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NED vs POR
As I warned you a few days ago, this blog will be heavily focused on the Oranje Leeuwinnen for the time being. But don’t worry, I will always have something AWFC related. Nothing could be more related to Arsenal than one of our players playing for them tomorrow vs Portugal, but that’s actually not what I’m here to focus on. People absolutely love Pelova and they are on her hype train full stop. By now, you know that I am not one of those people and I think there are plenty of stronger options both in the AWFC squad and the dutch squad, yet has has recently shown lots of positive qualities playing right fullback. With that said, I wouldn’t start her, but she most likely will.
Today’s post has to do mostly about how this match has to be a show of strength and we have to establish control and dominance, ruthlessly and very, very early in the game. Everyone in this country assumes that the USA are the favorites to win the whole thing, which I think is absolutely silly, but lots of people will be watching this match to see what they will be coming up against. It’s a great opportunity to intimidate the hell out of the Americans and show the world that we should’ve been in the “favorites” conversation all along.
Portugal are basically SL Benfica… last time I checked they had like 7 players from that one club. This in theory implies that they are used to playing together which in turn implies cohesion and communication on and off the pitch. This is precisely why I think starting strong will be very important. They are a very respected side and they have Jessica Silva, a relentless powerhouse… but you know who is a powerhouse too? DOM JANSSEN.
There’s a lot of different opinions as far as what the actual lineup will be… I gave you my preferred lineup but I think he’s gonna do something like this:
As usual, players will interchange positions. I do expect Jackie to be more of a holding midfielder than Sherida.
What I do know is that I have been waiting 4 years for this and I can’t stand having to wait a few more hours.
d ❤
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I Forgot To Mention So Many Players…
Not only have I mentioned a few times that I’m not an expert or an authority on women’s football, but I continue to prove it in so many ways, every single day. I mispronounce names of players, forget what teams they play for and also learn in real time that X player plays for X nation. Yesterday was a perfect reminder that I know absolutely nothing about this sport compared to you all. I did a little preview post / podcast which I thought was pretty thorough and watching the matches the last couple of days proved the opposite.
I never mentioned Lacasse or D’Angelo for Canada… I also didn’t mention Noelle even though I clearly know who she is hahaha. I also forgot to mention Engen, Buchanan, Bachman, Oshoala, maybe even Carpenter… criminal to have omitted them but it wasn’t on purpose. So, I have to apologize for not reviewing and doing better research for you, not that you need me as a reference but I know at least 2 people read this and were curious haha. This is all such a great learning experience for me and its data that proves that said data needs to be more robust. I need to be way more on top of this and at the very least read up more on the players, coaches and so on.
I love learning, I love finding that I should be more invested in teams that I wasn’t. Canada is great example… because I totally forgot about our players there, maybe because I just don’t have any attachment to them whatsoever, I was not invested at all other than wanting them to not win so that Ireland would have a better chance at getting out of the group, which I still think will happen. Curious what other “surprises” are in store for me.
Lastly for today, even though I hinted at it yesterday, I have to mention how amazing it is to be an AWFC fan and seeing 3 players already captain their sides… obviously its just luck of the draw and there aren’t many more to see do this but it was absolutely amazing. Had Leah and Viv been there we could’ve had two more.
Hope you are enjoying the tournament as much as I am!
d ❤
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They All Shone 😭
I expected that Australia vs Ireland was going to be a tough watch but I have to say, it was tougher than I expected. Obviously I’m NOT talking about the quality on the pitch, which was stellar. I’m talking about how torn my heart was between these two squads. And actually, to the first point regarding quality I do have to say that I was expecting much more nerves and apprehension from all 4 teams that debut but I was pleasantly surprised at the high level, no howlers and just overall tenacity of the players… especially one Katie McCabe.
It’s very difficult for me as a fan to pick a side (except when the dutch play against any team including Venezuela or even if the team they were facing was my mom, sister, my niece, etc… I would want the oranje to absolutely demolish them, I don’t care who it is) and when you have 3 players on each side that I actually care about its very very very very difficult to not be a ball of nerves. If Australia win I’m happy and I’m sad, if Ireland win I’m happy and I’m sad. It’s wild.
