In depth: ‘It’s nice the focus is actually on the football, rather than everything around it’
The Lionesses’ World Cup campaign reaches fever pitch today as they face co-host nation Australia, or the Matildas, in the semi-finals in Sydney. The winner of today’s match will secure a place in the final against Spain.
Regardless of who wins, the stage is set for history to be made. Neither Spain, England, nor Australia have competed in a World Cup final, let alone won the trophy. It’s been an extraordinary tournament in a competition that has been dominated by the USA for decades; and a healthy sign for the women’s game as it continues its remarkable growth.
For today’s newsletter, I spoke with Guardian football writer Sarah Rendell, who has been covering every twist and turn in this year’s World Cup, about the upcoming match, the impact the tournament will have globally, and all the great memes so far. That’s after today’s headlines.
What the tournament means for women
The 2023 Women’s World Cup has already been hailed as the most successful in history, with a record-breaking 1.4m tickets purchased for the 64 matches, which will culminate with Sunday’s final. And this time, the world is watching too. In Australia alone, the Women’s World Cup closed in on 10 million viewers at the halfway point.
It’s against this intensive backdrop that England will face the hosts, but both sides have tried to cool talks of an intense rivalry between them. “I think for us Australians, I don’t want to say ‘unbothered’, but we want to go out there and do the job, and that’s to play,” goalkeeper Lydia Williams said. “All the extra stuff, rivalries and stuff, it doesn’t really come about.” While England’s Keira Walsh said: “There is a rivalry with any team. So, for me, it doesn’t make much of a difference if the media is trying to talk about beating England.”
Do you believe them?
How far the game has come
So what’s it been like covering a World Cup that has packed such a huge emotional punch? “The biggest shock for me was Germany going out,” said Sarah, “[because] I thought they were going to win.” Germany were knocked out of the group stages for the first time in the tournament’s history after their draw against South Korea.
“I was messaging one of my good friends, who’s a big women’s football supporter, and we both ran out of things to say. We were just so speechless and thinking, ‘What’s just happened!’ Alexandra Popp was second to the Golden Boot at that time, but Germany were then out. It was so bizarre, but these emotional moments propel the sport forward. It gives the sport the respect that it deserves. You’ll always have those trolls that say things about women’s football, but they’ve really been silenced by this tournament.”
There have been any number of extraordinary moments of skill and athleticism, from Ireland’s captain Katie McCabe scoring a goal directly from a corner kick to the agonising 20 penalties that were needed for Australia to beat France.
“It’s nice that the focus is now actually on the football being played, rather than everything around it,” said Sarah. “Obviously, they’re still asked about attendance, they’re still breaking records and it’s great to highlight how far they’ve come; and how far the game still needs to go. But it is nice that we’re speaking about the goalkeeping efforts of Zecira Musovic and looking into the tactics; rather than it all being about the background and the politics around women’s football instead.”
That’s not to say politics is not still important, Sarah adds. While writing up Spain’s win against Sweden yesterday, she still had to provide context that some of Spain’s leading players made themselves unavailable for the World Cup squad because of an ongoing dispute with coach Jorge Vilda. “The football is great, but remember the context!”
‘I love all those little moments’
Sarah also points to the overwhelming number of memes and viral clips that have come out of the
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
SDGs Addressed in the Article:
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content:
- Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
- Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article:
- Number of tickets purchased for the Women’s World Cup (Indicator for SDG 5)
- Number of viewers in Australia for the Women’s World Cup (Indicator for SDG 5)
- Presence of rivalries and intense competition in the tournament (Indicator for SDG 16)
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life. | – Number of tickets purchased for the Women’s World Cup – Number of viewers in Australia for the Women’s World Cup |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. | – Number of tickets purchased for the Women’s World Cup – Number of viewers in Australia for the Women’s World Cup |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. | – Presence of rivalries and intense competition in the tournament |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: theguardian.com
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
