After watching a fair amount of WF in tha last few years (and have quite enjoyed alot of matches), ive come to the conclusion that until Womens football can be played with two goalies at either end that are

A:able to dive properly to save shots
B:able to stop any type of powerful shot
C:able to consistantly claim for crosses/corners

Then the sport cannot be taken as seriously as mens. I have yet to see 1 international keeper who has failed to make me laugh during a game. I know that sounds bad, but its just the truth, its not sexist, its just the way it is right now, WF keepers makes some horrendeous mistakes that you might see on a primary school football pitch.

Women's football is developing and goalkeepers are harder to find especially since it isn't favoured as much as other positions.

Well said Kensta.

Just once thing I noticed though: female 'keepers are so short. They never seem to be able to stop high shots even if it comes straight towards them.
I was watching the Women's World Cup a while ago and Melissa Barbieri [I think that's her name - the Aussie goalkeeper] got beaten by one shot that was straight above her.

I thought I remember Barbieri being one of the better ones? Overall anyway.

But yeah, I really like women's football but it's a shame that it's only really been around for about 20 years professionally. It'd be at such a higher standard by now if we weren't so backward way back then

I have a friend who was going (or nearly was) to play for the Newcastle Jets, she's played for the ACT team. She came to Albury to do uni so I guess that's why she didn't go. (For those that don't know, albury and newcastle = long way from each other )

I think there needs to be more incentive for girls to play the sport professionally and especially the keeper position.

The Girlie approach to any thing hard coming to them will always remain with women. Its just in their gene to act very weak.

Plus goal keepers need to have good reflexes and be able to dive quickly left and right. Breasts don't help either.

That's just so terribly sexist it's unbelievable.

I agree though, the worst part of women's football is the goalkeepers, in fact some of them can't seem to stop a shot directly above them if it tucks in under the crossbar, which is quie

But I suppose it's something time and grassroots improvement could solve.

Well their hands were made for doing dishes, not handling balls. Actually, on second thought they were also made for handling balls.

Because women shoot so much better than men, so they conceed many goals.

Women goalkeepers are not that bad to be fair. I have many friends in the womens game and its just the fact that some people are against women's football as a serious sport. For example when a high profile keeper like Jens Lehmann tries to catch a weak shot and ends up putin it over his own shoulder ever laughs at him then says he lost concentration. When a women makes a mistake the same people say it's because women can't play football. I know many girl who could run rings round a lot of men and few girl goalkeepers who are better than men goalkeepers

Are you serious? Nearly every goal keeper in the womens game iv seen is shit. Not a lot of goal keepers make mistakes like Jens Lehmann who in his day was a top goal keeper.

Women goalkeepers are the games downfall. Until they improve, opinions like Keiths will continue to be passed in discussions like this. Until scoring a goal against the keeper becomes more difficult, it wont gain respect. More development needs to go into training female keepers to be more agile and have faster relfexes...the handling IMO, doesnt even need to be improved yet, it just needs to get to the stage where they can get parts of their body in the way...any part at all, to stop shots.

Also, as a serious question, are female goals smaller then mens soccer goals? Because if not they should be. Statistically, women dont grow to be as tall as men, so keeping the goals at the same height makes no sense. Any technical attribute can be worked on and even if female keepers developed the reflexes of Cassilas and the handling of Buffon, they would still be too short to stop shots just under crossbar height.

I agree.

But do you think if women had gloves taped to their breasts, they could just shake there tits to save shots, would it work?

You obviously don't like Women's Football, you think its a joke. Fine. What I don't understand is why you come on here and act in such a manner? Do your comments not embarrress you? Seriously.

You need to grow up.

Keith, drop it. One more of those types of post in here and you are gone. I dont mean warned, I mean gone!

I think that post should be deleted because its offensive and an embarassment to any girl out here who plays the game or has a love for it.

Apologies to anyone offended. Was just a joke which obviously wasn't funny.

the fact is there is some sexism against female football, do you imagine if federations ask their coaches to help female NTs? Low, Capello, Trap, Lippi or Terim helping the women?

It will never happen...

yeah, watching the fifa women's world cup, i was shocked at how ... lets say unable, the goal keepers when at performing simple things like catching a ball for instance

No the goals are the same size. I see what you're saying and it's an interesting theory but I don't think that it's necessary to go back to that level. The players don't shoot with the same power as men do they and it could be argued that they don't have the same abilities to take advantage of the lack of height for example to chip the keeper to score because of the size difference.

Also try and stay on topic everyone as there's no need to include gender related remarks that are clearly off topic and have a good chance of offending people.

Sure, not to Roberto Carlos style power, but the outfield aspects of the womesn game are undoubtedly getting better. Everyone can see that, and shooting is one of those aspects. In the World Cup, I noticed a lot of goals that, while maybe not flying at rocket like power, there were a lot more top corner or high shots then I can really remember watching in my brioef exposure to womens football. But even with the lack of power, the keepers were still struggling to get the necessary upper body strength, even with shots directly above their heads, to keep the ball out.

It cant be a coincidence that every other aspect of womens football has increased since I first saw a womens. The first touch of the top womens players isnt that far off that of a capable mens player in my opinion, the passing has improved, the attitude with regards to defending has improved, crossing has become more accurate, dribbling skills have gotten better, shooting is improving, but keepers are still making really bad, literally cringeworthy mistakes. And its not just the odd keeper, in fact, its the complete opposite, its only the odd keeper who DOESNT make those kind of mistakes.

I think there is an attitude at whatever passes as club level that the keeper position be filled basically by the girl who is most game for playing, but not good enough to go outfield. The one who will be happy to play anywhere, once they are playing, and not because they are actually good keepers. I dont know if that is the way they are selected as I have no actual first hand exposure to a womens soccer club, but that is what it looks like! They are the ones always shouting, always looking the most serious and urgent...the most "up for it" so to speak!

omg lol

women keepers cant jump!