I do know that it also depends on who is playing. For instance, let’s say that England play vs Australia, well since Beth and Leah aren’t playing I don’t really care, but then there’s Jordan Nobbs… so it’s like who do I root for? It’s mental not backing a team which is what I’ve usually done 98% of the games I’ve ever watched but so is life as a woso fan and one of the most amazing things about being an Arsenal Women fan.
Why? because our players are so good that they represent their teams, and a lot of them captain their teams which shows what a massive club we are, how the quality of our players transcend a domestic league and how they continue to be historic figures that are shaping the way this sport is being played from London Colney to Auckland and beyond. We’re so lucky and spoiled and gives us a reason to be arrogant and I love it.
Arsenal players are sorta the first layer, and then you have players that you like a lot. For me they are Louise Quinn and Ruesha Littlejohn… add to that Denise O’Sullivan and Sheva, whom I all went to see a few months ago in St. Louis. But then there is Ellie Carpenter, Alana Kennedy and Lydia Williams… I mean… how the hell do I choose?
It was a magical match and such an intense one for me that I cannot even being to comprehend how Katie, Steph, etc felt when singing those national anthems.
And that’s just ONE match!!!!!
BTW I’m back doing podcasts (audio only) and you can listen to the latest one here:
I’m so ready.
d ❤
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Don’t Be A Creep
Toxic masculinity is something that us women’s football fans reject wholeheartedly. It feels like day in and day out we come across comments and posts that make us nauseated. As I always say, just imagine what the players are going through every single day… also, you don’t have to be a player, if you identify as anything other than a cis male, you experience toxic masculinity all the time, and even men do as well. Point is: it sucks.
One of the most obvious ways that this manifests, wether the people doing it are aware of it or not, is by the sexualization of players. An example of this is your typical (idiotic) friend who never ever posts about women’s football and then posts a pic of a player they consider to be attractive and say something like: “I guess I’m a women’s football fan now” or some dumb sh*t. This type of stuff grinds my gears. A lot of the times is like my friend’s dads or something and it’s just so very cringy and disrespectful. These are the types of dudes that would get very pissed when Beckham was playing and women found him cute. They would then say homophobic comments and expose some dark stuff.
I understand the ambiguity and/or irony in that it might seem like I don’t get mad about women saying something about men but trust me, it does bother me, but I don’t think its anywhere near as bad, toxic or mean. I might be wrong. A lot of Arsenal fans post super intense comments about players they have crushes on, there’s constant talk about their private lives, who they are dating and all of this stuff that I, personally, find it to be very lame, pathetic and it doesn’t add anything valuable. I get the fact that lots of fans belong to the LGBTQ+ community and they develop actual feelings for players, and that dynamic isn’t as common with the men’s sport, or at least that we see out in the open because sadly we still have so much to grow as humankind. Yet, that doesn’t automatically make it ok to express some intense thoughts on social media. It’s creepy, it’s weird.
My criticism isn’t truly with what it is said necessarily but actually about how it is said. Maybe it’s an age thing… maybe I would’ve made those types of comments years ago, maybe I have made them. Maybe people I love and care about and respect have made those comments, men and women. I don’t know. This is an observation of where I stand today, right this moment.
d ❤
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UNderdog
My friends, I was feeling pretty inspired about writing today about something completely different but when I woke up and read some news, I came across this video: “The Story of an Irish Underdog” with our very own Katie McCabe. So, instead of making you read something, just take the next 9 min or so and watch this, I’ll be back tomorrow.
d ❤
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My Oranjeleeuwinnen Special
I’m telling you now, The Netherlands can win the whole thing. I believe it and not just because they are the team I support but because everything points to success, basically in every way I can imagine and everything I have seen and come to know. So on this Monday before the World Cup I will tell you why I think my dutchies have a shot.
The first thing that people say when it comes to our chances this year, and yes I said “our”, is that Viv is missing. Of course missing the best striker on planet earth is a huge loss but there are countless examples of emblematic players missing from a big tournament through injury and their team that we all felt depended on them, went on to win. Just take a look at Barca without Putellas for months and months. It’s still possible. People play differently, players will step up.
