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There may be some surprises at the Women’s World Cup.
Certainly, the United States is still considered dominant, and those elite European teams have evolved further with the advent of competitive clubs. Then there is Brazil, which always seems to be about to break through.
But expanding the field to 32 teams in the tournament that begins on Thursday in Australia and New Zealand means more players will see the international spotlight – and there’s no doubt they’ll want to prove their affiliation.
Let’s take Japan, for example.
Back in 2011, Japan was not expected to reach the semi-finals, let alone the championship game. But the Japanese, who had suffered from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated their country earlier that year, rallied and beat the Americans on penalties after a 2-2 tie, and in the process became the first Asian team to win soccer’s top prize.
It was the last Women’s World Cup that the United States did not win. The top-ranked Americans aim to make it to their third consecutive number one.
American coach Vlatko Andonovsky is well aware that other countries are catching up. He pointed to Zambia’s spectacular victory over Germany in the run-up to the tournament.
“The top 10 have always been there. The world catching up is Wales, Vietnam, Zambia and Portugal. These are the countries catching up. The matches finished 7-0 and 8-0. And we can see Germany playing Zambia, losing 3-2,” he said. Andonovsky “These games will happen. “And that’s what we prepare ourselves for, so we don’t go into a game like this with the mentality that it’s going to be easy. No game is going to be easy. It doesn’t matter who’s in front of us.”
Canada is among those top teams, especially after winning Olympic gold in Tokyo. But coach Bev Priestman points out that the increased parity means no data.
“You can really only throw some upsets in championship football, you can lose group stage matches and then go on to win the title,” Priestman said.
Eight teams are taking part in the tournament for the first time, including Ireland, Vietnam, Zambia, Haiti, Morocco, Panama, Portugal and the Philippines. While most don’t stand a great chance against the likes of France or Sweden, there is always that hope.
There is hope that the international stage will help push federations to invest more in teams that are not traditionally supported.
“A lot of federations are slowly improving,” said South African striker Thembi Kgatlana. “A lot of these girls in those countries were professional athletes, so they have an idea of what it’s like to be a professional. And when they come back to the respective national teams, they can also help out and say ‘Hey, we need this, we need that.’ It’s kind of compelling. National teams also adapt to changing and improving trends.”
more than one game
Players are well aware that the World Cup gives them a platform to talk about inequality, human rights and a whole host of social issues.
At the World Cup final four years ago in France, fans chanted “Equal Pay!” To support Americans’ fight for fair compensation for their male counterparts on the national team. The players entered into a contract equal to last year’s wages.
Now other teams are joining the call for better wages and conditions. A group of international players, backed by the global players’ union FIFPRO, has called on FIFA to increase the prize money and ensure that every player in the tournament gets a share of that money.
As a result, each of the 736 players participating in this World Cup will receive at least $30,000, an amount that increases the lead of other teams in the tournament. FIFPRO pledges to make money for the players.
Total funds for this World Cup are $152 million, covering prize money, team setup and payments to players’ clubs. That’s a 300% increase over the money allocated to the 24-team release in 2019, and 10 times what it was in 2015.
it is just a number
It is difficult to say who had a greater influence on women’s football in their home countries: Canadian Christine Sinclair or Brazilian Marta. The two players will be participating for the sixth time in the World Cup.
Sinclair, 40, holds the international scoring record for both men and women, with 190 career goals. I have played in 323 matches for Canada.
A six-time World Player of the Year, Marta, 37, has scored 115 goals for Brazil in 174 matches. Marta is the tournament’s all-time top scorer with 17 goals and will be vying to be the first player to score in six World Cups.
They’re not the only players to feature in the World Cup squad six: Nigeria’s Onwumi Ibe, at 40, is about a month older than Sinclair and the oldest at the tournament.
The children are fine
Casey Fair, the American-born forward in the South Korean squad, turned 16 on June 29 and is the youngest player on the tournament roster. She is one of four 16-year-olds in the World Cup squads.
The United States is proud of teenager Alyssa Thompson, who plays for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League. At just 18 years old, she missed her high school graduation because of soccer.
look back
The American women went through a series of tough teams – first hosting France in the quarter-finals and then England in the semi-finals – before defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final to win the 2019 World Cup. Sweden beat England in the match for third place.
Details, details
The host team will play the match on the opening day of the tournament, with New Zealand facing Norway in Auckland, followed by Australia against Ireland in Sydney.
The USA vs. Vietnam game starts Saturday in Auckland, but due to the time difference, viewers in North America will be watching on Friday.
The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the knockout stage, which begins on August 5. The championship match is scheduled for August 20.
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