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England, the favorite for a medal in the World Cup, experienced another hard setback when Keira Walsh left the field on a stretcher.
Walsh’s knee buckled in the situation and he looked in pain. Even worried.
– It’s really hard every time a player gets injured. You could see from Keira Walsh’s expression that she knows what it’s all about, Urheilu’s expert Mari Savolainen said.
Knee cruciate ligament injuries became a topic of conversation even before the Games, when, for example, Beth Mead and Leah Williamson were left out of the England squad. The Netherlands, among others, experienced the same fate Vivianne Miedemaof Germany Giulia Gwinnof the United States Catarina Macario and Denmark Nadia Nadim.
What is causing this?
Although the matter is not that simple, according to Savolainen, it is known for now that, especially in non-contact knee injuries, it is usually a question of load control.
– Either you have practiced too much, too hard or too little. There are many impressive things about it. The fact is that nobody currently understands well enough what all the factors affect it, says Savolainen.
“Screams anterior cruciate ligament injury”
Sports expert Maiju Ruotsalainen according to the coaches think a lot about how the players are loaded. They also analyze the players’ state of alertness, so that they are in the most “risk-free state” on the field.
– Walsh had a lot of minutes under him, Ruotsalainen points out.
However, according to Ruotslainen, there is something that hasn’t been talked about much.
Playing position.
– In soccer, the playing position is already forward-oriented, which puts the front thighs under a lot of load. How much is invested, at that level, for sure, the hind thighs have to be trained extra, in order to maintain the balance between the front and rear thighs, Ruotsalainen says.
– If there is a very large imbalance between these, it screams for an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Not enough studies
One problem is that knee injuries in women have not been studied enough. The Swede misses the fact that there is a lot of data about men, but not so much about women.
– The United States is a pioneer here. In the 2019 Games, they avoided many of these injuries. They have talked about starting to do research and putting bangs in the menstrual cycle. More and more data is coming in specifically about women and women’s bodies, Ruotsalainen says.
According to Savolainen, it has largely been about money. He says that female players have not been valuable enough to have been sufficiently scrutinized.
– And now I mean financially valuable. When a men’s player pays 500 million, his health is a very important issue for club managers and other decision-makers. When a player pays a couple of tons, a new one can always be taken care of, says Savolainen.
Anterior cruciate ligament injuries, especially in women
Women in particular suffer from ACL injuries in football. According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the risk for women compared to men is three to six times higher.
This can be seen in a harsh way even with the best soccer players. Last year, one in four of the 20 women’s Ballon d’Or candidates suffered from an ACL injury. None of the 30 men’s candidates were injured.
Often, ACL injuries in female players are tied to female anatomy and biomechanics. Interviewed by CNN doctor of sports rehabilitation Katrine Okholm Kryger however, one can see that too much weight has been given to this reason.
– The general argument is that women’s menstrual cycle leads to hormonal fluctuations, which would make them physically more unstable when playing football. Studies show that there may be a slightly higher risk during ovulation, but it’s really small, Kryger told CNN.
Kryger also reminds that using hormonal contraception should reduce the risk. Therefore, it is difficult for her to imagine that menstrual cycles are the underlying cause of ACL injuries.
Kryger also has reservations about the claim that the injuries are caused by women’s body structure. It has been estimated that, for example, women’s wider hips put more strain on the knee.
– It has been claimed that women are not designed to play football. I don’t think anyone is “designed” to play soccer. I want to break the philosophies that women are too weak or physically unstable to play.
Lack of money and shoes designed for men
Researchers, players and football medical experts interviewed by CNN named lack of money as one of the major factors.
The researchers state that, for example, women have not been able to train as professionally and with the same quality as male players when they were younger. Often, male players get an academy contract at a young age, allowing them to fully focus on football.
The lack of medical resources and football boots were also brought up. Kryger reminded us that soccer shoes are designed for Caucasian men, but women’s feet are smaller on average than men’s.
According to a report by ECA, the association of European football clubs, up to 82 percent of female players found the shoes uncomfortable. 350 players participated in the study.
– The only good thing about the causes of these injuries, such as ill-fitting shoes, is that they can be changed. We can do something about it. Or more precisely: shoe manufacturers and club managers can do something about it, Kryger said.