#womens world cup 2022 schedule

[grantgustluv]

his champion - lando norris

pairings: lando norris x fem!footballer!reader

author’s notes: THIS IS MY FIRST IMAGINE AHHHH so let me know what I need to improve on. Also, just pretend that it wasn’t the Hungarian GP on 31st July 2022

warnings: some mentions of anxiety, implied smut (i’m not ready to write that yet sorry)

comment any requests please - i’m going to try and put a new one out every Wednesday

30th July 2022 - the night before the final

Lando and Y/N had been together 4 years, but known each other since the age of 4 and despite their demanding work schedules and busy lives, still found time to love and support one another. They decided to keep their relationship private (with the exception of close friends) because they knew just how brutal their “fans” could be with the introduction of a significant other in their lives, and, although they considered themselves too young to be fully settling down yet, they still only saw each other as their future and they didn’t want that ending yet, especially not by fake fans.

~

Lando was incredibly proud of his girlfriend and all her achievements despite her only being 23, he had been by her side through everything, all the best parts, like signing for her childhood club, scoring her first goal for both Manchester United and England and making her first appearance at the 2015 World Cup at the age of 16, but also all the lowest moments of her career too, the injuries, the hate, the doubt and all the rumours. Lando had been there through it all and he would always be her biggest supporter no matter what. The same could also be said for Y/N, she was his biggest fan and came to as many of his races as she possibly could and Lando insisted that she was his lucky charm. The only way they could support each other while not physically being there was by sporting the number 4 on their backs, Lando being McLaren’s number 4 and Y/N being number 4 for both Manchester United and England. It was their number. They were each other’s person.

~

The Women’s Euro tournament had been life changing for England’s Lionesses so far, they had truly done their country proud in every game, but they still had one more to go, the final, against Germany, their toughest opponents yet. Y/N was the top scorer of the tournament so far and was determined to walk away with the golden boot, but she knew it wouldn’t be the same without also winning the Euros altogether with her team.

She never usually got nervous before her games, but this was different, it was one of the biggest games of her career. But all that took over her mind was that she knew that Lando was going to be there. Thankfully, a break in the f1 season had fallen right on the day of the final, which meant Lando and a few of the other drivers were able to come and show their support.

Y/N couldn’t help the smile that took over her face when she looked at her phone, more specifically, her home screen as a notification popped up. It was a picture of Lando wearing her football shirt from last season with the cheesiest grin on his face. Lando hated the photo, but she absolutely loved it, because whenever she would look at it, it would brighten up her day. In that moment she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have someone that radiated so much joy and happiness by her side. He was the daylight in her life.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Slowly, she walked over to the door of her hotel room and opened it to be greeted by a bouquet of gorgeous roses and the very same smile she was grinning to herself about a few minutes ago. “Missed me?” asked Lando as he handed her the flowers. Y/N didn’t even answer as she jumped straight into his arms and held him as tight as possible. They both breathed a sigh of relief at finally being back in each other’s arms and they weren’t ready to let go yet, they could’ve stayed like this forever. Y/N pulled away first and looked at the flowers. “They’re gorgeous Lan, thank you,” she beamed as she walked over to put them on the side table. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and the tickle of his faint stubble in the crook of her neck. “Not as beautiful as you sweetheart,” he mumbled softly, kissing her neck. He gripped onto her hips and spun her round so they were face to face. “How are you feeling?” he asked, knowing how anxious she could sometimes get before big games like this. “I just feel like I want to get out there and play, I hate the waiting around before,” she ranted. He chuckled lightly, “I know baby, but you’re going to do so amazing, Daniel and I have already predicted what’s going to happen” she raised her eyebrows encouraging him to carry on. “You’re going to score, I just know it. And not just one, but two. It’ll be a tight game but I really believe you girls will win, you all deserve it so much, especially you Miss L/N” he finished. She just gazed at him lovingly and said with a teasing smile, “I hope you’re right Mr Norris.”

~

It was the day of the final at Wembley and all the girls were getting ready in the changing rooms for the last push of the tournament, giving each other encouraging talks and of course a last minute motivational speech from Leah. Higher up within the stadium was Lando, he was in one of the family boxes with the rest of the L/Ns and had brought along Daniel, Carlos, Max, George, Lewis and Charles (Y/N’s second family, she would call them), all there to support not only their friend’s girlfriend, but someone who had supported them in their careers too.

As Y/N was listening to her pre-game music, her phone buzzed, it was a message from Lando. She tapped on it and chuckled to herself, it was a picture of Lando, Daniel, Max, George, Carlos, Charles and Lewis looking out onto the pitch, all wearing an England shirt with her name and number on the back. She felt a tear form in the corner of her eye at the sweet gesture from the boys and replied back quickly with a red heart when she felt a tap on her shoulder from her teammate, signalling that they need to go line up ready to walk out.

Stood behind her was Jill who squeezed her shoulders and said “We’ve got this kiddo.” Y/N laughed at the nickname that had stuck since the first time she played with Jill in 2015 when she was in fact still a kid. She took a deep breath and replied with “Yes we do.” All of a sudden she was walking out into a packed out Wembley, screams and cheers surrounded her as the two teams made their way onto the pitch. Lining up, Y/N started to look around and her eyes locked onto him. There he was. They gazed at each other lovingly and Lando waved down at her and then made a love heart with his hands, causing Y/N to blush and a big grin to take over her face showing off the dimples that Lando loved so much. It wasn’t until a nudge in her ribs from Lucy Bronze broke her loving gaze from him, letting her know that the national anthem was about to start.

~

The first half had been pretty uneventful with neither teams scoring a goal and England knew they needed to up their game in the second half or their dream of winning might just slip away. It was in the 62nd minute when Lucy was running down the wing and spotted Y/N outside of the box with no one marking her. Y/N saw the ball coming her way but she knew she wouldn’t have time to stop the ball in order to get the right angle for her shot, so as it came closer she prepared herself and as the ball made contact with her right boot, she volleyed it into the top corner of the net. She couldn’t believe it. She had scored for her country in the European final. She ran to the corner of the pitch towards the England fans and the subs that were warming up alongside the rest of her team, with Leah launching herself onto Y/N’s back. All she could hear around her was her famous chant the fans had come up with a few years ago and the encouragement from the girls. This was a dream come true.

The stadium was still buzzing as the players made their way back to their positions, she looked around for him and when she spotted him she held up an ‘L’ with her fingers and then formed a heart. Lando got a few teasing shoves and comments from his friends. “I think that one was for you mate,” Daniel said with a chuckle. Lando just blushed and mumbled “I know” back to him.

Unfortunately, due to Germany scoring as well and bringing the score to a draw, the game was forced into 30 minutes of extra time. The last thing any of them wanted was it going to penalties, because they knew how much pressure they were, especially in a final. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as it edged into the last 2 minutes of the game and Germany were given a corner. Y/N decided to hang back instead of getting in the box with every other player, even the Germany goalkeeper had joined the rest of her team in the box in hopes of scoring a last minute winner. The delivery into the box was near perfect but no way was Mary letting that ball into the goal at this point so she pushed it away straight out of the box. The ball flew over all the player’s heads and straight towards Y/N and the player that was marking her. She collected the ball, turned around and started running as she already knew that she was onside. She could feel the German player close to her trying to catch her up but she kept pushing. She was running towards an open goal and they were surely into the last minute by now, so she increased her pace as much as she could for one last push. She kept her gaze forward as she took the shot just after entering the box.

Time slowed down completely as she and nearly ever person in the country watched the ball hit the back of the net. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as she ripped her shirt of her head and swung it round throwing it to the ground as she saw her teammates running towards her. She looked around the stadium. The fans were screaming, the girls were grinning from ear to ear and Lando was cheering and beaming down at the love of his life. He already thought that he was madly in love with her but right now he swore he had never felt this much love for a person, his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest and without thought reached into his pocket to feel the little box he had been carrying around with him for the last 3 months. He wanted this, he wanted forever with her, no, he needed forever with her. He caught her looking up at him and nearly fell to his knees when she grinned up at him with teary eyes, pointing to herself, forming a heart and then pointing at him. Lando chuckled nervously to himself, wiped his eyes and then repeated the action.

