Women’s FA Cup final means so much but why take a risk with friendlies? - Sue Smith on football

Tomorrow sees Everton play Manchester City at Wembley in the Women’s FA Cup final, the showcase of English domestic football.
Into the final: Everton players celebrate after victory over Birmingham. Picture: PAInto the final: Everton players celebrate after victory over Birmingham. Picture: PA
Into the final: Everton players celebrate after victory over Birmingham. Picture: PA

I always really look forward to the Women’s FA Cup final. The men’s version is no longer the occasion it was, but the female equivalent is still a big deal, and has always been very close to my heart.

When I was growing up and when women’s football was not as big as it is now, it was the game people used to watch because it was on terrestrial television and played at big grounds with good crowds. I lived my dream by playing in two of those games.

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That is why, in a way, I was relieved England’s friendly in Germany this week was postponed when a member of the Lionesses’ staff tested positive for Covid-19.

It is an unusual thing for me to say because as a player, international football was always the pinnacle. Whether it was a friendly or a tournament game, I always wanted to be involved.

I would never say I would rather not go away with England because I had a big club game at the weekend, I would always want to do both.

But I wonder if international friendlies are just too big a risk in the situation we find ourselves in.

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Manchester City had 11 players in Phil Neville’s squad. Imagine if one contracted Covid after mixing with players from other clubs for a long period and had to miss the Cup final.

THE PRIZE: A view of the trophy up that is for grabs in the Women's FA Cup Final on Sunday. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire.THE PRIZE: A view of the trophy up that is for grabs in the Women's FA Cup Final on Sunday. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire.
THE PRIZE: A view of the trophy up that is for grabs in the Women's FA Cup Final on Sunday. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire.

We could even have seen the game called off, as the recent England versus Barbarians showpiece rugby union match was. That would be a real loss to the women’s game, which has already had to delay the final six months because of the pandemic.

I cannot imagine any Manchester City players would rather have stayed at home to get ready for the FA Cup final instead of going to Germany to play for their country and proving they were ready for a massive couple of years for women’s football. With a change of manager coming, too, everyone would have been wanting to impress, and a good performance against the second-best team in the world would have done that.

Although they had a training camp in September where they played an inter-squad game, the Lionesses have not played as a team since the She Believes Cup in March. Now their next game will be at Bramall Lane in December.

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As well as Germany, England were also supposed to play Canada but they decided not to come over, just as New Zealand opted against playing the men in a friendly this month.

We have already seen this season how important international football is and how much it meant to the former Sheffield United pair of Connor Coady and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make their debuts and score for England. It was huge for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, too.

I doubt it with those players but you never know what might happen, for some it could be their only opportunities.

I know men’s teams are travelling across Europe every midweek to play in the Champions League and Europa League but at least they are all in one bubble, as opposed to internationals bringing players from different clubs and parts of the country together.

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It is sad to say, but in times like this it is probably safer not to have international friendlies. Qualifiers are slightly different because they have to be played.

Some people wanted the Nations League put off this season but Uefa have pressed ahead with more group games than in the inaugural competition. Surely they could have gone back to three-team groups, and four games rather than six because the demands on players are huge this season.

We are seeing so many injuries to top players like Fabinho, Sergio Aguero and Virgil van Dijk and I think we will see so many more for Premier League teams playing in Europe and the domestic cups after the lack of pre-season and the quick turnaround. Although Van Dijk’s came from a tackle, I have written in this column before how the surgeon who operated on my cruciate ligament injury thought fatigue was a big factor.

Bodies are just not having time to recover and it is bound to have an impact. Everyone is trying to fit their own fixtures in and you wonder if the various bodies are talking or co-operating enough.

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