Preview: Women's 2017 Euro kicks off this Sunday

CAIRO – 15 July 2017: The women's EURO of 2017 will be kicking off this Sunday July 16. The women's football competition has gained incredible attention and popularity since the last EURO four years ago back in 2013.

The competition used to be completely dominated by the German and Scandinavian teams. The Germans were the winners of the last EURO. But, this time it seems that the teams that were falling behind, and had little chance at winning are now leading the charge in preparing for this competition.

Those teams are Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris-Saint Germaine and Manchester City. Teams like Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris-Saint Germaine and Manchester City were actually in the last four places during the previous EURO four years ago, but now they seem to be the most well-funded and well-prepared teams for competing this time around. Women's football seems quite similar to its male counterpart.

As for the tournament itself, it will be starting this Sunday in the Netherlands, and ending on August 6. The hosting cities are Breda, Deventer, Doetinchem, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht and Enschede.

If we take a look at the history of this tournament, we find that it began in 1982. It originally was held every two years, but changed to every four years as to not compete with the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Tournament will start its first day with a big game between Netherlands and Norway. The second game between Denmark and Belgium will also be played on on Sunday July 16.

As for the inner working of the competition, the teams will be split into four groups. The top two teams from each group will be the ones progressing into the quarterfinals. Group A will consist of: Netherlands (The host) Norway, Denmark and Belgium. Group B: Germany (Current Champions), Sweden, Italy and Russia.

Group C: France, Switzerland, Iceland and Australia. Group D: England, Spain, Scotland and Portugal.

The Women's Super League has been attracting all manner of overseas talent. Carli Lloyd is one of those talented players. She won The Best FIFA Women Best Player award consecutively in the last five years.

Manchester City has also become the first women's football club in Britain to have an average crowd of 2,000 fans throughout the full season. The women’s tournament is gaining in popularity and is attracting a broader audience.

Despite all the popularity women's football clubs have gained recently, they often still struggle financially compared to the men's clubs. Television deals, wages and sponsorship aren't on the same level as the men's clubs are just yet. But, there is certainly improvement, as we see in teams like Manchester City and Chelsea; their women's teams are well-funded. That funding is a sign of improvement for the better.