| Women's World Cup 08:41 - Jul 27 with 1299 views | Dubtractor |
Just watching the Portugal vs Vietnam game over breakfast, and saw a bit of Spain vs Zambia yesterday, and can't help but think that they have expanded the tournament too much too soon.
Both Zambia and Vietnam (so far) are so far below the standard of the other teams that it makes the games a bit of a non event.
I get why the tournament is expanded, more exposure for the game in those countries etc, but I'm not too sure of the real value of seeing your team utterly outclassed! |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:11 - Jul 27 with 1220 views | Scuzzer |
I think you are right. But it does give the smaller teams a chance to play better opposition and hence hopefully improve their standard.
Over all I've been quite underwhelmed with the standard on show. Looks like the women's game has taken a step backwards in its standard. |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:15 - Jul 27 with 1209 views | Keno |
They have done in the expectation that Norwich fans watch so they will be used to the concept of their team being utterly outclassed on Dec 16th |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:19 - Jul 27 with 1200 views | Wallingford_Boy |
You could say the same for the men's tournament!
Some of these so called smaller teams at the women's event have really held their own, Haiti could easily have drawn with us or even more had it not been for a retaken penalty. |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:21 - Jul 27 with 1197 views | tractordownsouth |
I agree but I think a 32 team format is better than 24.
With these things it's a bit chicken and egg. Do you only expand the tournament once the weaker teams improve or do the weaker teams improve by playing in an expanded tournament? |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:30 - Jul 27 with 1176 views | J2BLUE |
I saw something a while back about how it was easier (on paper) to win the world cup than the Euros because the Euros have more decent teams. Obviously the world cup brings America but overall it's weaker. Apparently. |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:33 - Jul 27 with 1170 views | Wallingford_Boy |
| Women's World Cup on 09:30 - Jul 27 by J2BLUE |
I saw something a while back about how it was easier (on paper) to win the world cup than the Euros because the Euros have more decent teams. Obviously the world cup brings America but overall it's weaker. Apparently. |
Correct, I think that's been very well debated for years, but the quality is definitely higher at the Euros.
Except for when Ireland qualify, hehe. | |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:38 - Jul 27 with 1156 views | Dubtractor |
| Women's World Cup on 09:19 - Jul 27 by Wallingford_Boy |
You could say the same for the men's tournament!
Some of these so called smaller teams at the women's event have really held their own, Haiti could easily have drawn with us or even more had it not been for a retaken penalty. |
definitely agree with the same applying to the men's tournament, and meant to add that to my OP. | |
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| Women's World Cup on 09:54 - Jul 27 with 1109 views | Dubtractor |
Portugal have missed an astonishing number of chances in this game. | |
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| The standard in general…. on 10:17 - Jul 27 with 1064 views | Bloots |
….doesn’t look to have improved much over the last few years to me.
The traditionally stronger nations don’t seem to have pushed on and the weaker teams look like they are still just making up the numbers.
Once a “decent” team gets ahead you really can’t see any way back for the opposition, hopefully games will get more competitive in the KO stages.
There also seems to be a remarkable inability to defend crosses, so much so that teams appear to be constantly trying to score directly from them. |  |
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| Women's World Cup on 10:23 - Jul 27 with 1032 views | TractorCam |
| Women's World Cup on 09:21 - Jul 27 by tractordownsouth |
I agree but I think a 32 team format is better than 24.
With these things it's a bit chicken and egg. Do you only expand the tournament once the weaker teams improve or do the weaker teams improve by playing in an expanded tournament? |
Exactly this.
Although there hasn't been any big scores yet, I remember USA winning 13-0 in the last tournament! |  |
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| The standard in general…. on 10:30 - Jul 27 with 1021 views | WD19 |
| The standard in general…. on 10:17 - Jul 27 by Bloots |
….doesn’t look to have improved much over the last few years to me.
The traditionally stronger nations don’t seem to have pushed on and the weaker teams look like they are still just making up the numbers.
Once a “decent” team gets ahead you really can’t see any way back for the opposition, hopefully games will get more competitive in the KO stages.
There also seems to be a remarkable inability to defend crosses, so much so that teams appear to be constantly trying to score directly from them. |
All the ‘advances’ have been in dull things like sports science and organisation. The technical standard has probably improved, but it’s (if anything) less enjoyable as a spectacle as a result.
Same could be said of modern football generally. I would much rather watch 2nd Division football 25 years ago than now. |  | | |
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