With that said, as far as our forward line I think this is the tournament where Lieke Martens lights up the world again. I don’t necessarily love PSG for her but she had a great season and is looking fit and hungry, seems like she’s put her head down and from interviews I’ve seen, she has a drive and determination that I have not seen before.
Daphne is a great keeper and you cannot win a World Cup without a stellar one. What she showed in the euro cup at such a young age was beyond impressive, so I’m looking forward to her being more mature and ideally have her moral boosted by signing for Villa and getting that life changing move to the WSL which I hope she uses and shines and becomes in 4 years time the best keeper in the world; not saying it will happen but the talent is there.
Dominique Janssen is not only among my favorite defenders on planet earth but one of the best to ever do it, full stop. Her poise, leadership and ability are unmatched, add to that her free kicks and penalty taking skills and you have a powerhouse. Next to her Van Der Gragt, a strong experienced defender, not the fastest I know, but absolutely love her brain and power.
The midfield!? Are you kidding me?? Regardless of the lineup and who plays to have DVD, Jackie and Damaris is incredible. Sherida will probably play and start, which I’m not too happy about but it is what it is. Any team with DVD is better, as she is the smartest football player on planet earth, just deal with that. lol. She’s my favorite ever and I cannot wait to see her play with freedom and that bite she has. Can’t wait, this is the whole point of the World Cup… so I can watch DVD wear the oranje shirt. But seriously, this midfield I think offers so much dynamism and impact, by far my favorite in the tournament.
Up top we have Lineth, Lieke, Jill and a few squad players that have so much potential. Brugts, Casparij, etc etc we are building quite a special future.
The squad looks so together and happy… we have Merel Van Dongen so how the hell can they not be happy?! I truly hope she gets some minutes…
So this is my dream lineup, not because I think it’s what we will do but I’d love to see this
Just a few more sleeps!!!
d ❤
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It’s getting Emotional
One of the things that I certainly will need to come to terms with as a fan, and I feel that a massive part of the fanbase needs to as well, is the emotional attachment we have to some players. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t care or anything like that… my point is that I feel we care “too much” about some players or we feel some sort of dependency because we like their personality or something like that.
Due to them being so endearing its like we love them just because. This in a way can bring some sort of complacency and potentially lower our standards at the club. Like do we really actually think X player is what we need or do we want them at the club because they are silly and funny and witty at the social media content stuff?
Fans on twitter overhype some players so much and when they make their case about why say a GK should be at the club, it’s never about them being better than Manu or actually being able to push and challenge her, but about how they are off the pitch. This worries me, to be fair.
There seems to be a project as far as competition is concerned. We keep building the squad and getting it deeper and deeper. We’re bringing it players that will push our starters to their limits, one would hope, yet I still think and will always think, that the keepers we currently have are not the answer. I feel like I’ve talked about this before, and I have nothing personal against them at all. I wonder often though if social media access has become a double edge sword for me and I’m not sure where I stand now.
Thanks to social media content I was able to “know” the players more, to get a look into their personality, their brains, and their sense of humor. That’s all great yet I don’t think I ever wanted a player to remain at the club only because of that. Maybe I did, I’m not really sure, like I said, but what I do know is that said content is not going anywhere. It’s only gonna keep getting bigger and more important within the fan / club interaction dynamic experience thing.
We have a responsibility with ourselves as Arsenal fans to always want the best for the club. But I have to admit I’ve wanted/rated players that not a lot of people did and I’ve also wanted players out of the club that seem to be fan favorites, which makes my head want to explode, and there’s no way that I don’t make other fans’s heads want to explode.
All this to say that I hope we bring better keepers in and another CB asap please and thank you.
d ❤
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The Matildas Look The Business…
Um… ok so I absolutely felt Australia has had more than a realistic chance at winning the whole thing. I’m not alone in this and usually host nations have lots going for them, but beating France, in the manner they did is pretty impressive and bodes super well for them with only a few days to go. By the way, if you are interested in an actual match report and analysis please read THIS article from The Guardian.
