Here we go it is time to get in that World Cup mood...

Edge of the Area started in 2019 after I did a few bits of content on and older blog of mine during the World Cup in 2019, since then things have gone from strength to strength and we can easily say we are really looking forward to creating content for the World Cup this summer, we are basically back where it all started but are so much more capable of providing much better content this time around.

2019 was a fantastic summer of watching the World Cup however, this summer has the potential to be even better. In 2019 we saw the USA become back to back champions however, since then the women's game has got even more competitive and a lot of teams have really started to catch the USA in terms of capability so we could see the reigning champions face some tough challenges throughout the tournament and who knows we might even see a new nation emerge as champions this time around. 

Since 2019 the Women's game really has come a long way however, there are still plenty of issues especially in regards to the treatment of female players by various Federations and no doubt we are going to hopefully see some teams highlight these issues during the campaign whilst also having some fantastic performances on the pitch to show those federations what they are capable of. We still have Canada with their issues that have been hugely highlighted, Jamaica have also recently released a statement in regards to their treatment so it is going to be interesting to see what sort of performances we get from those nations this time around. The big one to watch this tournament though is Spain, with some big names missing due to their ongoing issues they could be in for an interesting tournament, they were hit and miss in the Euros so I wonder what we are going to see from them on the World stage, I guess one good thing for them is the return of Alexia Putellas, but is it enough to outweigh those not playing due to issues off the pitch? 

It isn't just Federation issues that are a spanner in the works for this competition though as a lot of the big nations are going to be playing without some of their big name players due to injuries which seem to have been brought to everyone's attention more than ever this year. It feels like after every round of games we have seen a player end up sidelined due to an injury and they never seem to be injuries that are quick to recover from either. England have Williamson, Kirby & Mead out while Canada have Beckie out with an ACL injury, reigning Champions USWNT also have key players out as do France, that is just a few of the nations with injuries and there are plenty of players heading out onto the World stage after just recovering from big injuries so could they end up having the return of their lives or are we going to see more players drop due to injuries? I guess only time will tell. 

This tournament is a chance for players to really stand out and make a name for themselves this summer, players have the chance to become household names and those who are looking for new clubs or contract extensions have the opportunity to show clubs all over the world what an asset they would be. Just look at the rise of Rose Lavelle after a fantastic performance in 2019, that could happen to absolutely any player in 2023 with each nation having a brilliant standard of squad that will be competing. This summer is yet another chance for the Women's game to grow even further and for the World to see just how well the standard is improving and why it is worth tuning in and following leagues at all levels across the globes.

So what is in store for Edge of the Area this summer? Well thanks to the World Cup being held in Australia & New Zealand there is going to be a lot of super early starts to catch all the games we can and no doubt a lot of games will be recorded for us to catch up on as we juggle watching games, creating content whilst continuing with the 9-5 and other aspects of life but those early game times aren't going to stop us and we have a whole host of content lined up from now until the end of the World Cup in August so expect to be seeing a lot more of us. Those early starts are all going to be worth it in the end, so here are some of the content topics you can expect to see from us...

- Predictions 

- Ones to watch

- Squads

- Kits

- Previews

- Match reports 

- Round Wrap ups

- Highlights 

No doubt those topics are just going to be a handful of things you are going to be seeing throughout the summer on both the blog and social media. It is certainly going to be a busy time but we are looking forward to covering a tournament that has the potential to be one of the best yet. This is only the beginning to as after a busy summer with the World Cup we will be jumping straight into the new season of the FAWNL and the WSL which should hopefully carry on the momentum of a fantastic summer for the Women's game. 

Now let's get this World Cup content underway...