Coupe du Monde la Feminine

Due to a curious combination of fully supporting equal rights, running a women's world cup pool at work, and a fascination with Messi large enough to spill and swamp massive areas of world soccer, I have been following this 2019 World Cup avidly. And though we are still in the midst of the group stages I have watched many games and learned a lot so far. It's not all pretty. It's not necessarily what I would have expected. But it is what I have to share with you today.


1. The Women's World Cup is a bit static and second rate.

Whereas The Coupe du Monde la Feminine is one of the greatest sporting events in the world!


2. There is no women's Messi.

There could be. There will be. There are great, standout talents at this Coupe, but seven or eight of them are on a roughly similar level. This is how it should be and usually is. The likes of a Messi, a Gretsky, or a Steffi Graf, are once in a lifetime, or, er, three times in a lifetime, I guess?


3. Women's soccer is more physical than the men's.

A little less violent, yes,  but more physical, to the point where sometimes the players prefer to wrestle over the space in front of the ball without so much interest in the ball itself.


4. The Women's game is still developing.

You can tell the women's game is still developing by the way all the announcers keep talking about how great everyone is and how the game is all super developed and deeper than ever. And you can also tell by there being a 13 to 0 scoreline.


5. We are not sexist.

I am finding that among the many people I talk to, in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, at my library, and here on my blog, people are every bit as uninterested in women's soccer as they have been in men's.