FIFA Women’s World Cup Group C Preview: Spain can win it all if it doesn’t implode
As the one top-10 nation in Group C, Spain needs to be thought-about the overwhelming favorite to complete in first place. La Roja’s beginning 11 is suffering from gamers who ply their commerce at Real Madrid and UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona, giving them a determined edge in high quality over their Group C opponents. But a long-standing dispute between the gamers and supervisor Jorge Vilda may derail the Spaniards’ World Cup marketing campaign.
Former world champion Japan comes into this event with some extent to show after disappointing efforts on the final World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics. This younger Japanese aspect ought to be capable to progress to the knockout spherical on the expense of World Cup debutants Zambia and a Costa Rican staff that’s nonetheless looking for its first win on the event.
GROUP B SCHEDULE
July 21: Spain vs. Costa Rica (3:30 a.m. ET)
July 22: Zambia vs. Japan (3 a.m. ET)
July 26: Japan vs. Costa Rica (1 a.m. ET)
July 26: Spain vs. Zambia (3:30 a.m. ET)
July 31: Japan vs. Spain (3 a.m. ET)
July 31: Costa Rica vs. Zambia (3 a.m. ET)
THE TEAMS
SPAIN
FIFA world rating: 6
Odds to win the World Cup: +521 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: -588 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 2
Best displaying: Round of 16 (2019)
2019 World Cup: Round of 16 (1-1-2)
Manager: Jorge Vilda
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable beginning XI: María Isabel Rodríguez (Real Madrid) – Olga Carmona (Real Madrid), Ivana Andrés (Real Madrid), Laia Codina (Barcelona), Ona Batlle (Barcelona) – Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Teresa Abelleira (Real Madrid), Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) – Mariona Caldentey (Barcelona), Jennifer Hermoso (Pachuca), Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
THE BIG QUESTION: Will Barcelona midfielder and back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas be at her greatest following a prolonged layoff attributable to an ACL harm?
THE PULSE: Even with all the drama that’s happening (extra on that in a second), Spain needs to be thought-about one of many favourites to win the World Cup. Manager Jorge Vilda has a staff wealthy in high quality and depth, as he can name upon quite a lot of squad members who play on the highest degree, together with gamers who helped Barcelona win this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Spain runs opponents into the bottom and dominates video games with their possession, affected person passing and technical abilities. La Roja additionally enters the competitors filled with confidence because of a run of seven wins in eight video games this yr, together with victories over six nations who’ll be competing at this World Cup.
THE X-FACTOR: Controversy has enveloped La Roja since September, when 15 gamers despatched a letter to the Spanish FA saying they’d not play for the staff so long as Vilda remained in cost. The gamers questioned his coaching strategies and tactical requirements, and so they additionally had complaints about his behaviour towards them. The Spanish FA backed Vilda and whereas some gamers have returned to the staff, some have determined to take a seat out this summer time’s World Cup.
Also, Spain has not lived as much as its high billing in recent times and has woefully underperformed in huge tournaments – Round of 16 on the final World Cup and quarter-finals within the 2022 European Championship. Can the Spanish ladies put that historical past behind them and eventually be good below a coach they tried to drive out final fall? If La Roja don’t implode, they will contend for the World Cup. But that’s an enormous if.
COSTA RICA
FIFA world rating: 36
Odds to win the World Cup: +50,000 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +41,600 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 1
Best displaying: Group stage exit (2015)
2019 World Cup: Did not qualify
Manager: Amelia Valverde
Probable formation: 4-2-3-1
Probable beginning XI: Daniela Solera (Sporting FC) – Gabriela Guillén (Alajuelense), Valeria del Campo (Monterrey), Fabiola Villalobos (Alajuelense), Gabriela Guillén (Alajuelense) – Katherine Alvarado (Saprissa), Emilie Valenciano (Alajuelense) – Melissa Herrera (Bordeaux), Gloriana Villalobos (Saprissa), Priscila Chinchilla (Glasgow City) – Raquel Rodríguez (Portland Thorns)
THE BIG QUESTION: Can a Costa Rican staff that has misplaced 14 of its 15 video games instantly discover its high type and win its first-ever match on the World Cup?
THE PULSE: Costa Rica goes forwards and backwards between a four- and five-woman again line, which provides you an concept of how a lot coach Amelia Valverde emphasizes defensive group. Las Ticas don’t boast a lot scoring energy and the vast majority of their gamers play for golf equipment within the nation’s modest first division. So, in the event that they’re going to one way or the other get out of the group, it’ll be on the power and high quality of their defensive play.
