Tag: World Cup

The Semi-Final Surprise: A Breakdown of the Swedish National Team

Posted on by Backline Soccer

The USA vs. France may have been deemed #LeGrandMatch on social media, but it was the Swedish national team that shocked the world in the quarterfinals when they defeated Germany 2-1 and secured their ticket to the semi-finals in Lyon. 

Sweden seems to have gone under-the-radar in the analyses of this tournament. They started off in Group F, alongside the United States, Chile, and Thailand. They earned a 2-0 victory over Chile in their opener, a 5-1 victory over Thailand in their second match, and suffered a 2-0 defeat to the United States in their third match, securing second place in the group behind the United States. In the Round of 16, they handed Canada a 1-0 defeat thanks to a goal from Stina Blackstenius in the 55th minute and a late penalty save by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindhal.

Most people probably didn’t even have Sweden beating Canada, let alone Germany. 

The match started out well for the Germans, who scored their goal in the 16th minute off the foot of Lina Magull. But Sweden quickly responded with a goal of their own in the 22nd minute from Sofia Jakobsson. From that point on, Sweden seemed firmly in control of the game. They played a defensive game, denying the Germans any opportunity to create many good chances. But Blackstenius and Jakobsson managed to create many moments of beauty on the counterattack. In the 48th minute, Blackstenius knocked a rebounded ball into the back of the net, the goal that would earn the Swedes a trip to Lyon. 

Sweden has been consistently underestimated in this tournament. They are a country with a rich history in women’s soccer, including an appearance in the World Cup final in 2003. They won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, famously knocking out the United States in the quarterfinals. This will be their fourth semi-final appearance in their Women’s World Cup history and yet the world seems to have already written them off as serious contenders for the title.

 While their attack has certainly improved, the Swedes are comfortable playing a defensive game. Their defense is led by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindhal (Chelsea) between the posts and Nilla Fischer (Wolfsburg) and Linda Sembrant (Montpellier) in the central defense. In the midfield, there is team captain Caroline Seger (Rosengård) and Kosovare Asllani (Linköpings). Asllani has been one of the critical components in the Swedish attack, either scoring goals herself (she has two so far in this tournament) or creating goal-scoring opportunities for her teammates.

The most notable players up top for Sweden are Stina Blackstenius (Linköpings) and Sofia Jakobsson (Montpellier). Blackstenius has only scored two goals this tournament, but they have both been game-winning goals in knockout games. Jakobsson scored her first goal of the tournament against Germany, but she seemed to be finding a rhythm throughout the game. The two of them will be dangerous players on the counterattack and difficult to defend.

Some people have noted that the United States already defeated Sweden in the Group Stage. But it is also worth mentioning that Sweden benched many of their starters for that match, prioritizing their players’ health and fitness above beating the United States. The situation on the field would likely look very different if these two teams meet in the final.

It is also worth noting that Sweden has not had an easy road to get to this semi-final. They have taken down Germany and Canada in their knockout matches. And while the road ahead of them isn’t an easy one, it also isn’t one this team is going to shy away from. 

The Swedes have done the work on the field. They have also remained calm and focused in critical moments, getting wins even when they went down a goal to Germany or when Canada got a late penalty. They have the mentality to win. And they should be considered serious contenders to lift the World Cup trophy. 

 

How Did It Get So Late So Soon?

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Time is a funny thing. We always think we’re going to have more of it. That we can do more with what time we have. In sports time is everything. American football, basketball, hockey, soccer, they all have clocks controlling when it’s time to end the game and declare an outcome.

When it comes to players’ careers the clock is still there, tick, tick, ticking away. We just can’t look up at the top left of our screens and see the seconds passing. We don’t know if Alex Morgan is in the 41st minute of her career or the 65th. There is no clock over Lucy Bronze’s head that ticks slowly by to tell us when she might take her final turn on the pitch.

