ABSTRACT
Women’s soccer has over 29 million participants around the world and in 2010 it was reported that 512 international matches were played by 141 countries (Fédération Internationale de Football Association [FIFA], 2011). Germany and the United States of America (USA), two of the leading countries in the development of women’s soccer, each have over 1 million registered female players (Deutscher Fussball-Bund, 2011). The women’s game gained more credibility in 2007 during the Fifth World Cup Finals in China, since FIFA allocated prize money for the qualifying teams and for the teams that advanced from the group stages, thereby indicating a growing interest in, and recognition of, the women’s game on the world stage. In the 2011 World Cup finals in Germany, 73,000 spectators attended the opening game in Berlin and 14.1 million viewers watched it on TV in Germany (20% of the German population), showing the increasing public popularity of female soccer. Furthermore, the career opportunities for female players are growing and players are now able to train and compete full time. Several countries, such as Germany, Sweden, England, France, the USA and Russia have full-and part-time professional players competing in their leagues, including overseas international players. Consequently, along with the growing professional environment for female players the work profile and the physical demands for elite players are also increasing, meaning that players need to plan and prepare more optimally for match-play.
