WWC Day Five - Joy and passion the real MVPs
This is our reminder why international football matters
It was a late night after the Barbie/Oppenheimer double bill but I have zero regrets, even if I’m feeling a little bit sleepy writing this newsletter. Here is my daily debrief from day five of the Women’s World Cup. Stay tuned for Barbenheimer review coming later this week.
We had another three games today and some very impressive performances from Germany and Brazil in their opening group games. As mentioned in yesterday’s edition, there have been some disappointing performances from some of the historically “bigger” and more experienced teams in this competition but both Germany and Brazil, alongside Japan, did not get the memo on upsets. Those sides are the only ones who have really attempted to stamp some authority on the pitch and dominate and that has already made them favourites to get to the latter stages of the competition. Germany were already down as one of the favourites for the trophy but they steamrolled a struggling Morocco side.
Brazil were electric in their attacking play, so fluid and also full of the flair that we love to see from Brazilian football.
Marta, the Brazilian football legend, even made a brief cameo. This is the 37-year-old’s sixth and last World Cup. She will make history if she scores in this tournament, becoming the only player, men’s or women’s to score in six World Cups. She already holds the record for the most goals at a World Cup - 17 in total.
Brazil, Germany and Japan’s performances on the pitch have certainly been the most uplifting and impressive so far. But it’s the scenes off the ball that have also been getting my attention at this World Cup. It might sound cringe, but the passion, emotion and joy running through this tournament has been a refreshing reminder of why international football is special.
When Mikel Arteta blasted the word “passion” throughout Arsenal’s All or Nothing documentary on Prime it became a bit of a social media piss take. Arteta’s cries came on the backdrop of a chaotic season for Arsenal but his words kicked off the north London team’s revolutionary culture shift.
Arteta was right to say that so much of the energy that players bring to the pitch, especially in international football, comes from the passion and pride they have playing for their country or club. That energy alone can get you far and especially when it’s matched with a great performance on the ball.
The pre-match national anthems is often where we see the most impassioned moments from players during the World Cup. Starting with Ali Riley’s moment for New Zealand in the opening game and Jessica Silva’s tears in Portugal’s World Cup debut against the Netherlands.
There’s nothing I love more than catching a few players on the mic belting their anthems, Ireland’s girls really went for it against Australia, Morocco and Brazil were also really giving it their all in their openers. We had tears from Panama as well, another World Cup debutant and an emotional moment for Brazil’s hat trick hero Ary Borges when she celebrated her first ever World Cup goal.
As much as this competition is straightforward and business for so many nations, when you let the emotion in it can also lead to amazing and special moments.
So in the words of Mikel Arteta if there’s one thing you should you use this World Cup as inspiration for its bringing “passion” into everything you do.