Tomorrow Scotland's women take on Sweden, the number five team in the FIFA world rankings, at Stark's Park Kirkcaldy. This is quite a challenge for the home side as the visitors won the bronze medal at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and have stated they want to win the Olympic gold medal this year. I took the opportunity of the Scotland squad gathering at the Norton House Hotel ahead of the Sweden game to speak to Celtic defender Rhona Jones about the challenges of shifting from domestic to international football. Those who watch the women's game or at least note the results will see there is quite a gulf between five or six sides and the rest.
GGoalkeeper Gemma Fay and defender Rhonda Jones (c) Ger Harley | SportPix I asked Jones how the challenge of domestic football impacted on playing against some of the best women's players in the world when playing for Scotland. Jones said: "I think we are able to compete now, but we were not ready in the past. There are better players and now that the league is of a better standard, players are fitter across the board and I think that is something that (national coach) Anna (Signeul) implemented into the clubs when she arrived in 2005 that they must train three of four times a week. Now we are training a lot more than many men's teams. I also think the competition is a lot better than what it was before. We still like to play against boys, and play clubs from England and the competition is getting a lot better which is helping us out in the national team. The young players who are coming through in the clubs are much better than they ever were before. And that is down, in part, to us being fitter as a nation which we weren't before. Now at training it is the younger players who are really pushing you to stay on top of your game. It is not nice to be shown up from time to time but it is good in other ways as we need to be challenged like that as it ensures we continue to improve. No mercy is given to experienced internationals on the training field." Like all national sides, the Scotland squad can only get together from time to time as club business omes first. At the moment, women are at an added disadvantage as there is not yet a fully professional player plying their trade in Scotland. This means that they have to use their holiday entitlement, miss studies or lose pay to attend gatherings associated with the national side. I asked Jones how the players managed to bond in such circumstances. She explained: "Gemma (Fay) and I play on a regular basis with Celtic but when the players gather like this it is just natural, we just walk in together and, even if there is a new member of the squad, they are welcomed and are just part of the team and made to feel welcome. We train together and play against each other so often that we almost feel like (the national side) is a second club team. A lot of us play in the same sides in the league and we all know each other very well." Women's football is still working hard to attract a larger fan base for the game they play so well. Scotland has a long tradition of male dominated football which makes it difficult to show that there are other ways to play the game. Women are not trying to compete with the male game as they know they cannot realistically mount a challenge due to the physical differences between the sexes. However, the women's league is filled with skilful players who play to the same rules but play the game differently. I asked Jones what would persuade more fans to turn out for women's football. She said: "I feel there is still a stereotypical view still in the back of people's minds in Scotland that only men can play football. Soccer in America has not got that same stigma; it is more a female sport than a man's sport over there. Male sport in America is split between basketball, baseball, American football whereas in this country football is the primary sport . We are not trying to compare ourselves to men, and if people come out hoping to see the same type of game as male game, they will go away disappointed. We are not a strong as men and therefore we play to our strengths. We play with the ball on the ground more; we are tactically very clever; it's different from men's football. If people get over that it is a male sport and actually watched a game in the Women's Premier league, I think they would change their view. If they give it a chance and approach the game with an open mind, I am sure they would be quite impressed."Source: FOOTYMAD
