Cup shows that women’s football powers are different – 03/08/2023 – Sport

Once the round of 16 of the women’s World Cup has been decided, there are only three countries among the 16 survivors that have won the men’s World Cup. This is not an aberration, although the current dispute has been marked by underdogs. The balance of forces is totally different in women’s football.

Only one team in history has won both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Germany, four times champion in the men’s championship (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014), triumphed in the women’s championship twice (2003 and 2007). And the German formation, which is not going through its best moment, was in the first phase in the competition that is being disputed in Australia and New Zealand.

Women’s football, it is true, has a shorter trajectory, with its first Cup held only in 1991. But the list of winning teams since the first edition, 32 years ago, already gives a good demonstration that the terrain is very different in comparison with the traditional men’s dispute.

It is illustrative that the great champion is the United States, which never gave much attention to men’s soccer. Ranked third in the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the US team has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals with its men since then. With the women, she won four of the eight contests held to date (1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019).

The brutal difference in performance contributed to ending another brutal difference. The players reached an agreement with the national federation, US Soccer, for their prizes to be matched to those received by representatives of the men’s team. It was an achievement quite celebrated by the athletes.

The list of world champions also has two countries that have never had long campaigns in the men’s World Cup. Norway was the winner of the championship in 1995, held in Sweden. In the 2011 edition, with the clashes taking place in Germany, it was Japan’s turn to lift the trophy.

Now, in Oceania, Spain, France and England are the teams with men’s titles that still have a chance to fight for the women’s cup. The English, who won the Eurocup last year, are among the favorites and advanced with 100% success in their group. In the round of 16, they will face Nigeria.

The trajectory began with sweaty victories over Haiti and Denmark, both by 1 to 0. In the sequence, the team found its best football and made 6 to 1 in China. The triumph, however, was obtained at a high cost, as the excellent midfielder Keira Walsh had an injury to her right knee. There was no torn ligament, but it remains to be seen whether she will be available again for the tournament.