Finale: The Return from Oz, Takeaways from 2023 FIFA WWC

Karen lands in L.A. after tropical storm Hilary has left the building, and just in enough time for the grandest of processing sessions with Jennifer (who is still in NJ), about the end of this year’s tournament. Spain wins, and we celebrate the players’ significant victory in spite of their federation and coach.

We congratulate England and Sarina on their exceptional play throughout the tournament, and reflect on Sweden’s hope that this is their LAST bronze before they break through to the championship. And of course we get into the long term impact of the Matildas, and the Football Ferns as tournament co-hosts.

Beyond the run of play, we discuss concerns about the carbon footprint and environmental impact of World Cup tournaments more broadly, while speculating on who might win the bid to host in 2027. And we leave off with our takeaways about the growth of various national leagues, from Spain to Columbia, to the WSL and NWSL as indicated by this year’s expanded, competitive field (with only 1 NWSL player in the mix by the time we reached the semi-finals).

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