Their schedule isn’t precisely simple — they need to face European powerhouse Spain and former World Cup champions Japan of their first two matches. They’ll be thought-about huge underdogs in each contests, so it’s not inconceivable that Costa Rica may very well be eradicated from rivalry earlier than its Group C finale vs. Zambia.
THE X-FACTOR: With former captain Shirley Cruz, 37, not chosen for the World Cup, all eyes can be on one other veteran in Raquel Rodríguez. The 29-year-old Rodríguez, who performs for the Portland Thorns within the NWSL, is a talented and tenacious midfielder with over 40 objectives for her nation. She additionally has beneficial big-tournament expertise – she grew to become the primary Costa Rican lady to attain in a World Cup throughout the 2015 competitors in Canada.
ZAMBIA
FIFA world rating: 77
Odds to win the World Cup: +47,600 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +8,050 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 0
Manager: Bruce Mwape
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable beginning XI: Catherine Musonda (Tomiris-Turan) – Martha Tembo (BIIK Shymkent), Lushomo Mweemba (Green Buffaloes), Agness Musase (Green Buffaloes), Margaret Belemu (Shanghai Shengli) – Evarine Katongo (ZISD Women), Susan Banda (Red Arrows) Ochumba Lubandji (Red Arrows) – Racheal Kundananji (Madrid CFF), Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli), Avell Chitundu (ZESCO Ndola)
THE BIG QUESTION: Can the lowest-ranked nation at this World Cup overachieve by profitable a sport or get out of a bunch that features two nations within the high 11, in its event debut?
THE PULSE: Zambia can be competing in its first World Cup this summer time, however though the chances are stacked in opposition to it, confidence is excessive inside the staff regardless of a scarcity of expertise. The Zambians made their Olympic debut in Tokyo and are coming off a formidable third-place end eventually yr’s African Cup of Nations. They additionally upset perennial powerhouse Germany in a world pleasant final month.
There are points to beat, although. Zambia’s again line is fairly weak – they’ve given up 18 objectives of their earlier six video games in 2023. Any nation on the World Cup price its salt ought to be capable to rating in opposition to the Africans. Also, coach Bruce Mwape is dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct which might be being investigated by the police. Taking all of this into consideration, Zambia can be hard-pressed to make it out of the group.
THE X-FACTOR: Forward Barbra Banda made historical past on the Tokyo Olympics by turning into the primary lady in event historical past to attain consecutive hat methods. Banda, who performs for Chinese membership Shanghai Shengli, is her nation’s most harmful and constant goal-scoring menace. As such, the Copper Queens can be wanting towards the 23-year-old ahead to steer the attacking cost and replicate her goal-scoring prowess from the Olympics.
JAPAN
FIFA world rating: 11
Odds to win the World Cup: +2,818 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +401 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 8
Best displaying: Champions (2011)
2019 World Cup: Round of 16 (1-1-2)
Manager: Futoshi Ikeda
Probable formation: 5-3-2
Probable beginning XI: Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe) – Jun Endō (Angel City), Moeka Minami (Roma), Saki Kumagai (Bayern Munich), Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe), Kiko Seike (Urawa Reds) – Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai), Fūka Nagano (Liverpool), Honoka Hayashi (West Ham United) – Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City), Riko Ueki (Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
THE BIG QUESTION: Will supervisor Futoshi Ikeda’s choice to omit 30-year-old ahead Mana Iwabuchi, considered one of Japan’s all-time high scorers, from his roster come again to hang-out him?
THE PULSE: Roughly half of Japan’s World Cup squad are 24 or youthful, and lots of the gamers featured for supervisor’s Futoshi Ikeda’s aspect that received the Under-20 World Cup in 2018. This is a tightly knit and a well-organized Japanese staff – opponents have had a troublesome time breaking down the five-woman again line.
Getting out of the group must be fairly straight-forward as Japan’s opening two video games are in opposition to Zambia and Costa Rica. The third sport in opposition to Spain will possible determine first place, which is vital as a result of the second-place staff would possible face a troublesome Norway aspect within the Round of 16.
THE X-FACTOR: Japan shocked the soccer world when it defeated the closely favoured United States within the 2011 World Cup remaining. Four years later, the U.S. exacted revenge on Japan within the remaining in Vancouver. Reaching back-to-back World Cup finals represented a golden age in Japanese soccer, and it seemed like there’d be extra to come back from the Nadeshiko as a brand new crop of gamers had been ushered onto the staff.
But Japan didn’t construct upon that momentum, bowing out within the Round of 16 in 2019 and within the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. There is a way that this World Cup represents the final probability for a number of the staff veterans to assist Japan climb the mountain once more. Will that form of motivation be sufficient for the Japanese to go on a deep run?
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