#2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

[justinssportscorner]

Ken Schultz at Outsports:

Megan Rapinoe has had a rough couple of days. Ever since her penalty kick miss played a significant role in the USWNT’s elimination at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a seemingly endless online troll parade has made her into the symbol of the team’s failure this year. If you search “Megan Rapinoe” on Twitter, it’s like asking, “Hey Siri, show me what it looks like when the internet’s worst people are happy.” I never knew so many eagle avatars rooted for the USA to fail. Even former President Donald Trump weighed in, taking a victory lap while America lost and leveling a bit of smack talk in Rapinoe’s direction. Clearly he has nothing else going on. As I wrote a few months ago, when Pride pisses off the right people, that means it’s doing its job. Based on the type of people who are celebrating one of Rapinoe’s few public defeats, she’s one of the greatest representatives of Pride in sports history. Instead of destroying her reputation, the alt-right backlash only serves to affirm it.

These politically motivated attacks were inevitable after Rapinoe willingly accepted the mantle of athlete activist, fighting back against Trump during the USWNT’s victorious World Cup run in 2019, advocating for transgender rights, and kneeling during the national anthem to protest systemic racism. [...] Yes, the USWNT’s lackluster play was dispiriting to watch over the last month, and the results of this World Cup were alternately depressing and maddening. It’s OK to feel those emotions in the wake of such a stunning disappointment.

[...] Add in the backlash she’s now facing largely from conservatives and it’s understandable that this is a very difficult moment for Rapinoe. That’s why choosing gratitude is not only better for our mental health as fans but also the best way to shout down the cacophony of howling nonentities who are trying to dim her light.

This Outsports article sums it up: Megan Rapinoe, despite that costly penalty kick miss that helped cost the Americans the game against Sweden on Sunday, has given the USWNT plenty of good moments over her career.

Off the field, Rapinoe has fought for LGBTQ+ rights (and trans rights in particular), kneeled during the National Anthem for racial justice, criticized Donald Trump, and helped usher in equal pay for the USWNT, which made right-wingers angry as heck.

See Also:

Pink News: Bitter right-wing bigots take aim at Megan Rapinoe after US crashes out of Women’s World Cup

The Guardian: The Megan Myth: what critics and fans get wrong about Rapinoe

[iinsertblognamee]

Buzzfeed; The 10 Times Sam Kerr and Y/N Arnold Made Us Believe in Love

any pictures are just for illustrative purposes, no face claim

10. They've Known Each Other for Years Before They (Finally) Started to Date

As many Matildas fans may be aware, the couple had met on the field back in 2011 when Y/N made her debut for the national team. It was Caitlin Foord (Matildas team member) who spilled the beans years later, claiming that from the moment they met, that was it. Although the pair weren't hiding their attraction to each other - when Y/N scored the second goal against Norway sending them into the next stage of the World Cup, Sam had been seen kissing Y/N during the celebration.

Picture Left; Westfield Matildas FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 squad Picture Right; Y/N Arnold scoring the second goal for Australia against Norway

In later years, Arnold was asked about the attraction between her and teammate Kerr, and she answered "We were both young when we met, she (Kerr) had taken me under her wing and a great friendship bloomed because of it. I think it was very much puppy love, rushed and a little naive - the rush of sneaking around and all that was thrilling and we liked each other enough to fall into it I guess. Feelings got hurt in the process and we removed ourselves (from the fling) before it could get too serious. She's always been my friend first and I think that really stood true during the following years and when we were both older and more mature we decided to go for it again - and here we are."

Clip; '21 Questions with Chelsea's Sam Kerr' The Women's Football.

Bonus; While being interviewed Sam Kerr admitted that she had a crush on Y/N Arnold from the moment she met her, although she didn't think the feeling was mutual. "It was our first training session together (Y/N and Sam), and we had been paired up and I was just so distracted by her that I kicked the ball too strong and hit her right in the face." she continued to explain, "I thought well that's my chance gone, though Y/N was so nice about it and even joked that she'd be able to tell our kids all about it later. Always nice to hear your crush talk about your non-existent kids." The interviewer adds, "Did she end up telling your daughter?" Sam nods her head as she laughs "It's one of Delilah's (Sam and Y/N's Daughter) favourite bedtime stories"

Turns out not even Sam Kerr can escape having a crush on Y/N Arnold. Do we blame her?

9. They Rekindled Their Romance in 2015 when both were signed on by Sky Blue FC

Picture Left; Y/N Arnold and Sam Kerr Picture Right; Y/N Arnold, Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr

Both girls were signed on in 2015, joining Matildas team member and friend, Caitlin Foord. It's not certain what exactly happened during the off-season between the pair but by the time they were both on the field the attraction to each other was obvious.

One incident included when Y/N had been involved in a rough tackle, Kerr running to aid where fans spotted Sam planting kisses on her forehead as she was looked over by the team medic. At the end of the game when asked about the incident Sam simply said " I went to check on my teammate".

Clip; Interview with Sam Kerr regarding the game

Although we don't know what was said between the pair or if kisses were shared, we can't deny the chemistry the two have.

Dating rumours started after that match, with a 'source close to the couple' claiming that 'the pair had been living together for months and were very happy. Although the hit Y/N had taken a few days before had put everything in perspective for the pair. The two of them are ready to take that next step and come out to the public'.

These claims sent fans into a spin, asking both Kerr and Arnold as well as the other Sky Blue team members about the pair. The answer simply was that they were just 'close friends'.

8. Their love language is physical touch

'Close Friends' is one way of putting it. The pair when seen together can't seem to keep their hands off each other - and we're not mad. The public displays of affection are one we're living for.

so cute

7. They post about each other

It's no secret that these two scream 'couple goals' and continue to prove it with their Instagram posts. From birthday posts to game-day celebrations these two are each other's biggest fans. (And so are we!).

and of course with the post that started it all.

Instagram post; samanthakerr20 'Guess we should make it Instagram official'.

It was Y/N Arnold's big sister who gave us the confirmation we needed, with her comment 'Been dealing with this for years, it was bad enough in person and now I have to see it on social media too?'

6. Their Families

It's not gone unnoticed that Y/N Arnold's big sister is another Matilda star, Miss Mackenzie Arnold. Who also holds the place as one of Sam's Best Friends.

Although Sam wasn't sure that was quite the case when asked in an Interview what was one of the scariest things she's ever had to do. Her answer "Telling my girlfriend's sister (Mackenzie Arnold) that we were dating." she went on to explain that the pair had been keeping their relationship private in the first few months before Mackenzie had walked in on the two of them in a comprising position. "I just remember throwing the blanket over us and trying to explain what was happening but nothing would come out, I mean was in bed with my best friend's little sister. Y/N thankfully managed to break both me and Mac out of our shock and within seconds Macca was out the door. We ended talking later that night and I was so sure that she was going to kick my ass, but instead admitted that she had known for weeks and was seeing how long it would take for us to confess."

Thank god the two besties made it through. It seems that Sam and Mackenzie aren't the only two best friends. Y/N and Sam's sister seem to be close too, with Y/N being a part of her bridal party and the Godmother to one of her children (Along with Sam).

Picture Left; Y/N Arnold, Sam Kerr, Unknown and (Bride) Maddi Picture Right; Maddi, Sam Kerr and Maddi son (Y/N and Sam's Godson)

The Aussie girls have been seen having shared Christmas with both families and Y/N mentioned in an interview that both her mum and Sam's mum would catch up with each other - as far as sharing a hotel room when the pair would come over to London to see the girls.

Seems the Arnold-Kerr families are as tight as can be.

5. Tattoos

It's not a secret that Sam loves her tattoos, showing them off whenever given the chance. But we recently learnt that Miss Y/N Arnold had given Sam her very own tattoo tribute.

Take about permanent love.

4. A wedding

Yep. That's right, the pair got married back in 2020 with family and friends to witness just before the pandemic took over. Although we still have no pictures from the ceremony itself the honeymoon photos are just as cute.

When asked about the wedding, Sam gushed about how beautiful Y/N looked in her dress (we can imagine) and said it was the best day of her life. Although we're sad we didn't get an invite in the mail - we are very happy for the couple. And of course, at the confirmation from Y/N herself that she was now Mrs Kerr (the back of her jersey is now Arnold-Kerr)

3. A Scare

Any soccer fan knows what happened on the 11th of March 2022. The collision between Y/N Arnold and a West Ham team member had the soccer world at a still.

After the game, a statement was released explaining that Y/N was at the hospital getting medical care and would be out until further notice. It was also noted that Sam would be out for the next two games.

