Women’s Football Should Get More Recognition

The Olympic Games are good for a lot of things. They give each nation a group to cheer for, they prove our sporting potential, and they draw attention to sports that don’t get recognition. In the case of soccer, which is a world popular sport, the Games drew attention to the women.

Women’s soccer doesn’t get anywhere near the media coverage it deserves, mainly because advertisers are convinced no one would watch, if it were a choice between women’s soccer and say party poker playing. Why? As a sport predominantly played and watched by men, the answer is obvious.

It shows how wrong the current climate for women’s soccer is, when female players are telling the news crews how surprised and awed they are by the amount of people in the stands watching them play, during the London 2012 Olympics. It’s an ugly truth, but women’s soccer often doesn’t fill even half the seating capacity available. And they aren’t even in stadiums most of the time.

Here’s a fact that ought to be recognised; the women who play soccer in the top leagues all over the world are talented. We saw that from the impressive matches during the Olympics, and controversial as this statement may be, I would go as far as to say women’s soccer is more entertaining.

Why, you ask? Because they get on with the game. The more you watch male soccer matches, especially the World Cup, Euro and Premier Leagues, the more you notice patterns in their play. Or rather how they attempt to force yellow and red cards on opposing players. Diving to feign hurt, in the hopes of getting a player in trouble is a common tactic in male soccer.

In women’s soccer they get on with it. No messing around, just play some good clean, tactical but rewarding football. Exactly how it’s supposed to be.

So what if they aren’t quite to the standard of the top male soccer teams? With more interest and funding they very easily could be. Just start showing an interest.