Women’s soccer finally gaining respect in U.K.
VANCOUVER — The debate rarely pops up here, in large part because Canada’s men’s soccer team has been so inconsequential over the last 20 years, dipping to 109th in the FIFA world rankings.
But as the England women prepare to face Canada in Saturday’s FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-final match, their place in a United Kingdom sporting landscape so dominated by male footballers is still a burning question.
There has long been a deeprooted disregard for the women’s game in the U.K., one that was brought back into focus by well-respected soccer writer Oliver Holt’s column in the Daily Mail 10 days ago. He slammed the way critics scorned, sneered at and belittled the women’s game after England’s 1-0 loss to France in the group stage on June 9.
“The misogynists and the fools came crashing through England’s hedgerows like a herd of T. rex that hadn’t been fed for a while,” he wrote. “Some of the reaction to the start of a football tournament eagerly awaited by so many was sad, ignorant, arrogant and really rather stupid.”
After his England side beat Norway 2-1 on Monday to advance to face Canada, young coach Mark Sampson said the gutsy comeback win by the Three Lionesses was a timely response to the doubters.
“The women’s football community has taken some flak,” he said. “We’ve had to go through some tough times. We’ve had a lot of doubters and a lot of haters in the past, but we’ve stayed on task and we’ve stuck together.
“This team is determined to keep inspiring the next generation.”
A recent survey showed that soccer is just the ninth most popular sport in the U.K. for women behind, among others, badminton and equestrian.
Perhaps if England can get into the semifinals or even the final at this World Cup, things could change. Before Monday, the country had never won a game in the knockout stage of any previous World Cup.
The players like their chances, having beat Canada four consecutive times before losing 1-0 in a pre-World Cup tune-up one month ago in Hamilton, Ont.
England captain Steph Houghton says her side won’t be cowed by the boisterous crowd at BC Place Stadium, either.
“It’s great to be playing the host nation in Vancouver in front of 50,000 fans,” she told The Guardian.
“These are the sort of games everyone wants to play in. We can’t wait for the challenge. We’ve already shown we can play under pressure. We know we can make history.”