The Growth of Women’s Soccer – The Euro Cup

I thought I would take a short break from posting about my recent trip to Great Britain, and instead, post my rapid reactions to just watching the English women’s soccer team defeat Germany in extra time to win the EURO Cup. Hosted by England, I was able to watch many of the early Euro Cup tournament matches on TV during our 2 weeks in Great Britain, including watching an England comeback-win in a quarterfinal match against Spain in while in London. The boys actually went to out to a pub to watch that match.  

So, when we got back to the states, I eagerly awaited the semi-final matches of Germany versus France and England versus Sweden. And they did not disappoint. These matches set up the final between Germany, who had never lost a Euro Cup final in eight times and England, who had never won the Euro Cup. In addition, neither the English men’s nor women’s soccer teams had won a major soccer tournament since the men’s side did so in 1966, when they won the World Cup. As a result, all of England, which loves it soccer – the English Premier League, which is arguably the most watched league of any sport in the world – was watching this match. Evidently, more people in England tuned into this match than the men’s final at Wimbledon. 

Remember the amazing run that the United States Women’s soccer team had in the late 1990’s culminating in winning the World Cup in 1999 against China, led by players like Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, and Joy Fawcett? Those USA women’s teams made me a soccer fan. And women’s soccer in the United States, played at such a high level at college programs like UNC-Chapel Hill and Stanford, led the way. In fact, many foreign women players came to the United States to play college soccer, including the current England Coach, who played at Chapel Hill. So, the United States proudly has lead the global growth in women’s soccer. And this match between England and Germany, being played in front of almost 80,000 fans in iconic Wembley stadium outside of London, was the culmination of so much hard work put in by many women before this historic moment. 

So, listening to Julie Foudy call this game with legendary soccer commentator Ian Darke, and watching England win and celebrate afterwards, I could not help but think about the recent growth and interest in the women’s game. And after this match, women’s soccer in England, and maybe Europe, will never be the same. I am sure this match, watched by so many young girls, will ignite the passion to play, just as the USA women’s team did decades ago. I now believe that European Football, what we Americans call soccer, is, more than ever, the global game.

I cannot wait to watch the women’s and men’s World Cup next year. And the United States Women’s team is favored to defend their current World Cup title. So, If you have yet to follow world soccer, maybe you should tune into next year’s World Cups!