But sometimes the writing is on the wall. While there is no clock over their heads there is a sense that we’re getting close to the 90 minute mark. Will they get one minute of stoppage time or seven? Will there be last minute heroics or an uneventful whining down to the final whistle?

I wish we had more time with some players. It doesn’t feel like we should already be nearing the end.

I wish Christine Sinclair had more time. I wish she was nearing her halftime mark and not inching ever closer to the full time’s three whistle blasts. But we thought we had more time. We’re human and she is an all-time great. We let what we wanted cloud over to what we may otherwise have seen. We took for granted that Christine Sinclair would break the all-time goal scoring record at the World Cup. We assumed without looking at the clock, without knowing how much time there was left that there was more of it. And we were wrong.

I don’t know if Sinclair will play in another World Cup for Canada. If she is fit and able to contribute in 2023 I would love to see her out there. But Father Time? He’s undefeated and his sense of timing is not always one we can understand. And like it or not he is coming in on Sinclair before any of us are ready to see the collision.

Every World Cup this happens. And every World Cup we feet a little sting at what it means to never to see Lauren Holiday play again or Célia Šašić lace up her boots or Abby Wambach to put in another header. Win or not we see players who use the World Cup as their last bow; that last moment to turn their face toward the sun and just try to stand in the warming rays. We see the tears from players in federations that have not supported them who know they may never return to this stage. We see giants in the game know their time has come and they must go from a player on the field to a supporter in the stands as those who came before them did.

Time moves on if we’re ready for it to or not. Players go from the next big time to elder stateswomen of the game. Marta goes from lighting the world on fire to impassioned pleas to the next generation. Sinclair goes from being in the shadow of those who have come before her to the giant who supports the next generation on her shoulders. Why did time have to move so fast?

The World Cup is the greatest event in sports. Every four years like clockwork it shows up and puts on a show for us. The truth is the clock has already started ticking on players who haven’t gotten their first senior cap yet who will play in 2023 or 2027. Time does not work on our schedule but on one we cannot control or predict.

“How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss once asked.

That’s a very good question.

The USWNT vs Spain: Is This Your King?

Posted on by Backline Soccer

You know that scene in Black Panther when Killmonger and T’Challa fight for the first time and at the end, Killmonger points down at a bloody and beaten T’Challa and shouts “IS THIS YOUR KING?”

That’s what Spain did to the United States of America in front of 19,663 fans. They pulled the USWNT apart at the seams and exposed them for the whole world to see.

Defense?

Where.

Offense?

The only two USA goals that happened in this game came off PKs.

According to the official stats, the USA registered 12 shots, with only 3 on goal. 3 shots on goal. Spain came into this match the immediate underdogs and were expected to be handled by the Americans, only to turn the tables on them very early in the game, making a play in the box in the first two minutes.

Already we were seeing the cracks of the defensive foundation that escaped scrutiny in the group stage. In the knock-out round the USA found themselves in a bad position that took almost the entire game to get out of. Spain had a game plan going into this match and they stuck to it. They were physical, yes, but they were also smart. Almost all of their fouls were getting the ball so they wouldn’t get carded along with the foul. Alex Morgan is going to be a walking bruise for the quarter final, something France will be keeping in the back of their minds.

First off, let’s talk about the FIFA Player of the Match, Megan Rapinoe. She was awarded this for her pair of PKs and not anything she did on the pitch. If I can say this, I feel comfortable saying that Rapinoe was one of the worst players on the pitch. She constantly lost the ball, she got herself in bad positions and when she did take a shot, the ball was sent to the parking lot. She hasn’t been the Megan Rapinoe everyone knows since the slaughter against Thailand and that has been evident for some time now. She will no doubt continue to get the start, but I think a real discussion needs to be had about her role as a starter.

