Things are looking up. The U.S. women’s soccer team has moved on to the Round of 16 and – at least according to FiveThirtyEight’s predictions – may be poised to win the 2015 World Cup.
The U.S. takes on Colombia tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Instead of continuing to bemoan the lack of Women’s World Cup coverage, let’s take a look at who’s doing a fine job.
USA Today – The national newspaper has a team on the ground in Canada covering the tournament, and it has paid off. In addition to reporting on matches, the paper has delivered some solid articles and videos about problems with the artificial turf and life after a soccer career ends. (Bonus: Follow @usatodaysports on Snapchat to receive fun on-the-ground updates during games.)
Bleacher Report’s Team Stream app. (Screen grab)
FiveThirtyEight – Nate Silver’s data journalism site is a great resource for sports stats and odds, and the Women’s World Cup is no exception. Check out statistic-driven predictions for the tournament, which are updated at the end of each match.
Bleacher Report – B/R’s World Cup coverage includes a variety of stories, videos and curated tweets from players, coaches and journalists. There’s a desktop version, but the experience is best in Bleacher Report’s “Team Stream” mobile app, where you can get stories and updates on the go.
Graham Watson – If you’re looking for World Cup updates on Twitter, Graham Watson is your reporter. Turns out the editor of Yahoo’s college football blog is well versed in soccer, too. Watson regularly tweets updates throughout matches (often with a dose of humor) and is quick with post-game analysis.
espnW – ESPN’s home for women’s sports has an in-depth section devoted to World Cup coverage. The Round of 16 Power Rankings is a good way to get caught up on the teams remaining in the do-or-die stage of the tournament.
SB Nation – Although the preview coverage is what really shines, SB Nation’s Women’s World Cup Guide is still a valuable resource as the World Cup continues on. The guide works especially well on mobile, which is always a plus. In-depth reporting that you can check at your favorite soccer bar? Win-win.
Meanwhile, the Women’s World Cup continues to pull in big numbers. Tuesday’s U.S.-Nigeria game drew 5 million viewers on Fox, the third-largest audience ever for a Women’s World Cup match. Tonight’s game which airs on Fox Sports 1, is expected to bring in another sizable viewership.
Did we miss any places with good Women’s World Cup coverage? Share your favorites in the comments below.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misgendered Graham Watson. It was been corrected.
