Well, there's no really appropriate forum for this article, so I'm posting it in the Charge forum. If the mods want to move it elsewhere (National Teams??) that's fine by me. It paints a sobering picture of the obstacles French girls (and women) still face in playing soccer, making Marinette Pichon's accomplishments that much more impressive. The happy news is that her success in the WUSA seems to be sparking an attitude change in the French Federation: "Indeed, only about 4 percent of children who play on organized teams in France are girls. The stigma they suffer often makes them feel they have to keep it a secret [...] The strange twist in all this is that the woman voted most valuable player this summer by the Women's United Soccer Association, the American women's professional league, is French: Marinette Pichon, who plays for the Philadelphia Charge. Only then did the French news media discover her. "Her goals have crossed the Atlantic!" gushed one magazine. "Our soccer star in America!" exclaimed another. So the women's section of the French Federation of Soccer is talking about a revolution. This year, it began a campaign to create more teams and better facilities for girls. It has distributed posters and postcards showing a fresh-faced girl with a broad smile and mussed-up blond curls clutching a soccer ball. The caption: "Same heart, same passion," is a not-so-subtle call for sexual equality." You can read the full article here, though you'll have to register with the Times to view it (registration's free). For French Girls, Playing Soccer Is a Tough Goal
Interesting article, although I believe Pichon has been the French female athlete of the year a couple times. And the French do have a soccer academy where many young female talents are being nurtured. The recent attendance in Lens of 9,000 does speak of a growing interest in the female game. A potential France-England playoff would be great publicity in both countries. Both FEDERATIONS websites do have active stories detailing the female game. One thing, France and England do have soccer cultures and as large numbers of young woman begin to play the game, both countries will excel.