By OkayGoal 
The Beautiful Game of football is also the world’s game; it’s easily the most popular sport on the planet. What makes the game beautiful isn’t just the flow of action on a blank canvas; it’s the different styles that different teams and leagues play on their way to success. Each league around the world is known for a particular style of play. When players leave the United States for Europe and vice versa, there’s always a cultural and tactical adjustment that each player needs to make. The conglomeration of players and styles coming together is one of the many things that make football fun. Let’s take a closer look at what some of the best domestic leagues in the world are known for.
NWSL – Physicality and Athleticism
If you’re an NWSL fan, you know that the league has changed quite a bit over the last few seasons. The league was more defensively minded across the board, but since the arrival of Temwa Chawinga and Barbara Banda, it has become goal-scoring and offensive-minded. However, one constant that has never changed is the physicality and athleticism in the NWSL. Players are much tougher; they never dive, and set pieces are key in scoring headers from in and around the box. Players might not be as technical in their passing and how they keep possession, but they make up for it with athleticism.
Fitness levels are higher across the board because of the need to play in the summer months, which can be brutal in America due to the heat. Before the Africans arrived, Sam Kerr from her Chicago Red Stars days was the only player capable of scoring at a similar rate. Kerr, Chawinga, and Banda all possess a similar skillset based on speed, strength, movement, and finishing. The best players in the NWSL represent the league’s style better than anyone. No one plays a more well-rounded game, with more physicality and athleticism, than Chawinga or Banda.
Liga F, FA WSL, D1 Arkema, Frauen Bundesliga, Serie A – Technique and Tactics
If you want to see classic tekkers, smooth passing, changes in formations, and proper technique more often, then you want to watch Liga F, FA WSL, D1 Arkema, Frauen Bundesliga, and Serie A. The Spanish, English, French, German, and Italian leagues play a far more expansive style, with fewer long balls over the top of defenses and more opportunities for chance creation through possession. Spain may be slower than England and France, but the way the ball moves around the pitch, with as many players as possible touching the ball, is different from the NWSL.
Because the leagues aren’t as physical as the NWSL, the best players have far more space to operate and show their skills. The game is slightly more free-flowing because fewer fouls are committed; the faster the ball can move, the better the game can flow. For soccer purists who want to see the game played as intended, you will want to watch these leagues as often as possible.
As America always does, it finds a way to be different from the rest of the world. Europe’s leagues have been around for much longer, allowing them to establish free-flowing football as a part of their culture. While the USWNT has been the best for so long, they were often behind in struggling domestic leagues before the NWSL emerged. Geography and weather significantly influence how domestic leagues want to play. Until the NWSL calendar is shifted from spring/summer to the fall, it’ll be hard to say if the league will adjust to being more tactic- and technique-oriented. One thing is sure: while the European leagues may play a more attractive style, the NWSL is the deepest and most competitive league in the world by a wide margin.
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