All the players were eagerly awaiting the full time whistle from the referee and finally it came. Y/N dropped to her knees and burst into tears, they had done it. She had done it. She felt herself being lifted off the floor by a few of her teammates and they couldn’t even produce words as they just cried into each other’s embraces. They approached the German players, congratulating them on a good game and comforting those in tears.

‘Three Lions’ started blaring through the speakers after a few minutes causing the girls to start dancing and singing on the pitch, the whole of Wembley sung in unison and gazed down at their Lionesses, their champions.

After applauding their fans and the German players receiving their silver medals, it was time for the Lionesses to collect their Gold medals, she was nearly there. “And now, give it up for your golden boot winner, your player of the tournament, your number 4, Y/N L/N!” the announcer spoke and suddenly, a loud roar burst through the stadium. She couldn’t believe it. To have the support of your family and team was one thing but to have the support of your country was like no other feeling in the world. She shook Prince William’s hand after receiving her medal and walked over to the trophy, admiring it before walking over to the rest of the team who were now just waiting for their skipper Leah to bring over the trophy ready for the proper celebration to begin.

She didn’t think it was possible, but as Leah lifted up the trophy into the air, the stadium grew louder than ever. Y/N and Millie were then handed a bottle of champagne each and they knew exactly what they needed to do. Y/N turned up to her families box and winked at Lando and he immediately caught on as to what was about to happen. She gave the champagne a little shake and with some force banged the bottom of the bottle against the floor, causing the champagne to shoot out of the top and high into the air, the screams of her teammates then took over as Rachel stole the bottle out of her hands and started spraying everyone with it. Y/N looked up at Lando and could see Daniel and Max next to him cackling at the stunned and lovestruck expression on his face. He was a little embarrassed by himself with how easily that turned him on.

The girls all jumped around on the pitch taking turns holding the trophy and when it was finally handed to her, Y/N kissed the top of it and lifted it high into the air. Just as she was about to pass it on, she felt multiple pairs of arms lift her up in the air and the stadium yet again let out a huge cheer for their number 4. The girls had never experienced an atmosphere like this, things were changing and they knew that they were a part of that change.

As the celebrations had died down, the player’s families were allowed to come down onto the pitch, and as Y/N was getting yet another picture with the trophy, she felt arms wrap around her from every angle. She turned around to be met by the proud expressions of her mum, dad and little brother, she shared tight hugs with all of them before she heard her name being called by a familiar voice behind her. She turned round and jumped straight into Lando’s arms as her legs wrapped around his waist. After a few moments she unhooked her legs and Lando placed her down onto the ground with their foreheads still touching, neither of them could care less about being private anymore as they both leaned in and connected their lips together in a loving and passionate kiss, hearing the sound of cameras clicking around them. They were pulled apart by the sounds of fake gags coming from behind them, they turned around to be met with the boys sharing fake looks of disgust on their faces. Y/N and Lando went over to them and they all joined together for a group hug, which again, caused a ricochet of camera clicks to go off around them. This moment was exactly what Y/N had waited for, winning the European Final and doing it with her team, her family and the love of her life.

~

Lando and Y/N walked out the stadium hand in hand, heading back to the hotel to get changed ready for the real celebrations to begin.

Lando couldn’t tear his eyes away from her all night, she was jumping up and down to the song playing, her hair bouncing as she did so, her dimples prominent due to the gorgeous smile on her face, her dress clinging to her beautiful figure and her angelic glow causing her to stand out perfectly in the room full of people. Lando could confidently say that he was the luckiest man on earth to have a girl as perfect as her being in love with a guy like him.

It was getting into the early hours of the morning now and both Lando and Y/N were ready to go back to the hotel room, both had craved to be sleeping in each other’s arms again after a month away from each other. They arrived back at the hotel room 15 minutes later and Lando watched as Y/N flopped onto the bed dramatically. Chuckling to himself, he began to remove her heels that she had been complaining about for the majority of the evening and placed them to the side, before carefully lifting her up with her clinging to him like a koala and carrying her to the bathroom and placing her gently on the countertop. Lando stared at her lovingly and softly pushed her hair out of her face. Her eyes flickered open slightly and she let out a little hum as her eyes met her favourite person. Lando proceeded to gently remove the makeup from her face and then carry her back through to the bedroom before removing her dress and replacing it with one of his tops that drowned her figure.

Just as Lando had snuggled in beside her, he felt her shift slightly in his hold. “I love you Lan, you’re everything to me” she mumbled tiredly, followed shortly by her soft snores. The faint traces of the early morning sunrise had started to peek through the curtains allowing Lando to gaze at her sleeping figure. Being careful not to wake her, he placed a gentle kiss on the side of her head, “I love you too my champion,” he whispered softly into the kiss, before drifting off to sleep, holding his girlfriend tightly to his chest.

[ottawacharge]

Jessie Fleming interview: Adapting to the Thorns, her Chelsea exit and pushing for environmental change

Jessy Parker Humphreys, Wednesday, July 24th

Ask Jessie Fleming what topics interest her about the environment and she will start reeling them off.

“Urban planning, the power of funghi, regenerative agriculture, Dan Barber…”

Barber is an American chef who advocates for farm-to-table cooking, in case you are not as looped into the environmental ethics of food as Fleming.

“I started taking courses on environmental science for fun at university and I got down this rabbit hole,” she explains. Fleming ended up minoring in the subject at university in Los Angeles and has been committed to raising awareness about issues with our environment ever since.

This latest pledge comes off the back of her choice to donate the carbon cost of her long-haul flight to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as part of a 47-player initiative through Common Goal, a charitable movement launched by Spain international Juan Mata six years ago.

Fleming left Women’s Super League (WSL) champions Chelsea in January, going from a league in England where players travel to games by train or coach to one where they can fly thousands of miles across the country every weekend, such is the geographical spread of the 14 teams.

“It’s something I think about a lot,” she says. “As players, we have a responsibility to draw attention to those problems and suggest ways leagues and governing bodies can adjust the format of tournaments or the schedule of leagues to help reduce those footprints.

“We’re all hypocritical in a way, so we need to at least do something.”

There was a feeling around Fleming’s mid-season departure from Chelsea that she had never quite lived up to her potential. Arriving in summer 2020 fresh out of the U.S. college game at UCLA, her stock was very high, having originally made her senior debut for Canada aged only 15.

Yet she never nailed down a starting spot, despite featuring 111 times across four seasons and being trusted by manager Emma Hayes to start crucial matches such as the 2022-23 Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

“I loved my time at Chelsea, loved the league, loved England. I just wanted to be in a place where I was consistently playing in the same position and playing more consistent minutes.”

Fleming has certainly got that with Portland, where she has started 13 of their 15 matches so far this season, but the return to the U.S. has been an adjustment. Portland had their worst start to an NWSL season, failing to win any of their first four games and consequently sacking manager Mike Norris. A six-game winning run followed, but with only one victory in the past four league fixtures, it is clear they are still finding their feet as a team.

Those ups and downs are a unique experience for Fleming, who lost only one more league match in three-and-a-half years with Chelsea than she has in six months in Portland.

“It’s definitely a different challenge,” she says. “Physically, it’s more intense (in the NWSL). More transitional, lots of athletic players. But you’re starting to see the effect of European coaches in the league. There are more teams trying to play possession-based, thoughtful football. I’ve never seen anything like how competitive the NWSL is, especially when you look at the teams at the top of the table who had poor seasons last year. That’s not something you would ever see in the WSL.

