Football
In a graphic example of how the knee problem is plaguing the women’s game, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, who had surgery this month, and her partner and Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema arrived at Wednesday’s event on crutches.
The attacking duo are both sidelined by ACL injuries, but they are far from alone. Of the top 16 players on this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, five are out with ACL injuries. In all, 10 players from the Women’s Super League are sidelined by the problem.
“I think if that happened with a Messi, a Ronaldo, a Griezmann, there’s probably going to be a lot more done when those things happen,” said England forward Mead, who suffered her injury while facing Manchester United last month.
“It’s Ballon d’Or contenders who have done it, so you have to look at that. Unfortunately, this has happened to us, but hopefully it can kick somebody into starting to do something.”
Research has suggested female players could be anything from two to eight times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than males, although the exact reasons have not been agreed, despite there being a plethora of high-profile cases.
Since the women’s Ballon d’Or award was introduced in 2018, only three individuals have won it, but all three have suffered ACL injuries at some point in their careers.
Ada Hegerberg required surgery in 2020, Megan Rapinoe suffered ACL setbacks twice prior to 2010, and current holder Alexia Putellas ruptured her ACL on the eve of July’s Euros.
Asked if she would like to see a study into the issue, Mead replied: “I would say so. I think something, anything (needs to happen), and there doesn’t seem to be a lot going on.”
England head coach Sarina Wiegman added: “There hasn’t been that much research about women’s football. Women are built differently to men. The hips and the knees are different, the angles are different. There’s lots of research in the men’s game, not the women’s game.
“We also have to look at who has got an ACL (injury), what’s her programme, what does it look like, get the bigger picture so you get the right things out of this research. FIFA, UEFA and the federations have to do something about this.”
What does this silly woman think could be done about this??? It's pretty damn clear that females are simply pushing their bodies past evolution lines.
|
By:
Has she never met ex pro footballers and seen their bandy legs.
Acl was a career ender back in the day and plenty got done. People come back now and some even better than before. Women may well be more prone to this injury but options are fairly simple, take the risk or don't. We've got all the head injuries to consider too, and women with their lighter skulls are likely to see this cropping up in years to come. It's right that the risks are highlite, but I'd guess going skiing for a week at Xmas is far more dangerous than a season of football. |
|
By:
It's a pretty simple explanation, women's bodies are not as robust as men's , football is a man's game, that's why women play netball.
|
|
By:
Scissor-kicks
|
|
By:
Its sexism
The grass is sexist, the womens knees are sexist, the soil is sexist I mean theyre so dumb and numb just tell em that... theyll be protesting the grass, soil and own knees |
|
By:
|
|
By:
Y can females simply not accept that they are NOT EQUAL to males. Both sexes are simply more suited to different tasks. While men are good at playing demanding/physical sports and building houses etc.. women are good at knitting and making sammiches etc..
|
|
By:
although the exact reasons have not been agreed
Or, code for 'they didn't want to say it was because women are weak in comparison to me..' Get over it love, you took the risk playing this physical sport. |
|
By:
men that should have said, not me - that would be a different question
 |
|
By:
Women are the better sex.
Practically every country in the world has a population ration of roughly 50:50, think in the UK it's 51% female. Compare and contrast that ratio to the the prison population in every country in the world and it's roughly 90:10 And The women are mostly inside for low level crime, minor fraud, drunkeness etc, men are inside for every single despicable crime imaginable. I know which sex has been wired correctly and it's not You. Not a stark raving feminist, these are simple common facts, most women can't kick a ball straight, most men can't lie straight. You'll find most people that are Anti Women are usually socially inept virgins. Kind Regards. |
|
By:
What gets me, is it's not "mens" football. It's just football.... let's just say that by some miracle a female player was good enough to play in a top team.... something similar to the plot in the film "Gregorys Girl"
I'm pretty sure that she would not be excluded from playing ... anyone good enough will make it. It just so happens that all good footballers at any level are men. That's why there is "womens football"... to exclude the men from playing with women (because of the obvious advantage)... It's almost a different sport and that's fine and it can be entertaining to watch.... but to keep comparing one to the other or asking for comparity in wages and recognition is insane |
|
By:
But you try wearing HEELS - I can tell you they are hell after a few hours!! I know.
|
|
By:
Got to be some irony, that after bleating on for years about being able to play this game, they moan that it is 'hurty'.
|
|
By:
Being the obvious 'kinder' of the sexes hardly means they should be let off when bringing up nonsensical trash.
"they moan that it is 'hurty'"  |
|
By:
Just out of interest are any of them partial to the old todger?
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
The reason weve got such a working population shortage is because theres to much of a split
Lions have the best idea, two males 8 or 9 lionesses is a healthy pride, no male infighting, hence why lions hate taking on another male and making it three, unless the pride is large and it needs another protector. If not that male is fending for himself simple as that. |
|
By:
Why do you think sports were invented so as to give the single men who wont ever be a part of a family unit, something to do
Hence the fighting and outright stupidity that goes off in those groups But what do women expect with these injuries? Its all part and parcel of the game ffs, you overstretch muscles and ligaments they tear and snap its that simple... what do they want? Its fooking ludicrous. |
|
By:
Do they to be robotic?
|
|
By:
Ive got a worse injury that makes you shudder... a split toe nail that then gets ripped off... ouch!
*shudders* |
|
By:
Wheres the research into that...
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
Sunday league brutal indeed SS |
|
By:
She is right. There are a ridiculous number of ACL injuries in the women's game and it should be looked into. AFAIK, they don't even make boots specifically for women.
|
|
By:
We’ll make boots esp for women then, waste more money and fook up the planet even more
Then the same lot can criticise for that after Aye stu they love a fierce tackle down the park |
|
By:
You'll find most people that are Anti Women are usually socially inept virgins.
lmao. And where did you get your experience to be able to enlighten us so? |
|
By:
Women don’t make it easy for those men honcho
They love it when the joke is on someone else do some women but... if the joke is on then the water works start |
|
By:
Make the matches 30 minutes a half ... like they do in womens tennis
|
|
By:
BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR...BETH MEAD.
66-Y-O and its the first time i have never heard of the winner. Says it all really...the world is rapidly becomming a place of desperation for the "normal" heterosexual person. |
|
By:
England international Beth Mead wants a global study into why women footballers are more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
maybe it's because they are women...playing a mans game? simples...it aint rocket science. |
|
By:
|