As scary as the situation was, Sam had been by Y/N's side the whole time, when Sam scored the next goal after Y/N had been taken off she kissed her ring finger. It didn't take long after the final whistle for both Sam and Mackenize to be off the field and making their way to Y/N.

A week later Sam posted a picture of Y/N, with a thank you for all the kind wishes.

We are just glad that Y/N was okay.

2. A baby

The pair certainly know how to surprise us - on Boxing Day in Australia (2022), Sam posted a snapshot of Y/N and a bump.

Instagram post; samanthakerr20 'hey baby & baby'

Fans (and us) went wild, the comments flowing with congratulations and support from fans, friends and family members. Although we were unsure when the baby was due, we didn't have to wait too long.

The next month (January 2023) Sam posted once again.

Instagram post; samanthakerr20 'Delilah Arnold-Kerr, 21/01/2023'

And from that the newest member of the Arnold-Kerr clan was born.

In separate interviews for the Matildas, Y/N and Sam were asked about parenthood. Y/N stating 'It's definitely crazy, I mean she's been here for three months and she's already grown so fast".

Sam commenting 'Our family and friends have been really supportive and helpful y'know. Both Y/N and I training for the World Cup so the time management with a baby and training is hectic. And of course, Y/N is just superwoman, D and I are very lucky to have her in our lives."

My favourite part was when at the end the interviewer asked how parenting looked on Sam and Y/N responded 'Well she's definitely my favourite milf'.

We 100% agree with you Y/N.

1.The World Cup

Although Sam was called out of the game due to a calf injury that didn't stop her (and baby Delilah) from cheering on the girls during the match. Every time Y/N would get the ball, a cheer could be heard from Sam. Talk about a supportive wife!

And when Sam was let back on the field the next game you best believe that Y/N cheered the loudest on the field.

But it was at the end of the game when Sam ran towards the crowd, grabbing Delilah and bringing her over to Y/N - the two of them sharing a kiss as the crowds around them cheered. Their little family is forever in our hearts.

[sunsetkerr]

STAYING DOWN | s.kerr

summary: you and sam kerr are on-pitch rivals, but when you're teammate hurts sam during a game, you're the first one on the ground with her (or.. 4 times you watched sam hurt on the ground, +1 time you helped her up) [1.8k words]

pairing: on-pitch rival!reader x sam kerr

notes: I love this one a lot..

(1) 2015, FIFA Women’s World Cup - Group Stage

“did you like that one, l/n?” god, you thought. she’s insufferable. you watched as she celebrated with her team, green and gold flooded the box. it was no secret that you couldn’t stand sam kerr. the whole world knew practically, and watching her celebrate a goal whilst looking directly at you just made you hate her even more.

“piss off” you shook your head as she jogged pass you to reset play. 

“oooh” she chuckled at you, her smirk only growing, “feisty today, are we?”

commentator voiceover JP DELLACAMERA: ooh, we can see on-pitch rivals y/n l/n and sam kerr having a few words with each other after l/n just scored her goal

JACQUI OATLEY: i think they’re constantly having words if i’m honest

JP DELLACAMERA: it seems that way, doesn’t it? Kerr and l/n are one of the most interesting pairs to see on the pitch in my opinion

JACQUI OATLEY: no i completely agree, i love seeing how they egg each other on; very entertaining

JP DELLACAMERA: seeing them play each other at arsenal and chelsea, but then seeing them on a national level is just great football

JACQUI OATLEY: it’s funny to me, both great goal scorers, but they somehow always find a way to be next to each other on the pitch

JP DELLACAMERA: sweden taking a corner now… and rubensson sends it into the box and y/n l/n headers it into goal!

JACQUI OATLEY: phenomenal work from the young swede

you threw your hands in the air as sofia lifted you up. you turned around to see sam, on the ground, knocked down from the commotion in the box, with a frown etched on her face. you grinned down at her with a chuckle and shouted, “that was for you, kerr!”.

(2) 2016, WSL Season Chelsea vs Arsenal

commentator voiceover IZZY CHRISTIANSE: and sam kerr scores her third goal against arsenal! and it’s a hat-trick for sam kerr!

PIEN MEULENSTEEN: ooh! and she’s collided just outside the goals with arsenal player, y/n l/n IZZY CHRISTIANSE: looks like they hit each other pretty hard at the hips there.. kerr and l/n are both down

you groaned clutching at your hip bone. “will you watch where you’re going!” you looked over at who banged into you, of course it was her.

“you right?” she winced, holding onto her own hip.

“no thanks to you” you spat at her.

sam threw her head back in pain, “oh fuck” she hissed. you heard someone come up behind you/

“you okay, y/n?” they wrapped their arms underneath your armpits and pulled you up. it was caitlin. you were thankful to be back up on your feet, you muttered a quick thank you whilst you rubbed at your hip. “sam?” she asked her matildas teammate. caitlin always tried to be a neutral force when it came to you both, the two of you too strong willed not to butt-heads on the pitch.

“i’m good” she nodded, still groaning.

“i’ll get the trainers” catilin said before flagging over the chelsea trainers, who were already on their way out.

“come on,” caitlin patted you on the back before walking back to the centre with you. you rolled your eyes, hearing sam groan behind you. she crashed into you, and she’s complaining? figures.

(3) 2017, Algarve Cup Group Stage

you and sam were both gunning for the ball. she was behind you, trying to get the ball out from underneath you. you tried your best to hold it, but didn’t have to try for much longer as sam fell to the ground clutching her ankle. “fuck, fuck, fuck” she winced. 

you turned around, holding on the ball under your foot. you contemplated helping her up, making sure she was alright. 

“y/n!” but your teammate, lotta, was shouting at you as she had set up her position. “run down!” she shouted to you. you got the ball moving again, shaking off steph catley, ignoring sam’s cries in the background.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: looks like y/n was a little concerned for sam kerr there

JP DELLACAMERA: that’s a surprise to me

JACQUI OATLEY: l/n crosses the ball in to schelin and it’s a goal!

JP DELLACAMERA: great assist from l/n there JACQUI OATLEY: and even better shooting from schelin

JP DELLACAMERA: a great duo those two

(4) 2022, Sweden vs Australia Women's Friendlies

“that’s two, y/n” caitlin grinned at you as she came off the high from her second goal of the game. 

you chuckled and shook your head, trying to suppress your grin. “shut up caitlin, you’re a show-off” you laughed. you weren’t too fired up this game. your team hadn’t managed to score yet, but the matildas were playing better than you- they deserved to win the friendly.

“and i love every second of it” she grinned.

“i’ve got next caitlin” her voice came out of nowhere, but once you saw her your mood was ruined. sam was jogging past you both with a big grin on her face.

“yeah, sure” you scoffed, heading back to your side of the pitch. it took sam only five minutes of play to score. 

“that was for you!” she sang to you, running straight past where you watched her score. you rolled your eyes, your friendly spirit that had been present in this game was officially ruined.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: and kerr has scored on chelsea teammate zećira mušović, getting the matildas third goal for the game, with Sweden still sitting at zero. ooh, kerr has stopped celebrating. she looks to be a little bit of pain. 

JP DELLACAMERA: she’s had a few troubles with her calf, hopefully it’s nothing”

“you good?” you watched as sam limped back to her position as the game reset. 

“agh, shit” she hissed through her teeth, “my calf has been playing up” she admitted, giving it a quick rub.

“do you need a trainer?” you asked her. you stammered before adding, “y-you’re taking up my space on the pitch”.

“nah, no” sam sighed, shaking her hands as she stood up straight again, “just give me a second”.

“are you sure?” you asked

sam raised her eyebrows at you before taking a deep breath, “careful, l/n.. kinda sounds like you care”

“you’re on my half of the pitch” you almost erupted at her accusation, “get moving” you shooed her away.

(+1) 2023, FIFA Women’s World Cup Bronze Medal Match

it was the seventy-fifth minute when you watched her go down. magdelena’s tackle was brutal, you waited for the whistle to sound, but it never came. game resumed play and mags was off running with the ball as sam was on the ground clutching her calf in pain.

you jogged over to her, “are you okay?” you asked.

“fuck!” she cried, panting through the pain. 

“stop time!” you turned around and called down to the referee, but she just ignored you and continued watching play. “hey!” you called again.

“holy shit,” sam put her head on the ground, still holding her leg close.

you looked around for help, and saw the matilda’s physio running out onto the pitch to see sam. “the physio is coming” you told her, “hold on a second”.

