2023-07-19 14:42:18
On July 20, Australia and New Zealand will host the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup. The defending champions, the Americans, are given as favorites of the tournament. But other teams can claim first place on the podium and overshadow them.
Who will succeed the Americans? Thirty-two teams meet from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand for the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup. If all the selections claim the title, some of them seem to stand out, to the point of appearing as favorites, even outsiders. We take stock.
Never two without three as they say… The Americans hope to win a fifth world title after those of 1991 – for the first edition of the women’s world football -, 1995, 2015, 2019 and afford a third title (history) in a row.
Because the Americans appear as the big favorites of the competition. Vlatko Andonovski’s players have been crowned world champions four times in their history – that is to say once in two on average since the creation of the Women’s World Cup.
The last time was in 2019, during the World Cup in France. The Americans had triumphed over the Dutch 2-0, including a goal from the penalty spot by Megan Rapinoe. The latter, emblematic player of this United States team, recently announced that she will retire from sport at the end of the season. However, she will be present in Australia and New Zealand for her fourth World Cup, and will try to lead her teammates to final victory.
The United States are present in group E, with Portugal, Vietnam and the Netherlands.
Megan Rapinoe celebrates her goal in the final in Lyon on July 7. AFP
The English also dream of a world title. It would be the first. In their history, the Three Lionesses have never exceeded third place in a World Cup. A performance achieved in 2015. At the last World Cup, in 2019, they finished fourth, failing in the “small final” against Sweden with a score of 2 goals to 1.
On Australian and New Zealand lands, the players of Sarina Wiegman – coach of the England women’s team since 2021 – arrive in a position of strength.
The year 2023 has already brought them happiness. Last April, they won the first women’s edition of the Finalissima against Brazil at Wembley Stadium.
The Three Lionesses also have, in their luggage, their first Euro football, won in their country in July 2022 against Germany – eight times European champion – on the score of 2 goals to 1, after extra time.
England are in Group D, along with Denmark, China and Haiti.
The England team lifts the Women’s Euro 2022 trophy on July 31, 2022, at Wembley. © Peter Cziborra, Reuters
Among the other favorite teams, Brazil. The Selecao – who has participated in all editions of the Women’s World Cup since its inception – finally dreams of adding the world title to his list. She came close to being crowned at the 2007 World Cup, but had to concede victory to the Germans in the final. At the 2019 World Cup, the Brazilians lost to France in the round of 16 with a score of 2 goals to 1, after extra time.
The Brazilian women’s team has established itself in recent years as one of the great teams in South American football, notably by winning the Copa America eight times. The last time was in 2022, against Colombia.
In Australia and New Zealand, the Brazilians can count on their serial scorer Marta, 37, who is participating in the sixth final phase. She holds the record for goals scored in the competition, with 17 goals.
Brazil are present in Group F, along with France, Panama and Jamaica.
Brazilian striker Marta seizes the World Cup goals record, men and women combined, with 17 achievements, in five editions, during the match against Italy in Valenciennes on June 18, 2019. AFP
At the last Women’s World Cup, Spain reached the round of 16, but fell to the United States 2-1. The Americans owe their victory to two goals scored by Megan Rapinoe.
The Spaniards are now approaching the 2023 World Cup in the spirit of a conquistador. It is above all for them to turn the page on a controversy that arose last September, when 15 players announced that they no longer wanted to wear the jersey of “Roja” (the name of the Spanish selection). The “rebellious”, dissatisfied with the methods of Jorge Vilda – the coach of the selection since 2015 -, had invoked essentially psychological reasons for not being recalled, but the Spanish Federation (RFEF) supported the coach.
Led by their star player, the Catalan and double gold ball Alexia Putellas, the Spaniards hope, for their third participation in a World Cup, to go beyond the stage of the round of 16 of the world in Australia and New Zealand.
Spain are in Group C, along with Croatia, Zambia and Japan.
