Politics

Is there a diversity problem in women’s soccer? As other sports have made strides to include players of all ethnicities, most youth, college and professional women’s soccer teams in the USA are still mainly comprised of white players.

This lack of diversity has led organizations to try and overcome the problem, and over the past few years, strides have been made to make the sport more inclusive, but it just doesn’t seem to have come far enough.

Barriers To Diversity

“Stop playing like a girl.”

Five words that can quickly bring down someone’s motivation and self-esteem. Over the years, this stereotype has been used as an insult for both boys and girls. It’s a simple way of telling someone they aren’t good enough. Over time, women have done their best to break this harmful stereotypes. Luckily, there are a growing number of celebrities and role models speaking out for gender equality today. 

It's nearly impossible to get a large group of people to agree on something, anything. If you can make a significant portion of the population agree on a thing, you are doing something very special. Soccer fans, for example, cannot agree on which formation is best, which player is best, which manager is right for which club or how much money a player is worth. The only thing soccer fans universally agree on is FIFA is trash, and that is because FIFA is doing something very special.

If you haven’t turned on a television, listened to the radio, picked up a newspaper, scrolled through Twitter or checked Facebook in the last few weeks, let me get you up to speed: the national anthem is a BIG deal. 

America’s “Star-Spangled Banner” became everyone’s favorite hot-take after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem in protest of racial inequality and, more specifically, the treatment of African Americans in the United States. 

Megan Rapinoe has been kneeling during the national anthem during NWSL games in support of NFL player Colin Kaepernick's protest against racial inequality in the USA, and there was some speculation ast to whether she would do it for USWNT matches.

We were just doodling along in soccer Internet land when we came across an item from the BBC concerning disgraced former FIFA President Joseph "Sepp" Blatter.

"Well!" we thought to ourselves. "That certainly is interesting! We wonder how the old boy's suspension, erm, retirement is going!"

Not well, as it turnsout. From the article

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has dropped the biggest hint yet as to where he believes the 2026 World Cup should take place. Following the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 edition to Qatar, the venue for the 2026 version of the competition is to be decided in 2020.

Originally, the process was due to be completed in May of 2017, but FIFA experienced some minor setbacks that you might’ve heard about.

Alright, who’s ready to feel sick and ill at the same time? You? Let’s go. FIFA is cleaning up its act. FIFA is getting its s*** together. That’s hard work — they were mired in metaphorical defecation up to the neck following the reign of corruption’s Sepp Blatter. It’s such a grind piecing together the fallen remnants of football’s global governing body that newly elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino will receive $1.52 million, a car, housing and a monthly expense limit of $2,025 for his troubles.

As Celtic prepare to play Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Celtic Park in UEFA Champions League playoff action on Wednesday night, some of the club’s supporters plan to give the visitors a rather awkward welcome — by waving the flag of Palestine.