“The start of the season was especially difficult for us, because we had so many new players. We spent so little time together before the first game — that was a challenge I’d never experienced before. I think we’re feeling the effects of the ebb and flow of the season right now. You have to be so tuned-in mentally for every game, every week. If you do go through a low spell, you have to find ways to turn it around quickly, because getting a few wins will push you up the table.”

The NWSL season is about to be paused for the Olympics, which begin in France at the end of this month, where Fleming will be hoping to help Canada’s women retain the title they won at the previous Games in Japan three years ago. Paris 2024 will be her third Olympics and Canada have won medals at her previous two, taking bronze in Brazil in 2016, but a disappointing World Cup campaign, where they exited at the group stage after one win and two goals (one of them an own-goal) in the three games, has put a dampener on expectations.

“I struggled with penalties a bit at university, so it’s definitely not something I’ve always felt able to do,” she says. “I feel like for that coolness, I have to turn to my team-mates and our environment. I feel very supported and backed up with the national team and that helped me massively during that tournament.”

This time out, she’ll be in a new role as captain. Anyone who has watched Fleming play will know she is not the most vocal on the pitch, but she feels she can bring something different to the role.

“I’m definitely on the quieter side, but I’m learning there are so many different ways to lead,” Fleming says. “I don’t love speaking in front of a loud group of people and I feel like I thrive a bit more when I’m one-on-one with players. I would say I’m a bit of a football brain. I love watching the game, I love talking about tactics, and I’m always interested in how to improve, both as an individual and as a team.

“For me, it’s about letting my passion for football shine through and trying to bring others with me in that.”

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

the thing is though, if you look at the number of points between the first and second teams in the wsl over the last five seasons, there’s no more than 2 points in it. and the title went down to goal difference between city and chelsea last season

in the US the closest was 1 point

in germany no more than 7 points

in france no more than 9

compare that to Spain, it’s looking like it’s a minimum of 9 points between first and second over the same period. The highest gap being 24 points

to me, doesn’t that make the wsl the most competitive? regardless of who wins or personal opinion on quality of the teams, surely if the top two teams of the league have the same points on the last day, and the title goes down to goal difference, then that league is more competitive?

no one is disputing that Barça is the best women’s team in the world as it stands, but they also have way less competition in their domestic league over the course of a season

how does that make the wsl more competitive than the nwsl? 😂😂

i think you need to look up the dictionary definition of competitive once again because that’s not competitive my friend.

north carolina won the shield in 2019. 2020 was covid. portland thorns won in 2021. seattle reign won the shield in 2022. san diego wave won the shield last year, and orlando pride won it this year.

5 different winners in 5 consecutive years. now that’s competitive.

and who is arguing that liga f is more competitive than wsl? i certainly am not. so maybe re-read what i wrote 🙄

lol, nice coping strategy. but you forget that liga f has 16 teams, not 12.

rotation doesn’t help that much when you have the longest schedule of the top teams in europe and are playing more matches overall. not to mention international breaks (half of barça played in the olympics, world cup, etc.)

barça players are rested? 😂😂😂 and how can you have watched the first two months of barça’s season this year and called those guaranteed wins when they were mostly slogs?! 🙃 try again!

[grantmentis]

Women's Worlds 2023 Primer

The PHF season may be over, but many of the players we love will be playing in women's worlds this upcoming week alongside their peers from the PWHPA, SDHL, Naisten Liiga, NCAA, Usports, EWHL, and countless other fantatic women's hockey leagues or organizations from around the world!

When: April 5th - April 16th

Click here for full schedule

Where: Brampton, Ontario at CAA Center. Games will be in Eastern time

Click here for tickets

What Teams are playing:

Group A: Canada, USA, Switzerland, Czechia, Japan

Group B: Germany, Hungary, France, Finland, Sweden

How to Watch:

Canada: TSN will be broadcasting all games in the tournament for Canadians

USA: NHL Network will be broadcasting all of Team USA's and Team Canada's games, but not the rest of the tournament

Finland: Broadcast scheduling here

Germany: German games should be available at MagentaSport (and apparently free!)

France: Sport En France should have at least the French teams games

Sweden: SVT should carry Sweden's games

Switzerland: available to stream at srf.ch

Unfortunately I could not find broadcast information for Czechia, Hungary, or Japan, but that may be a language barrier issue on my end. If this is something you are familiar with please let me know!

Lastly, if you want to watch a game that's not available to you, feel free to message and I can see what I can do to help

Tournament format:

All of Group A makes it to the quarterfinals, so the preliminary games are just seeding for them. The top three seeds in Group B will move on as well. Then, the knock out stage looks like this:

Below the cut is rosters, notable storylines, and expectations for each team. These are in alphabetical order.

Canada

Roster

Notable changes: Natalie Spooner comes back after missing time with pregnancy. Danielle Serdachny makes her international senior team debut after having 71 points in 40 games as Colgates captain this year. Claire Thompson returns to the world stage after missing last world championships, comes off a spectacular olympic showing. Potomak is out, despite strong performance last world championship.

Player to watch/other fun things; Sarah Fillier. She has been one of the world's best goal scorers for over two year and, at only 22, will likely only get better

Goals: Win gold again! They've been dominate on the world stage again since the break from the pandemic, working extremely well with their new coach. They are the team to beat with a mix of vets and newcomers

Czechia

Roster

Notable changes: Klara Peslarova, star goalie for Czechia, is not here due to season ending knee injury. Michaela Hesova (who is only 17 years old!) makes her senior team debut in her place and Kateřina Zechovská comes back to the mix. Tereza Radová is out, Sára Čajanová returns. Klára Jandušíková makes her senior national team debut, one of the few ncaa dIII players to do so!

Players to watch: Tereza Vanišová is coming off a PHF championship where she scored the cup winning goal, and has been one of the Czech republics more creative offensive players that plays with an edge. Natálie Mlýnková just had a breakout year for University of Vermont that saw her have 42 points in 36 games.

Goals: Get a medal. Czechia has risen FAST on the national stage, going from not qualifying to medaling in their first wwc in just a few years. Thanks to a mix of a good core who's been playing together a long time like like Mills/Mrázová/Križová and talented youth like Čajanová, they have cemented themselves at one of the worlds threats.

Finland

Roster; http://leijonat.fi/index.php/maajoukkueet/naisleijonat/2022-23/mm2023/item/45144-naisleijonien-mm-joukkue-julkistettiin-taessae-kokoonpano ( no graphic :-( )

Notable changes: Elisa Holopainen will not play for Finland after a great showing last worlds due to injury. Susanna Tapani, who had five points in 6 worlds games last year, is also not on this roster. Sanni Ahola will make her senior national team debut as a goaltender for Finland. She had a .920 as the starter in St. Cloud state this year and could be interesting as they try to find their next starter. Emilia Kyrkkö is another new goalie, who played in Finland this year but will play at St. Cloud next year. I’d expect Ahola to get more time though. Michelle Karvinen not on roster. Lots of roster shakeup overall.

Players to watch: Noora Tulus has been a national team mainstay for some time, but the last two years she has found another gear. Coming off a club season in Sweden with 56 points in 32 games. Sini Karjalainen had a breakout season in Vermont, will be interested to see if she can translate in the world stage.

Goals:After a rough few tournaments and roster turmoil, and some coaching questions, Finland is trying to get back in Group A and compete for a medal. Competition will be fiercer than ever but they look to prove why they dominated so long.

France

Roster:

Notable changes: Marion Allemoz, who was the team captain, has retired. Morgane Rihet, who was also an assistant captain and mainstay, is not on the roster. Margot Desvignes makes her senior team debut after some strong showings in Sweden.

Players to watch: Chloe Aurard is /the/ player for this team, being a star over at Northeastern the past few years. Justine Crousy Theode, who plays in the mens division in France, will be interesting to see if she gets any starts. With no clear starting goaltender, the 22 is making her senior team debut after strong performances at the u18 level

Goals: Get their first top division win. After being promoted to Division IA in 2013, they've slowly risen to finally qualify for the primary WWC tournament for the first time since 2019! Despite tournament cancellations from the pandemic, they've kept their momentum as they look to establish themselves as a mainstay in the top division. In 2019, they did not get a win, so they hope to do so this time.

