That's one from the couple of reasons. here's Dan Orlovitz story on the matter for Japan Times (mostly previously known facts and some translations from today's JFA statement) https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...-bid-host-2023-womens-world-cup/#.XvCUqZMza60 It's worth to consider how much money saved by withdrawing will JFA push now for next years's WE.League.
It's on to Australia and New Zealand! They ought to ax Perth from the venue lineup--too far to travel--but I'm sure they won't. Should be a good WC--I'm sure they'll do a great job.
That would kind of be like the US axing L.A. from the venues due to travel. If a country is hosting the WWC then all their major cities should be available for use unless there is some overwhelming reason other than simple travel to reject it. Besides Perth is my favorite city in Australia and the organizers should take my preferences into account. Even though my earlier feelings about Colombia were outdated the country is still too dangerous, with a crime rate more than 20 times that of Australia/New Zealand, to be able to assure the safety of the players. That alone should make Colombia easy to reject. Of course there is the other advantage that Australia has in that it is a lot like Hawaii in its the desirability as a family travel destination. Its beaches have everything that could be wanted. Sand for the kids, sun for the wife and sharks for the mother in law.
Back in the early '70s I was visiting Australia and I was invited to a private zoo. While I was there I held a Koala and tried to feed it a bit. It mistook one of my fingers for a leaf and bit HARD. Those things are dangerous. I still have the scar and when I think about it the pain memory. They may be vegetarians but they will not pass up a little piece of human (or at least as much human as I am) when offered.
You should go to New Zealand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katipō#/media/File:Latrodectus_katipo.jpg
The Colombian lobby is a strong contender for the 2020 Wile E. Coyote Lifetime Achievement Award: On June 18th, the Colombian FA and Conmebol sent a letter of protest to FIFA, regarding its bid evaluation report. The letter was amended some hours later... with an errata sheet. https://fcf.com.co/index.php/2020/0...-y-fcf-a-los-miembros-del-consejo-de-la-fifa/ ACME Inc. has contacted the Colombian FA to purchase some booby-trap patent rights.
Not a done deal yet. Loads of political manouvering right now ESPN breaking it down as: Australia – 11 votes securedColombia – 12 votes secured Undecideds – 11 votes The suspense is too much— Kathleen McNamee (@kathleen_mcn) June 24, 2020
The idea that UEFA will vote for the C'BOL bid just b/c/o historical duality between the two confeds on the men's side is... ridiculous to me, but also utterly believable just b/c it's FIFA politics. What actual reason does UEFA have to vote like that?
You want an actual reason for something, almost anything, involving FIFA? I want some of what you have been drinking. I actually think that money or other compensation, Colombia has plenty of the "other," has changed hands. Colombia should not even be in the running much less have a real chance at willing the bid.
Well, does anyone remember men have a World Cup planned in Qatar? How much logical that choice seems to be to you, guys? Does it gives any warranty to us that FIFA will make the better choice or does it strongly suggest that it's likely to do the opposite?
Because apparently the WWC is a "development tournament." https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...to-host-2023-womens-world-cup-boosted-by-uefa "...the Guardian understands two members of the Uefa delegation rubbished the technical reports in a meeting attended by its Fifa council members and argued that because the Women’s World Cup was a “development tournament” its representatives should back Colombia."
I would rather it be in Colombia because the viewing times will be better. I would imagine TV ratings go down if it's in Australia/NZ simply because of the time difference.
In fairness, that's why the men's WC went to the US, Japan/Korea, South Africa, and Qatar (well that's what they said about Qatar).
Women's soccer faces multiple issues that serve to make people generally demean its position in the "prestige" of sports. In a few countries, like the US, soccer in general is considered a second or even a third rate sport. Along with that in most of the world the women's game is seen as slow and less physical and, for some reason, the excessive fouling and diving and higher speed of the men's game is seen as superior entertainment. Also the general posturing and strutting the men show is seen as good and entertaining. The women struggle to sell tickets in most leagues around the world mainly because the game is more subtle and therefore perceived as less entertaining. You put all that together and add the "macho" bias toward women that exists in much of the world, including Europe and you get people taking any chance they can to demean any sport played by women that does not normally involve mud or Jello. I wish that women's sports and particularly women's soccer was better received worldwide but it is not. Women are just not considered equal by most of the male universe and a significant part of the female universe takes no action to show how wrong many men are and thereby the women keep themselves in that second position. Those of us that want women's sports to advance need to push even harder to get overall equality in the eyes of people with power in the world of sports. I almost hate to say it but, maybe, women need to learn from the "Black Lives Matter" movement. I just hope it happens soon enough for me to see it and that it does not take deaths to make the point viable. My granddaughters keep encountering problems because they are female and they are supposedly working under the advantages of being US citizens and living in Japan that is touted to be one of the more progressive countries. (I do not totally believe Japan has come that far as they have a history of suppressing women and treating them as inferior.) I am not surprised that a macho organization like FIFA is treating the WWC as a "development" tournament. That way they do not have to spend the effort to promote the WWC the way they do the Men's WC. But I guess we should be happy that we actually get a WWC. It could be a lot worse.