Canada "remains underwhelmed" by the FIFA Women's World Cup, with a "combined total of 21,861 fans showing up for four opening-round games in two cities" on Tuesday, according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. TIMES. Empty seats were "especially noticeable at Montreal's massive Olympic Stadium, where attendance for a doubleheader" was just 10,175. At about the same time, a France-England and Colombia-Mexico doubleheader "failed to fill a 15,000-seat converted track and field facility in rainy Moncton, New Brunswick." Four days into the tournament, "only two venues and four games have sold out: Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, where a Canadian-record crowd of 53,058 saw the tournament-opening doubleheader featuring the host country, and Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, where 31,148 saw the U.S. play Australia" (L.A. TIMES, 6/10). In Montreal, Jack Todd wrote the WWC kicked off on Tuesday "to empty stands, in an Olympic Stadium rendered even more gloomy than usual by the combination of the grey-green artificial pitch and fans cleverly disguised as empty seats." For the 4pm local time Spain-Costa Rica match, there were "perhaps 1,000 people in the stands," and by the time the match ended, there "were perhaps 2,000." That is "still a wretched turnout for an event of this magnitude." The official total for both games Tuesday "was 10,175 -- but that would be if you combined the turnout for both and added FIFA workers and security people." An event of "this magnitude should draw the fans," and after "pretty good crowds for other matches across the country Montreal has produced an epic crowd fail" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 6/10).
OFFSIDE POSITION: In Winnipeg, Bartley Kives wrote it is "uncomfortable to hear tourists say they're less than impressed by the magnitude of the World Cup buzz in Winnipeg, given the prominence of the event on the world stage." Thousands of locals have "purchased game tickets," but it is "fair to say FIFA fever hasn't gripped the city." This is partly because football still "isn't as popular as hockey or three-down football." It also is because the games "are taking place on a handful of non-consecutive days." It appears "nobody took on the task of creating a festival atmosphere for these games, at least outside the arrivals area at Richardson International Airport and the immediate vicinity of the football stadium" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 6/10).
MATILDAS: In Sydney, Dominic Bossi wrote the U.S. media "reacted with disdain" to an article on the Football Federation Australia website following the Matildas' 3-1 loss to the Americans at the Women's World Cup. After the match, the FFA website "published an article with a headline 'The USA, well, they just aren't that good' which criticised their 'rudimentary, bog-standard 4-4-2' style of play that was 'short of ideas going forward and outmanoeuvred tactically.'" Deadspin was the first to "hit back with a story 'Australian FA Is Salty AF Over World Cup Loss' criticising Australia's interpretation of their balance of play." The article said, "It is also the sourest of Shiraz. The US women won, and eventually won handily. This is exactly the sort of avoidance of personal responsibility I would expect from a nation of convicts" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/10). In a separate piece, Bossi wrote Australian goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri revealed the Matildas "held practice games against male youth teams to prepare specifically for Nigeria at the World Cup due to their skilful and unpredictable style of play." As Nigeria played very few games after winning the African Women's Championship in Oct. '14, Australia had "limited opportunities to analyse and study their Group D opponents before the World Cup" (SMH, 6/10).