Germany

Roster: https://www.deb-online.de/2023/03/24/frauen-nationalmannschaft-finaler-kader-fuer-weltmeisterschaft-in-brampton-kanada-nominiert/ ( once again no graphic :( )

Notable changes: Going even younger in goal, swapping out lilly Uhrmann for Chiara Schultes, no Tanja Eisenschmid though her sister Nicola is there. We do have university of Maine twins Lilli and Louisa Welke still though!

Player to watch: Nina Jobst-Smith (listed as Katerina) had a breakout year in university of minnesota duluth, with 25 points in 39 games. Sandra Abstreiter is a goaltender who has proven she can steal a game.

Expectations: Similar to hungary below, finish top three in their division, hopefully with two decisive victories, to move on to the semifinals.

Hungary

Roster: https://www.jegkorongszovetseg.hu/noi-valogatott-megvan-a-vb-re-utazo-25-fos-keret

Notable Changes: Very much a run it back roster with little changes. Like its basically identical to their one from last year

Players to watch: Mira Seregély was already a steady contributor for Hungary, but after a breakout year in University of Maine, we may see her take another step. Same with Taylor Baker, a shutdown defender who had a solid season in montreal this year.

Goals: Finishing top three in Divison B to clinch a semifinal berth. They've done so their past two outings, but last time was on a tiebreaker. The past two tournaments they've only had one win in each preliminary round, so trying to secure two would be big. Keeping the group together to try t build on exisiting chemistry will be key.

Japan:

Roster: https://www.jihf.or.jp/common/img/info/info_20230324_153025.pdf

Notable changes: Similar to Hungary, they are running it back. Most of their changes come from adding some younger players to their forward group, including twin sisters Rio and Riri Noro making their national team debut after strong performances at the u18 level

players to watch: Haruka Toko is forever my answer here as I think she's one of my favorite players to watch in terms of her speed and shot, and she's coming off a season that saw her return to the SDHL and have 27 points in 29 games. Ayaka Hitosato also is coming off a successful first season in the SDHL, and it will be interesting to see how that affects her game.

Goals: make the semifinals! last year was a heartbreaking 2-1 shootout lost in the finals they hope to avenge, and have proven they are capable of it

Sweden:

Notable changes: Most notably, long time captain Michelle Löwenhielm is not on the roster. Sara Grahn returns after missing some time on the national team, will be interesting to see how they divide time between her and Söderberg. Ebba Berglund, Jessica Adolfsson, and several other no longer on the teams defense after being in the last few tournaments, so going for a new look there.

Player to watch: Maja Nylén Persson has become the #1 defender for the national team at 22 years old and is coming off a stellar SDHL season. Sara Hjalmarsson was over a point per game at providence college this year.

Goals: Win division B and try to make it to the semifinals. After a few rough years due to labor rights issues, the national team is trying to find some stability again and figure out their identity as they develop a young core.

Switzerland

Roster:

Notable changes: Not many, mostly concentrated in the forward group. Evelina Raselli has retired since last wwc, which is the big one.Sarah Forster makes her return after a strong season in the PHF.

Players to watch: For years, it has been the Lara Stalder and Alina Müller show, rightfully so as they are two of the best hockey players in the world and it is a gift to watch them together. We have also seen young defender Lara Christen have strong defensive performances in the past few tournaments, getting it done on both ends

Goals: Medal for Bronze again, hopefully by improved depth scoring and defense. In the past it has been their top line and Brändli who has carried them, so they hope to supplement their high end talent with a good supporting cast.

USA

Notable changes: A lot of babies! Players having babies, including Alex Cavallini and Kendall Coyne Schoffield. Then a lot of players who are very young, with 6 players being under 20, including new faces Abbey Levy, Gabbie Hughes, and Tessa Janecke to name a few. Brianna Decker has retired. No Hannah Brandt, grace zumwinkle, jincy dunne, maddie Rooney, or Jesse compher. HUGE shakeups here.

player to watch: Taylor Heise won player of the tournament last year, and has continued to dominate at the NCAA level, she may only be just beginning. Gabbie Hughes makes her senior team debut after several great years at Minnesota Duluth, and will be interesting to see how she fits into the roster.

Goals: Win gold again, especially with a new look with John Wroblewski at coach. He was the coach last tournament, but only had a few months to work with there. They looked improved under him already, so we will see how they look with a full cycle

[antalyamemurlarcom]

Preview fencing day 3 – men’s epee and women’s sabre

The men start of the day with the pool rounds at 09:00. The two largest favourites for gold are Gergely SIKLOSI (HUN), 2019 world champion and world no. 2, and Neisser LOYOLA (BEL), bronze medalist at the 2022 world championship and current world no. 3. Behind them comes high-level fencers from various countries such as Tamas Mate KOCH (HUN), silver medalist at the Istanbul World Cup; Tristan TULEN (NED), silver medalist at the 2022 European Championships, and Alexis BAYARD (SUI), bronze medalist at the same competition. However, as often with men’s epee, anyone that has the day can perform well, and all fencers have a chance at the medal of highest color. The home team is led by Mateusz ANTKIEWICZ (POL), bronze medalist at the European Championship in Plovdiv earlier this year.   At 13:00 the women’s sabre class, usually filled with passion and emotions, will begin with the pool round. Some of the world’s highest ranked fencers will be present, for instance the Greek duo of Despina GEORGIADOU, world no. 2, and world no. 4, Theodor GKONTOURA. They will battle it out with 2022 European champion Anna BASHTA (AZE), world no. 6 Lucia MARTIN-PORTUGUES (ESP), and not least the four-time world champion and fencing legend Olga KHARLAN (UKR). One would also be wise to keep a lookout for the strong Italian fencers, led by Martina CRISCIO and Rossella GREGORIO, as well as Hungary’s Katinka Sugar BATTAI and Liza PUSZTAI. The home team consists of young and promising fencers such as Zuzanna CIESLAR and Sylwia MATUSZAK.   The full schedule can be found at https://www.european-games.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/fencing.pdf. Moreover, the competition will be streamed through the following link: https://europeangames.tv.   European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 is Europe’s biggest multidisciplinary sporting event in 2023. More than seven thousand athletes are competing in 26 sports and 29 disciplines for 253 gold medals. More than that, European Games 2023 are part of the qualification process for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in 19 sports. This great celebration of sports starts with opening ceremony in Krakow on 21st of June. The closing ceremony will take place on July 2nd. Read the full article

[hardtchill]

For someone that’s slowly and dumbly trying to get into women’s football when/what are the different kinds of breaks? Like when don’t they play? International break does all games stop or not?

Hey anon, you really saw all this happening yesterday and was like, oh boy those people seem like a fun bunch to join? Oh well, you have the right mentality for football i guess 🤷

So in football there are multiple breaks but it depends on the league you follow when they are. In most European leagues the season runs from september to may with a summer (june/july/part of august) and winter (part of december/part of january) break. During summer break there will be a Euro's (2022) world cup (2023) or Olympics (2024) in which you can still watch football, normally there is one year without major tournament in a 4 year cycle.

During the season there are Fifa breaks (also called international breaks), these are set periods of usually 1-2 weeks in which national teams play and all leagues are paused. Major tournaments also take place during an international break, but those are obviously longer. You can find all the scheduled international breaks 2020-2023 in this document https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/add7387945214a47/original/wcuchsbbdhsatd7udsg5-pdf.pdf

*If you follow the NWSL you may want to just not look this shit up because they go by vibes, not schedules. The uswnt will schedule their own international breaks and also not pause the league during international breaks. It's weird and doesn't make sense but they do it anyway.

