Germany's women football team successfully defended their European championship crown by humbling
England 6-2 in the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 tournament in Helsinki earlier today. With
today's victory the German women are now unbeaten at European Championships since 1993 with 26
consecutive wins.
"Football is a simple game you play for 120 minutes and then the Germans win on penalties", as
Gary Lineker once observed. Oh, for things to have been that simple in Helsinki this evening.
Germany, whose female team dominate European women's football in a way that their male team hasn't
done provided formidable opposition to an England team that has surpassed all expectations by
getting to the final of this competition in the first place.
Bueno como lo predije, Alemania es la reina del Fútbol Europeo, y no solo de
Europa, también del Mundo y lo demostró quedándose con la Eurocopa Femenina al ganarle a
Inglaterra de manera contundente por 6 a 2.
El partido estuvo de la siguiente manera:
En tan solo cuatro minutos en la primera mitad, Birgit Prinz y Melanie Behringer pusieron por
delante a Alemania, aunque poco después la inglesa Karen Carney recortó distancias para
Inglaterra.
Fresh off her 101st career goal and a U.S. 1-0 win against Germany yesterday, it was announced
that Women's National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American
nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award.
Freedom teammate and French National player Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten
nominees.
Bueno como lo predije, Alemania es la reina del Fútbol Europeo, y no solo de
Europa, también del Mundo y lo demostró quedándose con la Eurocopa Femenina al ganarle a
Inglaterra de manera contundente por 6 a 2.
El partido desde el inicio fue para las alemanas, en tan solo cuatro minutos en
el primer tiempo, Birgit Prinz y Melanie Behringer pusieron por delante a Alemania, aunque poco
después la inglesa Karen Carney recortó distancias para Inglaterra.
Fresh off her 101st career goal and a U.S. 1-0 win against Germany yesterday, it was announced
that Women's National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American
nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award.
Freedom teammate and French National player Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten
nominees.
FIFA announced the finalists earlier today.
Three of the five women finalists play in MLS - the others are Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers) and
Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars).
From the WPS press release:
Cristiane, BRA/Chicago Red Stars - The only player in WPS to notch a hat trick this
season, her incredible long-range strike against FC Gold Pride in mid-July was one of the goals of
the year this season in WPS.
FIFA has announced the final five nominees for FIFA World Player of the Year. It's a match between
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. FC Barcelona has three players nominated for the prestigous award.
Balon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is nominated along with his team mates Xavi Hernandez and Andres
Iniesta.
The USWNT beat Germany 1-0 on Thursday.
And I'm liking that 1-0 score this morning, as the Bates Bobcats (that's the women's soccer
version) ended their season on a high note, beating the Colby College Mules 1-0.
Meanwhile, here in NH that 1-0 score was the result in an upset of Hopkinton by Belmont in the
Class M Girls' Soccer tournament.
So Messi won the FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award, and Marta won the FIFA Women's Player of
the Year Award, and no-one was surprised. But should we have been? There's enough out there about
Messi, so let's look at Marta and the women's award for a moment.
Shek Borkowski, former Indiana FC head coach and current head coach of WFC Zvezda-2005 in
Russia, criticised FIFA's shortlist a couple of weeks ago, writing:
The list includes Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz
(Germany), and Kelly Smith (England).
Brazil's Marta captured soccer's World Player of the Year award for the fourth year in a row.
The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz
and Inka Grings.
"I'm really surprised," Marta said of winning the award again. Tearful but happy she described
the accolade as "a landmark in my career and in my life".
