Womens Euro 2025

[davids]

Goals in stadiums aren't even like permanently in place are they. I always harp on about how crap the women keepers are but they're also 5'5" in an 8' net...

It is a sensible idea but I've a feeling that it'd be the female players themselves who'd block it,they'd see it as condescending.

 

[Hangleton]

Ive been lucky enough, as I work in Switzerland, to see 6 games so far, including last night - and the Spain v Italy game, France v Holland and I am really enjoying it.
Sometimes crazy mistakes - and lots of fantastic skill.
The crowds are great - take your beer to your seat - all really friendly. None of that stupid tribalism.
Always better live than TV of course.

 

[Hangleton]

It is a sensible idea but I've a feeling that it'd be the female players themselves who'd block it,they'd see it as condescending.

Rightly so - I expect in time, there’ll be some taller keepers

 

[Gilbert..]

Ive been lucky enough, as I work in Switzerland, to see 6 games so far, including last night - and the Spain v Italy game, France v Holland and I am really enjoying it.
Sometimes crazy mistakes - and lots of fantastic skill.
The crowds are great - take your beer to your seat - all really friendly. None of that stupid tribalism.
Always better live than TV of course.

French girl Cascarino looks great. Just ruins it every single time she's mentioned Tony pops into your head. Every dam time.

 

[barneygumble]

I think your reservations are valid. One can love women's football and still prefer the men's game.

Top-level women's international football is interesting. But there is no depth beyond a handful of countries - which is what you would expect in a developing sport. Some of the women have incredible skill - as good as any male player. It's not about a lack of skill in the top players or teams. It's the lack of physicality and depth that hurts it in comparison to the men. But, again, that's the same in most women's sports.

On its own terms, women's sport can be brilliant. Martina Navratilova v Chris Evert was every bit as compelling a rivalry as any in any sport. Two genuises with contrasting styles bringing the very best out of each other on every surface. Would they beat the men? Not really, no. It wouldn't be a fair match because of male strength. Were they as skilled as the men - oh, yes. On pure skill and mental strength alone, game on!

We wouldn't expect a middleweight to defeat a heavyweight boxer. We have weight classes to make sport safe and level the playing field for competitors. We divide players into men's and women's categories for the same reasons.

Women's soccer has developed incredibly well in recent decades. It's a success story. The men's game will always offer more in terms of physicality and depth. But one can enjoy a lightweight boxing bout as much as a heavyweight clash - and not see the smaller boxers as inferior. I mean, do we think Marvelous Marvin Hagler was an "inferior" boxer to, say, Lennox Lewis? I don't think so. We think Lennox would likely win a brawl to the death between the two purely because of his size, but technically? That's a different call.

Last night's penalty shoot-out was a farce. One can love women's soccer and still laugh at the ludicrousness of what we witnessed. It's not that women are "inferior" - it's that they have probably had fewer opportunities so far to cope with the pressure they experienced last night. The Swedish team experienced a mental collapse last night. They won that game at least four times - and blew it every time. England, who showed great courage at 0-2 to come back and give themselves a chance, won the game on the strength of their gutsy comeback and then the mental capitulation of the Swedes.

If women's football wants more respect from people, we do at least have to admit when the standard falls off a cliff - as it did in that shoot-out last night. It was the equivalent of Navratilova and Evert going hammer and tongs, one of them blowing three match points from a set up and both them proceeding to a tiebreaker and serving underarm to each other whilst netting every return. It was a joke. But that's developing sport for you. And say what you like, it was very entertaining.

Basically, that match lacked the hard-nosed professionalism of the men's game. But so what? It has a more human and relatable charm as a result. Is it the highest level of the sport? No. But neither was the Wimbledon final this year that ended in a double-bagel. Yet, we know women's tennis can produce magic.

Really fair assessment.

Your point re. Tennis is a strong one, i totally relate to. The elite calibre is nothing short of impressive.

I think my stance on Women's football remains unchanged that its not for me. But dont have to moan about it. There was parts which were enjoyable and im sure people who are spiteful of it, might which to reconsider.

Ive seen dour games of male football. Switzerland- Ukraine in Germany 2006, remains in my mind for a dire 0-0, and then a 3-0 Shootout.

