Over 4600 views, this indicates many interested members. Y’all set a high standard for participating in the discussion and the rest of us are just enjoying, and learning.
Just read an interesting article in Soccer America by Ian Plenderleith where he shares his overall impressions of this Women's World Cup. With Sunday's final this thread will fade into the past. Not sure if the article can be accessed by all, therefore, I've excerpted just a bit for those who can't.
https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...france-impressions-of-the-2019-womens-wo.html
A few excerpts:
Stadiums: The tournament has been a success at getting supporters on to seats. For most games, the stadiums have been well-occupied to full, and plenty of local fans showed up for games featuring teams with few traveling fans.
The atmosphere and the fans: The U.S. fans were lively, especially at the Parc des Princes against Chile, though somewhat repetitive (is there no chant beyond 'USA! USA!'?). The Dutch fans were magnificent in terms of both numbers and noise, adding color and a variety of songs often missing at international games.
The games: It's been a fine tournament full of the requisite narratives, but has lacked some of the quality that the Women's World Cup had back when it was a 16-team competition. The 2011 edition served up several superb games, whereas in 2019 it's been more about holding on in the heat than dominating with brilliance.
The referees: On the field, there was too much lenience towards foul play. Off the field, everyone now has an opinion about the Video Assistant Referee, and few are ready to offer more than a qualified defense. Too often they defied FIFA's own mandate of "minimum interference, maximum benefit."
The profile of the women's game: The legacy of this tournament may go well hand-in-hand with a general raising of awareness on issues of equality. In the aftermath of the #metoo movement and the battle for better pay instigated by the U.S. women's team, France 2019 has highlighted more than ever how poorly most women's teams are treated compared with their male counterparts, and how much women's soccer everywhere is lacking in the support and resources allocated to the men's game. There is no excuse any more for FIFA and national federations to keep on ignoring this truth, and it's now one of their principal tasks to go about opening opportunities for the women's game around the world, from the grassroots upwards.