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Copa 71 (PG, 90 minutes)
Irish Vow (93 minutes)
Even in my many years as a sports writer, I never knew there was a Women’s World Cup in 1971, with more than 100,000 people crammed into Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium to watch the final between Mexico and Denmark, a year after the infinitely more famous final. men’s final between Brazil and Italy in the same arena.
But there is no shame in that, because few people have done it. Outrageously, this was all but erased from the history books and, for years, players were bullied – by football’s governing body, FIFA, as well as their countries’ football associations and even their own men – so as not to talk about it.
A terrific documentary (produced by Venus and Serena Williams), Copa 71 sets the record straight with footage of the tournament that was suppressed for half a century, plus a series of interviews with those who participated . Among them, Italy’s Elena Schiavo, considered the best player in the world, is still angry about the distinctly questionable refereeing decisions that favored Mexico in the semifinals.
But more interesting and painful is all the evidence of the misogyny – there is no other word – to which female footballers of that era were subjected. England captain Carol Wilson recalls a dinner at her hometown club, Newcastle United, during which the accomplice warmly invited her to come on stage as “a star” among them, then began to belittle her and to humiliate him.
Lis lene Nielsen with the trophy after the final match against Mexico during the Women’s World Cup in Mexico 1971
Outrageously, the 1971 Women’s World Cup was virtually erased from the history books and, for years, the players were harassed by football’s governing body, FIFA.
Co-directing the film with Rachel Ramsay is James Erskine, whose documentary credits include 2013’s Battle Of The Sexes about the tennis match between Billie-Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and whose feminist credentials are now complete.
Speaking of completion, if you make it to the end of Irish Wish, a poorly scripted, terribly acted and idiotically plotted romantic comedy, then treat yourself to a four-leaf clover.
Lindsay Lohan plays an American book editor, in Ireland for the wedding of a best-selling author, of whom she is not-so-secretly a fan. It’s horrible from start to finish, but there’s a vague pleasure in counting the shots of the Emerald Isle, which pile up like empty Guinness glasses in Scruffy Murphy’s bar.
Copa 71 is in the cinema. Irish Wish is on Netflix.
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