Arsenal

[scawsby steve]

What an incredible performance from Arsenal women tonight, to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the 1st leg, and defeat Real Madrid in the Champion's League quarter-final.

I've seen some great performances from the England Lionesses, but that tonight was off the scale in terms of absolute quality.

Well done girls. 

[ForsolongaRover]

What an incredible performance from Arsenal women tonight, to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the 1st leg, and defeat Real Madrid in the Champion's League quarter-final.

I've seen some great performances from the England Lionesses, but that tonight was off the scale in terms of absolute quality.

Well done girls.

The level of skill in the best teams - Chelsea for example - is such that you wonder how (and if ever) they would fare against men's teams. I suppose the physicality they would meet would make such encounters "inappropriate" and perhaps that's not a bad thing. Even in non-contact sports like cricket I'm not aware of top level serious matches featuring players of both sexes.

[TonySoprano]

Well, this will answer your question.

Nowhere near, not even on the same planet.

https://youtu.be/Ojb430E55zA?si=LCGdkc2J6xyPPQT_

[ForsolongaRover]

Well, this will answer your question.

Nowhere near, not even on the same planet.

https://youtu.be/Ojb430E55zA?si=LCGdkc2J6xyPPQT_

If that was the USA’s Women’s team it was certainly convincing with a massive  gap in strength and speed. The hard-worked US goalkeeper might have been more effective if she had been taller and more athletic, although it is a position where the standard in the women’s game is lower because the goal is a relatively larger target.

[scawsby steve]

With the greatest respect, why are people doing this? Did the great Martina Navratilova get compared with Pete Sampras? No. Did Flo-Jo Griffiths get compared with Carl Lewis? No.

Yet, for some strange reason, people want to compare women's football with men's. Why not just enjoy the skills and quality of both?

We all know that women can't compete with men in any physical sport, so what's the debate here?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

With the greatest respect, why are people doing this? Did the great Martina Navratilova get compared with Pete Sampras? No. Did Flo-Jo Griffiths get compared with Carl Lewis? No.

Yet, for some strange reason, people want to compare women's football with men's. Why not just enjoy the skills and quality of both?

We all know that women can't compete with men in any physical sport, so what's the debate here?

Well said. I suspect there's an element of misogyny instead of treating the women's game as a separate sport judged on it's own merits.

I also hear dismissive comments about women's games attracting 50,000 plus spectators as "Well, they're only there cos it's cheap" . The cost is irrelevant. Any sport that can attract those numbers where the fans feel totally free of abuse or 'banter' as some would call it, makes it a very safe environment to take the family on a Saturday, Sunday or European Cup tie. In addition, there are a whole lot of sponsors who would rather associate with women's football for the same reasons.

There are some very good footballers in the women's game who can be applauded for what they can do skilfully and tactically.

I hope Arsenal go all the way, play the final in front of a huge crowd and win it, just as I'd want the mens team to do if they were England's representatives.

[RoversInSpain]

Tennis mixed doubles?? Women compete v men in a very physical sport, (non contact as football appears to be today)

[Bristol Red Rover]

Agree that it's unecessary to compare, but it would be interesting to see. I recall playing against the Belles in the early 70s, they were better than the males then. In terms of physicality,  the men's game has more of a tendancy to "bambi's" these days.

In ultra swimming and in ultra running women are ahead.

Interesting article here from the Beeb.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240731-the-sports-where-women-outperform-men

[drfchound]

Well, this will answer your question.

Nowhere near, not even on the same planet.

https://youtu.be/Ojb430E55zA?si=LCGdkc2J6xyPPQT_

If that was the USA’s Women’s team it was certainly convincing with a massive  gap in strength and speed. The hard-worked US goalkeeper might have been more effective if she had been taller and more athletic, although it is a position where the standard in the women’s game is lower because the goal is a relatively larger target.

The goals in that video clip looked to be smaller than the regulation sized goals that we have in mens football.
I don’t know what year the clip is from but a significantly overweight Lee Trundle was impossible for the USA defence to handle and the pace of the game was too much for the ladies team.
I think that in general the standard of the keepers in the womens game is a long way behind the mens game.
I remember that poor lass in goal against the Lionesses at the KM a few years ago (the 20-0 match) and they stopped her from taking goal kicks as she could only kick the ball about thirty yards.
Comparing the two (men v women) by football standards is like comparing apples to oranges.

