The 2010 edition of the tournament proved to be a perfect precursor to the highly-successful FIFA Women’s World Cup held the following year also in Germany. Well attended matches and an increased quality of football were features of Germany 2010, which culminated as the host nation claimed a deserved triumph. A host of new stars came to the fore for the first time on the world stage, but perhaps the tournament will best be remembered for the rise of new nations. Colombia, Korea Republic and Nigeria all reached the last four for the first time, with the latter being the first semi-final appearance by an African nation in a FIFA women’s tournament.
The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008 will be remembered for various reasons: it yielded more goals than any of the three previous editions of the competition, it produced the 300th and 400th goals in the tournament's history and it also saw USA win the trophy for the second time. But, above all, it will be remembered for the legacy it has left the host nation.
The recently concluded FIFA U-20 Women's World
Championship Russia 2006 was an unmitigated Asian success story,
with the continent's two top sides confirming themselves as the
new standard bearers in women's youth football.
At the close of 2004, Germany have gone a long way to
eclipsing the United States as the pre-eminent power in the
women's game. Their first FIFA U-19 Women's World
Championship laurels, earned in Thailand in November, coupled with
the senior side's rampaging run to the top of the heap at the
FIFA Women's World Cup USA 2003 surely have the Teutonic
go-getters firmly entrenched at the pinnacle of femme
football.
In a hotly contested, all-North American Final with hosts
Canada it was the pre-tournament favourites USA who broke the
hearts of their brave northern neighbours and 47,784 screaming fans
in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. A stunning golden-goal from
American skipper Lindsay Tarpley was the only difference between
the two sides in a nerve-wracking Final.
