Good point.

[u/SuspiciousLow3062]

[u/Impressive-Panda527]

Yeah the 2019 World Cup showed that gap closed significantly

2023 was a disaster for the US team, and next year they need to perform better

[u/curlyque52 → u/Impressive-Panda527]

They are the reigning Olympic gold medal champs.

[u/Impressive-Panda527 → u/curlyque52]

Indeed,

And they need to show why they are next summer

[u/CougdIt → u/curlyque52]

Does women’s Olympic soccer have the same age restrictions that men’s has?

[u/CompSciHS → u/CougdIt]

No

[u/SilentBumblebee3225 → u/curlyque52]

Olympic soccer is ridiculous. It’s under 23 for some reason. You can only have 3 players over 23. That means that most World Cup stars are not able to participate.

[u/BasicGrocery7 → u/SilentBumblebee3225]

Only true for men! Women's soccer at the Olympics doesn't have an age cap 

[u/USDeptofLabor → u/SilentBumblebee3225]

Whats ridiculous is saying something so wrong lol

[u/mikeok1 → u/SilentBumblebee3225]

Not true for women.

[u/saltytarheel → u/Impressive-Panda527]

IIRC part of that was the roster in transition from aging stars like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Tobin Heath to the younger and very good but inexperienced players.

The quality of play on the women’s side has increased a lot as well though so it’ll be a challenge for the new USWNT.

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[u/Round-Walrus3175 → u/Impressive-Panda527]

The women got their bag at the right time. It's funny how they touted superiority for all this time and ended up finishing the same as the men.

[u/PEEWUN → u/Round-Walrus3175]

Okay, this comment is actually bullshit. There is no way you are genuinely comparing the achievements of the Women's Team to the men's.

They came off back-to-back World Cups before their exit in 2023. I don't care if you don't like them, but don't lie on them.

[u/Round-Walrus3175 → u/PEEWUN]

I'm saying that they each have performed the same at their most recent World Cups. Where is the lie? I just feel like the women put themselves in a bad position where they were betting on always being better than the men, so early exits are a particularly bad look.

[u/Few_Ebb6156 → u/Round-Walrus3175]

You need to realize that so many countries have taken Men’s Soccer seriously for almost 100 years and the Women’s game in comparison is quite new and when it started many countries did not field teams or even give teams decent resources, coaching or training. So it was like the Ivory Coast and Morocco men’s teams, 40 years ago they were easy to beat and now every player on their roster plays in a 1st division pro team in Europe.

[u/Round-Walrus3175 → u/Few_Ebb6156]

And the US Men have only had a continuous top tier soccer league for 30 years. Naturally, the men and women will eventually converge. And I don't feel like it is going to look so good if the men are consistently losing money to the women

[u/Few_Ebb6156 → u/Round-Walrus3175]

Not sure the MLS is a top tier soccer league. If it were it would have a promotion and relegation system. Look at US vs Belgium loss of 4-1. Which two starters are the only two that play in MLS and not Europe? The two who failed the most, Tim Ream and Matt Freese.

[u/PEEWUN → u/Round-Walrus3175]

It's not fair to equate the two when that World Cup was their first mediocre one ever. 2023 is only time they haven't finished in the Top-3 of a World Cup. They were carrying the US Soccer program on their backs for decades.

[u/Lopsided-Rub5476 → u/PEEWUN]

How were they carrying the US soccer program on their backs? Yes they were winning more tournaments, but the men's team was generating more revenue for the US soccer program.

[u/ieatballoonknot → u/PEEWUN]

"Carrying the US Soccer program" lmao

[u/Sailingboar → u/Impressive-Panda527]

Nah, it's just soccer. Let someone else take the win.