“hey! call time!” you screamed down the pitch again, “fucking hell, she’s hurt!” 

“hey,” you watched as z held onto the ball in the box, stopping play herself. the referee finally officially stopped play and began to walk down towards yourself and sam. “she’s been down for at least a minute, you are supposed to stop play!” you shouted, “what kinda refereeing is that? bullshit”

you stayed close while the physios tried to get sam onto her feet. you knew she had just come back from injury, she was doing too much. sure, you didn’t like her. but you couldn’t help but feel inclined to make sure she was alright.

and for some obsurd reason, the feeling was still there even after the final whistle blew and you had won a bronze medal.

you found sam sitting on the pitch, her head in her hands. you hesitated before crouching down next to her, “i’m sorry about the loss” you said, holding your hand out for her.

sam looked defeated as she saw who it was, “you deserved to win” she sighed, shaking your hand.

“you did lots of great work for football sam” you admitted. you took a deep breath before continuing, “is your calf okay?”.

“it’ll be fine” she nodded. you noticed the tears in her eyes, “thanks” she whispered.

“good game” you said, before standing up and heading off.

sam sighed, “you too”.

alanna headed over to check on her captain, just having watched the exchange between you and sam. “what did she want?” your rivalry was no secret, everyone knew that you both weren’t opposed to having words after a tough game.

“to see if i was okay” sam’s tone whilst still defeated, had a hint of surprise buried beneath it.

“yeah alright” alanna scoffed, holding out her hand to help sam onto her feet, “comes over to you after we’ve lost, sounds about right”

the night had wound down for the matildas. sure, they had an afterparty to go to, but there were lots of tired girls walking the ground.

“i’m gonna sleep on the bus before we have to go out” sam chuckled, zipping up her puffer jacket. “i’m ready to party” macca chuckled, giving sam a little nudge.

“it’s a constant emotion for her” alanna laughed.

“shut up, i-“ mackenzie was cut off, your voice peaking the trio’s interest. they saw you over by the sweden bus, particularly close to your teammate, a sour look on your face.

“what the hell what that about?” you asked. “what do you mean?” mags chuckled.

your eyes widened in shock, “i mean what you did to her was totally illegal”.

“it’s football, y/n” she said simply, trying to walk onto the bus.

“that is not football and you know it” you stopped her in her tracks, continuing your conversation. “we were already up, you didn’t have to do that” you said.

“sam is a tough girl, she’ll be fine” magda didn’t seem particularly remorseful, especially not after injuring her own teammate at chelsea. “you know she just came back from injury, going after her calf like that is just not alright” you shook your head at her

“i didn’t ‘go after’ her calf-“

you cut her off, “could’ve fooled me” you laughed.

“you know what, y/n-”

“girls that’s enough!” your coach cut you both off, “we just won a bronze medal, care to cool off a little bit” she raised her voice at you both.

“don’t play dirty,” you finished, pushing past her to get onto the bus.

“rich coming from you” she said, “last season you hated her, what’s changed?”.

you paused before answering, “nothing.. i just prefer to play by the rules” you lied.

“what the fuck?” alanna whispered, shocked by your change in demeanour.

“that was.. strangely nice of her?” macca looked to sam.

“i know” sam furrowed her brows, “what the hell”

“a change of heart maybe?” alanna chuckled jokingly.

“who knows” sam shrugged. maybe you two could get along after all.

[frauenfootball]

Women's World Cup matches on FIFA+

The full replays of all the matches in the past several editions of the Women's World Cup are on the FIFA+ website.

Main archive page

2003 Women's World Cup

2007 Women's World Cup

2011 Women's World Cup

2015 Women's World Cup

2019 Women's World Cup

[leveloneandup]

As World Cup approaches, work remains for gender equity in women’s soccer

LOS ANGELES — With less than a month until the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the excitement from fans is real.

The popularity of women’s soccer has exploded in the past decade, but for many within the sport, there is still work that needs to be done in order for women’s players to reach an equitable space with their male counterparts.

On Thursday, BMO hosted a gender equity in soccer panel at BMO Stadium that included Angel City forward Christen Press, former USWNT head coach and current president of the San Diego Wave FC Jill Ellis and BMO head of loyalty and sponsorship marketing Sonya Kunke. Former USWNT defender Danielle Slaton moderated the discussion.

The panel discussed the issues surrounding women’s soccer and the strides that have been made to make the sport more global.

Women’s soccer at the national level has sustained viewership growth in the past decade, but viewership of domestic leagues in the United States has grown dramatically.

According to a report by Samba TV, viewership of the NWSL’s championship game in 2022 saw a 453% spike compared to the championship in 2021.

Ellis believes that the popularity of women’s soccer took off in 2015 when the USWNT defeated Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup to capture the team’s third FIFA Title.

Press was on that 2015 team and said the popularity of both the players and the sport changed after the win.

“Our lives changed overnight. When you’re playing in a World Cup, you’re in a bubble. You’re fully focused on performance. And so we left for the tournament living one type of lifestyle and we came back and everything was changed,” Press said.

The NWSL has benefited from the success at the global level, but Ellis believes that there is still more to be done from a resources standpoint.

“Players get on domestic flights. They don’t charter, they spend nine to 10 hours traveling,” Ellis said. “We’re suddenly increasing the number of games, but are we increasing the care for these athletes? In terms of resources, are we increasing the oversight of performance?”

Read more

[maaarine]

Bibliography: articles posted on this blog in 2023

Posted in January

To grasp how serotonin works on the brain, look to the gut (James M Shine, Psyche, Jan 03 2023)

Thousands of records shattered in historic winter warm spell in Europe (Ian Livingston, The Washington Post, Jan 02 2023)

“Il faut que tu sois belle maintenant” : en Égypte, des femmes libérées du voile restent prisonnières des diktats (Aliaa Talaat, Al-Manassa via Courrier International, 20 nov 2022)

Mystery of why Roman buildings have survived so long has been unraveled, scientists say (Katie Hunt, CNN, Jan 06 2023)

Colombia’s surrogacy market: Buying a baby for $4,000 (Lucía Franco, El País, Jan 04 2023)

How to spot an eating disorder (Phillip Aouad & Sarah Maguire, Psyche, Jan 11 2023)

UAE sparks furious backlash by appointing Abu Dhabi oil chief as president of COP28 climate summit (Sam Meredith, CNBC, Jan 12 2023)

Don’t tell me that David Carrick’s crimes were ‘unbelievable’. The problem is victims aren’t believed (Marina Hyde, The Guardian, Jan 17 2023)

Baromètre Sexisme 2023 : "La situation est alarmante", estime le Haut Conseil à l'Égalité (Juliette Geay, Radio France, 23 janvier 2023)

—

Posted in February

Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws (NPR, Feb 16 2023)

Are Men the Overlooked Reason for the Fertility Decline? (Jessica Grose, The New York Times, Feb 15 2023)

American teenage girls are experiencing high levels of emotional distress. Why? (Moira Donegan, The Guardian, Feb 16 2023)

Figures that lay bare the shocking scale of toxic influencer Andrew Tate’s reach among young men (Maya Oppenheim, The Independent, Feb 17 2023)

Why psychological research on child sex offenders is important (Meetali Devgun, Psyche, Feb 22 2023)

Derrière les chiffres des féminicides, des visages et un continuum de violences contre les femmes (Fanny Declercq, Le Soir, 27 fév 2023)

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Posted in March

English is not normal (John McWhorter, Aeon, Nov 13 2015)

Are Iranian schoolgirls being poisoned by toxic gas? (BBC News, March 03 2023)

‘Why do we need a supermodel?’: Backlash after Fifa makes Adriana Lima Women’s World Cup ambassador (Henry Belot, The Guardian, March 02 2023)

New Human Metabolism Research Upends Conventional Wisdom about How We Burn Calories (Herman Pontzer, Scientific American, Jan 01 2023)

Polish woman found guilty of aiding an abortion in landmark trial (Harriet Barber, The Telegraph, March 14 2023)

How Diet Builds Better Bones: Surprising Findings on Vitamin D, Coffee, and More (Claudia Wallis, Scientific American, Jan 01 2023)

Met police found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic (Vikram Dodd, The Guardian, March 21 2023)

Chinese Dating App Does the Swiping for Singles to Find Love (Nikki Main, Gizmodo, March 21 2023)

Aphantasia can be a gift to philosophers and critics like me (Mette Leonard Høeg, Psyche, March 20 2023)

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Posted in April

Facts Don’t Change Minds – Social Networks, Group Dialogue, and Stories Do (Anne Toomey, The LSE Impact Blog, Jan 24 2023)

Uganda’s failure to jail child rapists as teen pregnancies soar (Tamasin Ford, BBC News, April 17 2023)

Italy risks ‘ethnic replacement’ because of low birth rate and high immigration, says minister (Nick Squires, The Telegraph, April 19 2023)

Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times (Robert P Baird, The Guardian, March 30 2023)

India overtakes China to become world’s most populous country (Hannah Ellis-Petersen, The Guardian, April 24 2023)

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Posted in May

Des crèches ferment toutes les semaines, « et ce n’est pas près de s’arrêter » (Le Soir, 5 mai 2023)

People in comas showed ‘conscious-like’ brain activity as they died, study says (Hannah Devlin, The Guardian, May 01 2023)

Chinese woman appeals in battle for right to freeze her eggs (The Guardian, May 09 2023)

Women CEOs: Why companies in crisis hire minorities - and then fire them (The Guardian, DG McCullough, Aug 08 2014)

Glass cliffs: firms appoint female executives in times of crisis as a signal of change to investors (Max Reinwald and Johannes Zaia and Florian Kunze, LSE Business Review, Aug 19 2022)

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Posted in June

Afghan women in mental health crisis over bleak future (Yogita Limaye, BBC News, June 05 2023)

Support Of Amber Heard Alongside French Feminists & Cinema Figures (Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, June 05 2023)

Why is Japan redefining rape? (Tessa Wong & Sakiko Shiraishi, BBC News, June 07 2023)

Catching the men who sell subway groping videos (Zhaoyin Feng & Aliaume Leroy & Shanshan Chen, BBC News, June 08 2023)

Netherlands to provide free sun cream to tackle record skin cancer levels (Kate Connolly, The Guardian, June 12 2023)

The Cause of Depression Is Probably Not What You Think (Joanna Thompson, Quanta Magazine, Jan 26 2023)

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Posted in July

‘Farsighted impulsivity’ and the new psychology of self-control (Adam Bulley, Psyche, Feb 03 2021)

Can a perfectionist personality put you at risk of migraines? (Shayla Love, Psyche, July 25 2023)

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Posted in August

How Loneliness Reshapes the Brain (Marta Zaraska, Quanta Magazine, Feb 28 2023)

Why religious belief provides a real buffer against suicide risk (David H Rosmarin, Psyche, Aug 07 2023)

—

Posted in September

What Are Dreams For? (Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, Aug 31 2023)

Rape Cases Seize Italy’s Attention and Expose Cultural Rifts (Gaia Pianigiani, The New York Times, Sep 03 2023)

Councils in England in crisis as Birmingham ‘declares itself bankrupt’ (Heather Stewart and Jessica Murray, The Guardian, Sep 05 2023)

Nearly one in three female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted, survey suggests (Jamie Grierson, The Guardian, Sep 12 2023)

Domination and Objectification: Men’s Motivation for Dominance Over Women Affects Their Tendency to Sexually Objectify Women (Orly Bareket and Nurit Shnabel, Sep 09 2019)

In Spain, dozens of girls are reporting AI-generated nude photos of them being circulated at school: ‘My heart skipped a beat’ (Manuel Viejo, El País, Sep 18 2023)

When the human tendency to detect patterns goes too far (Shayla Love, Psyche, Sep 19 2023)

—

Posted in October

My Brain Doesn’t Picture Things (Marco Giancotti, Nautilus, Oct 04 2023)

“Inverse vaccine” shows potential to treat multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases (Sarah C.P. Williams, The University of Chicago, Sep 11 2023)

Poland election: exit polls point to Law and Justice defeat as Tusk hails ‘rebirth’ (Shaun Walker, The Guardian, Oct 16 2023)

—

Posted in November

What I have learned from my suicidal patients (Gavin Francis, The Guardian, Nov 22 2019)

Did natural selection make the Dutch the tallest people on the planet? (Martin Enserink, Science, Apr 07 2015)

Tumblr Is Always Dying (Elizabeth Minkel, Wired, Nov 14 2023)

How accurate is the new Napoleon film? Sorting fact from fiction (Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Times, Nov 19 2023)

Far-right party set to win most seats in Dutch elections, exit polls show (Jon Henley and Pjotr Sauer and Senay Boztas, The Guardian, Nov 22 2023)

Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety’ (Lucy Gilder, BBC, Nov 22 2023)

—

Posted in December

The sexual assault of sleeping women: the hidden, horrifying rape crisis in our bedrooms (Anna Moore, The Guardian, June 15 2021)

Afghanistan: Taliban sends abused women to prison - UN (Nicholas Yong, BBC News, Dec 15 2023)

Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting and Child Big Five Personality Traits (University of California Press, Nov 18 2021)

Scientists Pinpoint Cause of Severe Morning Sickness (Azeen Ghorayshi, The New York Times, Dec 13 2023)

[womeninfictionandirl]

Megan Rapinoe by Allison Adams

Megan Rapinoe (b. 1985) one of the best American soccer players of all time. Off the field, she's a fierce advocate for gay rights, gender equality and racial justice. She helped the U.S. win gold at the 2012 London Olympics and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019. This December, she was named as the Best Female Player in the world when she was awarded the prestigious "Ballon d'Or."

[rabbitcruiser]

Downtown Vancouver (No. 2)

Vancouver has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1954 Commonwealth Games, UN Habitat I, Expo 86, APEC Canada 1997, the World Police and Fire Games in 1989 and 2009; several matches of 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup including the finals at BC Place in Downtown Vancouver, and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics which were held in Vancouver and Whistler, a resort community 125 km (78 mi) north of the city. In 1969, Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver. The city became the permanent home to TED conferences in 2014.

As of 2016, the Port of Vancouver is the fourth-largest port by tonnage in the Americas, the busiest and largest in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second-largest industry. Major film production studios in Vancouver and nearby Burnaby have turned Greater Vancouver and nearby areas into one of the largest film production centres in North America, earning it the nickname "Hollywood North".

Source: Wikipedia

[andiessoccerblog]

Group H

Expected to move on: Germany, Colombia

Expected to exit in group stage: Morocco, Korea Republic

Germany

FIFA Ranking: 2

Reputation:

Much like the men’s side, the German women’s team is a MACHINE. Unless the unthinkable happens again (see: the men’s side 2018) Germany should get out of the group with ease, and I would definitely rank them as a favorite to win the World Cup. Their style of play is crisp, clean, and a little bit curt...if that makes sense. They will lay their bodies on the line, and they will lay your body on the line too if you’re playing against them. They shockingly failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but were runners-up in the Women’s European Championship in 2022, which is a much more accurate indicator of their strength.

Player Pool: 

Germany is another team with extraordinary depth, with all their players on top domestic teams or premier teams in England or France. Alexandra Popp, new captain of the team, also leads in goals scored for German, but is really known for the use of her large stature to win duels. Every position is filled with veterans, and Germany has been skillful in ensuring that even its younger players have gotten experience in big games.  Every player is a team player and can be a standout in their own right, so it’s hard to pick specific players to highlight. That being said, of course there are players that rise to the top–Lena Oberdorf, Sara Däbritz, and Melanie Leupolz all deserve a shout out. 

2019 WWC performance:

Germany looked okay during the women's World Cup, but less confident than many people had anticipated. They made it through the group stage with narrow 1-0 wins against Spain and China, and an easy win against debutante South Africa. They plowed over Nigeria in the round of sixteen, but were stymied by Sweden in the quarterfinals.  On many past occasions, they had beaten Sweden, so many were surprised when the game went the other way. Dabritz, Magull, and Popp led the scoring, while young newcomer Gwinn and veteran Hegering held down the midfield and defense, playing all 450 minutes of their tournament run.

Colombia

FIFA Ranking: 26

Reputation: 

Colombia’s women’s team has historically done well in South American competition, feuding with Brazil for top honors, even as their own federation doesn’t support them as much financially as they do their men’s side.  Earlier in 2023 the Colombian Federation began an agreement with FIFA to begin increasing funding for women's soccer at all levels.  That won’t help the team in this World Cup, and they will be fighting tooth and nail against Korea Republic for the second spot in the group.

