Top Rated Female Soccer Players to look out for in 2022
Women’s football has come an extremely long way since being unbanned in ’69; in fact, more men watch women’s football than women do at present. The viewership and fanbase continue to grow every month, and in 2021, there seems to be a newfound global craze for the sport. This has put the spotlight on some brilliant female players that we should all be keeping an eye on in the new year. Before you bet on soccer outcomes, these are the females that are nearing Messi and Ronaldo-like levels of notoriety amongst fans.
A great year for soccer
The women’s football league has been far more exciting than any other soccer recently because the teams are new and fresh. However, some are familiar, so many are not even sure where to begin to place their support. For example, who knows if the women’s Chelsea team will be as powerful as their counterpart in the male division?
With so many new players to learn about, it can help to have a good foundational knowledge of the sport and the players. The list below mentions some of the female soccer players you should definitely be looking out for if you plan to become a fan of the women’s football world.
Sam Kerr
The Australian striker from the Chelsea side has led her team to many victories while breaking records. She has been making her coaches and manager proud as the captain of the female division for Chelsea. It is clear to see that she is a natural leader, with her presence on the pitch being virtually unmatched. The next record she is looking to take is the top scorer in the Women’s Super League, which she is currently only two goals away from.
Kerr is a skillful player who proves time and time again her place as a captain and a true finisher. Only one real person is standing in Kerr’s way, and that is the Dutch talent, Vivianne Miedema. Although Kerr has a more rounded set of skills and leadership style that makes her more valuable than Miedema, it is clear Miedema might be the more talented finisher of the two. She is the one who is keeping that Super League record away from Kerr, but you will find out more about that later.
Vivianne Miedema
Miedema set the Women’s Super League all-time scoring record by scoring 56 goals in just three seasons. While it is true that Miedema is one of the best finishers in the world, sizing her up only by her goals does not do her justice. She is one of the best strikers in the world, and her record has been established in an unprecedented amount of time – most strikers take a lot longer than three seasons to tally up nearly 60 goals. That being said, her scoring feats often make people overlook how much her game knowledge has improved over the years.
She is far from Kerr’s level of mastery in terms of anticipating plays and being able to lead an entire team to victory, but this does not mean Miedema is shining any less brightly. Kerr and Vivianne are quite equally matched, and both are definitely worth keeping an eye on in the new year. Miedema is somewhat of an anomaly, being 24 and the highest scorer in Dutch history with 71 goals scored for her country across 93 international games. She is extremely young for her level of achievement and is definitely amongst the players that possess the highest goal conversion ratings. Her highlights on YouTube are worth a watch and satisfying for any fan of the sport who wants to see what this Dutch striker can do.
Lucy Bronze
Enough about these finishers, forwards and strikers stealing the show. Lucy Bronze is the powerhouse defender holding down the Manchester City line. Breaking records across the gender board, she is the first English player to receive one of FIFA’s most prestigious awards, “The Best Award.” She has already solidified her spot in soccer history forever and is making her country proud. She is an expert at making plays and continues to be one of the most talented passers in the league.
Passing is often overlooked as a skill, but Lucy can create massive counter-attack plays from the backline with her accuracy and level of defense. She was an invaluable piece for Lyon and hopes to be as valuable for Manchester City – she does seem to be well on the path towards replicating her previous successes. Her team in Lyon saw many trophies and titles, but without her defensive skill, they may never have had that opportunity.
Caroline Graham Hansen
She manages to stand out in a Barcelona team filled with talent. Hansen is a Norwegian midfielder who sticks to the right touchline where she shines and sources most of her side attacks. She’s quick and skilled, but she does not seem to forcefully make use of either of those attributes to defeat opponents. Instead, she glides past defenders as if they don’t matter or exist at all.
She can score and save her team from defeat – being the sole reason Barcelona’s female team came out on top of Atletico Madrid in the last season’s finals. Currently, with her, they have had an undefeated season, winning over 19 consecutive matches and with Caroline already tallying up seven goals to her name and double digits in assists for her team! She is a dangerous contender and makes quick work on the wings for vicious attacks that it seems next to no one is capable of stopping.
Let’s hear it for them all
It should be more than clear that the female soccer scene is in some ways even more competitive than the male-dominated sporting world. The females are out to prove something personal while having internal and international rivalry and other factors that make up the competitive game.
Women’s soccer gives young ladies a fantastic and healthy way to express themselves and that you can achieve anything, as long as you believe you can. The female soccer world is definitely growing, and fans are noticing, so perhaps soon, this side of the soccer industry will take over. People do not realize that the rate at which the female soccer scene has caught up is only projecting their capacity to be bigger than male-orientated soccer has ever been.
The WSU Team bringing you news and updates from the world of women’s football.