Are Lyon Women the best women’s football team ever assembled, and is it good for the game?

Introduction

Olympique Lyonnais is a French club that has been existence since 1970. They play in the highest division in France, Ligue 1. Lyon are known for being able to attract and groom the best talent in the world. Even more prominently, they are remembered for accolades that includes winning the league ten times, the Coupe de France seven times, and the Champions League four times. In this article, we want to not just analyse their greatness, but critically ask ourselves if the team’s greatness is beneficial to the game as a whole. Does it help to always have an almost unbeatable opponent?

Sarah Bouhaddi of Olympique Lyonnais lifts the trophy in victory after the UEFA Women's Champions League Final between Lyon and Paris Saint Germain at Cardiff City Stadium on June 1, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. Olympique Lyonnais win 7-6 on penalties after the match finished 0-0.

(May 31, 2017 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

Champions League

With a record crowd of ​ 22,911 people behind Chelsea, Lyon showed that sometimes all that matters is what happens on the pitch​. ​The French Ligue 1 side humbled Chelse​a ​to a 2-1 defeat, making it to the final of the 2019 UEFA Women’s Champions League which will be held on the 18th of May in Budapest. The team will not just be tasting a European final for the first time but will be lining up for the title for the 4th time in a row. This shall be Lyon’s eighth final appearance since 2010 and have won the title on 5 of such occasions. Surely greatness maybe accompanied by some form of luck. Lyon got one of their desperately needed goals as an​ ​own goal​ from ​Chelsea. Unlike most games where the French champions just almost breeze through the 90 minutes, they were really pushed in against the North London club, with some of the players kneeling on the ground after the game. This goes on to show that the team could be getting the right competition to either topple down their reign or push them to the fullest potential. The road to this stage has however been fairly easy compared to what most teams go through seeing that they have never lost a single game. They had 2 draws and an impressive 9-0 score agains​t ​Ajax Women in October last year​. ​When a team hits such a clean record, is it then not fair to ask if they are not the best team ever assembled? We will also take a deep look into the components that make up this explosion.

 Current Roster

Recently, The Guardian released a list of top 100 players in the world and 5 of the players in the Top 10 were from Lyon. In other words, 50% of the ladies that are most celebrated in the world, play for the French Champions. Below are brief bios of Ada Hegerberg, Lucy Bronze and Eugénie Le Sommer that came 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively. The first two players also made it to ​FIFA’s Top 10 women​.

Olympique Lyonnais' French forward Eugenie Le Sommer (L) and Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg (R) celebrate during the Women Champions League semi-final first leg football match Olympique Lyonnais (OL) against Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc de l'Olympique Lyonnais in Decines-Charpieu, central eastern France, on April 24, 2016. / AFP / ROMAIN LAFABREGUE

(April 24, 2016 - Source: AFP)

Ada Hegerberg

She is known as the first woman to have won the prestigious B​allon d'Or in 2018. This was not the first as she has been showered with awards all her career. At 16 years of age, she played for Kolbotn in Norway and became the youngest player to score a hat trick. In that league, she emerged as the Youngest Player of the Year. Ada was also the first woman to be awarded the Norwegian Gold Ball Award and voted ​UEFA’s Best Woman Playe​r in Europe. The 23-year-old Norwegian was instrumental in Lyon’s win against Wolfsburg to snatch their most recent Champions League crown and in their 2017/18 French title triumph. The Ballon d’Or award was in recognition for outstanding scoring record, 53 goals in 33 appearances for her club. Good news is that Lyon does not have to worry about losing her to any other club as she has signed a contract to stay with the club until 2021. 

 Lucy Bronze

After qualifying for the Champions League finals, Lucy Bronze expressed disappointment that her team ​simply won the game​. According to her, they are a team that should not just win, but excel at what they do. To anyone else, this should have been something to celebrate. That perhaps speaks to the players’ insatiable ambition for doing the very best on the field of play. This even explains why the England Women’s team head coach, Phil Neville,​ hails Lucy as the best player in the world​. The former Manchester United player commends Lucy for her ability to get the ball and pass with great athletic skill. To him, she has reached world class status. The English international has also won the ​ PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year twice in 2014 and 2017.

