Women’s Football World Cup 2023 begins on July 20, 2023, and Australia plus New Zealand are hosting the tournament this year. The interesting factor is that New Zealand and Australia both are contending for a win on the opening day. While NZ women will be against Norway, the fixture will be followed by the co-host locking horns with the Republic of Ireland.
Excitement is pretty obvious, considering the weightage this international tournament carries on its shoulders. However, something that is playing a spoilsport is a series of injuries among footballers ahead of the tournament. Specifically speaking, ACL injuries have a free run among players like Leah Williamson and Beth Mead.
These are only a few players. Most importantly – these are the key players of their respective teams. For instance, Leah Williamson is the captain of the English side, while Beth Mead is the in-form footballer of the same team. Beth is also credited with being the top scorer in Euro 2022. Both of them, among others, are all set to stay out of action this season pertaining to their ACL injuries.
Other players include Vivianne Miedema, an all-time leading player for the Netherlands; Cat Macario, from the US Women’s National Team; and Giulia Gwinn, from Germany, earlier named as the Best Young Player (2019).
Female footballers are suffering from ACL injuries. Experts and management are in splits since the number is pretty sharp in comparison to men’s football sides. Meanwhile, the US Women’s National Team is entering the tournament as favorites to lift the title. Odds at football betting sites are favoring them largely.
Some experts believe that the cause is in nature and nurture. Meaning a woman’s body is built differently than a man’s body. They are more vulnerable to sustaining injuries, mostly those relating to knees. The one to roughly echo this tone is Dr. Katrine Okholm Kryger. They are senior lecturers at St. Mary’s University in London (Twickenham). In their words, nature refers to the biomechanics and anatomy of women.
Another part of their explanation is that the menstrual cycle leads to fluctuations in hormones, thereby making them more physically vulnerable to injuries.
This portion of the explanation is countered with a point that the risk may be little amid the developments in hormonal contraception. It is difficult to imagine this as a factor behind ACL injuries, said Kryger, adding that they really want to break the philosophy that women are not designed to play a particular game.
Nurture refers to the intention of management and relevant authorities to limit the funding to a women’s team. Better arrangements and facilities can indeed be useful in lowering the risk of ACL injuries among them. According to the peer-reviewed British Journal of Sports Medicine, women are 3x-6x more likely to experience ACL in comparison to men.
ACL injuries are caused when there is a sudden movement by players or athletes. It can make or break one’s sporting career. The fastest way to make a comeback from ACL injuries is to undergo surgery.
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 concludes on August 20, 2023.
