This is the game that was necessary for the growth of women’s football.
The hosts France against the holders the United States, in Paris on a Friday night.
This quarter-final will be a global game for women to refer back to. In years to come, we will look back on this giant contest.
It is incredibly exciting for me to be a part of it, feeling the energy of the city here this week and then, on Friday, feeling the energy of the sold-out stadium.
It just brings so much joy to me to watch the evolution of the game, which now has a huge following here in Paris, especially among the older generation. That growth, is surprising because when I lived here in France back in 2005 as a Lyon player, a lot of the older generation did not
necessarily respect women’s football.
In total contrast, my cab drivers are talking about taking their children to the women’s games and how much they love the sport. It’s a completely different world, and it’s all building up to this incredible match-up.
We’re in the middle of a heatwave here and that will be a factor on Friday but crucially it will not be different for either team – they’ll be evenly matched.
Perhaps the 40-degree temperatures will mean it won’t be a running game quite as much, but luckily for the good of this tie, both teams have pretty strong depth among their substitutes and they have been really focused on their fitness.
For example, I know the USA train at high altitude and they train in hot cities, so this intense weather isn’t new for any of these professional players. They’ve prepared for this. Both sides should be ready for the temperatures.
With that being said, nobody knows what to expect with these two teams, because they’re both a little bit unpredictable defensively.
It’s going to be extremely unpredictable. It’s too hard to call.
