OK, an observation about women's soccer

[musiclawyer]

Soccer haters please ignore. This is for the DU soccer fans. First I was going to post in the football/soccer forum but wanted more eyeballs. Anyhow my point is that regardless of how magnificent and skilled the women are, there will never be more than 6 or 7 counties that will have a real chance of being world champion. (I'm not talking about club ball; I'm talking world cup). And that's in perhaps 10 years. Right now only 4 countries realistically went into theis year's world cup with a chance of being crowned champion. This is very different than the men's game where even a team ranked in the teans might win a world cup with a few breaks. The chance to win creates excitement and interest for nations all over the globe. But this will never happen in the women's game. And that's a shame. It will be kind of like skiing where only a few countries compete, so the magnificent accomplishment of being world champion is not appreciated by the whole world. Several women's teams did not even belong in the World Cup this year. And time won't make things that much better. The type of money and infrastruacture required to field a world class team is simply beyond the reach ( or inclination ) of many countries. So you'll have the same ole bunch fighting for supremecy-- Norway, Germany, USA, Brazil, and the occasional other Euro or Asian team that's hot that particular year --and that's it. It's kind of depressing because I would like the women's players(and thier game) to get the recognition they deserve.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. What makes you think other countries can't get up to that level?

Loads of countries could get to the level that Norway has achieved, with just a bit more enthusiasm - they have far more potential players. And the men's game shows precisely why it is possible. If anything, the success of Norway shows it's more possible for varied countries to win than in the men's game - no country as small as Norway has won the men's World Cup after World War 2.

[musiclawyer]

2. Norway is of the teams that can already win a WC

Look at what happened this morning. Brazil showed what it takes to win it all. Do you think soccer federations of France and Spain and Italy, and Mexico want to put the kind of resources necessary to find and nurture a dozen Marta's. Not a chance. They've got enough problems to deal with onthe men's side alone. In women;s soccer the rich are gonna get richer and the poor are gonna get poorer--that's my prediction.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Yes, I do think France, Spain and Italy have the resources

they're rich countries - richer than Brazil. They have far more resources, in terms of both population and money, than Norway, potentially. Mexico may not be as rich as those, but they have a large potential population to choose from. China has a huge population - and resources to put into it, as it's doing with other sports.

[GOPisEvil]

4. The first women's world cup was 1991.

The men have been playing them a lot longer. My point is that the game now is better and deeper than it was in 1999, and it's growing exponentially. I bet the level of play across the board will be better still in 2011.

These things take time. Be patient. Oh, and support the new women's league that starts in 2009. More professional leagues will help the international game.