Now to look on the bright side! Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis were an absolute joy to watch. Lavelle has really come into her own since this tournament began and has continued to surprise me with how much better she gets with each game played. I was worried about her when she picked up all those injuries in 2018, but they seem to be a thing of the past. Mewis was equally incredible to watch, showing everyone (including her coach) why she should have been starting this whole time. She and Lavelle together in the midfield has been one of the best pairings since Lauren Holiday and Carli Lloyd and Heather O’Reilly.

With that being said, we need to talk about the defense. I’m not sure where all the disconnect and miscommunication was coming from, but that defense looked like they had never played a game together in their lives. Crystal Dunn, who is normally such a bright spot, was getting beaten again and again on the flank. I think I heard Kelley O’Hara’s name called three times. Abby Dahlkemper was doing her best and Becky Sauerbrunn found herself playing every role to keep the peace. I don’t know what kind of pep talk Alyssa Naeher was given, but it needs to never happen again. Spain’s only goal of the game came off a horrendous back-pass to Sauerbrunn who was caught off guard and couldn’t clear it out quickly enough. Jenni Hermoso took that ball off her feet, whipped around and shot the ball past Naeher, who could do nothing but watch it happen. Spain showed everyone what La Roja are made of and almost knocked the USA out of the World Cup in the Round of 16.

At the end of the day, the USA is advancing to play France thanks to two PK goals and Spain is going home, heads held high and asking just one question: is this your king? Is this your 2019 World Cup Champion?

Only time will tell.

Cameroon’s legacy is already cemented

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Emotions ran high during Sunday’s meeting between England and Cameroon. Cameroon qualified for the Round of 16 thanks to a stoppage time goal from Ajara Nchout that lifted them to a 2-1 win over New Zealand in their final match of the Group Stage. It was their second time qualifying for their Round of 16 in their second-ever Women’s World Cup. 

Cameroon was frustrated early. In the 4th minute, Leuko was booked for a yellow card after elbowing Nikita Parris in the face. About ten minutes later, Annette Ngo Ndom, the goalkeeper for Cameroon, picked up an intentional back pass and England was given an indirect free kick inside the box. Toni Duggan rolled the ball for captain Steph Houghton, who sent the ball into the back of the net. 

During stoppage time in the first half, Ellen White put away another goal for England. The goal was initially ruled offside, but after consulting VAR, the referee allowed the goal. The Cameroon players were furious and they didn’t hide their emotions. After a few moments, the players set up for the last few kicks of the first half. 

At the start of the second half, Cameroon scored a goal very similar to the one England had scored at the end of the first half. But this time, the referee consulted VAR and decided the goal was offside. Cameroon was outraged and again, it took a bit of time for them to regain their composure and return to the pitch. 

Cameroon ultimately lost the match 3-0. After the loss, England Head Coach Phil Neville spoke to the media and he was livid about the emotion the Cameroon players showed. “There are young girls that are playing all over the world seeing that behavior. For me, it’s not right.” 

There is a lot to dissect in Phil Neville’s comments. But what I want to emphasize is that Cameroon’s legacy in the world of women’s football has already been solidified. 

During the match, Al Jazeera published an article titled “FIFA World Cup: The Cameroonian girls who dream of football.” The article talks about Rails Football Academy, the first football academy for girls in Cameroon. It is the project of Gaelle Enganamouit, the star of the Cameroon side. 

The academy trains around 70 girls, who have all had to fight sexism and poverty to get here. 

“Here they have everything: coaches, jerseys, training equipment, a physiotherapist, and the guidance we give them all the time,” said coach Emmanuel Biolo. “Gaelle Enganamouit really wants these kids to be the next generation.”

Al Jazeera talked to two teens who dream of playing professional football. For them, Enganamouit is a hero.

“I’ve seen Gaelle [Enganamouit] play on TV. I’ve never missed one of her matches,” one girl said. “She plays so well, I want to be like her.” 

That’s the example this Cameroon team sets for girls. And that will be their legacy. 

