Hope I don't lose my "man card" for starting this.
After listening to a BBC radio programme about Roland Garros I left it on for a segment on the women's World Cup which is being played in Canada. What got my attention was that after reviewing the teams they started playing samba music to introduce Marta "the female Pele" (I wonder if she's any better than the "Pakistani Pele" Adbul Ghafoor Majna or the "American Pele" Freddy Adu both of whom have been mentioned on these boards before). Anyway, I remember all the hype about Marta before the last WC in which she was a big disappointment. She was then a flop in the 2012 Olympics yet she was still chosen ahead of Canadian Christine Sinclair in FIFA's year end candidates list for player of the year. Observers speculated that it was Marta's legacy and reputation that got her selected. So just like with Brazil (slaughtered 1-7 by mostly white Germany last year) and its "beautiful football" reputation and Pele known as the greatest player ever (yeah right) there is already a well established narrative in the relatively young sport of women's football about Brazilian greatness.:icon_rolleyes:
But not content with a "female Pele" there's also a "female Zidane" - Louisa Necib of France. Like Zidane she was born in Marseille to Algerian parents and according to the pre-match documentary I just watched could be the star of the tournament. We'll see. (Incidentally 4 of the French starting 11 against England appear to be non-whites. That's probably a lower percentage than the current men's team).
Lastly, there is the American team with their obnoxious, law-breaking and mudsharking goalie Hope Solo - subject of this previous CF thread: http://www.castefootball.us/forums/...-Hope-Solo-amp-Brother-Bloodied-and-Beaten-by
The Americans are one of the favourites along with mostly white Germany (I saw one mulatto on the team). France, the defending champions Japan, and Canada are also considered contenders for the title.
Modesty and sportsmanship be damned
After listening to a BBC radio programme about Roland Garros I left it on for a segment on the women's World Cup which is being played in Canada. What got my attention was that after reviewing the teams they started playing samba music to introduce Marta "the female Pele" (I wonder if she's any better than the "Pakistani Pele" Adbul Ghafoor Majna or the "American Pele" Freddy Adu both of whom have been mentioned on these boards before). Anyway, I remember all the hype about Marta before the last WC in which she was a big disappointment. She was then a flop in the 2012 Olympics yet she was still chosen ahead of Canadian Christine Sinclair in FIFA's year end candidates list for player of the year. Observers speculated that it was Marta's legacy and reputation that got her selected. So just like with Brazil (slaughtered 1-7 by mostly white Germany last year) and its "beautiful football" reputation and Pele known as the greatest player ever (yeah right) there is already a well established narrative in the relatively young sport of women's football about Brazilian greatness.:icon_rolleyes:
But not content with a "female Pele" there's also a "female Zidane" - Louisa Necib of France. Like Zidane she was born in Marseille to Algerian parents and according to the pre-match documentary I just watched could be the star of the tournament. We'll see. (Incidentally 4 of the French starting 11 against England appear to be non-whites. That's probably a lower percentage than the current men's team).
Lastly, there is the American team with their obnoxious, law-breaking and mudsharking goalie Hope Solo - subject of this previous CF thread: http://www.castefootball.us/forums/...-Hope-Solo-amp-Brother-Bloodied-and-Beaten-by
The Americans are one of the favourites along with mostly white Germany (I saw one mulatto on the team). France, the defending champions Japan, and Canada are also considered contenders for the title.
Modesty and sportsmanship be damned