Player Pool:

Colombia has one of the older teams of the World Cup, with more veterans than newbies. After missing the 2019 World Cup, they will need to rely on players that were around for the 2015 World Cup, like Catalina Usme,  Daniela Montoya, and keeper Sandra Sepúlveda. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did Not Qualify

Korea Republic

FIFA Ranking: 17

Reputation:

South Korea is recognized as “Korea Republic” by FIFA. Asia’s women’s football culture has been improving on a regional stage, but has struggled to keep up internationally, and Korea Republic  is no exception. The best players on this team are the ones that leave Korea to play in a European or American league. They have never qualified for the Olympics. Their best result in a Women’s World Cup came in 2015, when they made it out of the group stage, but they couldn’t repeat the result in 2019, and likely won’t do it again in 2023. 

Player Pool: 

Ji So-yun (midfielder) made a name for herself and for Korea with a long career for Chelsea in England, but moved back to South Korea in 2022. Cho So-hyun is another team veteran playing in England, and the pair form a strong midfield. Captain is Kim Hye-ri, a veteran defender. She plays with about half the roster for South Korea’s Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels team, the top side in Korea’s domestic league.

2019 WWC performance:

Not great. They had a rough group, pulling Norway and France, so their only chance to advance was a third place spot, which neither they nor Nigeria achieved. They scored one goal in the tournament.

Morocco

FIFA Ranking: 73

Reputation: 

Morocco reached their first World Cup under the distinguished coach Reynald Pedros, who previously had coached Olympique Lyonnais Féminin to the french championship. Under Pedros, the team has grown to be one of the best teams in Africa. However, they have a record of falling short against teams outside of Africa, and will need this tournament and more international exposure to become a contender. 

Player Pool:

Captain Ghizlane Chebbak has played for Morocco for the last 10 years and is their top goalscorer. They have an up and coming forward in Rosella Ayane, who played for the English national youth teams, but switched to Morocco for her senior caps.

2019 WWC performance:

Did Not Qualify

[alexbkrieger13]

"In the nicest way possible pia was better than peter, peter is just atrocious and should’ve been sacked after that horrific olympics final. they should have won that gold, but well i think he just doesn’t know how to use the good players sweden has"

Are you trolling? Don't be silly. I trust the players opinions on how Peter has evolved Sweden's gameplay. Anyone who understands football knows a coach nor a player should be judged based on one single game. And don't go "What about Euros last summer"... External factors like injuries and covid Peter couldn't control affected the team performance and his options heavily when it hit absolute key players and of them two in the backline. The backline where a coach doesn't want to change anything if not forced to. Sweden reached the semi, despite everything that didn't go according to plan, where they met an English team that could and did field the same starting line up in all games.

When Peter took over after Euro 2017 his first task was a World Cup qualifier in September. He had a whopping three (3) trainings before gameday. Sweden won. In his first 1,5 years they tied France 0-0 in France and defeated England in England 0-2. Then came the World Cup 2019. Hardly need to recap that. Euro qualifiers followed closest after that. With the old 1 year long qualifying campaigns for Uefa teams, now replaced by Nations League, Sweden and other seeded nations had only one team in the group that could really challenge them for the group win. That didn't change under Peter. For the World Cup 2019 it was Denmark and for the (due to Covid postponed) Euro last summer it was Iceland. Sweden finished as group winners both campaigns.

In between it was the Tokyo Olympics. No need to recap that either. Sweden throughout the tournament played the best football a Swedish squad had ever played. Small margins decided the final. It wasn't on Peter the ball didn't bounce Sweden's way in the last game of the tournament. What's maybe more interesting in this aspect than the Olympics result, is the April friendly against USA that Sweden should've won 1-0 if not for a doubtful penalty call.

All you have to do really is to look at the facts. When Pia took over from Dennerby in September 2012, Sweden were 5th on the world ranking. When she left after Euro 2017 Sweden had dropped 6 places on the world ranking to 11th. That was short of a few months in 5 years time. Since the first game with Peter in September 2017, Sweden climbed from all time low 11th to an all time high 2nd place and then back to the 3rd place on the most recent world ranking.

Rankings doesn't mean much for the top 20 teams in the world in terms of equal strength. But the rapid climb with Peter at the helm from 11th to 6th place after the World Cup 2019 tells the whole story. He turned the negative trend with dropping lower on the world rankings around in only 2 years time. Before the World Cup 2019 Sweden were ranked 9th. A climb of 2 places from 11th Peter achieved in around 1 year time.

Before Tokyo Olympics Sweden were ranked 5th. In other words between the rankings in 2019 and start of Tokyo Olympics, with Covid disrupting national team football for a while, Sweden had climbed yet one more place and regained the ground Pia lost on her watch. After the Tokyo Olympics, Sweden took a huge leap and climbed to 2nd place. After the Euro last summer Sweden dropped 1 place to 3rd and is still at 3rd after the latest ranking that was released very recently.

Since FIFA introduced the rankings for women in 2003, Sweden has been ranked at 3rd to 5th place. No change in that for 12 years time until a shift happend in 2015. For the first time ever Sweden dropped out of top 5 when they sank to 7th place and from there it only went downwards all the way to the all time low 11th place. Hardly a coincidence that Pia had been Sweden's head coach for 3 years when they in 2015 for the first time ever dropped out of top 5. Hardly a coincidence Pia was Sweden's head coach when they just 1,5-2 years later had dropped 4 places from 7th and for the first time ever dropped out of top 10.

It's evident whom of Pia and Peter has gotten the best out of Sweden.

Exactly and realistically if we hasn't has all the off pitch chaos ofbthe euros we wouldn't have had such a embarrassing exit

[shesholy]

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊     .     initial     .

full     name:   leighton     huntley     valmont     . nicknames,     aliases:

hunter     valmont     .     (          known     publicly     as         )

lord     of     the     night     .     (         by     fans     /     teammates          )

age:   twenty     -     seven     . date     of     birth:    february     seventh     . place     of     birth:   16th     arrondissement     ,     paris     ,     france     . hometown:     upper     east     side     ,     new     york     city     ,     new     york     . nationality:     french     -     american     . languages     spoken:     french     ,     english     ,     spanish     .

zodiac     sign:    aquarius     . hogwarts     house:    slytherin     . myers     -    briggs:   entj     -     t     .

occupation:    professional     soccer     player     and     philanthropist     . notable     career     details:

soccer     :   went  pro  at  16  years  old  when  he  signed  on  with  fc  barcelona  (          where  he  totaled   156  goals  while  with  the  club         )    that  same  year  he  joined  the  french  national  team  (          where  he  has  totaled  77  goals  to  date          )  .  

in  2017  ,  he  became  the  highest  paid  soccer  player  in  the  world  when  he  signed  a  $263  million  dollar  transfer  to  paris  saint  -  germain  fc  at  just  21  years  old  . 

in  2020  he  was  named  captain  of  the  french  national  team  and  has  held  onto  the  title  since  .  

currently  wears  #10  as  a  forward  for  paris  saint  -  germain  fc  and  the  french  national  team  . 

awards  /  accolades  :  golden  ball  (  for  best  player  in  a  tournament  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2013  .  holds  the  record  for  most  man  of  march  awards  (  for  mvp  of  each  fifa  tournament  )  won  ,  four  all  in  2013  .  bronze  boot  (  for  third  top  goal  scorer  of  the  fifa  world  cup  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2014  .  la  liga  best  world  player  for  2014  -  2015  season  .  la  liga  player  of  the  month  in  november  of  2015  .  unfp  ligue  1  best  player  of  the  year  for  2017  -  2018  season  .  2x  unfp  ligue  1  player  of  the  month  january  2020  ,  august  2022  .  golden  boot  (  for  top  goal  scorer  of  the  fifa  world  cup  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2022  .                  

height:   six     foot     one     . weight:   187     lbs     . tattoos,     piercings:   batman     and     the     joker     on     the     top    of     his     back     (     something     like     this     ,     but     spiderman     is     the    joker    )     .

father:    richard     valmont     (         fifty     -     eight          )     ,     a     french     -     american     business    mogul     and     ceo     of     vortex     enterprises     .     relationship     :    they’ve     always     gotten     along     ,     often     seeing     on     to     eye     on     most     things     but     as     of     recent     their     relationship     has     been     more     strained     behind     closed     door     .   mother:   aira     park     -     valmont     (         fifty     -     five          )     ,     an     american     banking     heiress     ,     philanthropist     ,     and     art     collector     .   relationship     :   a     mama’s     boy     ,     she     struggles     to     ever     shed     light     on     anything     he     does     wrong     ,     in     her     eyes     he     can     do     no     wrong     .     she’s     the     one     woman     in     the     world     he’d     do     absolutely     anything     for       .       pets:     ajax     (         german     shepard     ,     ten     years     old          )     ,     mercy     (         rottweiler     ,     six     years     old         )

gender:   cis     male     . pronouns:   he     /     him     . orientation:   heterosexual     . status:   single     . past     relationships:

.                 