 

A Round of 16 Clash: The Grasshoppers vs the Matildas

Posted on by Backline Soccer

Australia entered the World Cup and were seen as a team that should go far.

With Sam Kerr having two record seasons in the NWSL, she is without a doubt the best player on the team. She was called into action early on in the opening match against Italy, scoring her PK goal of this tournament in the 22nd minute and giving the Matildas a 1-0 lead in the first half.

This would turn out to be for naught as Barbara Bonansea would stun an entire nation and score twice in the 50th minute and in the dying seconds of stoppage time to give Italy their first victory and Australia their first defeat of the group stage. It’s fair to say not a lot of people were expecting Italy to win and questions were asked about the defense.

These questions would continue well into the second match against Brazil as Australia saw themselves go down 2-0 in the first half. Caitlin Foord would score in stoppage, breathing new life in the team as they completed what can only be described as an epic come back, becoming one of the few teams to ever come back from behind and win a world cup game. Brazil’s collapse notwithstanding, the Australians still didn’t look as confident as everyone had expected them to.

They were able to easily dispatch Jamaica in their final group stage match, with Kerr taking front and center in the spotlight, scoring four goals against the Reggae Girlz, a personal best for the youngster.

With this resounding victory, have the Aussies solved their defense problems to take on a red-hot Norway? The answer to that question might have been “yes” before it was reported yesterday evening that defender Steph Catley suffered an injury in the game against Jamaica.

Now?

Australia might be back to square one, with Gema Simon, Clare Polkinghorne, Karly Roestbakken and Teigan Allen on the bench. The best bet seems to be Polkinghorne and Roestbakken, who both played the first and third game, to get the start. However, we could see Simon with her first start of the tournament as she is the regular stand-in for Catley. The Aussies will have had forty-eight hours to figure out how to anchor their backline without Catley.

Norway came into this tournament accompanied by a ghost. The glaring absence of superstar Ada Hegerberg was all anyone could and would talk about, instead of the team itself that rose from the ashes of a disastrous 2017 Euro to claim a comfortable spot in Group A.

A lot of people appeared to wonder how Norway would fare without Hegerberg, a question The Grasshoppers had no problem answering. An explosive team performance saw them emphatically beat Nigeria 3-0 and  sending a message: they have everyone they need to win. This mentality would face an early test against a white-hot French team. After keeping Les Bleues at bay all first half, the Norwegians would give up two goals in the second half, with a gift of a howler from Wendie Renard to put them on board. Despite their best efforts, they would fall 2-1 to France. Not allowing themselves to dwell on the defeat, Norway would face South Korea in their final group stage match and get back to their winning ways with a 2-1 victory.

Finishing second in Group A has pitted this fierce Norway squad against Australia, both with something to prove. Norway didn’t give up a lot of goals and the ones they did came off of set pieces and PKs. As a defensive team, they’re very good at frustrating their opponents and disrupting the passing lines. Their offense is capable of scoring, both in the run of play and on the counter. If they can keep Sam Kerr contained, stay patient, stick to their game plan and strike on the counter, they have a good chance of eliminating Australia from the World Cup.

Book Review: The Making of the Women’s World Cup

Posted on by RJ Allen

In The Making of the Women’s World Cup: Defining Stories from a Sport’s Coming of Age, Kieran Theivam and Jeff Kassouf take us on a journey across seven tournaments, spanning almost three decades, and deliver well on the promise of the title. These are indeed some of the defining stories of the event, which collectively come together to construct a broader picture of the women’s game as a whole.

Each chapter focuses on a specific country, and generally centers on the specific tournament that defines that group. That means that each of the winners gets a chapter, but also allows for a few other interesting stories that don’t necessarily result in lifting the trophy at the end. For example, we get to follow the Australian teenagers as they work their way into a team on the margins of the event, and see them build up toward becoming one of the rising superpowers in the game. There is a similar chapter that focuses on England’s transition from a fringe player to a serious contender. 