[rickchung]

2023 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers x Pacific Coliseum x PNE x Hastings–Sunrise. (via Joe Ng)

Team Canada (No. 6 ranked) will battle their counterparts from Belgium (No. 14 ranked) [...]. They will battle for a berth in the 2023 World Cup of Women’s Tennis Finals. It’s the second year in a row for Vancouver as a host venue for the top-level women’s tennis competition.

Leylah Annie Fernandez, 2022 BJKC Qualifier (Canada vs. Latvia).

Matches scheduled for April 14–15.

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“Women can be up to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts taking part in the same sports.”

Beth Mead has called on football’s authorities to launch a detailed investigation into why so many top female players have suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries — and said that such research would already be in progress had male stars been affected to the same degree.

Mead, the 27-year-old Arsenal forward, won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (Spoty) award for her goals which led England to glory at the European Championship this summer. However she is facing a long spell out of the game after rupturing an ACL last month during a match against Manchester United, and says she wants to use her recovery time to take part in a research project. She has concerns that the packed schedule could be a factor.

Her partner and Arsenal team-mate, Viviane Miedema, suffered exactly the same injury last week during a Champions League game against Lyon, making it ten senior Women’s Super League players sidelined with ACL problems among the 12 teams.

Five of the top 16 players on the 2022 Ballon d’Or women’s award shortlist have torn an ACL — the winner Alexia Putellas, Catarina Macario and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, plus Mead and Miedema. In fact, all three winners since the women’s award was launched in 2018 have had an ACL injury at some point, with Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe also sidelined for long spells. All in all, it is estimated that women can be up to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts taking part in the same sports.

Sarina Wiegman, the England women’s head coach, has backed Mead’s call for a detailed study, saying that men’s and women’s physiology is different, and has called on Fifa and Uefa to get involved.

Mead, who has not given up hope of recovering in time for the World Cup next summer, said: “Look at the top Ballon d’Or players who have done it. I see myself as quite a robust player but this has still happened. You look at Viv, she’s quite a robust player and we’ve not been players generally hit with injuries so I do think we need to look into it a lot more.

“I think if that happened with [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Antonine] Griezmann there’s probably going to be a lot more done when those things happen.

“It’s something that needs to be looked into, and something I would like to push forward. Me and Viv would really like to get involved and put it out there a little bit, hopefully we can look into some stuff and it would be a positive use of our time.

“There doesn’t seem to be a lot going on. Unfortunately this has happened to us but hopefully it can kick somebody up the arse to go on and start doing something.”

Mead believes the demands being placed upon modern players could be contributing to the issue. “The scheduling could be a lot better,” she said. “We won the Euros and a couple of weeks later we are back into camp again, not really any time to switch off. We do it because it’s our job and we love what we do but at the same time we need to look after players a lot better.

“It could be a combination of all of it. You can say us after the Euros, we had a lot going on as well in our lives — it’s a change.”

Miedema, the Holland forward, has written off her chances of making the World Cup, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand in July and August, but Mead, who was the top scorer (with six goals) and player of the tournament at the Euros, is refusing to do so.

“I’m two weeks post-op now and I’m in a really good position,” she said. “It’s difficult to put a timestamp on it with this injury because you can wake up one morning and it’s stiff and you can’t do anything and another morning you feel you could run on the pitch.

“I’m going to take it each day as it comes, that’s what mum has always told me. I will work my hardest and I will work my arse off in that gym to get myself in the best possible position for next year.”

Wiegman, who won the Coach of the Year award at Spoty, also called for a reform of the schedule.

“The FA is investigating it. The top, top-level players will have five consecutive tournaments in a row,” she said. “The demands of the game on the top players are getting higher and higher. They need a break too, they need some rest. We have to find a way because now we get too many injuries.

“We also have to look at who has got an ACL — what’s her programme? What does it look like? Get the bigger picture so you get the right things out of this research. Fifa, Uefa and the federations have to do something about this.

“There hasn’t been that much research about women’s football. Women are built differently to men; the hips and the knees are different, the angles are different. There’s lots of research in the men’s game, not the women’s game.”

The FA said its monitoring programme has shown ACL injuries represent 1.3 per cent of the total number of injuries in the top two tiers of women’s football in England, with hamstring injuries the most common at 11 per cent.

A spokesman said: “We will continue with our injury and illness surveillance work, which will continue to give us important medical insight into women’s football.”

Q&A: How women are more vulnerable to devastating injury
By Molly Hudson

What is an ACL?
An ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. It is a tough band of tissue joining the thigh bone to the shin bone at the knee joint. It runs diagonally through the inside of the knee and gives the knee joint stability. Damage to it often results in surgery.

What is the prognosis?
The most common injury to an ACL is a tear or rupture. This requires surgery and can rule out an athlete for up to a year. Elite athletes can have surgery once the swelling has gone down through private medical teams. Waiting lists on the NHS for a grassroots player with a ruptured ACL can be several months and even years.

Are there differences between men’s and women’s ACLs?
While research is reasonably scant, as Beth Mead has highlighted, it is thought the biological differences between men and women make females more likely to rupture their ACL. This is because women’s hips are wider, so the angle in which their knee plants in the ground is different. Women tend to have less muscle mass in the knee which means it is more likely to overstretch, while the early stages of the menstrual cycle can also make ligaments laxer, and therefore more vulnerable to rupture.

Women can be up to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts taking part in the same sports. Football is a particularly high-risk sport given the sudden twists and turns of the knee joint. Many ACL injuries occur without contact with an opponent.

How can it be prevented?
Prevention is the key — there is no medical “cure” as such, but prehabilitation is used by all the top clubs. This can vary from monitoring players’ menstrual cycles to potentially lowering the intensity of training when they are most vulnerable, to strength and conditioning work around the muscles in the knee and the glutes. In recent months, player load — the amount of games and high-intensity work — has been highlighted as another concern.

If we know this, why do we need more research?
As with many areas of women’s sport, the research conducted is small-scale and limited. Female players are taking part in an unprecedented number of games at present, requiring a physical output higher than ever as the standard rises and the game becomes more professional. We simply do not know the affect this has on ACL’s and other injuries in women.


