NFR...England (Women) 20 -0 Latvia (Video Highlights)

[Steeeeeeeeeed]

https://youtu.be/cWfOWTW9iUo

Their Biggest ever competitive victory...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59452221

Well.done my son / daughter

[Mince n Tatties]

Don't think a score like that does the game any good.
In fact a complete miss match,embarrassing for both sides I should think.

[Holders]

Was this on the telly? I only saw the Scotland game.

[Dodgin]

Not good for the game.

[deadcowboys]

Was on ITV4 & watched some of it. Total mismatch as Women's football often is. Good luck to them but it's not for me.

[Woolly Mammoth]

It's only embarrassing for the team that lost and the organisers of the Competition.
It is not Englands fault that they are so good and have worked and trained hard to get where they are, so give them some credit. England and other good quality teams should not have to be subjected to this kind of mismatch with due respect to Latvia and others. 
What needs to be done for both men and women to avoid these scenarios is to have two separate competitions for the good of the game.
Whereas the minnows like in the mens game consisting of for instance Andora, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Cypress, Malta, Gibraltar, Luxembourg, Afghanistan, Iceland to name a few examples and I am sure there are others, play for a Plate and the winners/ Runners may eventually qualify to the next stage, for both men and women. That way these teams can develop without having to take a pounding like Latvia did last night, I wonder how their goalkeeper is feeling.

[deadcowboys]

It's only embarrassing for the team that lost and the organisers of the Competition.
It is not Englands fault that they are so good and have worked and trained hard to get where they are, so give them some credit. England and other good quality teams should not have to be subjected to this kind of mismatch with due respect to Latvia and others. 
What needs to be done for both men and women to avoid these scenarios is to have two separate competitions for the good of the game.
Whereas the minnows like in the mens game consisting of for instance Andora, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Cypress, Malta, Gibraltar, Luxembourg, Afghanistan, Iceland to name a few examples and I am sure there are others, play for a Plate and the winners/ Runners may eventually qualify to the next stage, for both men and women. That way these teams can develop without having to take a pounding like Latvia did last night, I wonder how their goalkeeper is feeling.

The one that played in the first half was probably glad to be subbed at 8-0.

[toshes mate]

Life is full of mismatches and yet, by and large, participants must accept their lot and get on with it.  In Darwinism this 'life' game was considered to be survival of the fitter 'thing', fitter not necessarily meaning physical fitness but rather meaning fitness to win the game, whatever that game may mean as a survival mechanism.

And as it is in life so it is in sport.   In football, cup competitions throw up mismatches most every season, and, in our own FA Cup, we continually look out for 'upsets' and their romantic connotations.  We view the more likely outcome – heavy defeat for the underdog – with sadness.  In the men's World Cup Australia hold the record score of 31-0 against American Samoa but there have been plenty of heavy defeats equating to England's twenty goals against Latvia.   No blame attaches to those involved with these outcomes since professional sport is about winning and prize money means survival.    For an underdog getting through to the Third Round of the FA Cup is their first really significant target, but games in Rounds One and Two also deliver benefits on the journey.

Last night England had around 80 minutes of possession with Latvia managing just twelve or so minutes.  England had 64 shots with 31 on target.  Latvia didn't manage one shot. There were a total of four fouls in the whole ninety odd minutes.   There was no less enthusiasm in the crowd for the twentieth goal than there was for the first, second and third goals inside the first ten minutes.   Latvia will have better days.

In sport, as in life, you play what is in front of you and survive or not as the case may be.

[Lighthouse]

International football at any level is a yawn for me. But I do watch the Womens game because I actually know the players better than some of the Mens game. But like many qualifying games these games are not competitive  and while 20-0 was a record it was also not great to watch. Not sure Latvia actually got into Englands half for than 20 seconds the entire game.

Still I guess good the see that the Womens game continues to grow. But oh dear International football is just so dull whoever is playing.

[Colton F.C.]

It's only embarrassing for the team that lost and the organisers of the Competition.
It is not Englands fault that they are so good and have worked and trained hard to get where they are, so give them some credit. England and other good quality teams should not have to be subjected to this kind of mismatch with due respect to Latvia and others. 
What needs to be done for both men and women to avoid these scenarios is to have two separate competitions for the good of the game.
Whereas the minnows like in the mens game consisting of for instance Andora, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Cypress, Malta, Gibraltar, Luxembourg, Afghanistan, Iceland to name a few examples and I am sure there are others, play for a Plate and the winners/ Runners may eventually qualify to the next stage, for both men and women. That way these teams can develop without having to take a pounding like Latvia did last night, I wonder how their goalkeeper is feeling.

Not sure about Iceland  1500.gif. However a Plate competition, as well as ensuring more competitive matches for the paying public, is surely a must to cut down on the inordinate amount of internationals and all those air miles.

[Dougie]

In the men's World Cup Australia hold the record score of 31-0 against American Samoa but there have been plenty of heavy defeats equating to England's twenty goals against Latvia.   

That result required all but one of the opposition senior players being unable to travel, all of the U-20s being unavailable, and led to them drafting in youth team players including three 15 year olds. It was also the last time that Australia were involved that early in WCQ, which is the similar lesson that needs to be learned here. UEFA is stuck using the same qualification process it has been using since qualification for the 1966 World Cup, whilst the volume of UEFA nations has grown massively and fragmented in that time. CAF, AFC, OFC and Concacaf all recognise there's no value in mismatches like this and give the strongest sides byes to later rounds. It isn't just the woimen's qualification process that needs to change.

[Baszab]

Why did Latvia put one of their netball payers in goal ?

[MartyFFC]

Ireland also won 11-0, Northern Ireland 9-0....... bit of a joke really and a blow for those trying to force feed women's football to the nation

[jarv]

Before I comment, I am all for girls playing football. I coached a girls high school team in usa for 10 years until recently. It was a lot of fun and the girls pay more attention to instruction/advice than the boys. The girls game is actually a different game and is entertaining in its own right.  Many years ago, the us national team had a practice game with a high school boys team (a very good one). It was played behind closed doors and reported that the boys won 2-0 which puts it into perspective how different the game is.

However, results like this should not be allowed to happen, total mismatches. The authorities need to look closer and make sure some teams are not thrown to the wolves. (not wolverhampton wanderers).

I feel the same about the mens world cup, pre-qualifiers needed (like the FA cup) before the big guns enter.