This decision to tell narrower and more specific stories is very helpful, since it reduces the size and scope of the event, and allows emotion and experience to shine through. As Theivam and Kassouf present things, you get a clear sense of how the tournament progressed through the eyes of those actually participating. That doesn’t necessarily tell us everything we might want to know about the event, but it provides focus and clarity that might get lost in an effort to be more comprehensive. The story of how Silvia Neid or Kelly Smith or Julie Foudy reacted in a particular moment is bolstered if you’ve had a chance to dig into their story in some detail.

This combines with the other nice feature of the book: its ability to balance between straightforward reporting on the action (who scored the goals, who made the saves, how the individual games ebbed and flowed) and broader discussion of the social and cultural experience. The ability to draw on extensive interviews of the subjects themselves helps enormously here. You don’t just get a sense of what happened but also what it meant, and how people felt.

I do have two minor areas where I was left wanting a little more. The first is in the editing. This definitely reads like a book that needed to come out quickly to hit a deadline. It’s by no means a huge problem. The writing is fine; it just could have been tightened up a bit with another round of edits.

The second is more thematic. For completely understandable reasons, this is primarily a book about the big western countries (the US gets four chapters, England two, with just one for Brazil, Germany, Australia, and Japan, and none for any other nation). To be fair, those are generally the countries who have played the biggest role in the tournament, and you couldn’t reasonably tell ‘the defining stories of a sport’s coming of age’ without them. The US, after all, has won three World Cups and has come agonizingly close to another. It’s also the biggest media market and a two-time host of the event. And if you wanted to pick the single moment where the sport ‘came of age,’ the two most compelling answers might be the final matches of 1999 and 2015.

Still, there are plenty of important stories that don’t come from these few nations. It would be wonderful to dig into the experience of the great Chinese team of the 90s, the Norwegian winners from 1995, not to mention countries like Costa Rica, Nigeria, Colombia, etc. The World Cup, after all, isn’t purely an event for the winners. It takes an entire field of competition to produce the final result, and there are fascinating stories all along the way—many from players who had to sacrifice far more to bring themselves to this place.

This isn’t a critique of the book, which understandably had to make choices about where to devote its attention, and presumably was dependent on what kinds of interviews were available to fill in the gaps. It’s more just a recognition that there are still a lot of interesting stories still to be told in this area. All of which might be fertile ground for a follow-up, if the authors were so inclined.

Ultimately, this isn’t an encyclopedic study of every twist and turn, though it does offer a nice bit of that as well. But if you’re excited for this summer’s tournament, and want to get some perspective on what it all means, you won’t find a better resource than this book.

Which USWNT Players Are Going to France?

Posted on by RJ Allen

In some ways the 2019 USWNT roster is the easiest USWNT in years to predict.

The forwards are pretty much set, the midfielders are too, defenders are all here and accounted for and unless Adrianna Franch somehow hurts herself again the goalkeeper corps have assembled.

On the other hand trying to figure out how Jill Ellis rates two players that are both unlikely to see the pitch much (if at all) is an exercise in frustration.

But the show must go on and rosters don’t form themselves on a blank page.

The Goalkeepers

I hate to give spoilers this early but Alyssa Naeher, Ashlyn Harris and Adrianna Franch are the goalkeepers for the 2019 Women’s World Cup for the USWNT.

The three net minders have been one of the more constant positions under Jill Ellis in the last year. So unless one of them takes a knock, Jane Campbell will be left behind.

What’s more, we probably know who is going to play every minute, barring emergency. If history follows the same pattern we usually see from the US in major events, Harris and Franch will be called upon only if Naeher somehow loses the ability to use both of her legs. Just one might not be enough to cause a goalkeeper switch for the US.

All in all this is maybe the most stable and easy to call group on the roster.

The Defenders

Most of the defenders are pretty easy to pick out. Keyword there is most.

