Women's World Cup a Chance to Put Soccer's Focus Back on the Field

This story originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada

Several years ago I wrote sports articles for an editor who, without derision, occasionally described our core readership as "Mississauga minivan moms." While more admirable for its alliterative qualities than as a flattering description, it was nonetheless a useful reminder to create content with widespread appeal and avoid stories rife with sporting jargon and indecipherable references.

There were, from time to time, however, those sports stories that became significant, important, or shocking enough that even the minivan moms were presumed to be interested. When something of that magnitude happened, when sports news crossed over to become real news, you knew it was a big deal. Even your mom knew.

We reached that level again last week when news of raids, arrests and the incorrigible rot at FIFA led TV newscasts, swept social media and took up front page real estate on newspapers for several days. Sure, devoted soccer fans had long moaned about the depravity of the backroom suits who run the business end of the beautiful game. But, all of a sudden, even the minivan moms—many of whom likely knew next to nothing about FIFA just days before—were aware of the sizeable scandal. It was unavoidable. It was everywhere. FIFA was having a moment, although not a particularly good one.

What a time, then, for Canada to be hosting one of the global soccer giant's major tournaments, the Women's World Cup, which kicks off Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta. Though no one is alleging bribe money was paid to bring this event to our shores, the stench of corruption seems likely to linger in the background a little bit. With questions swirling around his conduct, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke cancelled his scheduled appearance at a tournament-opening news conference this week. As for FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who won re-election just days after the scandal broke only to step down shortly after, his planned trip to the July 5 final in Vancouver, British Columbia, seems in serious doubt. Canada's Soccer Association voted against him last week, while Vancouver's city manager referred to news of Blatter's resignation as "terrific."

In truth, getting this World Cup underway is probably the best thing for FIFA, which could really use a media darling right about now. Not a darling in Blatter's poorly-expressed sense of the female soccer star, alluringly dressed in skin-tight shorts. Just a good news story amid the madness. It's not that FIFA's scoundrels aren't worth prosecuting to the fullest extent possible. It's just that, as a rule, most of us prefer our sports news to be about athletic excellence, not attorneys and indictments.

This World Cup, the first to be played entirely on artificial grass, has already inspired an ill-tempered lawsuit from a group of players who see surface selection as a human rights issue (and have the leg burns to prove it).

Generating good news stories might be easier with these women than the millionaires of the men's World Cup, few of whom could relate to the financial hardships faced by some female players. Take Costa Rican midfielder Cristin Granados, who helped finance her sporting passion by working at her mother's fruit stand. Then there's Australian goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri, who made ends meet after the birth of her daughter by selling off her soccer memorabilia. While the women's game is undoubtedly becoming more popular and professional, it retains an appealing purity that the senior men's event can't compete with.

There has been controversy over the fact that only eight of the 24 teams competing here are coached by women. Amid those divisive storylines, and against the backdrop of FIFA's smouldering situation, it would be nice to shift the focus to a great goal, a dramatic comeback, an eye-popping save or, heck, even a rotten decision by a referee.

There are high hopes that Canada's fortunes at this World Cup will bring another vital dose of good news. While they aren't among the heavy favourites for gold (unlike Germany, Japan and the United States), the Canadian women have already managed to captivate the country with their bronze-medal performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The galvanizing and enduring memory of that tournament came in a 4-3, extra-time defeat to the US in the semifinals, a game that saw Canada take the lead three times on goals by star striker Christine Sinclair, only to be undone by some decidedly dodgy officiating and a last-gasp winner by American Alex Morgan.

Nearly three years on, Sinclair is surrounded by what coach John Herdman calls the strongest team he's ever taken to a big tournament, better than the squad that won bronze in Britain. There aren't any pushovers among their group opponents (China, Holland and New Zealand) but a group-topping performance is certainly possible.

Aside from sports played on ice—namely hockey and curling—Canada doesn't have a whole lot to brag about when it comes to traditional team events. That 2012 medal was the first for any Canadian squad in a traditional team sport at the Summer Games since a silver in men's basketball at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The bar may be low, but Canada's women have cleared it with ease, and represent the best summer sports team the country has to offer.

Those minivan moms, wherever they're from, the ones ferrying their kids to and from soccer practice, are already huge fans. As FIFA starts to clean up its stains, here's hoping Sinclair and her team succeed, and make all of us sit up and take notice of something good.