Guardian is putting out there top one hundred players of the year, today. So far they posted 71 till 100(not sure it's hours or days till the next batch is posted) The 100 best female footballers in the world 2019: 100-71 | Football | The Guardian so far I've counted England & Spain got the most with 4 each. The US, France & Sweden follow with 3 each. Germany & Norway got 2. Poor Japan lags behind with 1 alongside with Australia, Canada, Brazil & several others. But don't feel too bad, so far nada for the Dutch! I posted in their comment section, gently reminding them England has only won 2 of their last 9 games!(if they keep getting too over zealous with their picks!
41-70 posted tomorrow, 11-40 posted Thursday, and 1-10 posted Friday. Well, the main, well-known Dutch players will show up eventually this week.
she was only tied for 5th in stats, 2019 Women's Soccer Cumulative Statistics - UCLA so where's the rest of the UCLA players in the Guardian's poll? heck where are the Stanford players? lol
Thumbs up on the goalkeepers included so far : ) 83. Almuth Schult 84. Aubrey Bledsoe 86. Sandra Paños
the next 30 have been announced The 100 best female footballers in the world 2019: 100-71 | Football | The Guardian here's the nation's tally, good ole USA moves in front, but alas, college players get snubbed USA 9 Sweden 8 England 6 France 6 Spain 5 Germany 4 Brazil 3 Norway 3 Japan 2 Netherlands 2 out of the remaining top 10; Australia & Canada are still with only 1, North Korea 0(Uncle Kim, get your buddy in Washington to somethning! lol) some other notes; Beth Mead(#84) deserved to be much higher, in my opinion she's England's 2nd top player next to Bronze. As usual, Germany slightly snubbed, but at least one of their pups, the 17 year old, Oberdorf, made it to this list. Interesting battle between #71 & #72, Cascarino & Pugh, they looked like they were going to be the next superstars of woso in their teen years. but it still hasn't happened as of yet(though their still young at 21-22) and what still gives with the Dutch at a low 2 vs Sweden at 8?
I'm "only" finding 7 from Sweden though (Glas, Eriksson, Rolfö, Seger, Jakobsson, Lindahl, Blackstenius). I assume it will end at 9 with Fischer and Asllani still to come surely. Unless Sembrant gets some recognition too.
One can't take the list too seriously--but it is fun to argue about rankings, which is why such lists are published, of course. I agree that Mead is ranked too low--but I'm not sure I'd call her England's second best player. Maybe. Scott, White, Parris are all very good. Pugh is too high--she's done very little for club or country lately. The Dutch should add six players to the list going forward. For me Miedema should be No. 1--a prolific scorer and much better at setting up others for goals with nifty passes than, say, Kerr or Hegerberg, who don't do that at all. Of Arsenal's first 10 goals the other day, Miedema has 6 goals and 4 assists. She is like having a great 10 and excellent 9 in one player. After her you've got Van de Donk, Van Veenendal, Martens, Van de Sanden and Beerenstyn, I should think.
We'll see Bunny Shaw shoot up the rankings in the next year or two as she gets more exposure. Based on talent alone, she's top 20--but rankings have much to do with awareness of a player among fans, the media and the sport's intelligentsia.
I noticed something else; four Americans(Williams, Bledsoe, Short & Hinkle) didn't make it to the World Cup squad. Since 5 been picked all ready, so as not to defy the empress, Jill Ellis, does this mean the Guardian will pick another 18 US players?
Lucy Bronze is the best women's football fullback ever. She should be in top 2 at least. Asllani should be in top 10.
Fleming did play for Canada at the World Cup and got a goal vs New Zealand, but this thought also ran through my mind a bit considering Canada didn't have a particularly good year.
There's at least still Miedema, van de Donk, van Veenandaal, and Martens to come. I really think Bloodworth should be in here, but I have my doubts since I wasn't expecting her to be top 40. I'd be surprised to see either van de Sanden or Beerensteyn, but I guess you never know. I think the Dutch defense is just not recognized that much. The Dutch attack honestly wasn't any better during the World Cup, but Miedema and Martens still had good/very good club numbers.
I wouldn't be crazy surprised since I would have expected them in the lower regions of the top 100. However, top 40? Van de Sanden was pretty universally criticized for her World Cup performance, and Beerensteyn simply didn't play much. Someone may correct me, but I don't think either really had standout years for their clubs as well. I'd fully endorse Bloodworth for the top 40. However, I was expecting her to be in the bottom 50, so I don't know if she'd show up.
Seems like I might catch some flak for this, but all the complaining about Rapinoe and Morgan, which is very much fair, kind of lets other players who were also rated highly solely/almost solely because of the World Cup fly a bit under the radar. I’m thinking of players like Lavelle and Asllani, and I’m a fan of both of them. Wouldn’t be surprised by high rankings for either, but they’d be just as guilty of World Cup bias.
11-40 just came up The 100 best female footballers in the world 2019: 100-71 | Football | The Guardian a lot of surprises in this one, they finally got it right when they lowered the 3 M's; Marozsan, Morgan & Marta, but then shame on them, Caro Hansen only at 15(my pick for top 5), Ewa Pajor at #35(a possible top 10). Sinclair way too high, but then only two Canadians overall(notably missing is Ashley Lawrence/some might say Buchanen, but she lost her starting spot at Lyon, so obviously a becnhwarmer ain't going to appeal) here's the updated nation's tally USA 17 England 9 Sweden 9 France 7 Germany 7 Spain 6 Holland 5 Japan 4 Norway 4 Canada 2 Scotland 2 everyone else is at one including Australia(though their bound to get another in top ten ala Kerr. N Korea didn't get on the score board despite being ranked #10. Spain's a bit overrated in this poll since their NT is only top 15) my predictions for top 10 with what's left; Rapinoe, Lavelle, Le Sommer, Hegerberg, Henry, Miedema, Harder, Bronze, Kerr,(one more ?)
Ertz at # 11. I'm glad for her. She fully deserves the recognition. I personally think Dunn is top 10; she was # 18. Debinha # 22 would be top 10 if she played for the USA.
the one I missed earlier probably is Wendie Renard, but it would give the French 3 top ten players to go along with the 7 allready picked, a little too much in my opinion for an NT that's failed to get out of the quarter finals in their last 5 major tournies & even before that only managed 4th place in 2011 WC & 2012 Olymnpics league wise, the NWSL is simpy sweeping up the floor NWSL, 26 WSL(England) 15 FF1(France) 15 Primera(Spain) 13 Bundesliga 10
I'd rank Debinha higher--marvelous player for her club--and Morgan lower. Lavelle apparently will make the top 10--which is too high, IMO. Talented player but has hardly played for her club team in 3 years--constantly injured. I'd take Debinha over her any day. It doesn't look like Van de Sanden is going to make the list at all, which is absurd given her play and accomplishments for the Dutch NT and Lyon over the last 2/3 years. She had a poor World Cup--against some very good defensive teams--but it seems like the judges are giving a lot of weight to the World Cup. Too much weight, I'd say.
Le Somer is going to make the top 10, surely--but I think she's past her prime. Still a good/very good player but I think, like Rapinoe, she's lost a step or two.