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖔     .     background     .

inspo     :     wednesday  addams  ( wednesday  )  ,  bruce  wayne   (  dc  universe  )  ,  chuck  bass  ( gossip  girl  )  ,  tyler  durden  (  fight  club  )  ,  neymar  jr.     .

hunter  pulled  the  ultimate  lottery  ticket  at  birth  .  born  the  only  child  to  a  banking  heiress  and  business  mogul  .  learning  to  take  full  advantage  of  his  silver  spoon  life  at  a  young  age  .  gifts  and  spontaneous  trips  where  how  his  parents  showed  their  love  ,  often  leaving  their  son  to  his  own  devices  while  they  focused  on  their  careers  and  public  image  .  mostly  cared  for  by  a  revolving  door  of  nanny’s  (  thanks  to  mother  dearests  jealousy  of  another  women  getting  closer  to  her  son  than  she  was  )  .  when  his  parents  were  around  ,  the  walls  of  their  parisian  estate  were  filled  with  arguing  over  his  father’s  endless  affairs  .  it  was  unbearable  for  a  young  hunter  and  he  quickly  grew  a  resentment  towards  any  woman  who  wasn’t  his  mother  that  got  too  close  to  his  father  .  

the  move  to  the  states  happened  when  he  was  six  .  his  parents  relationship  had  fallen  entirely  by  the  wayside  and  his  mother  decided  to  move  to  new  york  city  with  her  son  .  unbeknownst  to  the  public  his  parents  were  living  in  entirely  separate  countries  for  nearly  seven  years  .  during  this  time  hunter  spent  the  school  months  in  america  and  his  summers  with  his  dad  in  paris  .  from  a  young  age  he’d  taken  a  liking  to  soccer  and  it  became  clear  very  early  on  to  both  his  parents  and  coaches  he  was  incredibly  talented  .  a  young  prodigy  ,  the  massive  ego  was  inevitable  .  at  the  big  dogs  of  the  soccer  world  noticed  him  ,  at  thirteen  he  moved  to  barcelona  were  he  joined  fc  barcelona’s  youth  academy  .  just  under  two  years  in  the  academy  ,  he  rapidly  rose  in  the  team  ranks  and  made  the  first  team  at  just  sixteen  .  despite  his  young  age  ,  he  quickly  rose  as  one  of  the  world’s  best  soccer  players  proving  early  suspicions  of  his  level  of  talent  correct  .  

despite  his  talent  and  fan  fare  ,  his  personal  life  and  overall  attitude  has  long  threatened  to  undermine  his  career  .  a  career  laced  with  scandal  for  over  a  decade  .  early  on  in  life  ,  things  had  been  perfectly  laid  out  for  him  ,  all  he  had  to  do  was  follow  the  script  .  succeed  in  whatever  he  does  ,  smile  and  wave  when  out  with  his  parents  ,  and  never  hang  out  with  the  wrong  crowd  ,  in  simpler  words  :  don’t  embarrass  the  family  .  so  long  as  he  followed  his  parents  lead  ,  there  was  the  silent  promise  that  he  could  do  what  he  wanted  behind  closed  door  ,  and  that  he  did  .  but  with  a  fame  all  of  his  own  his  antics  became  much  harder  to  conceal  .  dubbed  a  diva  on  the  turf  by  many  naysayers  ,  a  number  of  unsportsmanlike  behavior  reported  (  but  never  getting  any  major  consequences  for  )  ,  strings  of  scorned  woman  in  and  out  of  his  life  ,  and  an  affinity  for  night  life  that  could  put  jordan  belfort  to  shame  .  the  most  damaging  report  came  in  2019  ,  when  a  fight  broke  out  during  one  of  his  infamous  yacht  parties  in  the  french  rivera  .  boat  docked  by  a  rooftop  bar  where  hunter  was  reported  to  have  gotten  into  an  altercation  with  another  party  goer  (  only  one  of  a  long  string  of  altercations  he’s  been  reported  to  have  )  ,  the  fight  only  ending  once  hunter  lifted  the  other  guy  up  and  threw  him  overboard  .  the  guy  later  suing  hunter  for  over  a  million  dollar  .  it  was  a  point  in  many’s  eyes  where  it  had  become  clear  hunter  valmont  was  a  monster  .  a  narrative  he  doesn’t  particularly  love  or  hate  .  

his  parents  on  the  other  hand  couldn’t  hate  anything  more  than  his  public  persona  ,  noting  on  various  occasions  to  him  that  he  is  routinely  breaking  their  only  rule  set  in  place  for  him  .  with  his  inheritance  on  the  line  he  has  tried  his  hand  at  cleaning  up  his  image  with  his  parents  help  in  the  last  couple  of  years  but  a  leopard  can  never  truly  change  it’s  spots  .

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊     .     facts     .

as  his  father’s  only  child  ,  he  stands  to  inherit  everything  the  old  man  has  when  the  time  comes  .  allowing  him  the  comfort  of  knowing  what  his  life  has  in  store  for  him  when  his  soccer  career  does  inevitably  come  to  an  end  :  heading  vortex  enterprises  an  international  hospitality  company  .  although  his  antics  have  put  conditions  on  his  inheritance  ,  facing  the  potential  of  being  taken  off  the  will  if  he  can’t  clean  up  his  act  .    

started  a  charity  in  2017  for  underprivileged  kids  ,  the  park  project  .  a  category  of  people  in  this  world  he  has  true  compassion  for  ,  now  that  he’s  a  bit  older  .  throughout  the  year  he  uses  the  money  donated  as  a  way  to  go  into  low  income  parts  of  cities  and  better  public  schools  ,  start  up  after  school  programs  for  free  ,  and  open  food  banks  for  families  in  need  of  a  little  bit  of  assistance  .  holding  an  annual  charity  gala  for  these  kids  ,  where  kids  from  the  community  are  the  guests  of  honor  and  awarded  with  scholarships  ,  clothing  and  food  vouchers  .  since  ,  it  has  become  his  best  quality  that  many  don’t  even  know  about  because  he  started  it  under  the  guise  of  a  pseudonym  (  lee  park  )  ,  starting  the  charity  without  the  need  of  praise  or  approval  but  simply  because  he  cared  enough  to  do  so  .  it’s  out  of  character  and  just  about  anyone  he  tells  doesn’t  believe  he’s  actually  the  one  behind  the  charity  .    

a  notorious  serial  dater  .  always  having  a  new  girl  on  his  arm  .  he’s  never  had  much  of  an  issue  getting  whatever  girl  he  wants  but  has  a  tendency  of  ruining  whatever  relationship  he  gets  into  one  way  or  another  --  cheating  ,  excessive  arguments  ,  ghosting  ,  name  a  poor  way  to  end  a  relationship  and  hunter  probably  has  experience  with  it  .  

extravagance  is  a  personality  trait  to  him  .  luxury  cars  ,  a  home  in  the  french  rivera  with  a  yacht  with  his  name  etched  into  it  docked  in  the  backyard  ,  fashion  show  appearances  ,  sending  one  of  a  kind  gifts  as  apologies  ,  dinners  worth  over  a  grand  ,  spontaneous  trips  out  of  the  country  .  he  has  money  and  he’s  never  been  all  that  afraid  to  throw  it  around  .  

an  instigator  through  and  through  .  he’s  fairly  observant  and  is  able  to  pick  up  on  what  irritates  other’s  the  most  and  pokes  and  prods  until  they  reach  their  breaking  point  ,  out  of  pure  boredom  .  he  loves  a  good  fight  and  has  a  tendency  to  be  able  to  twist  a  story  to  favor  him  in  almost  all  situations  .

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖗     .     wanted     connections     .

i’ll  put  something  here  one  day    !

