What! Another logo you say.
Well this month we take a look at a logo which has huge significance for the female game.
Uefa introduced the logo in 2009 and with it the news that (for the first time) the male and female finals would share the same city. A wonderful mark of respect for the female game even though it may 'slightly' get over shadowed by the male game. This season was also the first time the format changed giving us better competition with a earlier knock-out stage. We wait for Lyon, Champions of France to meet their counterparts from Germany in Turbine Potsdam. One of Europe's best defenders in Laura George vs European Player of The year Inka Grings.

The first ever female Champions league final will be played at Getafe fc's Coliseum Alfonso Perez Stadium in Madrid some 10 minutes from the men's final at Real Madrid's small ground. We pray for a big audience and even better atmosphere but even if that does not happen and the game gets no promotion (like EURO 2009) on the streets of Madrid. At least they realise...
....we're here to stay.

 

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On the 28th day of January 2010 the Los Angles Sol folded.

They say that America is the place where female football (soccer) is as big as the male game and within America the talent is firmly in California, on America's west coast. The state of California has given female football a number of great players ( Shannon Boxx, Aly Wagner, Julie Foudy) and it's univerisities are the home to some of the best young talent in the world.

There is a great big market for the game there..

2009 came the birth of the WPS. Women's Professional Soccer. A league of 8 teams spread across America with millions of dollars in finance, injected the same year the world was seriously hit by economic problems. They recruited the most talented player in the world (Marta) and her friend to keep her company (the other girl from Sweden) and went on to amaze the league and it's fans with attacking flair...ending the regular season as champions.

Then came the news that the club was looking for investment and that if not found the club would have to shut down.

Then it did.

SO what does this say for the future of the game in the country with the most players, fans, parents and young footballgirls who went to see the Sol play.

Was it marketing, advertsising, tooooo much money to Marta, playing in stadiums not big enough..the questions go on and on but the biggest shame is that after the first league shut down and after 4-5 years of research, hype, promise, hope, a club has died after 9 months. A club in the biggest female football market in the world.

Shame.

 

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Germany 6
England 2
10/09/09
Helisnki Olympic Stadium

The 2009 European Championships gave us the highest all round level of play form every team. It started with the Germans winning and in the end the Germans came out top once again. With a number of high level Champions league winners from Europe's number one club Duisburg on the bench and a number of youth team players such as Kim Kulig, Bajramaj, Mbabi and Biaca Schmidt all playing their part it is very hard to see them not doing the same when the world cup goes to Germany in 2011.

 

 

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Sweden (win on penalties)
America
12/ 3 /09
Estadio de Algarve
Photo : Tiago Merlot
Words : Anja Moller

The Algarve Cup 2009 was one of the best in memory.
The football had changed and teams were becoming more tactically aware.
Fresh from their new found passing game at the Olympics it was a true final as the new attacking Sweden with a squad full of young players and no Hanna Ljungberg met America in the final.

The game was full of action, mistakes, drama and chances but finished level sending the game into penalties. As Hope Solo full of confidence after a great tournament did her job her team failed to finish their spot kicks.

American ( right back of the Algarve Cup ) Heather Mills stepped up to take the last kick.

She needed to score.

She didn’t.

 

 

 

 

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Arsenal 0
Everton 3
29/3/09
Borehamwood, Herts
Photo : Tiago Merlot
Words : Anja Moller

This was the game of two sides and both sides were Everton blue.
After losing their 3 star players this was the first game of the ‘new’ Arsenal and Everton beat them.

Bad.

Jill Scott ran through the middle like an elegant swan tackling, passing, and scoring. Johnston chewed Helen Lander, Willams spat out Kim Little while Duggan + Handley ran the sides. Davison looked no good but Lander looked worse and Yankey (well look at the picture).

A beating so bad before Arsenal’s 3 games in 7 days (2 finals). Arsenal did what they do best, they won all 3 games by one goal then beat Everton in the last game to show them that the ‘new’ Arsenal... wins like the old.

xoxo

 

 

 

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of footballgirl or www.footballgirl.com