Anyone else been following their progress with interest.. I might even turn out for a few beers on Thursday to watch the semi final.. ha'way the lasses..
I think you're right, I watch a bit here and there and it's better these days. It'll probably be like tennis in the end, a good women's match can be very entertaining, but a good men's match is on another level.
I've been a fan for some time. While the skill levels are not there, the spirit is. A lot less rolling around as if shot, after a tackle or arguing with the Ref's. In fact far less histrionics. Take the last game. The keeper had to go off. She had obviously been hurt for about five minutes but wanted to stay on. She ignored the stretcher that had been called for. She hobbles of and took a seat with the rest of the players, rather than going for treatment. At the end she was limping onto the pitch to join in the celebrations. It turns out she's broken her leg. (Shades of John Kay). That's determination. The fact that so many of the side are from our Academy makes me wonder why the only successful FOOTBALLING part of SAFC has been downgraded by The Club.
I can't really watch women's football in the same way that I don't enjoy watching conference football.
I just feel sorry for all the poor husbands and boyfriends sat at home hungry while their lasses are trying to play football.
This thread makes me laugh. I know a couple of lasses playing for an under 14's team that would have walked rings around any of you when you were at that age. @polyphemus there's quite a few come through at Boldon, Jill Scott being the main one. The coach there is the ex Middlesbrough guy and it shows in their progression and the way these girls play football. Sunderland are always hovering and have just scooped up the goalkeeper and center forward, both incredible players. I'd put my last penny on Boldon under 14's beating just about any lads under 14 team you could put them up against. If that had been a bloke with a broken leg who done that, he'd be such a hero and a real mans man.
Yeah, I agree. The gap is closing quickly though. These women aren't flimsy pushovers, there's strong skilful players who know the game inside out. The top women players in the world could do a job in the championship. I think that shows how far their football has come.
I believe that the physical differences would mean that even a decent lower non league side would trounce the England women's team, but regarding skill, technique and ability, women's football has came on leaps and bounds and is watchable these days..
No doubt that's true. The same can be said about just about any sport. Athletics is one where the superiority of the men can be measured, in time or distance or hight.. There is a history in Tennis of the best of the women losing to the best of the men. But IF two blokes belting the ball at 130+MPH isn't for you, then the Womens game should be. Or perhaps the best of both worlds, the mixed doubles. Then there is the fact that the Women's' Game has only (relatively) recently been accepted by the FA, albeit, grudgingly. It will take time to get a proper grassroots organisation going. So while the point you make is true, so what? Even at her best Paula Radcliffe would have trailed Mo Farrah by over three laps over 10k. Does that lessen her achievements or make watching her run less exciting?
Trouble is women will never been able to run as quickly, kick the ball as far, tackle as hard so on and so forth. I don't think they'd be able to cope with the physical nature of League 1. I couldn't begin to try and deny they have adequate skills. They just can't develop the physical aspects they'd need to be at a level that I would consider entertaining football.
So what? So I don't find it entertaining. I've got nothing against anyone who does enjoy it, I just don't. I don't have interest in sport at a lower level than the top level possible as a rule. The only reason I'm interested in Sunderland now they've sunk a level is because of sentiment, I have no doubt the dross the likes of Darron Gibson will serve up will make my eyes sting.
I've watched bits and bobs of the womens football recently and it has vastly improved from the past and I have found it entertaining. They are certainly alot stronger and can ping a ball alot faster than what they used to. At one point an England player did this proper skillful turn on the ball and my instant thought was 'I've never seen a Sunderland player do that!' Its also quite refreshing to watch an England team with alot more heart and passion than their male counterparts.
