And some teams flew to Oceania at the last moment.
The Women’s World Cup is under way. But even before it began, it became clear that it would not go smoothly. Organizational issues are getting louder and louder every day.
But this is the most representative and prestigious tournament on the planet!
Mom helped
In mid-July, a scandal arose over the participation of the Jamaican team in the World Cup. A team that qualified for the Caribbean could withdraw from the tournament due to lack of funds. Neither the national federation nor FIFA wanted to help her.
To get to Australia, the girls from Jamaica had to start fundraising on crowdfunding platforms. Relatives joined in to help them: for example, one of the petitions was created by Sandra Phillips-Brauer, the mother of Havana midfielder Solaun.
“I want the players and staff to focus on the competition. To do this, I am raising funds to cover the costs that have arisen in connection with this amazing trip, said Phillips-Brauer, quoted by Screenshot Media.
Fortunately, the required amount was raised. The Jamaican national team still arrived at the World Cup, where it will play in Group F with France, Brazil and Panama.
The conditions were created by amateurs
But if the problems of some teams ended after they arrived at the tournament, then for others everything was just beginning. The New Zealand “hospitality” was experienced by the team from the Netherlands – the reigning vice-champion of the world. They simply did not create the necessary conditions.
The thing is that the Dutch women were given as a training base … a cricket field, where there are large clay areas. They are clearly not designed for football!
— I was told that in these areas cricketers hit the ball. But the clay is very dangerous for our players, especially if they slide, – the head coach of the “orange” Andris Jonker told the NOS media company.
As it turns out, the problem is not new. Back in the fall of last year, the Dutch Football Association expressed concern about the presence of clay at the training base. Repeated demands were put forward in February. The organizers assured the Dutch that all unnecessary sites would be removed by the summer, but, apparently, the promise was shelved.
Now, of course, no one will hastily plant clay with grass. The Dutch national team will have to train in unusual conditions – Jonker even adjusted the training system. But the claims have not gone away.
We consider ourselves a top team. Such conditions do not suit us, they were created by amateurs. On clay, knees and shoulders are injured when falling. We will be able to do some exercises, but we will not be able to play 11 on 11, – Reuters quotes Jonker.
As an alternative, the Netherlands was offered a field in another city. But you still need to get to it, and this is about an hour and a half one way. As a result, the Dutch came to terms with the cricket field and are preparing on it, risking injury at any time.
beautiful shell
Of course, there are also positive aspects. The current World Cup already claims to be the most visited tournament in the history of women’s sports. The first match between Australia and Ireland gathered about 76,000 spectators, and it is possible that this figure will be beaten.
But at the same time, the beautiful shell hides the financial problems of some teams and the organizational problems of others. At the same time, responsible persons are in no hurry to solve them.
The Women’s World Cup runs from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand. 32 teams take part in the tournament. Matches can be watched on the channels of the Match TV holding, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru portals.
