Arnold Clark Cup: Sporting success but crowds concern

It ended how the hosts hoped it would, with a five-figure crowd watching England lift the trophy, after a pair of late goals from Millie Bright (84') and Fran Kirby (90' + 3) saw them past Germany.

It wasn't the Euros, but, for Bright, Wednesday night's Arnold Clark Cup win had real significance.

"It’s massive. It keeps our momentum," the Chelsea defender, pressed into emergency service up front late on, told broadcaster ITV after the 3-1 win saw them edge Spain on goal difference. 

"Coming to this tournament was about developing, people getting minutes and getting exposure against top teams," Bright said. "I think we’ve done that while getting the win. We always want to win — that’s why we participate in the game. We’ve developed and taken our game to another level."

Those two decisive late goals were as many had been scored in any of the previous five matches of this slow-burning tournament, which saw four of the top 10 sides in the women's game compete in the country, though not at any of the venues, where the Women's Euros are to be played in July.

"We played a team that's probably going to go and win the Euros in one of the three teams we've played," said Canada coach Bev Priestman.

Hosts prove sole attraction

Though an absorbing final game, which also featured a stunning free kick from Germany's Lina Magull, caught the imagination of the 13,463 watching on at Molineux, home of men's Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers, it's fair to say that hasn't always been the case.

Hours earlier, at the same ground, only a handful of spectators watched FIFA's best women's player in the world, Alexia Putellas, sweep home at the end of a flowing Spanish move and put her side in pole position, until England took control later in the evening.

Though England's games drew decent crowds (8,769 and 14,284 for the first two), only 249 attended Germany's opener, a 1-1 draw against Spain in Middlesborough, and just 119 watched as Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's team lost 1-0 to Canada in Norwich. Though this is an invitational tournament played largely in inclement weather conditions, such low turnout will surely be a cause for concern ahead of the summer showpiece.

For the teams, this was about the chance to test themselves against the sort of quality opponents they will need to overcome to lift the trophy at Wembley on July 31. Sara Däbritz, who captained Germany in the two games she started, told DW that a young squad — a result of a number of COVID and injury withdrawals — learned a lot during the tournament.

"It's important to get some high-level opponents before we play the Euros, and playing world-class teams helps us progress," she said.

"These games can help us see what are we doing well, what are we doing not so well," Däbritz said. "And after those games you have a lot of material to watch and to work on."

Changing circumstances

There's little doubt that these tight contests against similar-caliber opponents, even in a somewhat contrived context such as this, offer something to coaches and players. Especially compared the kind of blowouts often seen in recent qualifiers. 

"I think it’s been a very positive tournament overall — it's been useful for us in terms of preparing for the Euros, which has been our main target," said Spanish head coach Jorge Vilda after his team's win on Wednesday.

For as much as the tournament might have been helpful on the pitch and to the hosting team's morale, the English Football Association (FA) will surely have taken note of the paltry attendances for matches involving high-class visiting teams. 

Though its status as a major tournament, a lack of competing male football simultaneously and ticket prices starting at £5 (€6, $6.75) should ensure fuller stands than have been seen in recent days, not every side who will visit in the summer have a star like Kirby, Däbritz or Putellas to draw the neutral in.

Organizers and people with an interest in the growth of the women's game will hope that fewer travel restrictions, warmer weather, and significantly more PR and press coverage will encourage more traveling fans come July and create atmospheres similar to that seen when Germany beat England in front of a full house at Wembley in 2019.

With the obvious exception of Canada, every player and coach who has traveled across England in the last week will be hoping their work in recent days will be rewarded with a trip back to the northwest London landmark. And a trophy.

Edited by Chuck Penfold