World Cup Women’s world cup

[Steve Gilbert]

The women’s World Cup starts in just under 2 weeks.

The women play their games at following times:

Saturday 22nd July, 10.30am - Haiti (ITV)
Friday 28th July, 9.30am - Denmark (BBC)
Tuesday 1st August, 12pm - China (ITV)

I expect us to get out of the group with ease but I’m just not sure we will go all the way due to players like Kirby, Meads & Williamson missing.

 

[tonyw]

Kicks off tomorrow, doesn't it?

The progressive in me really wishes that I was as excited about this as I was about Qatar this year. But I'm honestly not.

A combination of a) the slower pace of the games, b) the fact that half of them are kicking off in the middle of the night over here (NZ - Norway seems on paper like a decent game to get the tournament underway.....but 3am ET kickoff? Maybe not), and c) there's still too much of a gap in Women's football between the best sides in the world and the minnows such that it feels like there's no chance at all of any of the big guns failing to advance. Women's football needs its Francois Omam-Biyik moment before the group stages will really be worth watching.

 

[holdsteady]

I will probably watch the England games or at least pay attention to the scores, if we get deep into the knockout stage my interest will go up but other than that I can’t lie and pretend I am that bothered. Mind you I don’t really follow the African, South American etc men’s championships so it might just be that I have reached my limit of football I can follow with Oxford, England (men’s) and English football in general.

I am still more interested than my wife and step daughter though, they don’t like football much but follow England men’s international tournaments but have no interest in this one.

 

[oufc1991]

I will probably get more interested the further England go abit like when we won the Euros

I couldn't name half of the team's in the tournament but I predict England Vs USA final ( guessing USA are at the tournament)

 

[bashamwonderland]

Might watch the Haiti game, will be good for a laugh.

 

[unification]

I will probably get more interested the further England go abit like when we won the Euros

I couldn't name half of the team's in the tournament but I predict England Vs USA final ( guessing USA are at the tournament)

I can’t see England getting that far. Some of the stars of 2022 aren’t going to be there. No captain in Leah Williamson, no Beth Mead, no Ellen White, no Steph Houghton and no Jill Scott. Millie Bright only just returning from injury and Lucy Bronze too. Wiegman has had to go back and select a few of the more fringe players for the squad as well. Laura Coombs is there at 32 years old with only five caps to her name for example. Recent results suggest a youngish team trying to find its way as well.

They’ll batter the bejesus out of Haiti though.

As for the tournament, I’m like others. I’ll watch bits and pieces but unlike the men’s World Cup, I don’t feel invested enough to watch all of it. That said, it’s becoming a bigger and bigger competition with each tournament and that’s great to see. I know women’s football is still sneered at by some people (if you don’t like it, don’t watch it. Why belittle something that gives pleasure to those who do want to watch it?) but the colour of their money is as good as anyone else’s and it is always valued being spent on OUFC, be it the men’s team, women’s team or both. There is a definite Twitter fandom developing over women’s players by fans of the women’s game now and that’s healthy for the sport. It’s progress to make the sport we all lover more inclusive because it has no excuse not to be.

 

[SteMerritt]

New Zealand beat Norway 1-0 in the opening game.

 

[m]

New Zealand beat Norway 1-0 in the opening game.

Probably a more interesting watch than the equivalent in the men's were it to happen.

 

[SteMerritt]

Probably a more interesting watch than the equivalent in the men's were it to happen.

I had the game on in a small window whilst working, it was a decent game from what I saw of it.

 

[Malc]

My forecast for the final....
same as last time,
USA v Netherlands

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I watched quite a lot of the opening game and enjoyed it.

It *really* helps if you take it on it's own merits rather than mentally comparing it to the men's game.

Mind you with the choice at 11am being between the second day of the test match and the second womens WC match, I know what I'll be concentrating on!

 

[SteMerritt]

I watched quite a lot of the opening game and enjoyed it.

It *really* helps if you take it on it's own merits rather than mentally comparing it to the men's game.

Mind you with the choice at 11am being between the second day of the test match and the second womens WC match, I know what I'll be concentrating on!

Hopefully a bad day for Australia at both ends of the globe.

 

[chuckbert]

Hopefully a bad day for Australia at both ends of the globe.

Carn you yellows

 

[holdsteady]

I watched quite a lot of the opening game and enjoyed it.

It *really* helps if you take it on it's own merits rather than mentally comparing it to the men's game.

Mind you with the choice at 11am being between the second day of the test match and the second womens WC match, I know what I'll be concentrating on!

I think the comparison thing works both ways, I find it annoying when people make comments like “we should send the women’s team as they know how to win” etc, the comparison doesn’t help as it’s obvious which tournament is far harder to win.

Like any sporting event you just have to take them on their own merits to really enjoy them, like how league one football is still enjoyable to watch even though it’s obviously not the pinnacle of sport.

 

[QR]

Women's football needs its Francois Omam-Biyik moment before the group stages will really be worth watching.

But definitely not this....

 

[SteMerritt]

But definitely not this....

Absolute classic clip . I'd forgotten that game was refereed by Chris Barrie.

 

[tonyw]

But definitely not this....

Which in turn always makes me want to watch this:

 

[tonyw]

My forecast for the final....
same as last time,
USA v Netherlands

You'll be able to get a preview on Wednesday then!

 

[Sarge]

Bbc radox Robyn Cowan commentating the Spain v Costa Rica game live on bbc2 currently

 

[SteMerritt]

Bbc radox Robyn Cowan commentating the Spain v Costa Rica game live on bbc2 currently

The game at the moment is a bit mental, it's like watching a match on fast forward. All one-way traffic as well, everything in the Costa Rica final third. I expect it'll settle down soon, they can't keep this pace up for 90mins.