1970 Women's World Cup

The 1970 Women's World Cup (Italian: Coppa del Mondo; sponsored name Martini & Rossi Cup) was an association football tournament organised by the Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF) in Italy in July 1970.[1] It featured women's teams from seven countries and is the first known tournament to be named as a women's football World Cup.

1970 Women's World Cup
Martini & Rossi Cup
Tournament details
Host countryItaly
Dates6–15 July
Teams7
Venue(s)7 (in 7 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Denmark
Runners-up Italy
Third place Mexico
Fourth place England
Tournament statistics
Matches played8
Goals scored37 (4.63 per match)
Top scorer(s)Denmark Kirsten Evers
Mexico Alicia Vargas
(5 goals each)

Matches were played in Genoa, Bologna, Milan, Bari, Salerno, Naples, and the third-place playoff and final were both in Turin.

The tournament was won by Denmark, represented by Boldklubben Femina.

The tournament

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Eight teams were scheduled to appear in the tournament. The first list of participants, published in February 1970, consisted of Argentina, Denmark, France, Italy, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, England, and the Soviet Union. This was changed in a later revision, with West Germany, Mexico, Austria and Switzerland replacing Argentina, France, Brazil and the Soviet Union in May 1970.[2] Czechoslovakia would have been the only country from Europe's Eastern Bloc to compete, but the team withdrew[1] because of visa issues.[2]

The crowds for the tournament were "30,000-strong".[3] Denmark won the tournament after beating Italy 2–0 in the final.[2]

Teams were divided into the "northern" group (in Genoa, Bologna and Milan), and "southern" (Bari, Salerno, Naples) with the top teams meeting in the final.

The tournament did not involve FIFA, which had held the first men's World Cup in 1930 but did not hold any women's event until 1988. The host country's matches are considered official by the Italian Football Federation. The Italian women's league had been established in 1968.[4]

Mexico, a losing semi-finalist 2–1 to Italy, were described as the "revelation" of the tournament.[5]

Bracket

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Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
6 July — Genova
 
 
  England 5
 
10 July — Milan
 
  West Germany 1
 
  England 0
 
9 July — Bologna
 
  Denmark 2
 
  Denmark 6
 
13 July — Torino
 
  West Germany 1
 
  Denmark 2
 
6 July — Bari
 
  Italy 0
 
  Mexico 9
 
11 July — Napoli
 
  Austria 0
 
  Mexico 1
 
9 July — Salerno
 
  Italy 2 Third place
 
  Italy 2
 
15 July — Torino
 
  Switzerland 1
 
  Mexico 3
 
 
  England 2
 

Quarter-finals

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England  5–1  West Germany
Briggs   1', 9'
Stockley   25' (pen.)
Cross   36'
Dolling   61'
Schmitz   49'

Mexico  9–0  Austria
Rubio   1', 31'
Vargas   4', 18', 47', 57'
Huerta   8'
Hernández   49', 61'

Czechoslovakia withdrew due to visa issues, and so West Germany were given a second chance instead.

Denmark  6–1  West Germany
Evers   8', 35', 69'
Christensen   9', 19'
E. Hansen   24'
Arzdorf   15'

Italy  2–1  Switzerland
Mella   15'
Avon   68'
Ripamonti   40'
Stadio Donato Vestuti, Salerno
Referee: Santopietro (Italy)

Semi-finals

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Denmark  2–0  England
Evers   46', 70'
Referee: Lojacono (Italy)

Italy  2–1  Mexico
Schiavo   5', 40' Mondo   48' (o.g.)

Third place play-off

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Mexico  3–2  England
Vargas   3'
Hernández   9'
Tovar   15'
Davies   24'
Stockey   55' (pen.)
Attendance: 3000
Referee: Sicco (Italy)

Final

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Denmark  2–0  Italy
E. Hansen   18'
Sešiková   68'
Attendance: 40,000 [2][6]
Referee: Cosentina (Italy)

Memorials

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Tournament memorabilia was collected at an exhibition in Pessione di Chieri (Turin) from June to August 2019.[6]

Later tournaments

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The tournament was followed by the 1971 Women's World Cup in Mexico, and the series of five Mundialito tournaments from 1981 to 1988 in Japan and Italy, before the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament and 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, both in China.[7]

See also

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Tan cerca de las nubes[citation needed], documentary (in Spanish) about the Mexican squad that participated in the 1970 cup, as well as the 1971 one.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Pieper, Lindsay (2 July 2015). "The Beleaguered History of the Women's World Cup (2 Jul 2015)". US Sport History. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Coppa del Mondo (Women) 1970". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  3. ^ Bill Wilson (7 December 2018). "Mexico 1971: When women's football hit the big time". BBC News. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  4. ^ Seneghini, Federica. "Noi, calciatrici, vi raccontiamo com'è scendere in campo nel Paese degli azzurri". Corriere Della Sera. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  5. ^ "July 1970 the first women's World Cup". La Lazio al femminile. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b Santoro, Gisella (26 June 2019). "Martini celebrates the first women's football World Cup in 1970". golditacco.it. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  7. ^ Anna Kessel (4 June 2015). "Women's World Cup: from unofficial tournaments to record-breaking event". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  8. ^ "'Tan cerca de las nubes' de Manuel Cañibe: las futbolistas que olvidó el estadio". IMCINE.

Bibliography

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  • Barboni, Luca; Cecchi, Gabriele (1999). Annuario del calcio femminile 1999-2000 (in Italian). Fornacette (Pisa, Italy): Mariposa Editrice S.r.l. pp. 230–231.