With 40 days to the tournament and the BBC showing all matches, the spectacle must not hide the game’s need for big investmentYou know you’re getting on a bit when life suddenly jolts you into the present, when baby steps that happened while you were busy pottering from the tooth fairy to life insurance have somehow become a revolution. Let me tell you a story. Not far away lives a teenager I’ve known since she started primary school in the same year as my daughter. From reception class onwards she was an amazing sportswoman – the fastest runner, the most agile tag rugby player with the quickest hands and, above all, the noblest footballer.She is driven and ridiculously competitive and...
Gone are the hand-me-downs and adapted men’s kits – women have been calling the shots before this summer’s World Cup“When we work with the men, they say a tight fit made them feel like a superhero, but for women it’s different. They want to feel comfortable and covered and professional,” says Cassie Looker.Looker is the senior apparel product manager in global football at Nike and has spearheaded the design and production of the first bespoke women’s kits for the teams it is partnered with at this summer’s World Cup. It launched them with an unveiling in Paris involving leading female athletes from across the sporting world and top models. Related: Toni Duggan: ‘I’ve been bigging up the Spain game like...
The SheBelieves Cup triumph came at a perfect time in the team’s journey. They are exactly where they need to be only three months before France 2019England’s first SheBelieves Cup triumph is a sign of the progress they have made and their huge potential come the World Cup in June. When you look at their recent results, the quality of the Super League in comparison with other competitions around the world, the success English teams are enjoying in the Champions League and the number of English players at top clubs across Europe, we can no longer be surprised when England win prestigious tournaments. It is what we should be expecting and this victory in the US has come at a...
Preparations for France 2019 are stepping up and at least six teams can win it, England and Australia among themWith fewer than 100 days until the World Cup kicks off in Paris, preparations are in their final stages. This is a big week in women’s football, with international teams involved in the Algarve Cup, the Cyprus Cup and the SheBelieves Cup in the United States, where England are competing. These tournaments are key for building momentum and confidence, and for helping the coaches decide which 23 players will go to the World Cup.Phil Neville said before flying to the US that “the door is not shut on any player with ambitions of making the squad” but it’s certainly closing fast....