aThis Wednesday night, Old Trafford Stadium in south-west Manchester – a time-honored cathedral of English football – will be sold to capacity. And not because Manchester United’s home side will play a Premier League game there, but because it is the opening game of a competition that will break records: it is the start of the 2022 European Women’s Football Championship, against Austria hosting 71,300 spectators. (at 9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Women’s Football Championship, on ARD and on DAZN)
To put this into context: EM 2017 games in the Netherlands brought in a total of 240,000 fans, and in England they are now on course to be able to draw more than double the number of people to stadiums this summer.
England in front of a full house
A certain amount of anticipation could be felt in the days prior to the tournament’s start: Manchester’s nightlife areas often featured bars and pubs showing English team games; All matches will be broadcast live on various BBC channels.
However, if you want to effortlessly buy tickets to one of the English women’s group games, you’re out of luck: “Lioness” will play against Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland in front of the full ranks.
On the other hand, there are still tickets for the Games without English participation; The prices were deliberately reduced – as a full-payer you can enter the stadium for ten pounds in the cheapest category. Meanwhile, 87,200 tickets have already been sold for the final at London’s Wembley Stadium.
It also has to do with expectations in the country. According to many commentators in the media and former players, England is one of the favorites to win the European Championship – although nations such as Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands are also coming in with higher ambitions. England coach Sarina Wigman took charge last September and has been unbeaten in 14 games in a row.
In February, England won the recently launched four-nation tournament, which also featured Olympic champions Canada, Spain and Germany. England won three European Championship friendly matches in June 3–0 against Belgium, 5–1 against the Netherlands and 4–0 against Switzerland. Former international Kyle Smith told the BBC he saw “an air of arrogance, confidence and arrogance” in the team that he had never seen before.
Detail obsessive and tactically changeable
Wigman is credited with the strong form of English women. The 52-year-old Dutch woman led her country to the 2017 European Championship and 2019 World Cup finals, which she lost to the United States. She likes to set up her team in a 4-3-3 formation and encourages them to attack from behind. Nevertheless, he is known to be expansive and tactically variable, making his team more difficult to calculate for an opponent.
Coach Sarina Wigman
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Image: DPA
Prior to the opening game, he did not publicly commit to a starting XI, but emphasized the depth of his squad – so clever substitutions often made the difference in friendly games. It is a good result: “We have shown again that we are a very fit team,” Wigmann said after the win against Switzerland. We also showed again that we don’t play with only eleven players. There are many other players in our team who can make a difference in the second half.”
Lauren Hemp. all eyes on
However, there are key players in the English team from whom fans and observers expect special performances. Prominent among these is 21-year-old Manchester City left winger Lauren Hemp. She is fast, dynamic and good at dribbling with a distinctive pull towards the target. Defender Millie Bright said of Ganja: “With her speed, any defender is afraid to go face to face with her. We try to deliver the ball to her as often as possible.”
Key Player: Lauren Hempo
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Image: Action Image via Reuters
Arsenal defender Leah Williamson, 25, who can be used in a variety of ways, was surprisingly appointed as the new captain under Wigman, meaning she has a special responsibility on her shoulders. Much also depends on the iconic striker Ellen White, who will be facing his last major international tournament at the age of 33.
One thing is for sure: the European Championships will be the biggest event in the history of women’s football in Europe. Organizers expect 100,000 international fans to travel to England, and more than 250 million can follow the games on television around the world. In England it is also expected that it will have a positive impact on the national professional league Women’s Super League (WSL). It is considered the best league in the world – even though the US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) sees it differently – with some of the best players currently.
But public interest fluctuates: The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City in May drew 49,000 fans, and last season was best attended by a WSL game against Everton with more than 20,000 spectators. But the average is so low, with teams like Birmingham City or Reading FC playing their home games in front of only a few hundred willing people.
So the European Championship is also an opportunity for sport. Should England thrill the crowds in the opening game at Old Trafford, if they advance to the final at a packed Wembley Stadium and win there, it will see more people flock to their nearest women’s football club next season. Can agree to buy tickets.
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