Jersey swap isn't in budget for some World Cup teams

Paul Logothetis | Special for USA TODAY Sports

MONTREAL — At the close of a 1-1 draw between Canada and the Netherlands at the World Cup, an unfamiliar scene in women's soccer played out along the sidelines of the Olympic Stadium.

A shirt swap.

The exchange of jerseys is a longstanding tradition in the men's game. The first instance came 84 years ago following France's 5-2 victory against England. By the 1954 World Cup, it was become a regular occurrence.

But in women's soccer, it is still seen as something of a novelty.

For the players, swapping jerseys is partly a matter of personal choice, and partly one of money. Despite their kits being made by Nike, Adidas, Puma and New Balance, many teams simply cannot afford to give their jerseys away since their federations haven't budgeted it.

"We (normally) use our shirts in other games also, and we usually do not have our names on the jersey," said Netherlands defender Stefanie van der Gragt, who explained that players were normally expected to hang on their tops since there were no replacements. "The women's soccer in Holland is still progressing so ... there are (still) things in soccer that can improve for women."

Van der Gragt had never swapped tops before the game against Canada on June 15, when she sought Erin McLeod to get the Canadian goalkeeper's shirt.

Canada's backup goalie Stephanie Labbe keeps her jersey collection focused to opposing goalies. "It's exciting to get jerseys from other national teams, there are some big time players out there," Labbe said.

"Maybe it's because it's not a public thing for the women like the men, and we do it after we come off the field. But you want those for your collection."

England's players, meanwhile, might not have such liberties depending how far they progress at the World Cup. England plays Norway in a Round of 16 game Monday.

"The kit man wants to keep as many as possible, and some teams are down to just two shirts — one home and one away," England forward Fran Kirby said. She counts Alex Morgan's USA jersey among her own collection.

"We have enough shirts, but the kit man likes to keep them in case you get blood on them or a mark, so you can switch them," Kirby said last week. "And especially at the World Cup because people don't know if they're playing (in the knockout stages) or not."

Kirby did not seek out a jersey after Wednesday's 2-1 win against Colombia. It was probably wise that she didn't.

"We don't do it, I don't think women do it. I've never been at a game where it's been done," said Colombia captain Natalia Gaitan. "Maybe behind the cameras, but I've never noticed it."

One of the most famous jersey swaps came at the 1970 World Cup when Brazil's Pele and England's Bobby Moore, both in the twilights of their careers, traded shirts at the close of Brazil's 1-0 win.

For England's Lianne Sanderson, swapping shirts with an opponent she's been psyching herself up to beat just doesn't make sense.

"I respect the opponent, but I have no desire to swap jerseys with someone who I've just lost to," said Sanderson, who prefers to give her jersey to fans in the stands. "When you see the men's players swapping at halftime, I think they deserve criticism because you should be focused on winning, not that."