 Eugénie Le Sommer

The 29-year-old who is also part of the French national team scored 10 goals in 13 games in the ongoing UEFA ​Women’s Champions League. The player who is known for her fantastic forward passes is currently the highest goal scorer at Lyon, approaching the 250 goal mark. She has also been complemented greatly for her incredible teamwork both off and on the field. ​ One thing that she is passionate about is never ceasing to dream. In an ​interview with Foot Mercato​, Le Sommer expressed that for her “the B​allon d'Or is not an ultimate goal”. She does acknowledge its significance to anyone who knows what soccer is about, but what she strives for, is to be efficient and at be her best. She was quoted saying, “​After all, it's not an ultimate goal for me. The most important thing is to be efficient. If I am good and I am at my level, I can hope to be in the list and why not win one day. But I'm not focused on it.”

 How Good Are They Really?

There is a tendency to exaggerate success when it is not put into context. We might think that Lyon is great until we see what other teams are doing. Starting off with Chelsea whom they kicked out of the UCL semi-finals. Chelsea has never won the Champions League but still boasts of the 2015 famous doubl​e, where they won both the FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Cup. That was a while ago and really, the comparison between Lyon and Chelsea at this point, tips the scale towards to French Champions’ prowess and recent accomplishments. They will be facing Barcelona in the final, who will be stepping on the UCL finals turf for the first time. They have, however, done well in domestic cups like the Primera Division where they have won the top flight league title, four times and also won the Copa de Lareina, six times. One club that has also made strides in the game has been Vfl Wolfsburg from Germany.  At the time of the writing of this article, VfL Ladies were one win away from a third successive Bundesliga title after cruising to a 7-0 win against SC Sand on Sunday. They have won the Champions League twice and even beat Lyon in 2012/2013 season. It’s fair to conclude that Lyon have also had their few humbling experiences but none of the other prominent clubs has been able to achieve what they currently have under their belt. Lyon’s dominance can also be credited to their diamond formation​ (4-3-1-2) which enables them to engage all the players. They usually employ a more defensive technique that enable them to hit opponents on the counter, when they least expect it. Really, is such dominance worth celebrating?

“In a world where women football is still on the rise, but not yet where it should be, it is quite beneficial to have such legendary teams. They serve as inspiration for other teams not just in Europe, but in other parts of the world where women football might not even be taken seriously.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

Lucy Bronze of Olympique Lyonnais scores the opening goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League, Semi Final Second Leg match between Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester City at Groupama Stadium on April 29, 2018 in Lyon, France.

(April 28, 2018 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe

 Is it Beneficial for the game?

Some may say it helps to have a team that is the best at what they do. Their actions and tactics become a benchmark for other teams and give them something that they can work towards. Other teams in the league can say, “We want to play like Lyon in future: because they have seen what greatness looks and feels like.” In a world where women football is still on the rise, but not yet where it should be, it is quite beneficial to have such legendary teams. They serve as inspiration for other teams not just in Europe, but in other parts of the world where women football might not even be taken seriously. Even though Lyon has a men’s section, the women section seems to be the more successful one, which is not usually the case with many teams that have both wings. Secondly, Lyon has become home to players who want to grow their career because they know that they can meet like-minded people who are willing to grow with them. A great team that becomes a magnet for great players and provides a grooming space for national teams and the international community is definitely a must keep. Teams like Lyon have done well for Europe and has even attracted great players from other parts of the world.

 On the other hand, though, does it really help to compete in a place where your opponent is almost unbeatable? Sports become enjoyable when the field is level and anybody can come up as a victor on any day. Lyon might be an inspiration at times but it can also be the reason why some teams are demotivated especially when they do not have the financial capacity to attract great talent the way that they do. Teams should never feel like they have lost a game even before they get to the field. Fortunately, Lyon is not unbeatable as there are other teams like Frankfurt, ​Vfl Wolfsburg​ and Arsenal that know how to feed the humble pies, once in a while.