But sport is there for entertainment, and it was certainly that, in the shootout.

 

[laudo9]

I think your reservations are valid. One can love women's football and still prefer the men's game.

Top-level women's international football is interesting. But there is no depth beyond a handful of countries - which is what you would expect in a developing sport. Some of the women have incredible skill - as good as any male player. It's not about a lack of skill in the top players or teams. It's the lack of physicality and depth that hurts it in comparison to the men. But, again, that's the same in most women's sports.

On its own terms, women's sport can be brilliant. Martina Navratilova v Chris Evert was every bit as compelling a rivalry as any in any sport. Two genuises with contrasting styles bringing the very best out of each other on every surface. Would they beat the men? Not really, no. It wouldn't be a fair match because of male strength. Were they as skilled as the men - oh, yes. On pure skill and mental strength alone, game on!

We wouldn't expect a middleweight to defeat a heavyweight boxer. We have weight classes to make sport safe and level the playing field for competitors. We divide players into men's and women's categories for the same reasons.

Women's soccer has developed incredibly well in recent decades. It's a success story. The men's game will always offer more in terms of physicality and depth. But one can enjoy a lightweight boxing bout as much as a heavyweight clash - and not see the smaller boxers as inferior. I mean, do we think Marvelous Marvin Hagler was an "inferior" boxer to, say, Lennox Lewis? I don't think so. We think Lennox would likely win a brawl to the death between the two purely because of his size, but technically? That's a different call.

Last night's penalty shoot-out was a farce. One can love women's soccer and still laugh at the ludicrousness of what we witnessed. It's not that women are "inferior" - it's that they have probably had fewer opportunities so far to cope with the pressure they experienced last night. The Swedish team experienced a mental collapse last night. They won that game at least four times - and blew it every time. England, who showed great courage at 0-2 to come back and give themselves a chance, won the game on the strength of their gutsy comeback and then the mental capitulation of the Swedes.

If women's football wants more respect from people, we do at least have to admit when the standard falls off a cliff - as it did in that shoot-out last night. It was the equivalent of Navratilova and Evert going hammer and tongs, one of them blowing three match points from a set up and both them proceeding to a tiebreaker and serving underarm to each other whilst netting every return. It was a joke. But that's developing sport for you. And say what you like, it was very entertaining.

Basically, that match lacked the hard-nosed professionalism of the men's game. But so what? It has a more human and relatable charm as a result. Is it the highest level of the sport? No. But neither was the Wimbledon final this year that ended in a double-bagel. Yet, we know women's tennis can produce magic.

 

[coollino]

Ive been lucky enough, as I work in Switzerland, to see 6 games so far, including last night - and the Spain v Italy game, France v Holland and I am really enjoying it.
Sometimes crazy mistakes - and lots of fantastic skill.
The crowds are great - take your beer to your seat - all really friendly. None of that stupid tribalism.
Always better live than TV of course.

So you don't shout 'beckham could have hit that better' after each pass?

 

[Rita_Poon]

So you don't shout 'beckham could have hit that better' after each pass?

 

[Hangleton]

So you don't shout 'beckham could have hit that better' after each pass?

Stuck with - “Come on England deez are rubbish”
And
“What game are you watching ref?”

 

[carolinablue232]

And not even the worst shootout ever like some are claiming, there’s been men’s ones far worse

Can you share an example? It’s not a men vs women thing. It was just horrific.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Can you share an example? It’s not a men vs women thing. It was just horrific.

I seem to remember this one being pretty awful:

 

[carolinablue232]

I seem to remember this one being pretty awful:

View attachment 317290

Ha it was. There’s plenty of individual pens that have been terrible. But as a whole, particularly at the highest level, yesterday’s showing by both sides was the worst I can remember in the aggregate.

 

[toffee82]

Is it not possible to have smaller nets for women's games? Feel like it would make it a lot better.

But that penalty shootout would still be going.

 

[Davideeyore]

Did England win last night or lose? Can't remember now

 

[Rita_Poon]

Spain vs Switzerland in 14 minutes on BBC 1.

I suspect the quality will be a little higher.