The Canadian Soccer Association, which had a C$90M budget for the '15 FIFA Women's World Cup and "not long ago had to come to the Alberta Soccer Association twice a year to borrow money to make payroll, is going to make a significant profit" from the event, according to Terry Jones of the EDMONTON SUN. The event has "made an impression" in Canada and "around the world." CSA President Victor Montagliani said, "A lot of my colleagues from various parts of the world walk into a stadium to watch women's football before 54,000 and they're just awestruck because in their country it wouldn't draw 54 people, never mind 54,000. We should all be proud of that." Jones writes the event "also managed to do the near impossible, putting soccer in the spotlight instead of the ugly mess of arrests from the vote-buying bribes and other criminal charges involving top FIFA officials." Montagliani said, "When you look at this tournament, we did pretty much what we said we would do. We broke the previous attendance records for the Women's World Cup and any FIFA event other than the men's World Cup." He added, "The real pride to me, and I think it's been true with everyone involved, is just walking around the streets and around the stadiums in all the cities and just experiencing the real buzz that this World Cup has brought" (EDMONTON SUN, 7/1).
HARDLY TSA SCREENING: YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson noted security at the venues in Canada "has been less stringent than anything fans will encounter at an NFL stadium, and certainly more relaxed than at the men's World Cup or at the Olympics." There "was a bag check at the Ottawa venue, but fans weren't ushered through metal detectors, and the use of the electronic wand has been intermittent." Part of the reason for the less stringent security "is the nature of the event." World Cup Dir of Security Thomas Gerstenecker said, "If you held a men's World Cup in Canada, it would be a lot different. There would be a lot more federal and provincial participation. Your budget is going to be much more. The participation and role of host country authorities is going to be much more." He added, "With the women's Cup, you're going to get lots of young girls. The whole dynamic is different. And there's a lot less alcohol consumed." Adelson wrote the "benefit is a less stressful setting." The atmosphere at the venues "almost seems like pre-9/11, if such a feeling is ever possible anymore." Security has been "more of a protocol than an ordeal." However, the "vibe will change this week," as the final on Sunday "will get the highest standards of the tournament -- much more akin to an NFL game" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/30).
FOOT-IN-MOUTH SYNDROME: The AP's Anne Peterson noted FIFA again "is being criticized for its treatment of the women's game" after its website yesterday referenced USWNT F Alex Morgan's looks in an article posted in advance of the U.S.-Germany semifinal match. The second sentence of the piece referred to Morgan as ''a talented goal scorer with a style that is very easy on the eye and good looks to match.'' Meanwhile, German coach Silvia Neid on Monday said that she was "dismayed that the German and American players were put up at the same hotel." Teams at the men's World Cup "traditionally stay in different hotels" (AP, 6/30). In a special to ESPNW.com, Galaxy MF Robbie Rogers wrote the recent FIFA scandal "has overshadowed some of the alarming inequities spawned by FIFA politics at the Women's World Cup -- inequities that directly impact a significant contingent of our soccer community." Rogers: "I want to help make sure we put a stop to it." There has been a lot of talk about the "controversy around the Women's World Cup being played entirely on artificial turf." But it is "important to keep talking about that issue as we see more and more instances where women's soccer is not treated the same as men's soccer" (ESPNW.com, 6/30).
TAKING A SEPP BACK: REUTERS' David Ingram reported FIFA President Sepp Blatter "will not travel to Canada" for the Sunday's World Cup final "for personal reasons." FIFA Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou will instead "preside at the trophy ceremony after the final in Vancouver." Ingram noted this will be the "first time Blatter has not presented the trophy to the winners of the women's competition" since he became FIFA President in '98. Blatter last month said that he was "looking forward to being in Canada" (REUTERS, 6/30).