Unless they somehow take a knock that sends them into the middle of next week Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn, Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara, and Tierna Davidson are locks.

But five defenders does not a defensive core make.

Likely two out of the trio of Casey Short, Emily Sonnett, and Ali Krieger make the final roster. Krieger is the surprise here, having been put back on the radar in the last round of USWNT friendlies.

My money is on Sonnett and Short. But Krieger’s mix of experience and Short’s apparent lack of favor from Ellis might shift that scale enough for her to slip just out of the final 23.

The Midfielders

Allie Long and McCall Zerboni are going to France. If you had suggested that to me in 2017, I would have belly laughed over it. But Ellis has seemly chosen them as the back up players for when she needs to put out something other than her best XI, or if she needs to make a late sub.

The easy picks here–Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Sam Mewis, Rose Lavelle–make the roster in a walk. The four of them have been playing at varying levels of great for a while now.

There was a time when Andi Sullivan and Morgan Brian were easy picks here too but it seems that time has passed. Danielle Colaprico too seems to be on the outside looking in this round.

The Forwards

Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Mallory Pugh are France-bound in all circumstances less the catastrophic. Regardless of your feelings on her, Carli Lloyd looks to be included there as well.

My wild card here is Jessica McDonald.

McDonald is a throw back to the style of forward that is just bigger, stronger and able to be where you don’t want her to be when she needs to be. She doesn’t have the raw speed of a Press or a Morgan or the flair of a Heath or a Rapinoe but in a tough game she could be a difference maker.

Who goes to France and who doesn’t is more or less set. Ellis has shown us in the last year who she puts out against the top teams in the world and who sits in the stands.

The 23 below are a solid team. Time will tell if they are Jill Ellis’ idea of one.

Name POS Caps Goals Club Team
Adrianna Franch GK 1 0  Portland Thorns
Alyssa Naeher GK 43 0  Chicago Red Stars
Ashlyn Harris GK 21 0  Orlando Pride
Abby Dahlkemper DF 37 0  North Carolina Courage
Becky Sauerbrunn DF 155 0  Utah Royals
Casey Short DF 27 0  Chicago Red Stars
Crystal Dunn DF 83 24  North Carolina Courage
Emily Sonnett DF 31 0  Portland Thorns
Kelley O’Hara DF 115 2  Utah Royals
Tierna Davidson DF 19 1  Chicago Red Stars
Allie Long MF 42 6  Reign FC
Julie Ertz MF 79 18  Chicago Red Stars
Lindsey Horan MF 66 8  Portland Thorns
McCall Zerboni MF 9 0  North Carolina Courage
Rose Lavelle MF 24 6  Washington Spirit
Sam Mewis MF 47 9  North Carolina Courage
Alex Morgan  FW 160 101  Orlando Pride
Carli Lloyd  FW 271 107  Sky Blue FC
Christen Press FW 113 47  Utah Royals
Jessica McDonald FW 7 2  North Carolina Courage
Mallory Pugh FW 50 15  Washington Spirit
Megan Rapinoe  FW 150 44  Reign FC
Tobin Heath FW 147 28  Portland Thorns

The NWSL Is About To Start, Three Things I’m Excited For

Posted on by RJ Allen

Like most who follow the National Women’s Soccer League, I’ve been eagerly counting down the days to the start of the 2019 season. The off-season lacked a bit of drama for most teams, and while there was the occasional huge news drop, like the termination of the deal between the NWSL and A&E which will no longer have game of the week broadcasts on the Lifetime network, the late “will she or won’t she” drama of Tierna Davidson declaring for the NWSL draft, or the Reign FC name change that came with the move to Tacoma. As teams finalize rosters for the upcoming campaign in the shadow of the World Cup this summer, and league activity ramps up to come at us fast and furious, here are what I’m looking forward to this year.

