Golden moment, Tokyo, 2021
Okay, the Canadian women went out in the group stage in the current Women's World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. It was a last stand for several of the older players, and they did not prevail. But Canada ought to note the historic importance of what they have helped build in the last couple of decades.
Two things stand out.
One, this Women's World Cup is huge: big crowds, big sponsors, big television coverage. It's attracting attention way beyond the last one, which was bigger than the previous one and so on. And the major players are stars all year round, paid and treated as such. Women's professional soccer, soccer that attracts fans, now earns money, provides work and training for up and coming players from around the world. More in Europe than elsewhere spreading, but it's coming everywhere. High performance women's team sport as major sport, not "just" women's sport, is a reality in soccer.
Two, parity is coming. The early era, when only advanced western countries that gave (sometimes grudging) support to women's sport had contending teams in the Olympics or the Women's World Cup, is coming to an end. Canada is out, the United States is out, Brazil and Italy and Germany are out. The Nigerians advanced, the Moroccans advanced, the Colombians astonished everyone. Sure, it could be Sweden or England who win this time, and the newer teams are underdogs. But the number of contending nations is growing rapidly, in Africa, Asia, and South America at least. And if you have been watching, you know they have stars, and they contend.
Let's acknowledge that the generation of Canadian women players now about to retire had a vital role in creating those new conditions. They were there, they were an essential part of building the women's game and the audience for the women's game. Christine Sinclair, indeed, was the dominant player in the world during most of the building. They contended for years. In Tokyo they triumphed: gold medal
Brava, Canadian women's national soccer team.
