Mar 07, 2015
Growing up in southern California, there were few athletic options for girls. Dance, gymnastics, swimming and soccer (or football, as worldly people call it). The future queer in me chose to play soccer because it seemed easiest to kick a ball… hard. So it was only natural that I fell in love, not only with playing the game, but with watching women play the game (and, no ladies, I don’t enjoy playing games).
Photo courtesy of adidas.comFast forward to summer 2015, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in Canada from 06 June to 05 July. That’s 30 days of watching fabulously talented women play the beautiful game! And 30 days of hot bods, dirty fouls, great hair and crazy fans.
Photo courtesy of jockington.comWhether you’re new to watching the game, or you’ve been watching all your life, here are five important things you should know before you watch.
What is the FIFA Women’s World Cup? It’s only the most important international competition that determines the best team in the world (no biggie).
How did these 24 teams get there? Teams from all over the world play qualifying games with nations on their continents over a three-year period in order to qualify for the finals (the World Cup). The host nation automatically gets entered into the finals (Canada). Click here to see which teams will be playing.
How do teams get eliminated? There are two stages of the tournament – the group stage and the knockout stage. In the group stage, six groups of four teams play each other round-robin style; that is, each group of four will play each other and the two teams with the most points at the end of group play advance to the knockout stage. In the knockout stage, once a team loses, they are sent home. This stage consists of the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, 3rd place match and 1st place match. Click here to view the six groups.
Photo courtesy of burlingtonsoccer.comIn which Canadian cities are the games being played? Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ottawa, Ontario; Montréal, Québec; and Moncton, New Brunswick. The 1st place match will be played in Vancouver. Click here to view the match schedule.
How can I get tickets? You can purchase individual tickets, group tickets or Stadium Passports – tickets to every match played at a single stadium. Click here to learn everything you ever wanted to know about purchasing tickets to a World Cup match.
Bonus Question: Who are the hottest players to watch (literally)? We all love veteran forward and overall badass, Abby Wambach, who recently married her wife, fellow soccer player Sarah Huffman, in 2013. Megan Rapinoe, another lesbian favorite, came out ahead of the 2012 Olympics and we love her because she keeps it real. Follow her on Instagram @mrapinoe to see all of her cuteness!
What are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments! …And just ’cause:
Megan Rapinoe – Photo courtesy of USWNT