New Gaffers In Charge

One of the signs on how competitive the NWSL is a team changing a head coach when results are poor or when a team needs a new voice to get the players over the hump, and into the playoffs. Washington and Orlando sacked veteran coaches when the teams ended in the bottom third of the standings, while Houston parted ways with Vera Pauw and hold new manager James Clarkson.  I’m excited to see how the Marc Skinner can give Orlando a new identity in what is to be a challenging year. As players heading to the World Cup come and go, will Orlando be able to take a step forward in development? I’m curious how the Spirit will bounce back with what has to be a shift in culture from how Jim Gabarra ran the show. Coach Clarkson has the pieces to finish higher than the 2018 version of the team. However, the Houston Dash appear to have the talent in place to see the team make the playoffs for the first time in team history. Houston appears less impacted from the World Cup as the other teams with new coaches. Could this be the year the Dash make the postseason?

 World Cup Bounce

With the league not on television and attendance dropping for most teams last season, the “World Cup bounce” is something that needs to happen for the league to continue on a positive trajectory. NWSL matches will be streaming on Yahoo Sports domestically, but I want to see what sort of TV deal the league can get in place after the World Cup is over. My expectation is the league has to have at a minimum the playoffs and championship games broadcasted on television. I’m trying to give the league office the benefit of the doubt on having a plan to boost the presence of its players and the product on the field once all the players that missed time in France return. Additionally, I’m hoping to see a spike across the league at the gate. Each team in the league should be thinking of marketing during and after the World Cup, and I know it isn’t going to have the same impact across the teams. I just want the momentum to actually be a thing. Perhaps even have the league announce any plans of expansion around this time. This pipe dream is starting to get carried away.

Can Lightning Strike Twice For the Courage?

I think it’s fair to say that North Carolina was one of the most dominant teams to play in the world. On top of all the Courage achieved domestically, the team came away with the International Champions Cup over the likes of PSG and Lyon. Recently, the ICC was announced to take place in Cary with the Courage defending the cup at home. Obviously the champions of the league last year are also favored for this season, and even though my loyalty isn’t with North Carolina, I’m just looking forward to seeing if they can be as successful this year as they were in 2018. Every match played for the Courage will be must-watch as far as I’m concerned, either to watch the dynasty continue or to see them stumble, it will be entertaining to me.

Those are my top three things I’m excited for this NWSL season. Hopefully, we are all in for a treat as women’s soccer will be in the spotlight. There are several unanswered questions still to be seen, such as how will the season go for Sky Blue or will the Reign attendance change with a new location. That being said: Are you not entertained?

Euro Roundup: World Cup Qualifying Special

Posted on by RJ Allen

Welcome to Euro Roundup! This edition will be a bit different: with European World Cup qualifying nearing the end, we will take a look at how recent qualifiers have gone as well as the state of play with future qualifiers.

While other federations have recently kicked off their qualifying campaigns, national teams in Europe have been in qualifying since September of last year. With the majority of it completed, some teams are close to booking their place in the World Cup in France in 2019.

Group 1

England took on Wales in what was to be the toughest test so far. A record crowd of 25,603 people watched the match at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton. Wales set themselves quite defensively and their game plan worked. The way they set up made them really hard to break down. The best chances were long-range ones but Laura O’Sullivan made some amazing saves on the day and Wales took away a well-deserved point.

While that was it for Wales, England had one more game this time against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia have been and were again a frustrating team to play against, but England came away with a 2-0 win this time and went to the top of the group.

Group 2

Group 2 saw some close matches again. It kicked off with Switzerland taking on Scotland. Switzerland had won all their previous matches in qualifying and looked to continue that here. It was closely contested, with the Swiss winning 1-0 with the winning goal scored by Lara Dickenmann.

The following day, Poland and Albania saw out a 1-1 draw with goals scored by Katarzyna Daleszczyk and Geldona Morina. The final day of matches had Albania taking on Belarus and Scotland taking on Poland. Albania beat bottom-of-the-table Belarus 1-0, but it wasn’t easy. Lucie Gijini scored just a couple of minutes from time to take all three points.

