FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ on FOX Programming Highlights: Wednesday, June 12

06/12/2019

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Dominant U.S. Victory Extends FOX Sports Ratings Growth Streak

Today’s Top Quotes:

Former U.S. WNT player Leslie Osborne says goal celebrations are part of the game:

“This is part of the game. If you’re Thailand, you’re not upset – you’re not disrespected. When you play in a World Cup, you know – you’ve been on the other side of it – this is what you live for and dream for. This is part of the game, and I don’t think there’s any issue to it.”

Should the U.S. Women's National Team have tempered their celebrations in today's rout?

Our FOX Soccer tonight crew sides with the players. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6bPOuQsLc6

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 12, 2019

Two-time World Cup champion, Christie Pearce Rampone says celebrating goals is an expression of hard work paying off:

“This has been a long journey for them to get there. When you’re on this stage and you’re scoring goals and you’re being impactful on the field, that’s what you want to do – you want to celebrate the success that you’ve worked so hard to come to.”

FOX SOCCER TONIGHT analyst Cobi Jones says U.S. WNT players should celebrate their big moments:

“There are many individual women on that team that are having the moment of their life that they will never, ever forget – scoring a goal. And there is no way that you should be asking them to check themselves in any way, shape or form. Celebrate. Live in the moment. That’s what it’s all about.”

On FOX SOCCER TONIGHT, Maurice Edu says the U.S. WNT was living in the moment:

“If you play this sport, you can appreciate how difficult it is to score a goal. To get to the World Cup in itself, it’s very difficult. And to now score a goal on that stage, on that platform, you’re asking someone to now check their emotions and take into consideration your opponent and what they’re feeling? No, I’m living in the moment. I put blood, sweat and tears to get to this stage – to score in a World Cup – and I’m going to celebrate the way I see fit.”

Former Canadian international and Concacaf Head of Women’s Football Karina LeBlanc says lopsided scores can still help grow the women’s game:

“It’s beneficial because you need to know where you are to figure out where you want to go.

“In Canada, we used to lose 8- or 9-0 (I wasn’t in goal at the time), but it was so important because we understood what we needed to do to get to where we wanted to be.

“These results are bad to look at for some people, but it’s good for growth of the game.”

Former England international Kelly Smith says it’s incumbent upon FIFA and the federations to put resources into the women’s game in order to prevent lopsided scores:

“It’s about FIFA stepping in and looking at this and helping with finances to go back and give them money and resources to help them develop their federation.

“It is an embarrassing score line, but you have to send a message to the federation, to FIFA, to help and go develop these “lesser” nations, so to speak, so they can come back and be better and stronger at another World Cup.”

Former German international Ariane Hingst on the potential benefits of expanding the Women’s World Cup field:

“For the next World Cups to come, if you extend the field of course you’re going to get these results that seem to be embarrassing, but we’ve got to deal with it. Because then, when you look further into the future – which we’ve definitely got to do in women’s soccer – four years, eight years, the gap is going to get closer. So, you must bring these teams in. You must know there are going to be some of these results. But it’s just going to narrow the gap, so it’s important to have.”

"You need to know where you are to figure out where you want to go."@karinaleblanc, @kelly_smith10 and @AriHingst explain how a lopsided result like 13-0 is still good for the growth of the game. pic.twitter.com/fHrWyqvsjL

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 12, 2019