FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B Preview: Is sixth time a charm for Canada’s Sinclair?
Christine Sinclair continues to be going sturdy at age 40, however that is her sixth and certain final World Cup, so she has one last likelihood at serving to Canada win its first World Cup title. Despite taking gold on the 2020 Olympics, the Canadians are nonetheless combating for respect, in order that they’re coming into this World Cup with a little bit of a chip on their shoulders and a degree to show — to not themselves, however to those that felt they merely caught lightning in a bottle in Tokyo.
As co-hosts and a top-10 crew on the earth, Australia must be thought-about the favorite to hitch Canada as the 2 nations to advance to the knockout spherical from Group B. Nigeria is again on the World Cup for a ninth time and is trying to win its first knockout sport. The Republic of Ireland shall be making its World Cup debut this summer time.
GROUP B SCHEDULE
July 20: Australia vs. Republic of Ireland
July 20: Nigeria vs. Canada
July 26: Canada vs. Republic of Ireland
July 27: Australia vs. Nigeria
July 31: Canada vs. Australia
July 31: Republic of Ireland vs. Nigeria
THE TEAMS
AUSTRALIA
FIFA world rating: 10
Odds to win the World Cup: +1,145 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: -200 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 7
Best exhibiting: Quarterfinals (2007, 2011 and 2015)
2019 World Cup: Round of 16 (2-1-1)
Manager: Tony Gustavsson
Probable formation: 4-4-2
Probable beginning XI: Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham United) — Charlotte Grant (Vittsjö GIK), Clare Polkinghorne (Vittsjö GIK), Clare Hunt (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ellie Carpenter (Lyon) — Tameka Yallop (Brann), Katrina Gorry (Brisbane Roar), Kyra Cooney-Cross (Hammarby IF), Hayley Raso (Real Madrid) — Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Mary Fowler (Manchester City).
THE BIG QUESTION: Will supervisor Tony Gustavsson’s resolution to incorporate ahead Kyah Simon (Tottenham) and Alanna Kennedy (Manchester City) in his World Cup roster repay after each veterans endured prolonged harm layoffs?
THE PULSE: Australia has sufficient high quality in its squad and the good thing about the hometown crowds that they might go on a deep run on the World Cup. While removed from a one-woman crew, captain Sam Kerr is certainly the Matildas’ most harmful risk and finest participant — she is Australia’s all-time prime scorer with 63 targets in 120 appearances.
What shall be attention-grabbing to see is that if the Australians can put their report of under-achievement behind them, because the Matildas have received only a single knockout sport of their seven World Cup appearances. Much is predicted of them at this event on dwelling soil, so the stress shall be on them to lastly escape on the World Cup.
THE X-FACTOR: Home-field benefit is vital on the Women’s World Cup — the host nation has by no means did not get out of the group stage in all 9 tournaments courting again to the primary one in 1991.
The Matildas are vastly widespread of their dwelling nation and have drawn massive crowds for his or her dwelling video games through the years, and that help is just going to be amplified on the World Cup. Their opponents are going to must take care of some intimidating crowds.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
FIFA world rating: 22
Odds to win the World Cup: +17,100 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +1,614 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 0
Manager: Vera Pauw
Probable formation: 5-4-1
Probable beginning XI: Courtney Brosnan (Everton) — Heather Payne (Florida State), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Niamh Fahey (Birmingham City), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Katie McCabe (Arsenal) — Sinead Farrelly (Gotham FC), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit) — Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses).
THE BIG QUESTION: Will the Irish be capable of maintain their nerve of their World Cup debut and be aggressive in a gaggle with Olympic champions Canada, co-hosts Australia and event regulars Nigeria?
THE PULSE: Ireland did nicely simply to qualify for the World Cup, reserving its spot by defeating Scotland in Glasgow final fall within the playoffs to say one of many last berths on supply in UEFA. The crew’s success is essentially primarily based upon its five-woman again line, anchored by Louise Quinn and Niamh Fahey. Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan was additionally very important to the crew’s World Cup qualifying marketing campaign.
Still, that is an Irish crew that’s brief on star energy and worldwide expertise on the highest degree — the nation has by no means even certified for the European Championship. With that in thoughts, and bearing in mind they’re going through three nations with loads of World Cup expertise, it’s tough to examine Ireland getting out of the group.
THE X-FACTOR: Captain Katie McCabe, a 27-year-old midfielder with Arsenal, is Ireland’s participant to observe. McCabe provides her crew a substantial amount of versatility as she will be able to play in quite a few completely different positions.
She’s additionally able to scoring spectacular targets — her strike for Arsenal vs. Manchester City on April 2 was awarded the Women’s Super League’s purpose of the season.
