National
welcoming soccer’s best
– The FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup
Every four years, countries
around the world compete for
the top honour in women’s
soccer: the FIFA Women’s World
Cup.
This summer, Canada is hosting
the 2015 tournament. That will
give Canadians across the nation
a front-row seat to a month of
world-class soccer – and, just
maybe, Canada’s first World Cup
crown.
Cross-Canada venues
Twenty-four teams will compete
in six stadiums across five
time zones, from Moncton to
Vancouver.
The tourney kicks off June 6
in Edmonton, pitting Canada
against China. The home team
will also play a first-round game
in Montreal. Other teams are set
to play in Ottawa and Winnipeg.
On July 5, the final in Vancouver
will determine the winner.
Group play
The host country is admitted to
the World Cup automatically.
Still, Canada didn’t need the free
ticket. FIFA ranks our women’s
national team eighth in the
world.
Coach John Herdman is
confident Canada will advance
from round-robin play with
China, New Zealand and the
Netherlands.
“Canada is the highest-ranked of
those teams. We’ve played all of
those teams and beaten them,”
he says. “But we’re going to have
to be at our best every game.
That’s a reality.”
The Beautiful Game
According to FIFA, in 2006
about 265 million people played
soccer, including almost 2.7
million Canadians.
Meanwhile, a 2014 Canadian
Youth Sports Report stated
that soccer is the most popular
team sport with boys and
girls between the ages of 3
and 17. Some 767,000 kids play
organized soccer across the
country.
The favourites
The road to the Cup will be
challenging. If Canada gets
through group level competition,
it will have to beat difficult
opposition in the knockout
rounds. Teams like Japan – the
defending World Cup champions
and Olympic silver medalists.
Definitions
Fifa: Fédération Internationale de Football Association – the international governing body of soccer, formed in 1904 and based
in Zurich, Switzerland
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National
welcoming soccer’s best
– The FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup
Or Germany, which steamrolled
its way to the first place ranking
with shrewd, physical play. Then
there’s Brazil. That team has
an elegant passing game and
superstar striker Marta Vieira da
Silva.
But the ‘team to beat’ is still the
United States. The Americans
have been impressive in every
Olympic Games and World
Cup tournament ever played.
The team’s poorest World Cup
showing is third. But the fourtime Olympic gold medalists
haven’t won this tournament
since 1999.
Phoenix rising
Does Canada have a shot at
beating the finest teams? It
sure does, says Kara Lang, who
played for Canada until 2013.
“Canada is not scratching and
clawing anymore to compete
with the best,” she says. “They’re
right up there with them.”
She gives John Herdman plenty
of credit. In 2011, the Canucks
were eliminated from the World
Cup after three straight losses.
Then the former New Zealand
coach joined the team. The
following year, Canada snatched
Olympic bronze from France’s
Les Bleus.
Team Captain Christine Sinclair
also credits Mr. Herdman. “He’s
pushed me to new heights as an
individual and as a player,” she
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women and the world Cup
Until the early nineties, there was no Women’s World Cup. In fact,
between 1921 and 1971, many soccer associations banned females from
playing. They felt the game was unsuitable for the “weaker sex.” Then in
1986, a woman stood up at the FIFA Congress. Treat us fairly, she asked.
FIFA held the first official Women’s World Cup in China in 1991. Almost
half a million people watched the U.S. team win. In 1995, Canada made
its first Women’s World Cup appearance. The U.S. hosted and won the
1999 World Cup. The final match drew a sellout crowd of 90,000 fans.
Women’s soccer debuted at the Olympics in 1996. By the time the 2012
Olympics rolled around, 10.1 million people were watching. That was
just slightly fewer than the crowd that watched the men’s Olympic
hockey final.
Half a billion viewers will tune in to this year’s Women’s World Cup.
About 1.5 million spectators will fill the stands. Still, FIFA’s own survey
of 209 member federations revealed that one in five does not yet have a
women’s senior national team. Half do not run youth national teams.
And FIFA’s 27-member ruling board? It includes just three females.
However, the organization has committed to double funding for
women’s soccer through 2018.
Year for 11 years in a row, among
says. That’s saying something,
because Ms. Sinclair is one of the many other honours.
best players in the world.
“She’s like a Rolls Royce,” says
her coach. “Everything about her
Christine Sinclair,
is class.”
superstar
The Burnaby, B.C. native started
playing soccer at age four. She’s
been scoring goals ever since.
The 31-year-old is Canada’s
all-time leading goal scorer,
and third in the world. In
the London Olympics, she
scored a hat-trick in a semifinal against the U.S. For her
accomplishments, Ms. Sinclair
has been named Canada’s
Woman Soccer Player of the
What in the world? • Le vel 1
As for his role, a smiling
Mr. Herdman brushes off
compliments. “These girls [are] a
special group. They’re ready for
this World Cup now. We’ve done
it before and we’re hoping to
do it again – to get back on the
podium before the U.S.” J
2014/2015: Issue 8
National
welcoming soccer’s best
– The FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup
ON THE LINES
Answer the following in complete sentences:
1. How many people play soccer around the world?
2. How many Canadians in all play soccer? How many of these players are children?
3. What does FIFA stand for?
4. What is the importance of the Women’s World Cup soccer tournament, and how often is it held?
5. When and where did the first Women’s World Cup take place?
6. List the six Canadian cities that will host the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
7. How many teams will compete in this tournament?
8. List at least four important facts about Christine Sinclair.
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National
welcoming soccer’s best
– The FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup
BET WEEN THE LINES
An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence. A plausible inference is supported by evidence in the
article and is consistent with known facts outside of the article.
What inference(s) can you draw from the fact that Canadian sports teams, including the Canadian
women’s soccer team, are often focussed on beating the U.S.?
JUST TALK ABOUT IT
1. More than 30 million women and girls play soccer, compared to over 240 million men. And while
500 million are expected to watch the Women’s World Cup, those numbers for the men are closer to a
billion. What reasons can you come up with that might explain these numbers?
2. “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite
people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create
hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial
barriers.” - Nelson Mandela
a) What is your understanding of this quote?
b) For what reasons do you agree with the speaker? For what reasons do you disagree?
ONLINE
Visit our student website at www.news4youth.com and click on the What in the World? tab to:
1. Watch a Canadian commercial on YouTube called Heros – FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 (or
visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrnRbl8K_aU).
2. Visit the event’s homepage (or visit http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/).
3. . See where to find each of the twenty-four teams participating in the Women’s World Cup on a map
of the world (or visit http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/teams/). J
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2014/2015: Issue 8