Female soccer

History Women's football has faced many struggles throughout its fight for right. Although women's football had its first golden age in the UK in the early 1920s, when one match achieved over 50,000 spectators, this was stopped on 5 December 1921 when England's Football Association voted to forbid the game from grounds used by its member clubs. The prohibition was not cancelled until July 1971.

Competitions The English Ladies' Football Association Challenge Cup: Following the Football Association ban on women's teams on 5 December 1921, the English Ladies' Football Association was formed. A silver cup was donated by the first president of the association, Len Bridgett. A total of 24 teams entered the first competition in the spring of The Munitionettes' Cup: In August 1917 a tournament was launched for female munition workers' teams in northeast England. Officially titled the Tyne Wear & Tees Alfred Wood Munition Girls Cup, it was popularly known as The Munitionettes’ Cup. FA Women's Cup: After the lifting of the aforementioned ban, Women's Football Association held its first national knockout cup in 1970–71. It was called the Mitre Trophy which became the FA Women's Cup in Southampton WFC was the inaugural winner. Arsenal have a record 11 wins.

UEFA Women's Championship: Unofficial women's European tournaments for national teams were held in Italy in 1969 and 1979 and won by Italy and Denmark, but there was no formal international tournament until 1982 when the first UEFA European Competition For Representative Women's Teams was launched. The 1984 Finals was won by Sweden. This competition name was succeeded by the UEFA Women's Championship and today, is commonly referred to as the Women's Euro. Women's World Cup: Prior to the FIFA's 1991 establishment of the Women's World Cup, several unofficial world tournaments took place in the 1970s and 1980s, including the FIFA's Women's Invitation Tournament 1988, which was celebrate in Taiwan. The first Women's World Cup was held in the People's Republic of China in November 1991, and was won by the USA. Copa Libertadores de América de Fútbol Femenino: I s the international women's football club competition for teams that play in CONMEBOL nations. The competition started in the 2009 season in response to the increased interest in women's football. It is the only CONMEBOL club competition for women, and it is sometimes called the Copa Libertadores Femenina.

Female soccer in Olympics Games From 1996 a Women's Football Tournament has been staged at the Olympic Games; unlike in the men's Olympic Football tournament, the Olympic women's teams do not have restrictions due to professionalism or age. However, England and other British Home Nations are not eligible to compete as separate entities because the International Olympic Committee does not recognise their FIFA status as separate teams in competitions. At one stage it was reported that England alone would field teams under the UK banner for the 2012 Games. However, both the men's and women's Great Britain teams eventually fielded some players from the other home nations.

WPS Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was a top level professional women’s soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion. The WPS is the most important women’s league in the world.

Main female players Marta: She has been named FIFA World Player of the Year five consecutive times, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and She was a member of the Brazilian national teams that won the silver medal at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She was also awarded the Golden Ball ( MVP ) at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship. In the 2007 Women's World Cup, she won both the Golden Ball award as the best player and the Golden Boot award as the top scorer. She also tops the all–time Women's World Cup goalscorer list alongside Birgit Prinz. She is widely regarded as possibly the best female football player of all time.

Homare sawa: is a Japanese football player and is the current FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. She currently plays for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the Nadeshiko League Division 1. On 9 January 2012, Sawa was awarded the FIFA Women’s World Player in 2011FIFA Ballon d’Or in Zurich, Switzerland. She announced her immediate retirement from international football in August 2012, after helping Japan win a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Vero Boquete: is a Spanish football player playing either as a midfielder or striker. In 2012 she will play for Tyreesö FF in the Damallsvenskan. She came to international attention after signing for Philadelphia Independence in the WPS in Boquete was a key player in Independence's 2011 season with four match- winning goals, and she was awarded the Player of the Year Award. In addition, she was awarded the Player of the Week prize three times. She also plays for the Spanish National Team. Boquete was a member of the Under-19 national team that won the 2004 UEFA U-19 Euro.

THE END By: Aroa Herrero Nieto 4ºC