NIGERIA
FIFA world rating: 40
Odds to win the World Cup: +48,300 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +3,345 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 8
Best exhibiting: Quarterfinals (1999)
2019 World Cup: Round of 16 (1-0-3)
Manager: Randy Waldrum
Probable formation: 4-2-3-1
Probable beginning XI: Yewande Balogun (Saint-Étienne) — Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash), Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alavés), Oluwatosin Demehin (Reims), Rofiat Imuran (Reims) — Christy Ucheibe (Benfica), Jennifer Echegini (Florida State University) – Rasheedat Ajibade (Atlético Madrid), Toni Payne (Sevilla), Esther Okoronkwo (Saint-Étienne) — Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona).
THE BIG QUESTION: Will the continuing pay dispute between the gamers and the Nigerian FA — and the very fact coach Randy Waldrum might be fired earlier than the event over his public help of his gamers — utterly derail Nigeria’s World Cup marketing campaign?
THE PULSE: One can’t overstate how a lot chaos is happening inside the Nigeria crew in the meanwhile. The gamers have threatened to boycott their opening sport of the World Cup in response to the Nigerian FA not paying them their match bonuses. If Waldrum will get axed earlier than the event, which is a definite chance, that’ll thrust the crew into additional dysfunction.
Even if all the pieces will get settled, the Super Falcons enter this World Cup with out their conventional swagger after bowing out within the semifinals of final yr’s African Cup of Nations, a event it had received 11 of the earlier 13 instances.
THE X-FACTOR: FC Barcelona ahead Asisat Oshoala is a goal-scoring machine. The 28-year-old has 83 targets in 89 appearances for the Spanish outfit since 2019 and is four-time winner of the African Women’s Player of the Year award — she was additionally nominated for Ballon d’Or final yr. When Nigeria wants a purpose or a little bit of inspiration, it typically turns to the talismanic Oshoala.
CANADA
FIFA world rating: 7
Odds to win the World Cup: +3,086 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +198 (by way of Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: 7
Best exhibiting: Semifinals (2003)
2019 World Cup: Round of 16 (2-0-2)
Manager: Bev Priestman
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable beginning XI: Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave) — Ashlee Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain), Vanessa Gilles (Lyon), Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash) — Jessie Fleming (Chelsea), Julia Grosso (Juventus), Quinn (OL Reign) — Adriana Leon (Manchester United), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), Jordyn Huitema (OL Reign).
THE BIG QUESTION: How a lot will the losses of three gamers because of harm — ahead Janine Beckie, midfielder Desiree Scott, and defender Jade Rose — and the truth that forwards Nichelle Prince and Deanne Rose solely not too long ago returned from torn Achilles adversely have an effect on Canada’s possibilities of occurring a deep run?
THE PULSE: The basis of Canada’s success on the Tokyo Olympics was constructed upon its defence, anchored by centre backs Kadeisha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles, and supported by fullback Ashley Lawrence. That quartet stays intact for the World Cup, they usually’ll be taking part in in entrance of Kailen Sheridan, regarded among the many finest goalkeepers within the ladies’s sport. So, opponents can have a tricky time breaking down Canada.
However, questions linger about this crew’s scoring prowess. Christine Sinclair isn’t the identical goal-scoring risk that she was once, and no person has stepped as much as turn into the crew’s particular, go-to striker. Plus, veteran Janine Beckie, Canada’s fourth all-time prime scorer with 36 targets, will miss the World Cup after tearing her ACL in March.
What may also be attention-grabbing to see is that if the ladies’s crew’s longstanding dispute with Canada Soccer over pay fairness will have an effect on their performances on the pitch prefer it did throughout February’s SheBelieves Cup event. The Canadian ladies have been negotiating a brand new contract with Canada Soccer for greater than a yr. A brief-term deal is predicted to be agreed upon by either side for the World Cup, however the bigger labour points stay. Will the Olympic champions be capable of push that to the facet and squarely give attention to issues on the pitch?
THE X-FACTOR: Christine Sinclair will get a lot of the consideration on this Canadian crew, and whereas she nonetheless has a task to play, she’s not the facet’s most vital participant. Midfielder Jessie Fleming, 25, has stepped up in a giant means ever since turning professional with Chelsea in 2020 — the London, Ont., native postpone her skilled profession till she accomplished her diploma at UCLA. With a deft contact on the ball, her studying of the sport and a capability to pick teammates with good passes, Fleming has emerged from Sinclair’s shadow to turn into Canada’s predominant reference level. She’s additionally turn into one of many crew’s most vital leaders and can doubtless succeed Sinclair as captain when she retires.
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