[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Team India vs Team Japan practice match during Bihar Women’s asian champions trophy 2024 at Rajgir Hockey Stadium on 8th Nov. 2024 (Image: Hockey India) As the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 begins today, November 11, the Indian team, led by new captain Salima Tete, is eager to begin their journey and defend their title. This historic event marks Bihar’s first-ever international hockey tournament, bringing together some of Asia’s top teams, including Paris Olympics silver medallists China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand,. The event runs till November 11 to 20. Captain Salima Tete, alongside vice-captain Navneet Kaur, will lead India’s opening match against Malaysia on November 11. The Indian women’s hockey team holds a strong recent record against Malaysia, having defeated them 5-0 at the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023, 6-0 at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, and 9-0 at the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. Proud of her new leadership role, Salima Tete shared her anticipation for the tournament, saying, “This is the first time I will be leading the team out in a major international tournament, and I am proud that I have been trusted with this responsibility. The mood of the team is very good, and we are eager to get the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 underway. We play against Malaysia first, but our minds are set that we need to play as a team, not as individuals, and we will win all our matches.” She added that the competition will be a valuable step towards Olympic qualification, saying, “This experience will also help us prepare for our mission to qualify for the next Olympics. We are ready—now is the time to show everyone that we are a very fit, high-level team capable of beating the best teams in the world.” After Malaysia, India will face Korea on November 12, followed by rest day before they meet Thailand on November 14. On November 16, the Indian team will take on China, the Paris Olympics silver medallists, and conclude the pool stage against Japan on November 17. India will need to finish among the top four teams to secure a place in the semi-fonals on November 19, with the final scheduled for November 20. This tournament is the Indian team’s first Asian competition under Chief Coach Harendra Singh, who joined the team earlier this year. Singh expressed his confidence in the team’s preparation, stating, “The team’s body language has changed in the last few months, and at this point, we are all well aware of our roles and responsibilities. The Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 is a big platform for the team to excel and showcase our potential. This is the first step towards the ‘mission LA28,’ and the team is eager to show everyone that we are on the right path.” The Indian team’s opening match against Malaysia will take place on November 11 at 4:45 PM IST. Fans can catch the action live on Sony Sports Ten 1 and stream it on SonyLiv, with all Indian matches also broadcast on DD Sports. As India takes the field, anticipation is high for a thrilling tournament that could set the stage for their journey to the LA28 Olympics. The post Defending Champions India Ready to Launch Title Defence at Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Team India vs Team Japan practice match during Bihar Women’s asian champions trophy 2024 at Rajgir Hockey Stadium on 8th Nov. 2024 (Image: Hockey India) As the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 begins today, November 11, the Indian team, led by new captain Salima Tete, is eager to begin their journey and defend their title. This historic event marks Bihar’s first-ever international hockey tournament, bringing together some of Asia’s top teams, including Paris Olympics silver medallists China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand,. The event runs till November 11 to 20. Captain Salima Tete, alongside vice-captain Navneet Kaur, will lead India’s opening match against Malaysia on November 11. The Indian women’s hockey team holds a strong recent record against Malaysia, having defeated them 5-0 at the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023, 6-0 at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, and 9-0 at the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. Proud of her new leadership role, Salima Tete shared her anticipation for the tournament, saying, “This is the first time I will be leading the team out in a major international tournament, and I am proud that I have been trusted with this responsibility. The mood of the team is very good, and we are eager to get the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 underway. We play against Malaysia first, but our minds are set that we need to play as a team, not as individuals, and we will win all our matches.” She added that the competition will be a valuable step towards Olympic qualification, saying, “This experience will also help us prepare for our mission to qualify for the next Olympics. We are ready—now is the time to show everyone that we are a very fit, high-level team capable of beating the best teams in the world.” After Malaysia, India will face Korea on November 12, followed by rest day before they meet Thailand on November 14. On November 16, the Indian team will take on China, the Paris Olympics silver medallists, and conclude the pool stage against Japan on November 17. India will need to finish among the top four teams to secure a place in the semi-fonals on November 19, with the final scheduled for November 20. This tournament is the Indian team’s first Asian competition under Chief Coach Harendra Singh, who joined the team earlier this year. Singh expressed his confidence in the team’s preparation, stating, “The team’s body language has changed in the last few months, and at this point, we are all well aware of our roles and responsibilities. The Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 is a big platform for the team to excel and showcase our potential. This is the first step towards the ‘mission LA28,’ and the team is eager to show everyone that we are on the right path.” The Indian team’s opening match against Malaysia will take place on November 11 at 4:45 PM IST. Fans can catch the action live on Sony Sports Ten 1 and stream it on SonyLiv, with all Indian matches also broadcast on DD Sports. As India takes the field, anticipation is high for a thrilling tournament that could set the stage for their journey to the LA28 Olympics. The post Defending Champions India Ready to Launch Title Defence at Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[ejesgistnews]

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals: Nigeria U17 vs USA U17 Preview The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals are set to deliver an exciting clash between Nigeria U17 and USA U17. Both teams have shown remarkable performances in the tournament so far, and this match promises to be a thrilling encounter. Nigeria U17 vs USA U17 Head-to-Head (H2H) Analysis Historically, the encounters between Nigeria and the USA at the U-17 level have been competitive. The USA has a strong track record in youth tournaments, often showcasing their depth and tactical prowess. Nigeria, known for their flair and physicality, has also made significant strides in youth football, making this matchup particularly intriguing. The head-to-head record between Nigeria U17 and USA U17 in recent matches shows a competitive history: October 21, 2022: Nigeria U17 won against USA U17 in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals. The match ended 1-1, but Nigeria advanced 4-3 on penalties. October 26, 2024: The upcoming match in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals will see Nigeria U17 facing USA U17 again. Overall, in their last five encounters, Nigeria U17 has won 2 matches, drawn 2, and lost 1 against USA U17. Key Players to Watch Nigeria U-17: Harmony Chidi has been a standout player, scoring 13 goals in the qualifiers. Her ability to find the back of the net will be crucial for Nigeria’s chances. USA U-17: Micayla Johnson has been pivotal for the USA, with her striking ability and composure under pressure. [caption id="attachment_304551" align="alignnone" width="897"] U-17 WWC: Flamingos Must Learn To Handle Pressure – Olowookere[/caption] Nigeria U17 vs USA U17 Kick-off Time The match is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, October 26, 2024. Here are the local times for various regions: Santo Domingo: 19:00 Nigeria: 8:30pm WAT (Sunday) New York: 19:00 (Saturday) USA U-17 vs NIGERIA U-17 How to Watch Fans can catch the live action on various platforms: AIT NTA Sport FIFA+: The official streaming service for all FIFA tournaments. ESPN: Live coverage and updates will be available. Local Broadcasters: Check your local listings for broadcast details. Nigeria U17 vs USA U17 Match Preview Nigeria comes into this match with a perfect record in the group stages, having scored eight goals and secured six points from their first two games. The USA, on the other hand, has shown resilience and tactical discipline, making them a formidable opponent. Nigeria U17 vs USA U17 Prediction.  The flamingos of Nigeria will defeat USA. Final score will be (1:0) This quarterfinal clash is expected to be a battle of contrasting styles. Nigeria’s attacking flair and physicality will be up against the USA’s tactical discipline and depth. Both teams will be looking to secure a spot in the semifinals, making this a must-watch game for football fans around the world.

[xtruss]

It’s Time To Sideline “The Terrorist, War Criminal, Apartheid, Liar, Conspirator, Zionist 🐖 And The Illegal Regime of Israel” from International Sports

A Boycott of Isra-helli Soccer Could Accomplish What Other BDS Efforts Have Failed to Do: Dent the Country’s Own Sense of Legitimacy.

— Foreign Policy | Tuesday July 16, 2024 | By Daniel Levy & Tony Karon

Demonstrators call for FIFA to expel “The Terrorist, War Criminal, Apartheid , Liar, Conspirator, Zionist 🐖 and The Illegal Regime of Israel” on May 28, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP Via Getty Images

FIFA, Global Soccer’s Governing Body, is facing growing calls to ban Israel’s teams from international competitions. The Palestinian Football Association has formally demanded action in response to the dire humanitarian situation created by Israel’s nine-month assault on Gaza, the ongoing disruption of Palestinian soccer imposed by Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, and the fact that teams from Israel’s illegal West Bank settlements play in its domestic leagues in violation of FIFA rules. The international body has long evaded efforts within its councils to sanction Israel, but the pressure of disruptive protest action in and around the world’s football stadiums could force a change.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino had artfully played for time by insisting his organization needed legal advice, despite the federation’s precedent of barring Russia within weeks of its invasion of Ukraine. FIFA has promised to convene its council to consider the issue by July 20, but it was put on notice on a breezy evening in Glasgow as Scotland’s women prepared to face Israel’s on May 31.

Scottish protesters harassed the Israeli squad from the moment it landed in Glasgow, posting social media videos of the players in IDF uniforms during their military service, demonstrating outside the team’s hotel, and preventing them training in the stadium. The Israeli players could hear the shouts of the protesters from outside the ground in the silent stadium.

“We had to scream the national anthem because the Scots didn’t play it on the stadium loudspeaker,” one Israeli player told Haaretz.

The Glasgow Euro 2025 qualifier match demonstrated that continuing to defer action on Israel could pose a growing risk of disruption for global soccer—and showed that fans possess a form of leverage that may be more effective than formal pleas to the FIFA council. Fear of disruption had prompted the authorities to stage the match behind closed doors, barring entry to fans. (Even then, hundreds of raucous protesters showed up outside the city’s iconic Hampden Park stadium, and one managed to delay the kickoff by sneaking inside and chaining himself to a goal post.)

