Off-season blues?
With the English Premier League, Champions league and other major leagues all over for the season, we can hear all you fanatics lamenting the lack of football action! Well, there is the S-League... (I can hear the groans already)... and the huge soccer event happening quietly right under our noses - the Fifa Women's World Cup (WWC)!
Also, the S-League (sorry, Singapore Premier League) isn't that bad actually!
Hosted in 9 cities across France including Paris and Lyon, the World Cup runs from 7 June to 7 July 2019 and to entice you to check the games out, here are some snack-sized fun facts of the WWC (or Women’s soccer in general):
10 interesting facts about the WWC & Women's soccer
1. This is the 8th edition of the WWC. The first official FIFA WWC was held in 1991 where 12 teams took part in the inaugural tournament in China. Only six countries have ever hosted the WWC, with China and USA hosting it twice each and Canada, France Germany and Sweden hosting it once.
2. Three countries have participated in the WWC without ever qualifying for the Men’s version - Taiwan, Thailand and Equatorial Guinea!
Thailand's Women team, nicknamed Chaba Kaew,
are quite the formidable force in Asia!
3. USA is the reigning champion - they won against Japan in the 2015's edition held in Canada. Leading up to this year's WWC, USA has won three world cups. In fact, they've achieved an impressive top three position (at least) in all the WWC thus far!
4. In terms of world ranking, USA is currently first, with Germany, England and France at second, third and fourth respectively.
USA has plenty to cheer about with their performances so far.
5. There are 24 teams in this year's WWC with four teams from Asia - Japan, Korea, China and our near-neighbour Thailand. In fact, this is Thailand’s second rodeo at the World cup, they first qualified for the 2015 edition where they recorded two losses and a historic win (against Ivory Coast).
6. Japan, the most successful team from the Asian Football Confederation, has participated in all 8 WWC editions. They won USA in 2011's edition through penalties after drawing 2-2 in regulation time with USA.
The Nadeshiko Japan are certainly no pushovers, even on the world stage!
7. USA’s 13-0 rout of Thailand last week was the biggest win ever recorded in both Women's and Men’s World Cup history.
8. Back in March, the US women’s soccer team filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. Reportedly, the women make only 38% of what their male counterparts make despite their achievements which include three World Cups and four Olympic golds.
Sorry cricket, you will have to play second fiddle for now!
9. England's match against Scotland attracted an average TV audience of 4.6 million, morphing the 550 000 average for England Men's cricket game in the Cricket World Cup that is happening concurrently. For those unfamiliar with the sport, cricket has long held the status as a popular British summer sport.
Formiga means 'Ant' in Portuguese, a tribute to her
playing style - tenacious and unselfish!
10. Brazilian footballer Miraildes Maciel Mota (nickname: Formiga) has participated in 7 out of the 8 WWCs. She first started playing for the national team at only 17, taking part in the 1995 edition. This year, she's 41 and has already played both games for Brazil in the 2019 WWC!
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If these facts are still not able to convince you to at least check out youtube videos on the the WWC, we rest our case! PS. For the rest of you, check out Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler heroics in the second half against USA.