[isupportzaynxliamxziam]

Wednesday, 20 January 2021

The second episode of Liam's FIFA Play On Podcast gets released. Together with Jaydee Dyer, Liam's joined by two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA World Cup champion and true legend of the game, Carli Lloyd. Alongside her is the chart-topping singer-songwriter of Fight Song, Rachel Platten. In this episode they talk about the tracks that have inspired Carli’s journey to the top. With some incredible stories from the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

Liam makes some pormo for it on

credits: Liam's Twitter

Jaydee Drayer also makes some promo

credits: Jaydee Drayer's Instagram Stories

[opiatemasses]

Gender Equality: Breaking the Barrier

Gender equality in sports is a long-standing topic for discussion. Inequitable opportunities, pay disparities, and issues concerning media representation are challenges all faced by female athletes. Inequities persist despite significant advancements, such as the US Women’s Football Teams equal pay agreement. According to Cooky, Messner, and Musto (2015), women account for 40% of athletes, although they receive a paltry 4% of media attention. This blog provides practical suggestions for advancement while exploring historical milestones, ongoing difficulties, and triumphs in the struggle for gender equality in sports.

Milestones

There have been a number significant advancements in the fight for gender equality in sports. These include:

Title IX (1972): This statute increased women’s involvement at all levels by prohibiting gender discrimination in sports and education in the United States.

FIFA Women’s World Cup (1991): The first women's tournament marked a major step towards the international recognition of women’s sports.

Equal Pay Victory (2022): A global standard for pay parity was established by the historic agreement reached by the US Women’s Football Team.

These achievements demonstrate how successful group efforts can be in resolving structural injustices.

Continuing Difficulties

Despite these developments, there remain numerous obstacles that female athletes must overcome. These include:

Pay Gap: Even when women’s teams outperform their male counterparts, male athletes frequently earn more money than female sportspeople. Male football players for instance, usually secure sponsorship agreements and better earnings (Culvin et al., 2022).

Leadership Representation: Advocates for gender equality are limited since women remain under represented in positions of decision-making in sports organisations (Staurowsky et al., 2022).

Resource Allocation: Female athletes frequently face barriers to financing, coaching, and training facilities, which limits their capacity to compete at the highest levels.

Media Coverage: Cooky et al. (2015) report how a cycle of undervaluation is maintained by the absence of media attention, which limits female athletes’ access to sponsorship and recognition chances. For example, less than 5% of televised sports coverage is dedicated to women’s sports, which perpetuates gender stereotypes.

Developments and Accomplishments

Despite these obstacles, there are positive indications of advancement, including Serena Williams and other athletes breaking down boundaries, securing high paying endorsement deals and motivating the next generation.

Growing Viewership: The enormous financial and cultural potential of women’s sports is demonstrated by events like the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, which attracted over 1 billion people globally.

Public Advocacy: The need for justice and representation has been fuelled by shift in attitudes brought about by increased activity and awareness. 

Suggestions for Modification

Coordinated actions are necessary to achieve gender equality in sports. Below are some examples:

Equal Pay and Sponsorship: Establish rules requiring male and female athletes to receive the same compensation, especially in sports with similar performance indicators.

Media Involvement: Fund campaigns, coverage and easily available broadcasts to advance women’s sports. This would draw sponsorships and help break down preconceptions.

Leadership Opportunities: To promote fair laws and procedures, increase the number of women on executive boards and in positions of decision-making.

Grassroots Development: To Foster potential and guarantee a strong pipeline of future pros, give young female athletes equitable access to training facilities and money. 

Photo by My Profit Tutor on Unsplash

Public Accountability: Create oversight organisations to keep tabs on gender equality indicators’ advancement, guaranteeing accountability and openness in sports organisations.

Conclusion

Despite some noteworthy advancements, the fight for gender equality in athletics is continuing. We can get closer to a level playing field by tackling structural problems like media representation, leadership inequalities, and salary inequities. A future where all athletes, regardless of gender, may compete on equal terms is possible, as evidenced by the accomplishments of advocates and athletes. A sports environment that represents justice, inclusion, and equal chances for everyone may be created by addressing these structural issues and making equity investments.

Further reading

If you are interested in learning more, the following academic papers are recommended:

Cooky, C., Messner, M. A., & Musto, M. (2015). “It’s dude time!” A quarter century of excluding women’s sports in televised news and highlight shows. Communication & Sport, 3(3), 261-287.

Culvin, A., Bowes, A., Carrick, S., & Pope, S. (2022). The price of success: Equal pay and the US women’s national soccer team. Soccer & Society, 23(8), 920-931.

Staurowsky, E. J., Flowers, C. L., Buzuvis, E., Darvin, L., & Welch, N. (2022). The Women’s Sports Foundation 50 years of Title IX: We’re not done yet executive summary and policy recommendations. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 30(2), 71-84.

[valkyries-things]

FRAN KIRBY // FOOTBALLER

“She is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the England national team. She began her career with hometown club Reading before moving to Chelsea in July 2015 where she remained until 2024. In August 2014, Kirby won her first senior cap for England. She represented her country at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France and the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands. She is considered as one of the best players of her generation.”

[202300807caic2425]

The U.S. Women's National Team’s Real Opponent?

“Equal pay! Equal pay! Equal pay!” A request, a demand, a negotiation and a basic component of respect in the eyes of women worldwide which has now become synonymous with the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) after their 10-year fight with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). This chant echoed round a sold-out Lyon stadium after the women’s team won their 2nd consecutive World Cup and 4th overall in 2019 while in the midst of an equal pay lawsuit. 

Many tireless years of fighting opponents primarily on the pitch, it’s perhaps ironic that the match with the most important outcome for the USWNT was played on home soil, against their own federation. The baseline of the request was simple; equal pay and compensation in comparison to the Men’s team (USMNT) based off the fact they were bringing in more revenue for the federation, performing better in games and becoming household names since their first World Cup win in 1991 (the debut year for the tournament). 

To understand the ups and downs leading to the final ruling, we must be transported back to November 2012, after the team had just won their 4th Olympic Gold (5th medal) and come runners up in the 2011 World Cup, where they were negotiating the terms for their new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) which would determine their working conditions for 2013-2016. This is where the women’s team and WNTPA (Women’s National Team Players Association) began to demand equal compensation (not pay overall) from the USSF, in reality, they were asking for basic conditions all professional athletes and workers should be offered.  

They opened negotiations asking for injury protection (injuries are more common in the women’s game due to lack of research), a minimum of 27 players under contract, increased bonuses and the per diem rate to be increased to that paid to the men. The team and the federation ended up settling on paying players $1.20 per ticket sold for home friendlies only, up to 1 year of injury pay and an annual salary separate from the domestic league so overall an improvement but still not the result the team wanted. 

In 2015 again, negotiations began for the 2016-2018 CBA and the primary request from the WNTPA was wanting equal bonuses from the federation as the men get for participating in the world cup. It's important to make clear they weren't expecting FIFA to change the prize money for the Women’s World Cup to fund this, they knew how much their own federation paid the men and wanted the same, especially since this was off the back of their 3rd World Cup win.

2016 came with a response from the federation offering the same friendly appearance fee and ticket revenue-sharing payment as the men’s team, a step in the right direction no doubt yet neglecting to give the women’s team the bonuses outcome they highlighted. Instead, they continued to fund lower bonuses for friendly matches and world cup matches compared to the men, for no justifiable reason. The WNTPA stood their ground and countered with paying players $5,000 per game (same as the men’s CBA) or $100,000 overall minimum if less than 20 games were played in a year to which the USSF claimed it was “The men’s CBA ‘plus plus plus’” implying it was ridiculous for the women to ask for a ‘better’ CBA when it’s down to teams to negotiate and they were the ones refusing the original ask which brought about this request. 

One of the first standout moments which made this equal pay fight present in the public eye came about in March 2016 when Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn, all high profile players, made the monumental decision to file a claim of wage discrimination with the EEOC. Taking matters into their own hands even more so than before Solo stated: “People in power don't want to give women equal pay. We have to fight for it.", and fight for it they did. 

The players cited federation financial reports showing they were the main economic engine for the federation, bringing in $1.9 million more than the men’s team in 2016 alone and exceeded revenue predictions in 2015 when their World Cup victory set viewing records implying that based of financial elements alone, they deserve equal pay as a minimum, not a luxury. The federation referred to these stats as ‘cherry picking’ from a good year.

After filing with the EEOC (claim still in place), the federation and WNTPA ultimately decided on the next CBA having minimum 20 players under a $100,000 contract with those not under contract getting $3,250- $4,500 based off what ‘tier’ of player they are, an improvement but still not fulfilling the requests of the Player’s Association to be equal with the men’s $5,000. 

On top of this pay disparity per game, it's important to be aware of how the bonuses differ depending on the outcome and the opposition. If the men beat a top team, they get $17,625 from the federation, which is over double paid to the women for achieving the same thing ($8,500), the men also get $6,250 for drawing with a bottom tier team while the women don't earn a penny so while having players from the women’s team under contract is all well and good, it’s still not the outcome the team are working tirelessly to achieve. 

