Canada, USA, Brazil, Germany battling it out. The standard of play is very good - the only noticeable difference from the men's game are the power in the shots, and they don't roll around on the floor from the slightest touch or brandish imaginary yellow-cards, which is a good thing.

Admittedly it is quite strange to see the sport being dominated by a team that insist on calling is 'Soccer', but the talent is definitely there. As for pub league comparisons - you're just being silly.

It’s noticeable that the quality is a lot lower than the men’s game, no need to pretend it’s not, the best women’s team in the world would struggle in the semi pro leagues in England.

But it’s not all about quality, we would get destroyed over a season in the premier league and I enjoy watching us play as do thousands of others so that’s not an issue, entertainment factor is not wholly about skill, some of my favourite boxing fights I have watched have been between two domestic level fighters who have gone to war for twelve rounds, both will never be world champions but you can still appreciate the commitment and heart and enjoy a close contest where you don’t know who will win.

People do women’s sport no favours by trying to compare it to the men’s versions and make it is somehow equal (or better) in terms of skill, better to take it on its own merits and, like anything, enjoy it for what it’s worth.

You won’t be finding Oxfords 0 - 0 with Rotherham on Saturday gone being lauded world wide as elite level football but most people (me included) really enjoyed.

 

[Wallop]

I don't buy this feel sorry for them malarky. If I was an amateur/semi-pro footballer for San Marino, Gibraltar or the like, I would absolutely love to be playing against the big dogs in qualifying.

'Sorry boss I can't come to work on Tuesday or Wednesday next week as I've got Germany away so need to get to the Olympiastadion and back.'

So what if you lose 10-0? Not many bus drivers can say they played in those types of stadium.

Not sure the Keepmoat Stadium is in the same bracket but I’ll take a good look next Tuesday

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I think so far as comparisons between men's and women's versions of the same sport are concerned, it's a bit of a false argument anyway. The women aren't competing with the men on the pitch, so which level of women's team could be competitive with which level of men's is totally meaningless. Not what this thread was about anyway - that was about the relative strength of international teams within the women's game.

Not all of us like all forms of sport anyway. I'd suggest just ignoring the bits that don't interest you - I do so with F1. I don't understand the appeal, and find it very dull - so I don't watch it or waste my time reading about it...

 

[Wallop]

I'd have thought that one of the points of pre-qualification for the weaker nations (in either the men's or women's competitions) is that it gives them something to aim for. As it is, San Marino or Latvia (as examples) just get plonked into a group from which they have very little hope of getting any sort of positive result. In a qualifying tournament, they would be against other nations at a similar level and would have a much more realistic change of wining a game or two and have the carrot of actually qualifying for the world cup - which would be a massive achievement.

They wouldn’t, the winners of the pre-qualifying would only qualify to play against the better sides in the main qualifying competition.

 

[unification]

They wouldn’t, the winners of the pre-qualifying would only qualify to play against the better sides in the main qualifying competition.

That's the way it should be and it's why the Nations League is a good idea. If you progress against similar level teams, you're rewarded with a trip to bigger nations and a chance for qualifying for the major finals.

As for the women's football 'debate', just because you have a forum to air your thoughts, if you've got nothing to add, why bother saying anything at all? Likewise with @ZeroTheHero, I have no interest in Formula 1. If someone started a thread on it on here, I'd mute it so it didn't clog up the threads I want to read about.

Also, one of the oft used criticisms of women's football is 'they'd be beaten by an U15s team/pub team etc'. Why would you want to watch women get beaten by people of the opposite sex? They're playing each other and are physiologically matched to do so. You don't see athletics fans bemoan Elaine Thomson's impressive gold medal time of 10.61 in the 100m Olympic final in Tokyo with 'pah, she's rubbish 'cause Usain Bolt is way faster at 100m'.

Womens' sport uses all the same principles played in a different style. I would admit women' football isn't as good as mens' football but is deserving of merit, attention and - most importantly - proof that the beautiful game is open to everyone.

 

[Osei Yaw]

Not sure the Keepmoat Stadium is in the same bracket but I’ll take a good look next Tuesday

My point was mainly about the idea that semi-professionals would feel embarrassed and worthy of sympathy by getting outclassed by elite athletes in either men's or women's football. If I was one of these lesser players in a small nation, I wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me. Surely better to be the guy that got constantly outclassed but played in massive stadiums against world class players than the guy that sat at home sneering at his TV?

I appreciate this is nothing to do with your reply, just wanted to reiterate my point. Although, saying that, this is where Latvia Women played their last home game (a 10-0 defeat to England):

daugava stadium - Hledat Googlem

www.google.com

So the Keepmoat probably does feel like a good day out.