[GazLaz]

Weird comparing men’s sport to women’s. If Chelsea played Chelsea women, it would literally be 20-0.

[selby]

 A good academy u16s would beat them, in fact Preston's side beat the USA 2012 Olympic Champions by a big score in one of their warm up games.
  The FA stopped all reports on the game. two different sports admire them for what they are.

[ncRover]

Agree that it's unecessary to compare, but it would be interesting to see. I recall playing against the Belles in the early 70s, they were better than the males then. In terms of physicality,  the men's game has more of a tendancy to "bambi's" these days.

In ultra swimming and in ultra running women are ahead.

Interesting article here from the Beeb.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240731-the-sports-where-women-outperform-men

Higher body fat helps with swimming for buoyancy also.

I wonder if women being better at ultra distances is also just a size thing. Being smaller uses less energy.

The article also mentions women have better flexibility at the end. Note the difference between male and female gymnastic events. The men could not do what the women do with the same poise and grace.

[Northants Nomad]

Sorry folks, but for me, I'm about as interested in women's football (especially of the so-called 'big' teams), as I am in the dressage!

[scawsby steve]

Sorry folks, but for me, I'm about as interested in women's football (especially of the so-called 'big' teams), as I am in the dressage!

All about opinions. Me? I just like football.

[ForsolongaRover]

With the greatest respect, why are people doing this? Did the great Martina Navratilova get compared with Pete Sampras? No. Did Flo-Jo Griffiths get compared with Carl Lewis? No.

Yet, for some strange reason, people want to compare women's football with men's. Why not just enjoy the skills and quality of both?

We all know that women can't compete with men in any physical sport, so what's the debate here?

I posed the question quite innocently and those with greater knowledge have expressed their opinions. I still believe that the levels of skill of top women give the appearance of exceeding those of some professional men, but acknowledge that perhaps physical strength has more of a part to play than I realised.

[idler]

I think what annoys a lot of fans is the way that the FA have pushed the women’s game down peoples’ throats  over the last few years.
I also think that demanding equal coverage and some lady players demanding equal pay as the mens’ team for international games.
That would only be fair if they generated the same income via gate receipts or advertising. I don’t see why the men should subsidise the ladies.

[IDM]

Tennis mixed doubles?? Women compete v men in a very physical sport, (non contact as football appears to be today)

 It in that sport both teams have men and women, not just men vs women..

I think people have issues with these sports because they are “traditionally” seen as for men, football, cricket, rugby etc.

But other than the countries/teams which develop quickly and are dominant, it’s just as interesting to watch say, the womens six nations..

Treat and enjoy each sport separately.

[ForsolongaRover]

I think what annoys a lot of fans is the way that the FA have pushed the women’s game down peoples’ throats  over the last few years.
I also think that demanding equal coverage and some lady players demanding equal pay as the mens’ team for international games.
That would only be fair if they generated the same income via gate receipts or advertising. I don’t see why the men should subsidise the ladies.

It has been attractive to commercial interests too and of course has huge appeal amongst younger women. There was a time when the only sport which generated wild excitement amongst young women and girls was hockey and the internationals at Wembley. The enthusiasm for women's football is genuine.

[selby]

  Arsenal played well against a team that were pathetic apart from the keeper and central defender, very slow both physically and mentally Real were about level 9 in men's football on the night.

[scawsby steve]

The amusing thing for me is that most of the people who are knocking the women's game paid good money to watch Danny Schofield's Rovers team, with players who couldn't trap a f*cking bag of cement.

Also, we all complain about the amount of cheating in modern football, with players rolling about screaming like pigs every time they're tackled. You just don't get that in women's football. They get on with the game.

[PDX_Rover]

Me and the boy have watched San Diego Wave since they joined the NWSL in 2022. Season ticket holders for the past two seasons.

It’s really good. The skill levels are great and there’s none of the theatrics of the men’s game. They get stuck in. Good crowds too. We’ve had 35k for a few games. Regularly 15k+