Likely due to a lack of real action happening in the wake of filing the EEOC claim, the players withdrew it and in the early hours of International Women’s Day in 2019, they put in to sue the federation of violating the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 28 players were involved in the case and team captain Alex Morgan stated: "We believe that fighting for gender equality in sports is a part of that responsibility [of wearing the jersey]. As players, we deserved to be paid equally for our work, regardless of our gender,” . Consolidating the players as fighters not only on the field but also for the future of young girls in the sport. 

Not long after the case filing, July of the same year brought yet another record-breaking victory for the team as they won their 4th World Cup in France where the sound of “equal pay” engulfed the sold-out stadium. The players hoped one sure-fire victory would lead to another, especially with the vocal public support. One of the 5 who filed the original complaint Sauerbrunn stated: “It’s always a good thing to have [the World Cup victory] in the back pocket” while Tobin Heath commented: “It was fantastic to be able to hear the support of the fans in the stadium for something we’ve been fighting so hard for, especially on a global stage. I think it’s just the start of something massive and culture changing.”.

Despite this outpouring of public support, the first legally filed public defence from the federation attempted to diminish everything the players had achieved. Its misogynist comment stated the pay differential was justified as “certain physical attributes such as speed and strength demonstrate the men's game is more skilful and therefore the job of the male players requires a higher level of athletic ability” statements they claimed weren't a “sexist stereotype” but instead a fact of “indisputable science”. Even after such public support and success, the federation chose to go down the most demeaning path in attempts to invalidate the player’s aims with blatant sexism. 

The claims didn't work too well for the federation though as the women’s team went on to win the SheBelieves Cup (friendly tournament) for the 3rd time on a public broadcast wearing their shirts inside out meaning they showcased the 4 stars representative of winning the World Cup but hid the federation label. The federation quickly removed those claims from their argument. 

USWNT team picture before kick off at the SheBelieves 2020 Final.

Now we move forward to May 2020 where a judge ruled on the case put forth by the players. They ruled on the side of the federation stating the women made more than the men via a higher total compensation but failed to recognise the case actually does violate the Equal Pay Act as the women’s team only earned more from the federation as they were playing and winning more games, not because of having equal or higher bonuses. Bearing in mind the women at most, earn less than half than the men for beating a top team, to achieve what the judge is claiming, they legitimately had to work twice as hard for the same outcome which unintentionally backfired when coupled with the men’s team performing poorly. 

After the sexist comments made, the USSF hired a new president, former player Cindy Cone allowing for a better federation image, but also better negotiations with the players. This meant that in February 2022, a settlement was reached providing the women with $24 mil in compensation (mostly backpay to ex-players). A joint CBA was also made with the men’s team combining World Cup prize money with 45% going to each team and the remaining 10% to the federation, definitive equal pay going forward.

The new CBA was signed on the pitch after the USWNT 2-1 victory over Nigeria with members of the men’s team and the federation, signalling unity after 10 years. 

After working vigorously for 10 years in an uphill battle and finally achieving such a historic success, it’s natural the players had mixed feelings about the outcome. Sauerbrunn remarked it’s “Hard to get excited about something we should’ve had all along” encapsulating the mixture of relief yet still underlying frustration at how long it took for the team to be respected for their job as it is regardless of gender (which shouldn't have influenced negatively regardless). 

Let’s say the discriminatory comments made by the U.S. Soccer Federation hold some truth, none of the players are stating they play the game in an identical style to the men’s team but they both undeniably require professional skill and the women without a doubt are the best in their field globally while the men simply aren’t.  

Even if the federation’s claims the female players were ‘cherry-picking’ stats from a good year, why is it such a foreign concept that the women will continue to succeed and bring in such a high revenue for them- investing in the players is also investing in their economic future but gender bias prevented them from viewing it in this manner and instead viewed it as an attack. As Rapinoe discussed after the 2019 World Cup: “The federation is in a unique position to ride this good wave of fortune.” yet instead they chose to diminish their “most successful and beloved team”. 

If we take a closer look at competition success, the women have 5 Olympic Golds, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze to the men’s nothing in the modern era, when looking at World Cups the men made the semi-finals in 1930 as their best finishing position while the women have 4 wins under their belts, been runners up once and made the semi-final the other 3 times. Yet still this leverage wasn't enough, and it took the men agreeing to the new CBA with the only ‘strength’ they had was their gender. 

Hope Solo at the 2016 Olympics

There’s a name which appeared frequently at the start of this case and despite being one of the original 5 filing the complaint, her name faded as our story develops, that name is Hope Solo (ex-goalkeeper). Solo was forced to retire from the National Team after disdainful comments made about her team after their loss to Sweden in the Rio Olympics. She's continued with her own case fighting for equal pay but referred to the new CBA as “not a huge win, it’s heartbreaking and infuriating” and that the players “know it’s not a win”.  

Solo's comments beg the question: is her not being directly involved allowing for justified criticism or is she criticising the players in the fight she felt turned their backs on her for a personal vendetta? The original compensation request was for $67 million yet they only received a measly $24 million after 10 years of disputes so in that respect she has a valid point. This money was also intended as back payments and compensation for the years of unequal pay and when you consider the team has been ranked no lower than #3 in the world by FIFA (majority of time at #1), that's a lot of players who deserve compensation for their hard work yet will receive little due to the figure. 

Despite Solo having some valid arguments, her outspokenness may be doing more harm than good. The outcome is undeniably revolutionary going forwards and lots of the campaign has hinged on investing in the future so someone who many young girls will look to as a face of the team tearing down success will only serve to negatively impact the discourse. Cone herself stated it should “serve as a springboard for continued progress” insinuating neither side is stopping now but celebrating achievements is paramount for advancement. Senior Yahoo Sports reporter Bushnell also claimed the fight “totally inspires players from other nations to fight for more” demonstrating how the USWNT have become trailblazers for women in sport and life worldwide.

The overall impact of this conclusion isn't something to measure in the short term, it’s a longstanding foothold to build upon in search for change in not just the football world, but society. 10 long years of grappling to define what equal pay means, if it’s achievable, and how to engineer it in the face of adversity, particularly when it’s you own federation working against you, it's fair to say going forward the players did it. Some may view it as a reward or hush money to prevent the federation losing sponsorship but whatever the cynical perspective is, you can’t deny it’s deserved. 

Since the CBA was enforced, the team won their 5th Olympic Gold, with the prize money being shared with the men’s team (who lost their quarterfinals game) therefore showing how this agreement benefits and motivates both sides. Olympic Gold also consolidates the placing of the USWNT in worldwide rankings, disproving previous comments from the federation that their success was short and sweet. 

One of the key opinions to consider is those belonging to the players. It’s safe to say attacker Midge Purce summed it up the best when she stated: “I feel a lot of pride that there are going to be girls who are going to grow up and see what we’ve accomplished and recognize their value instead of having to fight to see it themselves... But my dad always told me, ‘You don’t get a reward for doing what you’re supposed to do... And paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do”. 

[justinssportscorner]

Henry Bushnell at Yahoo! Sports:

Netflix and FIFA on Friday announced a groundbreaking deal for the streaming service to broadcast the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cups. The deal is comprehensive and exclusive, FIFA said. Netflix will broadcast all games at both tournaments live, in English and Spanish, with no plan to sublicense the rights to a cable or over-the-air television network. It will mark the first time that any World Cup matches, men's or women's, will be broadcast in the U.S. by a digital streaming service, and not on linear TV. And, for FIFA, it is risky. A source familiar with the deal told Yahoo Sports that, like all Netflix content, fans will need a subscription to watch matches. The paywall could limit the reach and stunt the commercial maturity of the Women's World Cup, a three-decade-old property that sports and media executives see as one with significant potential for further, rapid and lucrative growth.

Women's World Cup moves from TV to streaming

For decades, women's and men's World Cups — which were sold by FIFA as a bundle — have been broadcast in the U.S. by ESPN and then Fox in English; and by Univision, then Telemundo in Spanish. Fox's first rights deal began with the 2015 Women's World Cup, and was later controversially extended through the 2026 men's World Cup. Beginning with the 2027 Women's World Cup, though, as part of a new women's soccer strategy, FIFA split rights to the women's and men's tournaments into two separate packages. It officially launched a tender process for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments in November.

An earthquake has been dropped in the world of women's soccer broadcasting: Netflix will host the US rights in both English and Spanish to the 2027 and 2031 editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.