Injury Ridden World Cup Prompts Calls for ACL Research

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It’s Tuesday, July 11th. Give us four minutes, we give you everything World Cup.

WHERE ARE ALANA COOK’S BAGS: a video is making the rounds showing Team USA as they landed in New Zealand Monday, walking out of baggage claim with a vast array of packing styles. Alana Cook’s singular suitcase plus carry-on was initial cause for minimalist praise, but rumors indicate Cook’s center-back pair Naomi Girma may have had the rest of her bags …

Mallory Swanson calls for women’s focused research as injuries haunt historic event

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the tragedy of injury hanging about this summer’s World Cup. ACL and knee injury, in particular, will keep a staggering set of stars off football’s biggest stage.

To name just a few, this summer’s injury list includes elite stars Beth Mead (ENG-Arsenal), Leah Williamson (ENG-Arsenal), Catarina Macario (USA-Chelsea), Vivianne Miedema (NED-Arsenal), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (FRA-PSG), and a particularly in form US star in Mallory Swanson (USA- Chicago Red Stars) who tore her patella tendon playing Ireland this spring.

In fact, of The Guardian’s Top 100 Footballers from 2022, six of the top 16 footballers tore their ACL between the summer of 2022 and spring of 2023. All but one (Alexia Putellas, Spain/Barcelona) will miss the World Cup because of it.

As noted by the Wall Street Journal, evidence is clear that women’s footballers are more susceptible to this type of knee injury, ACL injury in particular.

Women’s footballers are now calling for more resources and importantly, research, into the higher rates of knee injury to which they succumb.

Mallory Swanson recently commented on the matter, saying:

“I just hope that we take it as a learning experience. And there's just more research done and more investment put into women's anatomy and health within the game, because I feel like there's been… a lot of the research and things that have been done and said are on men's anatomy and how their bodies move and perform, and so I think just getting more investment on an actual women's soccer player could hopefully maybe prevent some of these injuries.”

Zambia manager accused of sexual misconduct 🇿🇲

The Guardian reported over the weekend that Zambia manager, Bruce Mwape, is accused of sexual misconduct.

In a remarkable and chilling statement, an anonymous player told The Guardian: “If he [Mwape] wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes… It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

Mwape was appointed in 2018, and while the Football Association of Zambia (ZAF) indicates they referred allegations of sexual abuse in the women’s game to FIFA in September 2022, the manager for now remains in charge.

Group B Preview

This summer’s christened ‘group of death’ is robust defensively and scrappy all over. Close matches are near assured, as any among the four nations straddling four continents are capable of progressing to the knockouts. We can expect the theatrics as well as the pragmatic, though, as this group may well come down to goal differential.

Australia 🇦🇺

Australia’s Matildas are a counter pressing side of hopeful potential led by global scoring superstar, Sam Kerr (Chelsea). And while Kerr prefers the long held mentality of being tournament underdogs, their role as co-hosts elevates expectations they’ll be vying to meet. The Matildas won’t rely solely on Kerr for the brilliance necessary to do so, as their experienced Swedish manager, Tony Gustavsson, has prioritized getting experience for an emerging generation, and belief pervades Australia’s camp that talent is deeper than ever before. That generational depth has pulled off strong results in recent tests, including a 2-0 victory at Wembley that put a dramatic end to England’s long-term winning streak.

Ireland 🇮🇪

Led by the strong and controversial character of coach Vera Pauw, who steers a debutante crew into the World Cup amid renewed accusations of abusive behavior from her time in the NWSL (accusations Pauw has pushed back on), Ireland enter their first World Cup as a team of battlers that will excel in effort and be vulnerable in depth. As evidenced by their recent friendly against a formidable France, Ireland comes out strong and is difficult to play, but could wane as the match progresses and teams wear them down. (A similar effect could reasonably be assigned to their brace of friendlies with the top-ranked USA this April). The tenacious personality and play of left-flank wonder Katie McCabe (Arsenal) will lead the Irish, with the likes of Havertown, Pa.’s Sinead Farrelly (Gotham FC) - who was among the original whistleblowers leading to NWSL investigations implicating managerial abuse - providing creative sparks.

Nigeria 🇳🇬

One among several nations entering the tournament amid tensions behind the scenes, Nigeria also enter as the top-ranked African nation, and one of just seven nations to qualify for all nine FIFA World Cups. The nine-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations caused a stir falling to Morocco in the WAfcon semi-final last year, though remain capable of escaping their World Cup group should cascading commotion off the field not restrict them. Newly christened Champions League winner Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona) is a remarkable talent looking to lead her nation out of this group, in what may prove too tough a challenge given the pack.

Canada 🇨🇦

Manager Bev Priestman’s reigning Olympic gold medalists will navigate a challenging group while at loggerheads with their federation over equitable treatment and the threat of bankruptcy at Canada Soccer. Should their mentality prove focused, they have more than enough talent to place first in this group, though any among their Group B peers could stymie their attacking talent in a group of pragmatic defending. The steady hand of NWSL goal-scoring legend Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns) playing in her last ever tournament will spur on a multi-generational side looking to christen Christine’s exit with Canada’s first star.

News and notes

• As teams prepare to head Down Under, a few federations have found themselves at odds with their host countries. Spain and the Netherlands have been embroiled in controversy after video emerged of players seemingly mocking New Zealand’s Haka, which is “a ceremonial Māori war dance or challenge.” 

• With World Cup hype under way, commercials promoting this summer’s tournament are dropping on the football world. A recent one from France features a deep fake masquerading the women’s team to look as though it’s the men’s team, before revealing that the incredible play is from women’s footballers at the end. The clip is circulating to significant praise, as well as discourse surrounding its underlying meaning.

• Last week, we highlighted turmoil in Nigeria’s camp as the Irving, Texas born manager Randy Waldrum clashed with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). The NFF responded, calling Waldrum “Mr Blabbermouth”, among other things. The Guardian extrapolated the story further here.

• According to FIFA, all 32 World Cup squads are officially in. The 736 footballers representing an expanded pool of nations have just nine days now before the tournament sets off.

Parting shots:

CAPTION THIS: Injured England captain Leah Williamson (Arsenal) was spotted at Wimbledon having an impassioned conversation with tennis legend Billie Jean King.

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