Japan win the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

History was made yesterday when Japan became the first Asian team to win the Women's World Cup. They beat favourites USA in a thrilling contest that went to extra time and penalties. In Frankfurt the stadium was sold out with over 45,000 people watching the spectacle. In the UK, BBC3 showed it live on TV and Twitter went into meltdown. There were something like 7,000 tweets a second - a new record for the social network site.  What was great on Twitter (I was joining in) was the general sense of admiration - from female fans, from sports pundits and from professional male players such as Rio Ferdinand and Cesc Fabrigas. Everyone was commenting on the standard of play, the passion and the understanding of the game both sides showed.
In the first half, USA were dominant and looked likely to win but although they had most possession and plenty of chances they couldn't convert. Then, early in the second half USA's super sub Morgan gave them the lead in the 68th minute. Japan, however, kept calm. They continued their dogged and determined passing game that eventually paid off with Miyama's goal in the 81st minute. Extra time was much more end to end with heroics from both teams' keepers and defenders. Again USA scored (the outstanding Wambach 104th minute) and again Japan replied, this one from the indefatigable Sawa four minutes from the end! to make it 2-2.
So yet another match was decided on penalties with Japan totally outshining a somewhat dejected USA to win convincingly 3-1.

World Cup honours:

Winners: Japan
Runners up: USA
Third: Sweden (AET)
Fourth: France

Golden boot: Homare Sawa (Japan)
Silver boot: Marta (Brazil)
Silver ball: Abby Wambach (USA)

Golden Glove: Hope Solo (USA)

Fair Play award: Japan

Best young player: Caitlin Foord (AUS)

Homare Sawa of Japan









As small consolation England's Alex Scott and Jill Scott were selected in FIFAs 'All Star' team of the tournament. I should also point out that England were the only team to beat Japan!

Other trivia:

• The German referee for the final. Bibiana Steinhaus, had to work overtime to be allowed time off from her job as a policewoman to officiate!  Can you imagine that happening in the men's game? 
• Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA, was booed by the crowd at the award ceremony. He is unpopular because he has little regard for the women's game and once said he might watch it if the women wore tighter tops. Ignoramus.
• Marta was also on the receiving end of some negativity from the crowd. The golden girl of football (FIFA Player of the Year)  displayed a petulance not usually found in the women's game during the semi-final between Brazil and USA.
• England coach Hope Powell was reported to have stirred up a hornet's nest by calling the England team 'cowards' when they allegedly refused to volunteer to take the penalties during the shoot out against France (see earlier blog). It wouldn't surprise me if she were replaced over the next year or so.
• Germany and Norway, two of the top sides in the world, will not be able to participate in the 2012 Olympics owing to their early departure. This seems harsh to me. Team GB qualify because we're the hosts.

All in all Germany 2011 has been a great  showcase for women's football. I hope as a result of the excellent media coverage the game gets a higher profile and I also hope my Girls FC books sell in shedloads as a result!!

Helena Pielichaty      http://www.helena-pielichaty.com/

Three Lions on her shirt - Helena Pielichaty

So another campaign ends at the quarter final stage for England. The brave lionesses were sent out of the Women's World Cup last night after misses by Rafferty and White in a tense penalty shoot out. It was a huge blow.  After drawing 1-1 against France in the first ninety minutes and hanging on by a thread through extra time because of injuries to  Smith and White I began to think that maybe, just maybe, we might snatch victory especially after Bardsley saved the first penalty. Then there was Smith's conversion to boost hope further. For half an hour she'd been limping, barely able to move to the ball but remaining on the pitch because we had no more subs left. When she walked up to take the third penalty I was amazed. 'Come on! Surely someone else will take it?  But I should have had more faith and I should have known the psychology of football better. No way was Smith going to give up this opportunity. This was her Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce moment. She buried it, no messing.
 But our two misses to France's one ended the dream of progressing to the semis.
From a neutral's perspective the right team won. France had played the better football, created more chances and shown more flare but England never gave up. They dug in. Bardsley had been fantastic - man of the match for me - saving everything that came at her. So much so that France's equaliser, in the 88th minute, came as a shock. Deserved but a shock nevertheless. 

A bigger shock came in the next quarter final. Germany, the hosts and favourites to win, lost to Japan a team England had beaten 2-0 in the group stages. Japan were so tenacious, doggedly absorbing everything the German side threw at them.

The remaining quarter finals are Sweden v Australia and Brazil v USA. Prepare for more upsets!

This Women's World Cup has been a joy. The standard of football has improved drastically over the last few years; so much so that it is now a spectacle worth watching. Gone are the days of heavy defeats and embarrassing moments. These women can play as crowds of over 20,000 per match (72,000 in the opener) testify.