2023-07-20 07:30:18
BarcelonaThe presentation of the list of the Spanish national team called up for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was supposed to be a day of celebration at the headquarters of the Spanish Federation. It was quite the opposite. The lost looks, the shy applause and the sour apples face of some of the players evidenced the great rift that exists in the Red. A wound that has not healed since fifteen footballers declared themselves in rebellion and asked for the coach’s head. A month after that event, the expedition is already in Oceania to start the tournament. Under normal conditions, they would be favourites. Today, no one dares to predict how things can go.
The women’s national football team tournament starts this Thursday with the duel between one of the hosts, New Zealand, against Norway in the opening match (9 am). Then it will be the turn of Australia, who will play against Ireland (12 noon). They will be the first matches of a vindictive tournament, which aims to mark a turning point and finally be equal to what the men play. To begin with, there are 32 selections, the same as in the men’s World Cup. With the United States as current champion and candidate to revalidate the throne, the appointment will last until Sunday, August 20.
Spain’s options, marked by the conflict with ‘the fifteen’
Spain focuses much of the attention. The Red it already started as a favorite in the last European Championship, but fell resoundingly in the quarter-finals against England. There was already bad mood in the atmosphere, but that day the conflict with the coach broke out completely. Most of the players asked for the head of Vilda, whom they accused of not being up to the circumstances. The Federation sided with the coach, and he did not hesitate to separate the players like someone who separates rotten fruit from a basket. A year later, only three of these footballers have returned to the state team. “Spain has never had a team so complete and with so many possibilities”, assured Vilda in the preview.
Despite everything, Spain starts as one of the five favourites, and is supported by the preparation phase, in which it has only lost one of the 13 games it has played, with a balance of 45 goals in its favour. The team has a base of Blaugrana players, with experience in international tournaments, as evidenced by the achievement of the Champions League this season. In addition to Alexia, who reappears after the cruciate injury, Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmatí and Ona Batlle are the three who have returned to the national team after the conflict. Irene Paredes, Cata Coll, Laia Codina, María Pérez and Salma Paralluelo are the other Blaugrana players. The debut, Thursday against Costa Rica (9.30 am).
The United States, the big favorite in the World Cup
The big favorite, however, is the United States. Winner of four tournaments, she aspires to be the first – in men’s and women’s categories – to be able to lift three consecutive titles. With Megan Rapinoe as a big star – she has already announced that she will retire after the World Cup – and with a team made up of young people rookieswill look to continue the victories achieved in Canada 2015 and France 2019.
England, champions of Europe in 2022, are also among the favourites, despite the team being without top scorer Beth Mead, who is still recovering from a cruciate injury. Germany, current European runner-up, and the Netherlands, current world runner-up, are the other teams to consider in a World Cup that must mark a first and a later.
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