The way that this relates to AWFC is clearly twofold, with a bonus thing…
Clearly we have 2 players in the Matildas. Steph apparently had a great match and as did Caitlin Food and we’re all hoping they both have a fantastic tournament.So point number one is that, them doing well because we love them and they deserve it. The second point or dimension to this for me is that since they clearly (don’t know for sure for lets hope) will do well, and will be absolutely loved by their sold out crowds, this insane boost of confidence will only help them grow more and more at Arsenal…
Speaking of growth I will say that Caitlin has grown on me, ironically since she hasn’t been playing and after the season ended. I don’t think I’ve been giving her the flowers she deserves and I raise my hand and apologize if I ever shown, by not showing as much love, any sort of disrespect because I love her and that’s never been an issue. I guess because I rather have McCabe and Beth on the wings, its somewhat justified in my mind.
And last but not least, speaking of growth too… a player that I have always really liked but played for teams I disliked like Spurs and ManCity is Alana Kennedy… I think she is a baller. I really do. And I can’t believe I didn’t mention her when I wrote about my summer transfer wishlist. I have no idea if she’s available but I wouldn’t mind her signing for us at all.
Anyways, it’s 1:35am and I need to wake up at 6am and drive to the next city and perform so I will say bye for now.
much love.
d ❤
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Karen Knows
My friends, I have an insane schedule today and cannot post today but as always, I’m going to, at the very least, share something that I find interesting and that impacts Arsenal Women.
Here’s an interview with Karen Carney, speaking about her review on women’s football. It’s incredible.
d ❤
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Subs in Music & Football
Currently I’m pretty much right in the middle of the United States about to head out to play a rock festival with a guitar player Orianthi, who is an incredible artist, known also for having played with Michael Jackson. Her discography is amazing and she has always had incredible musicians record her music. Live, she also hires really good musicians and I know this not because I’m playing with her haha, but because I’m subbing for my friend Elias, a MONSTER drummer. I’ve done this a few times and it’s amazing. I’m here just to cover and be, very much so, a squad player, and offer reliable support.
Being a musicians means that work can come from many different sources, due to many situations and thanks to sometimes insane circumstances. One role that must be embraced is that of being a sub on certain gigs. That’s just the nature of it. For instance, on one project you might be THE bass player for the band, getting all the shows and every call related to that particular band/artist. Then, there are moments where a band/artist has a steady person but they need someone to step in a cover, sometimes for one show, other times on a semi consistent basis. Of course, there are more scenarios but the common denominator is that we aren’t the starters.
As I’m working on some of these songs aka air drumming in my hotel room, not only do I try to honor Elias and his parts but the drummer that recorded some of her songs was Josh Freese, an absolute legend and who is now the drummer for the Foo Fighters. Basically I am being asked to step in for players I admire, respect and draw inspiration from and have to see them at the same time as colleagues and peers. This dynamic is always very interesting and it’s one of my favorite things to assimilate and internalize.
But this whole thing got me thinking about how much pressure elite players like ours at AWFC must face, specifically when they are asked to step in for someone who is emblematic or when asked to cover a specific, pressure filled position. Like as if it wasn’t hard enough to play the sport, imagine having to step in for Kim Little… what… haha. UNREAL PRESSURE. Not just to play the position she plays, but to play the position BECAUSE she plays it too. My goodness. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about how the amount of work, drive and dedication that it takes to get to play for AWFC. Also, not a day goes by when I don’t feel guilty when I criticize the players that I do and I feel like dog poop.
The psychology of being a sub isn’t something I’m equipped to talk about yet I was thinking about our bench and if it’s deep enough at the moment. My answer is no. I’m afraid we won’t be making/announcing anything major until after the World Cup which is gonna start soon and it will also feel eternal so don’t hold your breath, we might not get a single player in til a week before the season starts. And this might be the best thing actually… Jonas will be keeping a close eye on every single player and I’m excited to see what hidden gem he finds.
d ❤
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A very subjective look into AWFC 