Soccer in an empty stadium, as the COVID lockdown era reminded us, is a pale shadow of the spectacle that makes it the world’s premier (and most lucrative) TV viewing.

A sports boycott is no silver bullet to end Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza or its long-term denial of Palestinian rights. But a conditional ban on competing internationally in a sport with broad social popularity can destabilize the offending regime’s own sense of legitimacy by highlighting for ordinary citizens the abnormality of their reality in the eyes of the world.

The Risk Of Disruption Is Clear in Israel’s scheduled matches against Mali, Paraguay, and Japan during the Paris Olympics and European Nations League fixtures that see the Israelis play in Belgium, Italy, and France in the fall.

The Scottish players’ refusal to shake hands with Israel’s also signals that many players are beginning to break the silence imposed by federations, leagues, and owners on making statements deemed political.

Dissident player expressions of support for the Palestinians aren’t new. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Moroccan players celebrated their Cinderella run to the semifinals by brandishing Palestinian flags in a powerful symbolic rebuke to normalization of ties with Israel by their own and other Arab governments.

The Gaza offensive saw many more players step forward to express solidarity, some at great cost such as Dutch-Moroccan forward Anwar El Ghazi, whose contract was terminated by the German club Mainz (a move even the German courts have now deemed illegal) after he resisted pressure to back down from tweets supporting Palestinian freedom.

But the tide seems to be turning. The recent “All Eyes on Rafah” viral phenomenon was reposted by a number of the game’s biggest names, including Arsenal’s William Saliba, Barcelona’s João Cancelo, Paris St. Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca, AC Milan’s Rafael Leão, Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram, 2023 women’s Ballon D’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, BBC broadcaster and England icon Gary Lineker, and many more.

With growing numbers of players uncomfortable or outraged at maintaining normal sporting relations with a country committing daily war crimes, sports federations are likely to face a growing headache.

Fans have power, also—they’re an essential part of the chemistry that makes soccer the premier global TV spectacle, and inside a stadium, they can’t easily be silenced or pacified. When the rapper Macklemore spoke out for Palestinian rights at a concert in Mönchengladbach, Germany, he was breaking the bizarre German taboo on plain speaking about Israel. “To atone for our past is by today standing up against apartheid, against occupation, against genocide—for free Palestine,” he declared, to rapturous applause from 19,000 people.

There’s a precedent of course: the global anti-apartheid sports boycott that had a significant psychological impact on the morale of the white social base of the South African regime.

In 1981, A Mass Protest Campaign Successfully Disrupted the 1981 Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand, which led to South Africa’s banning from all international competition. Rugby had been the apartheid regime’s game of choice, in which its international prowess was an immense source of pride.

The conservative International Rugby Board—dominated by the federations of Britain and its former settler colonies—had resisted mounting pressure to exclude South Africa. But in 1981, the Halt All Racist Tours movement rallied tens of thousands of citizens to protest and disrupt matches, even physically forcing the cancellation of one of the early games.

For South Africans fighting apartheid it was an inspiring symbol of international solidarity—Nelson Mandela once recalled feeling it as a moment of “the sun coming out” when news reached him in prison on Robben Island of a Springbok match canceled because of protests in New Zealand. And for young people in white homes, it was the first inkling that the social system most white South Africans treated as normal was, in fact, intolerable to those they might deem peers elsewhere.

Referencing an earlier boycott campaign against a rugby tour of the U.K., South African writer Donald McRae wrote: “I was an eight-year-old boy living near Johannesburg when that tour ended and it was the first time I realised the outside world hated South Africa … it needed the sports protests and eventual boycotts to force boys like me to wonder what was wrong with our country.”

The New Zealand disruptions finally forced the IRB to act, banning South Africa from international competition later that year—a ban that remained in place until the apartheid regime had capitulated and set South Africa on the road to democracy, with the restoration of its place in international rugby also being deployed as a powerful incentive to the old regime’s base to embrace the transition to majority rule.

Attempts at disruption are likely to increase the headache facing soccer administrators scheduling matches involving Israel. South Africa showed that an effective sports boycott can take years of grassroots activism to muster, and years more to focus the minds of the targeted population on the need to change course. International sports federations had to be forced by the disruptive pressure of grassroots civil society activism to take action; their default was to ignore what they see as an unwelcome intrusion of “politics” into their business.

Although soccer may not be the source of national pride that rugby was for South Africa (Israel’s national teams and clubs simply aren’t top-tier competitors), involvement in European competitions has become key part of the normalcy experienced by millions of Israelis even as their state keeps their Palestinian neighbors shackled in a brutal apartheid regime.

As their country continues to conduct daily mass civilian killings in Gaza and deploy starvation as a weapon of war, Israeli fans can look forward to their national and club teams joining international competitions in the fall. Ordinary Israelis may be able to convince themselves that the protests on the streets and campuses of Western capitals represent a Hamas-aligned radical fringe, but if such pillars of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “civilized world” as FIFA and UEFA were to kick it out, the blow would penetrate the iron-dome of imagined legitimacy that sanctifies Israel’s brutality.

Legitimacy in Western eyes has always been a singular Israeli obsession. It is that eternal quest for reassurance that its status and actions are deemed legitimate among the community of Western nations of which it imagines itself part that makes Israel especially vulnerable, as apartheid South Africa was because of similar settler-colonial origins, to the withholding of that legitimacy.

This vulnerability may be even more pronounced in the soccer sphere, because of Israel’s accession to the European federation, UEFA, in 1994. Before that, Israel had played under the auspices of the Asian confederation—though it hadn’t actually played very much, because of a decades-long boycott by Arab and Muslim countries. Acceptance as part of UEFA allowed it to qualify for the World Cup and regional tournaments against European opponents, it also meant Israeli club teams competing in the Champions League and other UEFA competitions. Israel had finally been welcomed into the sport’s “civilized world.”

The impact of the more successful current BDS efforts—boycotts of Israeli consumer products or divestment by college endowments—hardly penetrate the consciousness of most ordinary Israelis. The bans and sanctions announced by the U.S. and European governments targeting a handful of the more militant leaders of Israel’s vast state-sponsored system of illegal settlements in the West Bank barely even register as the equivalent of a parking ticket. While a growing number of musicians are refusing to perform in Israel, enough still show up to avoid Israelis feeling a more pervasive sense of missing out.

That’s what happened to apartheid South Africa’s ruling community, in their game of choice, world rugby. Like so many of today’s Jewish Israelis, most white South Africans had precious little idea of how abnormal their system was in the eyes of global civil society.

The withdrawal of legitimacy symbolized by a boycott is most powerful when it happens suddenly, kicking away a prop of a regime’s self-image. FIFA seemed aware of this in 2014 when, in response to Russia annexing Crimea, it warned Moscow that including teams from occupied territory in its domestic league program—a direct violation of FIFA statutes—would result in Russia losing hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup. A move which temporarily slowed Russian incorporation of Crimean-based teams. And the 2022 invasion of Ukraine earned Russia a swift red card despite the disruptions caused to that year’s World Cup program.

Israel, of course, violates the same statute as Russia would have if it had allowed Crimean teams into its domestic league. According to FIFA’s own regulations, this should be an open and shut case. FIFA recognizes and has Palestine compete in its competitions; the Israeli Football Association includes teams from illegal settlements in the area recognized by FIFA as under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian FA (including Beitar Ma’ale Adumim, Hapoel Bik’at HaYarden and Beitar Ironi Ariel), but no action has been taken.

Lobbying FIFA from the top, of course, requires persuading institutions that are not exactly transparent or accountable, making it easier for Israel and its allies to leverage political and economic power in their favor to avoid sanction.

