Now that the Premier League season has come to an end and the Women’s World Cup is soon approaching, soon football fans eyes will be focused on the next instalment of the biggest selling football game, FIFA 20.
Last year, the biggest addition to the game was the introduction of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
So for FIFA 20, the only next step in the games continue progression has to be around the women’s game and finally bringing club football and leagues into the game.
I mean, if we can have leagues from China and Saudi Arabia, then we need to have women’s club football included.
This is something EA Sports teased in FIFA 19, as in their story mode of the brilliant Journey Series, Kim Hunters storyline is about going to the Women’s World Cup and at the end of the story and sorry for spoilers, but she decides to play football professionally.
So if we continue to follow Kim’s story, we have to have women’s club football.
Additionally, it’s time. EA introduced women’s international football to the game in 2016 and the progression to now with Kim’s story has been good. However, now it’s time for the Vancouver-based company to take their biggest step yet.
Now, in reality, we can’t expect every league from every country that has a women’s league to be involved, especially in career mode. So it would be understandable that the first two leagues are the National Women’s Soccer League in the US, which includes the biggest names in the USWNT and around the world.
England’s Women’s National League will also have to be a top league due to the growth of the game in the UK and with the sponsorship deal with Barclays will bring more exposure for the women’s game.
Furthermore, it could mean nothing or a tease as Chelsea posted on their Instagram story a graphic of their star striker Fran Kirby modelling the clubs kit.
For the time being clubs like Lyon, Wolfsburg, Juventus, Paris, Barcelona among others will be involved in the rest of the world group.
As for the voices commentating on the games, the front runner as to be BBC’s Vicki Sparks. She was the first women to commentate on a Men’s World Cup in the UK and did a fantastic job too.
Meanwhile, Jacqui Oatley has to be a strong contender as she’s one of the best sports presenters in the UK as well as being the first female commentator for Match of the Day and a wildcard is Lynsey Hooper, who reports for BBC’s Final Score and does a great job and should be involved in the Match of the Day commentary team.
As for the colour commentary, the ex-pro to give their experience. The top choice is Alex Scott, the ex-Arsenal and England star has been the best pundit for BBC, BT and Sky this season since retiring from the sport and she’ll be the leading pundit in the country in the next five years, alongside the likes of Jermaine Jenas. Honestly think there’s no one else who could do better.
As for the touchline reporter, there could be a long list, Oatley again would be a frontrunner as to would Jules Breach.
Breach is the co-presenter for BT Sport Score and presents from Champions League for BT and would be surprised if was a lead presenter for major sporting coverage in the UK in a couple of years.
Breach’s fellow BT Sport presenter Reshmin Chowdhury and Talksport’s Natalie Sawyer have got to be on the shortlist. Sawyer’s her fellow radio presenter Laura Woods and the final name would be Sky Sports and BBC 5 Live’s Kelly Cates.
Finally, the Alan McInally role of reporting with updates from around the league would go to a legend of women’s football coverage when it was first being shown on TV and that’s Sue Smith.
Not everyone will like that women’s football is becoming part of “their game” but it’s tough shit because this progression means a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.
The Bear Cave 