- New data from LiveScore’s audience reveals the appetite for a deep dive into women’s football stats, with 30% wanting to know about future stars, and 1 in 4 fans hoping to learn about the best current players in the tournament
- LiveScore partnership with England’s most-capped player will give users unique insight into the stories set to unfold in Australia & New Zealand throughout the tournament on LiveScore’s dedicated women’s football section
- Fara Williams will provide weekly roundups of key details and stats around the tournament, breaking down the women’s game beyond the scores and goal-scorers, and diving into the finer aspects of the matches
LiveScore, the global sports media business and one of the world’s leading real-time sports updates and streaming service providers, has today announced its partnership spanning LiveScore with the highest-capped Lioness, Fara Williams, to shed light on the some of the more obscure intricacies of players and teams at this summer’s Women’s World Cup 2023.
Inspired by data from LiveScore’s audience which showcased that women’s football fans are hungry for more of the finer details around the game, the partnership will see five weekly columns from Fara, a wealth of content breaking down some of the best player’s attributes, and further insight into some of the stats around the women’s game that new fans into the sport may be unaware of.
LiveScore’s audience insights revealed 57% of fans think the level of analysis and detail around the women’s game is not yet comparable to the men’s. Further to this, 30% would like to see more information on future stars, and one in every four fans would like more detail on the best players, further insight on the development of teams and players, and player analysis akin to that in men’s football.
28% of LiveScore users believe they would be more interested in following the Women’s World Cup if the level of analysis and understanding was greater, whilst 29% believe they would be more interested if they were more aware of who the Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo equivalents were in the women’s game.
Fara’s unparalleled knowledge places her in the perfect position to uncover the lesser-known stories set to unfold in Australia & New Zealand. The former England midfielder has predicted a host of niche statistics and results to play out over the course of the competition, including the most likely players to receive a yellow card, the tournament dark horses, best passers and most skilful player, as follows:
Most Passes:
Kiera Walsh (England)
Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
As England’s midfield maestro, Fara anticipates Kiera Walsh to maintain her UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 form, where her passing accuracy was at 93%, whilst Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is a key player to keep an eye on for most passes in a dominant Spain team who likes to control games.
Most Team Goals:
France
Germany and USA have notched the most goals in tournament football, and the Lionesses have scored 138 goals in 30 games under Sarina Wiegman, yet Fara expects France to realise their potential this tournament, scoring the most team goals along the way due to their incredible wingers and potential to reach the latter stages of the competition.
Most Clean Sheets:
England
Germany
USA
Fara expects key injuries to the USA’s rock-solid defence, such as a missing Becky Sauerbrunn, to allow England and Germany a chance to secure the most clean sheets in the tournament. Whilst the Lionesses are known for their attacking flair, they have also been built from a brilliant defensive foundation, whilst the Germans have always been known for their strength at the back.
Most Booked Players:
Katie McCabe (Ireland)
Georgia Stanway (England)
Lena Obedorf (Germany)
Fara expects Ireland to have less possession than their opponents, increasing the likelihood of fouls in each game, and with Katie McCabe no stranger to loving a tackle, she is high on the list for most bookings. Other players that could rank high in this section are Lena Oberdorf, who picked up five yellow cards at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, and Georgia Stanway who made 10 fouls and is a master of a tactical foul in a possession-heavy, forward-thinking side.
Most Assists:
Lauren Hemp (England)
Delphine Cascarino ( (France)
Caitlin Foord (Australia)
Fara predicts England’s threat out wide will give Lauren Hemp an opportunity to exploit defenses, whilst France’s Delphine Cascarino is set to create many chances under Hervé Renard. Furthermore, Australia’s Caitlin Foord is set to benefit from her strike partner Sam Kerr’s goal threat, and as hosts, Australia can have as good a chance as any to go the full distance, allowing more game time for Caitlin to top the charts.
Most Skilful Players:
Delphine Cascarino (France)
Sophia Smith (USA)
Lauren James (England)
Jule Brand (Germany)
Many teams have strong players in wide areas in the women’s game and Fara predicts Jule Brand’s quick feet and Lauren James’ explosive pace to run Sophia Smith and Delphine Cascarino close as the most skilful players in the tournament. These four players will surely have you on the edge of your seat throughout the tournament.
Best Young Players:
Lauren James (England)
Kerolin (Brazil)
Sophia Smith (USA)
Esme Brugts (Netherlands)
Jule Brand (Germany)
Fara envisages the injuries to experienced players across many of the teams to give youth the opportunity to prosper in Australia & New Zealand. The following five players all bring something different to the table in terms of their qualities, from Kerolin, Smith and Brugts’ goalscoring attributes, to Lauren James’ speed, to Jule Brand’s flexibility to play across many positions.
Dark Horses:
Bunny Shaw (Jamaica)
Frida Maanum (Norway)
Lauren Hemp (England)
Fara expects Bunny Shaw to continue her Women’s Super League form into her first major international tournament. Whilst she’s had an incredible season at Manchester City and has developed as an all-round player, she remains a dark horse in the World Cup due to Jamaica’s tough group fixtures. Fara believes even though this is her first major tournament, that she can cause defenses havoc. After a brilliant Euros, Lauren Hemp is also one to keep an eye on, whilst Arsenal’s Maanum has the potential to light up a brilliant Norway team.
Ric Leask, Marketing Director at LiveScore, commented: “Here at LiveScore, we are all about bringing fans closer than ever to the game they love. Our dedicated women’s football section aims to provide real insight, engaging fans with high-quality content that enriches their fan experience. Our audience has clearly laid out that they want to understand more of the nitty-gritty of the women’s game, and we have listened.
“That’s why we’re delighted to team up with Fara, who will be sharing her knowledge and expertise to deliver to our users everything they’ll need ahead of, and during, this summer’s thrilling Women’s World Cup.”
England record cap holder Fara Williams added: “I’m very excited to join the LiveScore team for the Women’s World Cup and discuss some of the more granular statistics, hopefully giving fans a deeper understanding of the teams and players.
“The Lionesses’ performances at last year’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 captured the nation. Being able to tell some of the lesser-known details of the women’s game will allow fans to enjoy this summer’s tournament even more.”
Keep up to date with all the key moments, content, scores, and tournament details from the Women’s World Cup with the LiveScore App.
With thanks to LiveScore via MatchFit
