Going global at last

England's young starlet, Jess Clarke 

I was recently sat on a train heading out of New York City when my eye was drawn to an advertising poster which showed 4 women jumping for joy in front of a sports stadium….. an advert for this summer’s women’s soccer world cup to be held 4000 miles away in Germany. It's the 6th tournament to be played since the first one in China back in 1991 and off the field it’s shaping up to be the best tournament yet. Ticket sales have been phenomenal with over 450,000 already sold meaning that many of the stadiums will be full to capacity. Then there’s the tv coverage which promises to deliver imagery unparalleled in the history of women’s football - a long way from the days of a lone cameraman with a microphone!!!!! For some games FIFA tells us there will be 18 cameras as well as the provision of spider cams and helicopter cams, let’s just hope that the quality of the imagery is matched by informed pundits who can speak knowledgeably about the game……. Not the Andy Grays and Richard Keys of this world!!!!

Atlanta Beat and USA star Kylie Wright

On the field the competition should be intense and the 11-0 scoreline which opened the last tournament in 2007 should quite definitely be consigned to the past. Each group appears to be nicely balanced and although it has top seeds and favorites the games ought to be closer and more competitive than ever before.

My personal interest lies with England in group B and the USA in group C. Both groups seem to be very finely balanced and I think ripe for a few surprises. In group B I’m sure Mexico will be keen to show that their victory over the USA in qualifying was no fluke, whilst New Zealand with an astute English head coach don’t expect to be in Germany just to make up the numbers. It’s Japan, though, that I’m really excited about, they are a neat and precise team, well  deserving of their 5^th spot in the world rankings. The English will have to be at the top of their game to beat them. In group C the USA lead by Swedish head coach Pia Sundhage will have to overcome Sweden, Korea and Colombia, not an easy group by any stretch of the imagination. Always a powerhouse of women’s football the USA uncharacteristically made hard work of qualification this time around so it will be interesting to see whether that was just a blip on the radar, or a symptom of something more seriously wrong in the American game. 

Kelly Smith, the England and Boston striker in action against Spain

Realistically though can anyone seriously see any other outcome other than a German victory in the final? They have dominated European competition since 1989 and have also convincingly won the last two world cups. On home soil, urged on by a home crowd they should be unbeatable. Although I can't finish this blog without acknowledging the pressure that they will be under to deliver to an expectant nation. How they deal with a level of hype and media attention that has so far been unseen in the women’s game could be the deciding factor in the eventual outcome of the tournament. 

Whatever happens I for one can’t wait, let the games begin

England's Sophie Bradley in a tussle for the ball with Sarah Hagen of the USA in a U23 international in 2010