PARIS • The Women's World Cup kicks off today amid unprecedented attention as hosts France take on South Korea in Paris.
"It's going to be a remarkable World Cup. The level of competition four years on from the last one has exponentially increased," said Jill Ellis, coach of the United States team, the reigning champions.
"Different teams are now rising and it's going to be a very open World Cup and we're excited to go out there and attack it."
Interest from the public is high with both semi-finals and the final, all to be played at the 59,000-capacity Stade de Lyon, sold out as well as the opening game at the Parc des Princes. The cheapest group-game tickets cost just €9 (S$13.80).
The United States are the queens of the game after winning the World Cup thrice and the Olympics four times and that experience is clearly visible in their current line-up.
At the end of May, Fifa calculated that the US had collected 1,893 caps between them and included eight players with at least 100 international appearances. Among them Carli Lloyd has 274 caps, Alex Morgan 163 and Becky Sauerbrunn 158.
For France, the key members of the Lyon team who have won four straight Champions League titles - Sarah Bouhaddi, Wendie Renard, Amel Majri, Amandine Henry and Eugenie le Sommer - are fast becoming French celebrities.
Germany, who can boast another Lyon star in Dzsenifer Marozsan, have won two World Cups and eight European Championships.
However, the power of the Americans and Germans is set to be challenged now that some of the other traditional football powers, who for years did not take women's football seriously, are catching up.
England and France, ranked third and fourth in the world, arrive with genuine hopes of winning the title. Spain, the Netherlands and Italy are all in the top 15, with the Dutch reigning European champions.
"Aside from USA, France and the Netherlands, teams like Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway are also playing very well," German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told broadcaster ARD. "It will be a very tight tournament."
69%
Matches at the World Cup (36 of 52) to be played at stadiums in France with a capacity smaller than 30,000.
Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the US team, believes that France could pose a big challenge.
"I think they are, in my opinion, the favourites for sure," said the midfielder. "They are a fantastic team, they're going to have obviously a home crowd with them. I feel like all the pressure is on them."
Yet, as they prepared to try to emulate the men's team and win the World Cup, France's women's team received a reminder that they are still not quite equal.
They had to move out of their rooms at the French football federation's training base in Clairefontaine, when the men's squad arrived last week to prepare for two Euro 2020 qualifiers.
The US team, whose popularity in their homeland has been the financial motor that has driven women's football, arrive embroiled in a legal dispute with their federation.
They want to be paid the same as the US men's team, who remain also-rans internationally.
Ballon D'Or winner Ada Hegerberg, who scored a hat-trick for Lyon in the Champions League final, will be absent in France.
She is boycotting the national team even though Norway pays women and men internationals the same, because she believes more needs to be done to improve the way women footballers are treated.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
Speaking ahead of Cardiff's trip to Arsenal on Tuesday, their first match since Sala's plane vanished, Warnock said it had been the most difficult week of his career and admits he had questioned
Warnock says Sala tragedy is most difficult week of his
Record 3.57 billion watch FIFA World Cup 2018, 1.12 billion tune in for France vs Croatia final The report further stated that the total viewership included 309.7 million people who followed matches through digital platforms. 231.82 million out of home and digital viewers tuned in for the final.
More than half the world watched record-breaking - fifa.com
FIFA backs 48-team World Cup in 2022 AFP March 15, 2019 AFP 3 Comments Miami (AFP) - FIFA moved a step closer on Friday to expanding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams and hopes to confirm the plans in June if a suitable co-host can be found.
FIFA study backs 48-team World Cup in 2022 | CBC Sports
VALENCIA: Valencia eased into the Europa League semi-finals for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spaniards Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a
Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs 16 Dec 2018 - 11:56 Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their second goal with Bernardo Silva, December 15, 2018.
Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs
Bayern reach German Cup final to keep double in sight The Bavarians, who also beat Werder in the league last week, will now face RB Leipzig in the final on May 25.
Bayern reach German Cup final to keep double in sight
Bilbao (Spain) (AFP) - Lionel Messi was short of fitness and Barcelona lacked spark as a goalless draw away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday offered fresh hope to their rivals in the title race. A thigh injury had limited Messi to 27 minutes against Real Madrid on Wednesday and while he played the full match at San Mames, Barca's assistant
Barca give fresh hope to La Liga rivals after Bilbao stalemate
Man City suffer shock Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace Premier League / 22 December 2018, 7:20pm / Ian Whittell Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Mamadou Sakho celebrate after the match.
Football: Manchester City beat Crystal Palace in Premier
Football: The great comebacks in Champions League history
Football: Atletico the greatest threat to Barca's La Liga
Real Madrid They say you should never go back. However, Mourinho has shown in the past that such an adage is one he has no time for, demonstrated by his return to Chelsea for a second stint after departing Real Madrid in May 2013.
Sacked Mourinho will be next Real Madrid - mirror.co.uk
Pep Guardiola welcomed Gabriel Jesus's return to form as the Brazilian struck twice in a 3-1 win over Everton as Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League.
Jesus fires as Man City snatch top spot from Liverpool | Free
Hammering is best form of 'respect' LONDON • Nigel Clough managed to retain his sense of humour after Burton's 9-0 trouncing by Manchester City, stating his hope that Pep Guardiola had "more than one glass" of wine on offer for the post-match drink.
The 2 Types of Respect Leaders Must Show - hbr.org
Pep Guardiola is confident his achievements at Manchester City will not be tarnished by UEFA's investigation into alleged Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches and trusted the club to resolve the
Guardiola trusts Man City to resolve FFP allegations - The
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri was so furious with his players after a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal he insisted on using a translator to ensure his every word was understood clearly without mistake.
Furious Sarri Slams Chelsea Players As "Difficult To Motivate
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen