![](https://twistity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/WOMENS-WORLD-CUP-1024x637.jpg)
(Photo Credit: Emmanuel Foudrot/Reuters)
The United States Women’s National Team, in its two matches, provided plenty to draw attention at the Women’s World Cup in France.
The 13-0 drubbing of Thailand, and the celebrations of the late goals, drew a critical eye from those thinking the actions failed the sportsmanship test. That created early controversy. Then the U.S. topped Chile and its brilliant goalkeeper 3-0 with a lineup full of substitutes. And now Brazil’s Marta has become the all-time leader in World Cup goals scored, men’s or women’s.
The U.S. plays again on Thursday, taking on Sweden at 3 p.m. on Fox, to conclude group play. The weaker teams are falling out and the intensity will increase.
Meanwhile, however, FIFA, the world organizing body, has been more Thailand than U.S. in its handling of this marquee event.
Note this from The Guardian, a British news organization, which starts with FIFA’s ticketing errors at the start of the tournament: “Undermining the brilliance on the field is the fan experience off of it. Where the smaller cities have embraced the tournament, partly for the tourism it brings, the mood in places such as Paris and Nice has been underwhelming. FIFA, in an effort to rectify the colossal seating error that led to parents being divided from children, recalled and reissued tickets to some matches. Fans who arrived with their original tickets – unaware new ones had been issued – were unable to gain entry, were forced to queue for reprints and, in the case of the opening match, missed the ceremony and start of the game.”
The Guardian also reports ticket sales have failed to meet expectations. Originally 20 games were said to be sold out; it turned out to be 14. And while more remote playing sites embraced the tournament and a bump in tourism, “the mood in places such as Paris and Nice has been underwhelming.”
Most people will experience the Women’s World Cup via television. It’s unfortunate that those who made the journey to France – or the French who won’t make the journey to the stadium – give the event less gravitas than it is due.
-
NFL+ offers game coverage for $4.99 a month. Following suit with other companies and brands establishing their own streaming...
-
The rookie player shot 8-under 64. At the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland, an up-and-coming golfer made...
-
The Browns will receive a draft pick in exchange. Today, the Cleveland Browns announced that they would be trading...
-
Williams was beaten by Harmony Tan after a lengthy match. Yesterday, tennis star Serena Williams took on Harmony Tan...
-
Cole’s streak lasted until the eighth inning. Last night saw the New York Yankees take on the Tampa Bay...
-
Mayweather called the induction one of the highlights of his career. Over the weekend, retired professional boxer Floyd Mayweather...
-
Brady will join up with Fox Sports when he retires. Earlier this year, superstar NFL player Tom Brady temporarily...
-
Zalatoris said watching Woods made him feel something akin to imposter syndrome. Last week saw the first few rounds...
-
The three will play in a featured group in the first two rounds. Since recovering from a severe car...
-
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic criticized the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players. Recently, the organizers of this...
-
Owen Woodward has been removed from the college team after tackling a player. This week, the baseball teams of...
-
Coach Steve Nash wants to try integrating Ben Simmons into the lineup in the heat of the season. After...