 

[Essexyellows]

Some bookmakers didn`t even offer odds on the "match".

The only thing that can be said in its favour is that both teams had the right number of players of the correct sex.

Any terms of it being a "match" beyond that were gone from the first whistle.

Yes, the Women's WC needs pre-qualifying as this has done nothing for anyone involved except belittling the pinnacle of the women's game.

 

[Wallop]

My point was mainly about the idea that semi-professionals would feel embarrassed and worthy of sympathy by getting outclassed by elite athletes in either men's or women's football. If I was one of these lesser players in a small nation, I wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me. Surely better to be the guy that got constantly outclassed but played in massive stadiums against world class players than the guy that sat at home sneering at his TV?

I appreciate this is nothing to do with your reply, just wanted to reiterate my point. Although, saying that, this is where Latvia Women played their last home game (a 10-0 defeat to England):

daugava stadium - Hledat Googlem

www.google.com

So the Keepmoat probably does feel like a good day out.

Proper old school Eastern bloc but with less concrete - it has the obligatory athletics track though!

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

My point was mainly about the idea that semi-professionals would feel embarrassed and worthy of sympathy by getting outclassed by elite athletes in either men's or women's football. If I was one of these lesser players in a small nation, I wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me. Surely better to be the guy that got constantly outclassed but played in massive stadiums against world class players than the guy that sat at home sneering at his TV?

First of all I’m not sure how ‘feeling sorry for them’ translates into ‘sneering’. Is sympathy sneering now?!

Secondly, if you watch their faces and body language as the 8th, 9th, 10th goals go in, they’re not just happy to be there, they are embarrassed, angry, humiliated. It’s nice for them to get a chance to play the big teams, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that, for me, a decent person is a bit embarrassed to watch professionals on £250k a week bang 10+ goals past amateur San Marinians, rather than sitting there lapping it up, cheering and shouting ‘We want 11!’

 

[Osei Yaw]

First of all I’m not sure how ‘feeling sorry for them’ translates into ‘sneering’. Is sympathy sneering now?!

Secondly, if you watch their faces and body language as the 8th, 9th, 10th goals go in, they’re not just happy to be there, they are embarrassed, angry, humiliated. It’s nice for them to get a chance to play the big teams, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that, for me, a decent person is a bit embarrassed to watch professionals on £250k a week bang 10+ goals past amateur San Marinians, rather than sitting there lapping it up, cheering and shouting ‘We want 11!’

First of all, it doesn't translate. I didn't say it did. Some people feel sorry for them, others sneer. Some chant 'we want 11!'. There's a real range and I'm not sure we have covered them all off.

Secondly, I guess you are talking about England v San Marino from the other week and not the Lionesses fearless mauling of the Sarkanbaltsarkanie last night? In which case, I can say I watched all of the goals and I only saw the faces of the England players as they celebrated kicking and heading the ball into the net, and they seemed very happy which was nice. I'm not an expert on San Marino body language but I'm guessing they could be disappointed because the losing margin was greater than they hoped for. Maybe they also had money on the Asian handicap and realised they had lost it when the Tyrone Mings express arrived to knock the 8th in. I really don't know. But, when it's all said and done, they'll be able to say they got in the arena with world class players and they have my respect.

Also those types of games are useful for the bigger teams to give international experience to fringe players.

 

[Sarge]

First of all, it doesn't translate. I didn't say it did. Some people feel sorry for them, others sneer. Some chant 'we want 11!'. There's a real range and I'm not sure we have covered them all off.

Secondly, I guess you are talking about England v San Marino from the other week and not the Lionesses fearless mauling of the Sarkanbaltsarkanie last night? In which case, I can say I watched all of the goals and I only saw the faces of the England players as they celebrated kicking and heading the ball into the net, and they seemed very happy which was nice. I'm not an expert on San Marino body language but I'm guessing they could be disappointed because the losing margin was greater than they hoped for. Maybe they also had money on the Asian handicap and realised they had lost it when the Tyrone Mings express arrived to knock the 8th in. I really don't know. But, when it's all said and done, they'll be able to say they got in the arena with world class players and they have my respect.

Also those types of games are useful for the bigger teams to give international experience to fringe players.

in a sort of PJT of international football?

perhaps the bigger countries should field U21 players or something like that

Imagine scorelines such as England U21s 5 Scotland 0

 

[bashamwonderland]

Mrs Lounger and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The standard of football played by England was good and the score was as a result of the players not sitting back and being satisfied at 2 or 3 nil. Granted, Latvia are not one of the leading exponents of the game and England will face far stiffer opposition as the competition develops.
To those blinkered opinions of the women's game, shame on you. Over 10,000 were at the game, played at Doncaster's Keepmoat stadium.

Free tickets.