As the South African example shows, institutions won’t act until the consequences of not acting become too costly to absorb. Fan pressure forcing the Glasgow match to be played behind closed doors demonstrated the power to make clear to authorities that inviting Israel invites disruption, and the potential “chaos” FIFA cited as its reason for banning Russia.

The South African sports boycott was based on the principle that there could be no normal sport in (or with) an abnormal society. The impact of cutting Israel off from international competition will be to show millions of ordinary Israelis that the world does not accept the behavior of their state as normal or acceptable.

— Daniel Levy is President of the U.S./Middle East Project and served as an Israeli peace negotiator at the Oslo-B talks under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Taba negotiations under Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

— Tony Karon is the editorial lead of AJ+, the Al Jazeera social media brand. Born and raised in South Africa, where he was active in the anti-apartheid movement, he also teaches at the New School in New York City.

[college-girl199328]

FIFA partially fleshed out the road map for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, revealing Canada and Mexico will each host 13 games with the U.S. staging the remaining 78. With 45 countries yet to qualify for the men’s soccer showcase, the full picture won’t emerge until the tournament draw in early December 2025. But Sunday’s televised reveal attached cities to dates as well as concrete information on the three co-hosts’ schedule during the opening group phase.

Mexico, currently ranked 15th in the world, will kick off the expanded 48-team tournament on June 11 at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, with a second game later that day in Guadalajara. No. 48 Canada will open at Toronto’s BMO Field on June 12.

The 12th-ranked Americans start their campaign the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Canada will stage 10 opening-round games — split evenly between Toronto and Vancouver, which will host Canada’s two other opening-round matches June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium.

Toronto and Vancouver will each stage a round-of-32 knockout game with Vancouver also hosting a round-of-16 match. Vancouver likely gets one more game than Toronto because it offers a bigger venue. Capacity at B.C. Place for the tournament will be 54,000 while BMO Field, once extra seats are added, will accommodate 45,000.

The U.S. will face less early travel than Canada with a June 19 game at Seattle’s Lumen Field between June 12 and 25 dates at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Mexico will play June 11 and 24 games in Mexico City sandwiched around a July 18 match in Guadalajara, a mere 460 kilometres away.

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups for the opening round-robin stage. The group winners and runners-up, plus the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the knockout round of 32. Success in the group stage means a more benign schedule in terms of travel and rest when compared with the runners-8- and third-place teams than advance.

Should Canada win its group, it would stay in Vancouver for the round-of-32 game and, if it wins that, stay put for the round-of-16 contest. The Canadian men are still looking for their first World Cup win, however, after losing all three matches in both 1986 in Mexico and in 2022 in Qatar. The tournament quarterfinals are set for Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Miami with the semifinals in Atlanta and Dallas.

The championship game is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. with the bronze-medal match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The 2026 tournament was initially planned for 80 games, with the U.S. expected to host 60 and Canada and the U.S, getting 10 apiece. The group phase was subsequently enlarged, adding an additional 24 games.

There are 16 host cities — two in Canada, three in Mexico and the rest in the U.S. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the most with nine. The televised reveal, streamed around the world by FIFA, was co-hosted by actor Kevin Hart also included a cameo by Drake, in conversation with Infantino.

While the Toronto rapper is known more for his love of hoops than the beautiful game, he has connections with the Canadian men’s team and has hung out with them when they are in town. During the schedule reveal show, Drake talked up Canada’s and Toronto’s multicultural population, calling the World Cup a “beautiful time” in the city. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her son Saint helped announce the U.S. opening fixture.

Mexico will become the first country to stage the FIFA men’s World Cup for a third time after hosting in 1970 and 1986. The U.S. hosted the 1994 tournament. Canada has never hosted the men’s World Cup although it tried to get the 1986 edition after Colombia, the original choice, said it could not stage the tournament for financial reasons. Canada, the U.S. and Mexico all submitted bids to be the replacement host with Mexico eventually being chosen by FIFA, much to the ire of Canada and the U.S.

Canada hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup, as well as other age-group world championships. World Cup qualifying has already started in CONMEBOL (South America), the AFC (Asia) and CAF (Africa).

CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, kicks off qualifying next month while the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) begins in September. UEFA (Europe) starts in March 2025. CONCACAF could send as many as eight teams to the expanded World Cup. Three teams will join the tournament co-hosts via regional qualifying with two more bidding to join them via intercontinental playoffs.

FIFA awarded the 2026 hosting rights to the three co-hosts on June 13, 2018, at a meeting of the FIFA Congress in Mexico. The so-called united bid received 134 of 200 votes case (67 percent) while Morocco got 65 votes (33 percent) with one member association voting not to choose either bid.

[sapphicmartian]

Some thoughts I had this summer during the Women's World cup. (don't take this too seriously it is supposed to be funny)

So you may or may not know that like a year or two ago I got really into soccer, I was REALLY INTO IT!!! For about a summer, 3 months if that. Like I was so much into it that I went to two soccer practices for my local league and then quit. Look mate I was on a team and shit……. but only for two days, (didn’t even make it to play a proper game) But I like REALLY prided myself on the fact I was watching sports for the first time and like enjoying sport, instead of like just sitting there and pretending I know what’s going on! But you see friends, at the time I was watching men’s soccer. 

It was the 2020 Euro Cup (which was actually in 2021) I was so obsessed with England I knew like most of the players names, look, I’m wearing my jersey right now! England came in second. Once school started up again the time zones made it hard to keep up with the Premier League (excuses, excuses, excuses) but really it was more or less that I was slowly losing interest. And I mean that was destined to happen because honestly I don’t give a shit too much about sport…never really have… until that year. So I stopped keeping up with it. It began to feel like a chore. I’d rather watch Ted Lasso! 

There was barely a storyline; these men were giving me nothing. Now I didn’t know they were giving me nothing, because I do think they are very talented and entertaining lads, don’t get me wrong I won’t put it past them. For fucks sake they are professional athletes. Good for them! But now I know they have NOTHING on Women's soccer!   

Do you know how many of the players in the 2022 Men’s World Cup were openly gay? 

……I’ll wait…. Got your answer…..yeah you are right! ZERO! Do you know how many openly gay Women there are in the Women's World Cup this year? AT LEAST 87!!!!!! RECORD BREAKING NUMBERS!!!!!! So yeah I knew there were a lot of lesbians, bisexuals, queer, LGBTQ+ people in women's sports. I hadn’t researched though, they all looked gay to me cause there uniforms, how was I to know? I also kind of thought it was a stereotype. Like an over exaggeration maybe……I AM STUPID! Holy heck on toast they are like multiple players dating each other! I'm not kidding. This is a crossover event where we have couples playing against each other in the world cup. THE TENSION! THE ROMANCE! THE STORYLINE OF IT ALL!

HELLO? This is peak lesbianism! This is more than anything men could give me. This is literally fanfiction, no? This is real life. God damn it! Honestly I just need to stop complaining about WLW representation in the media, this right here is the only representation I need. No but really this is great. This is historic, and brings me so much queer joy! I just love it! 

Now maybe you're not gay, maybe you are? Maybe you don’t fucking care about sexuality and you just want to watch sports. Well guess what you are in luck! Especially if you are Team U.S.A! These players, these fucking athelets. INCREDIBLE! Alex Morgan is a superhuman. But hey maybe it’s because I don’t do sports and just can’t comprehend how someone can be that athletic. No matter the gender, when I watch soccer I want to play, and then I get out the ball and I’m like how do they do this! 

I can’t go on forever cause I have just barely seen the tip of the iceberg. Let me tell you I started getting into all of this properly last night! So if you want incredible commentary for the gayness this world cup is giving us, please go over to @jcubedhax on Tiktok. 

I have just gone and fixed my sleep schedule for the summer, but yeah I think it is about to be destroyed by this tournament. I will be cheering for the Lioness tonight 

THAT'S RIGHT I will be up at 3:30 AM watching the game!!!! (LETS GO LESBIANS LETS GO)