Although I am primarily a USWNT and NWSL supporter, I have a growing interest in Women's teams from across the globe. This is one of the reasons I am excited for the upcoming European Championships to be held in Sweden. The tournament will last from July 10th to July 28th and will feature the powerful Germans, the stylish French, and the hometown Swedes. The games should be exciting and competitive as this is the last tournament that will feature only 12 teams as the field expands to 16 starting in 2017. Here are the groups...
Group A
Sweden
Italy
Denmark
Finland
Group B
Germany
Norway
Netherlands
Iceland
Group C
France
England
Russia
Spain
I the final will involve Germany and Sweden, as the Germans are the most talented team there, and the Swedes are also a great team that will benefit from great home support. It will be interesting to see if France can finally make a tournament final as they have lost in the semifinals of both the 2011 World Cup, and the 2012 Olympics. Finally I believe England can make a run as long as their offense stays in rhythm. Both Italy and Norway have the potential to have a breakout tournament on the international stage. The tournament begins on Wednesday, July 10 and I can't wait!
In honor of Alex Morgan's 24th Birthday, I decided to count down the 10 most memorable moments of her career and provide some memorable photos as well!
10. 2008 Women's under 20 World Cup
Relatively unknown on the international level, Morgan was a breakout star in the u20 world cup where she scored four goals, won the silver ball and bronze boot, and helped lead the United States to a championship. In the final against North Korea, Morgan scored a spectacular second goal in a 2-1 win. The goal was voted FIFA's second best goal of 2008.
9. First International Goal
Morgan scored her first international goal in a friendly against China in October of 2010. In a sign of things to come Morgan used her speed and strength to get by the defense and run onto a flicked on header from Abby Wambach. In one swift motion, Morgan buried the ball in the back of the net and then ran to hug Kristine Lilly her childhood hero.
8. 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Final
Despite her breakout performance in the World Cup, Morgan was still a substitute for the USWNT as they began their qualifying for the 2012 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Morgan was given her chance when coach Pia Sundhage named her to the starting roster for the final against Canada. Morgan rewarded her coach and solidified her spot in the starting eleven with two goals and two assists in a 4-0 US victory.
7. 2013 Algarve Cup Final
After her breakout year in 2012, many wondered how Morgan would play in 2013 with a new coach. After scoring only once in the first five games of the year, Morgan silenced her doubters with an impressive performance in the Algarve Cup final where she scored both goals in a 2-0 win over the powerful Germans.
6. 2012 Ballon d'or Nomination
In a year where she scored 28 goals and tallied 21 assists, Morgan was also nominated for FIFA's annual Ballon d'or, an award given to the best women's soccer player in the world. Morgan was one of three nominated along with her teammate Abby Wambach (the winner) and Marta. Although she didn't win, the nomination was a phenomenal achievement in itself.
5. The 20 20 club
2012 was a banner year in which Morgan became the first women since U.S. soccer great Mia Hamm to score at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. This incredible achievement stands as a tribute to Morgan's goal scoring prowess and unselfish play that allowed her to both score and assist on many goals.
4. Stoppage time goal versus Italy
After losing to Mexico 2-1 in the World Cup Qualifying tournament in 2010 the USWNT was in danger of not qualifying for the 2011 World Cup, and were faced with the challenge of facing Italy in a two-game playoff for the final spot. In the first leg in Padova, Italy the US were held scoreless until Morgan, at that time an unproven rookie, scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time.
3. World Cup Semi-Final Goal
In a substitute role throughout the 2011 World Cup, Morgan made the most of her opportunity when she scored her first ever World Cup goal against France in the semi-finals to book the United State's ticket to the Final. Taking a pass from Megan Rapinoe, Morgan sprinted down the field and from a tough angle chipped the ball over the head of the French Keeper.
2. World Cup Final Performance
Because of an injury to Lauren Cheney in the World Cup final, Morgan entered the game at halftime eager to make a difference, and make a difference she did. In the 67th minute she scored the game's opening goal after taking a long pass from Megan Rapinoe and beating two Japanese defenders to unleash a powerful strike into the top right corner of the net. However Morgan wasn't finished yet, in extra time she made a beautiful cross towards Abby Wambach who headed it in to give the US the lead again, before they eventually lost heartbreakingly on penalties.
1. Last Second Winner against Canada in the 2012 Olympics
While Morgan has had many fabulous moments, the most memorable occurred when she scored a goal in the 122nd minute to defeat Canada and send the United States to the Olympic Gold Medal Match. After trailing three separate times the U.S. had fought their way back and were tied 3-3 with Canada in a game that seemed destined for penalty kicks. However, deep into stoppage time of extra time, Morgan out-jumped her Canadian defender to head Heather O'reilly's cross over the keeper and into the net. The goal capped off an incredible 2012 for Morgan and her rise to become one of the most clutch and best women's soccer players in the world.
Because we are at about the halfway point in the inaugural season of the NWSL, I thought it would be a good time to take a step back and judge just how successful the league has been. Weekly average attendance for the league about 3,981 people per game, which is decent but is also aided by the staggering amount of people who show up to watch the Portland Thorns play. (the avg. attendance would be 2,771 without the Thorns) Still though the numbers are positive and the play has been competitive and entertaining to watch for the most part. The refereeing has been spotty with several controversial calls altering the outcome of games, but this is a typical growing pain that new leagues often have to deal with. The standings so far feature Sky Blue FC in first with 27 points and the Portland Thorns a close second with 26 points. FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash round out the top four and are currently in position to qualify for the playoffs. In 5th place are the Boston Breakers, 6th are the Chicago Red Stars, 7th the Seattle Reign, and in last place the Washington Spirit. Thanks to Equalizer Soccer we have a complete chart that shows the stats of each team with regards to attendance. As you can see the Emerald City is routinely providing an excellent home crowd for the Thorns which is great to see, and the Washinton Spirit routinely fill their stadium to 95% capacity despite a losing record which is also a positive. The negatives can be found in New Jersey, where Sky Blue FC, the league leaders are suffering from an average attendance of about 1,751 and filling only about 35% of the stadium. This is horrible to see especially considering how well they play.
Average Home Attendance
Team
Games
Average
Capacity
Portland Thorns FC
6
12,857
63%
FC Kansas City
7
4,378
71%
Washington Spirit
5
4,268
95%
Western New York Flash
6
3,632
26%
Boston Breakers
7
2,242
84%
Seattle Reign FC
6
1,949
54%
Sky Blue FC
7
1,751
35%
Chicago Red Stars
6
1,417
40%
Overall the league has had an impressive showing in its first year, but there is definitely room for improvement, and every team needs to feel the same support as the Thorns. With enough support and continued competitive play, I believe the league can become a staying power and can even expand to include more teams and better sponsorships and stadiums, however this can't happen without continued and increased support from fans including me. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully many more years of continued excellence.
As a devoted fan of women's soccer for the past two years, I have developed and cultivated a passion for the game, players, coaches, teams, and even my fellow fans. This blog is a product of that passion and is dedicated to weekly international news regarding women's soccer. While the focus will be on the United States Women's National team, I will also blog about the NWSL, and the upcoming European Championships in Sweden. Hopefully you find the posts interesting and fun to explore, and I look forward to writing them and continuing to grow and support Women's Soccer!