 Conclusion

The term G.O.A.T. is not one that you just toss around like a coin, as it usually reflects unquestionable hard work and commitment. Based on the accolades and calibre of players that Lyon has been able to attract, it seems fair to give them this title. A G.O.A.T team. They are not unbeatable but have been able to do more than many other clubs. Such excellence is what everybody should be aiming for but when it is only saturated in one team, it might then work in others’ advantage in the grand scheme of things.

Ballon d'Or winner, Ada Hegerberg's stance to sit out the 2019 World Cup a huge leap towards gender equality in football?

Ballon d’Or and activism.

“Another example of the ridiculous sexism that still exists in sport. Why do women have still have to put up with that s**t? What questions did they ask Mbappe and Modric (this year’s winner of the men’s Ballon d’Or)?”

— Andy Murray via Instagram

Ada Hegerberg is a fascinating figure on and off the football pitch. The five-time Champions League winner has made headlines recently after it was confirmed that she will not be playing at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. The 23-year-old Lyon forward quit the Norwegian national team in 2017 citing her grievance at the unequal treatment of the women’s team and their male counterparts as her reason for abandoning her national duty.

According to Norwegian head coach, Martin Sjörgen, there have been talks with the Ballon d’Or winner to try and convince her to take part in the tournament, talks that have apparently bared no fruit. Hegerberg has maintained her stance she left the national team in 2017 even after a historic salary review by the Norwegian football association saw the women’s team receive equal pay for the first time in their history.

“Can you twerk?”

Ada Hegerberg of Lyon celebrates with the trophy during the UEFA Womens Champions League Final between VfL Wolfsburg and Olympique Lyonnais on May 24, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.

(May 23, 2018 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe)

A question we probably wouldn’t expect to be asked at football’s biggest night to the woman who has just made history, winning the first ever Women’s Ballon d’Or. When the French DJ, Martin Solveig asked Ada Hegerberg if she knew how to twerk, it was probably one of the cringiest moments in football history. It is an understatement to say that the joke did not go down well with Hegerberg herself and other pundits including tennis champion, Andy Murray who furiously reacted to the infamous questioning, calling out the double standards in the sporting world.

The Gender Pay Gap in football

Hegerberg could not hide her frustration at that moment and she has never been the one to shy away from speaking out and making a stand. Her absence that the World Cup is the biggest statement she can make in protest of the treatment of women’s national teams.

The US National Women’s team have been vocal over the years, particularly former captain Hope Solo. The retired goalkeeper has publically supported Hegerberg’s decision to boycott the World Cup stating that she respected her decision remarking, "We're not going to create the change that we want to see in women's football until people like Ada take a stance,” in a recent interview.

A lawsuit has been filed against US Soccer Federation by the entire US women’s team. The lawsuit is disputing the pay structure and other incentives that the US man’s team receive that the women are not privileged to, including the charting of private jets for matches among other special treatments.

Similar complaints have been launched by the Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana who despite outperforming their male counterparts in tournaments, have continued to be paid significantly less for their efforts. These players are undervalued and the defence for this is usually the popularity of the men’s game compared to that of women. It was just last year when the first ever Ballon d’Or was awarded to a woman which shows that women’s football is coming to the forefront, only now. The times are definitely changing and with this kind of stand by the world’s best female player, Ada Hegerberg, the message is loud and clear; give women the respect they deserve.

“A question we probably wouldn’t expect to be asked at football’s biggest night to the woman who has just made history, winning the first ever Women’s Ballon d’Or. When the French DJ, Martin Solveig asked Ada Hegerberg if she knew how to twerk, it was probably one of the cringiest moments in football history.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

As Hegerberg continues to make headlines for her decision to sit out of France 2019, the conversation will inevitably lead back to the state of women's football and what needs to be done to rectify the situation to balance the scale for women in football. This could possibly be one of the tipping points for equality in football.