The Spaniard Alexia Putellas was elected Women’s Golden Ball for the second consecutive year, in October 2022, in Paris. © Frank Fife, AFP
At home, in 2019, the Bleues had stumbled against the future American world champions in the quarter-finals of the tournament, with a score of 2 goals to 1. A stage at which they had already been knocked out in 2015. France signed his best participation in a world football in 2011, finishing in fourth place.
A few months before the start of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the French women’s football team experienced a change, with the appointment of Hervé Renard – former coach of the Saudi Arabian men’s team. – as the new coach of Les Bleues in place of Corinne Deacon. Hervé Renard was notably talked about during the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, when the Saudis triumphed over future Argentinian world champions at the very start of the competition.
Hervé Renard’s mission will be to take Les Bleues to the top of the world. But the French have suffered a blow less than two weeks before the start of the World Cup, with the injury package of midfielder Amandine Henry, recalled by Hervé Renard after more than two years of absence. She is replaced by Aïssatou Tounkara.
The French team ended its preparation for the World Cup with a 1-0 defeat against Australia, co-organizer of the competition, on Friday in Melbourne. This is the first setback since the arrival of Hervé Renard.
Les Bleues also saw one of their star players, Selma Bacha, hit in the ankle in added time. She suffers from a sprained left ankle but will stay with the Blues to heal before their entry into the World Cup on July 23 in Sydney, said Saturday the management of the selection, without however advancing on its duration. of unavailability.
France are in Group F, along with Jamaica, Brazil and Panama.
Hervé Renard will take charge of the French women’s football team. © Khaled Desouki, AFP
Eight times European champions, the Germans aspire to a new world title, several years after the two won in 2003 and 2007. They were ranked second in 1995, and fourth in 1991 and 2015. Objective of this selection: to find the prestige of those years – not so distant.
At the last World Cup, in 2019, the Germans, then reigning Olympic champions and tournament favorites, failed to face the Swedes in the quarter-finals with a score of 2 goals to 1.
Less than two weeks before the world in Australia and New Zealand, the Germans were nevertheless scared, after a defeat against Zambia, on July 7, on a score of 3 goals to 2. Zambia participates in its first phase FIFA Women’s World Cup final. The players of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg – the coach of the German team – hope to return to winning ways against Morocco in their first match of the World Cup on July 24.
The Germans will be in Group H, along with Morocco, Colombia and South Korea.
Lena Oberdorf, 21, is one of the players from Wolfsburg who joined the German women’s national team. ©Alessandra Tarantino/AP
Unhappy finalists of the last world against the United States, the Dutch are thirsty for revenge. One game away from winning their first world title, the Oranje had stopped in the round of 16 at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, out by Japan (then reigning world champion).
At European level, the Netherlands team won the Euro 2017 football championship, but lost in the quarter-finals against France in the 2022 edition.
Objective of the selection of Andries Junker – the Dutch coach – in Australia and New Zealand, to repeat, even surpass the scenario of 2019.
The Netherlands will be in Group E, along with Vietnam, Portugal and the United States.
Lieke Martens is one of the stars of the Dutch women’s team. © Frank Fife / AFP
The selection led by the Swedish coach, Peter Gerhardsson, hopes, on the occasion of the world in Australia and New Zealand, to break the curse haunting the Swedes, and win (finally) the coveted title.
Historically, Sweden is a team that has a solid experience in international competitions. Third in the 1991, 2011 and 2019 World Cup, she was also a finalist in the 2003 edition. But in eight editions of the Women’s Football World Cup, Sweden have finished on the podium four times, without ever to be able to lift the precious trophy.
Filippa Angeldahl, 26 years old, will play for the Swedish women’s team. © Martin Meissner / AP
Other statistics plead in favor of the Swedish team: winner of the Women’s Football Euro in 1984, semi-final of that of 2022. Not to mention two silver medals at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2021.
Sweden are in Group G, along with South Africa, Italy and Argentina.
The schedule and all the results of the 2023 Women’s World Cup matches can be found here.
#favorite #teams