Scotland vs Poland was a close match as well but there were a couple of incidents that changed the game. First, Scottish goalkeeper Lee Alexander saved a penalty. Later on, Paulina Dudek was sent off after getting her second yellow and that opened the game. All three of Scotland’s goals were scored in 12 minutes. Zoe Ness scored her first international goal in the 79th minute, Claire Emslie scored seven minutes later, and Erin Cuthbert rounded off the scoring in extra time.

Group 3

The Netherlands had a double helping of the Irish in these qualifiers as they took on both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland were up first, and another record crowd of 30,000+ were in attendance—the Dutch European Championship win really has changed attitudes and opened up people’s mind to women’s football over there. They were in for a real treat as the Netherlands thrashed Northern Ireland 7-0. A few of the more notable names were in on the scoring. Lieke Martens opened the scoring and doubled the lead eight minutes after her first goal. Vivianne Miedema added another, and Sherida Spitse made it 4-0 when she put away a penalty before halftime. There wasn’t much let up after the break. Shanice van de Sanden made it 5-0, with Spitse getting her brace, and an own goal sealed the deal.

It was a tougher test in the next match, with just a 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland. The previous fixture between the two had ended in a draw, but the Orange Lionesses weren’t taking any chances with that this time. Lineth Beerensteyn and Sherida Spitse scoring the only goals in the game, with Spitse putting away yet another penalty.

Group 4

Sweden and Denmark look to be the teams that might be progressing from their group but the order is yet to be decided. Only one team can progress automatically, with the runner-up up having to see if they will be one of the four teams in the playoffs. Right now, Sweden are in the driver’s seat. They only played once but made it a good win.

Hungary were on the end of a 4-1 defeat with Fanni Vago getting at least something from the game. Caroline Seger, Sofia Jakobsson, Stina Blackstenius and Mimmi Larsson were all on target that day. Meanwhile, Denmark won as well, but it was quite tough. They came up against Ukraine who are trying to get into the playoff spot at least, and they won by only a goal which was scored by Sanne Troelsgaard.

Group 5

Group 5 could throw up surprises later on, but it was pretty much business as normal this time. After going through a tumultuous time, Germany’s interim coach guided them to a good 4-0 win over the Czech Republic. For one of the players, however, it was a great game. Lea Schuller got all four goals that match, scoring two goals in each half.

Iceland are keeping pace with the Germans and are only two points behind with a game in hand. They had two games and came away with two wins. First up was a trip to Slovenia. They came away from that game with a close 2-0 win with goals from Gunnhildur Jonsdottir and Rakel Honnudottir. The next away game was a bit easier. Faroe Islands did really well in the preliminary stage, winning all their games, but have struggled in qualifying. Iceland won quite comfortably with five goals from five different goalscorers. Jonsdottir and Honnudottir scored yet again, as well as Harpa Thorsteinsdottir, Agla Maria Albertsdottir, and Fanndis Fridriksdottir.

Group 6

Italy is absolutely flying in Group 6 and look to be one win away from booking their ticket to the World Cup. They are in a group with fellow Euro 2017 teams Belgium and Portugal, but have won all of their matches so far.  They faced bottom side Moldova and managed to win 3-1. Italy scored twice in the first half with the first goal coming in the eighth minute. Anastasia Toma got one back for Moldova just before halftime, but Valentina Giacinti got the final goal.

The Azzurre faced a tougher test in the next match against the Belgians. The Red Flames took the lead when Janice Cayman slotted home a penalty. Just a few minutes later, Martina Rosucci got the Italians back in it. Cristiana Girelli scored the winner 10 minutes from time and kept the winning run going.

Group 7

Spain is also flying through their group stage. They have won all of their games so far and are on 15 points with Austria in second with seven. With three games remaining for both, Spain aren’t quite mathematically there just yet, but they are very close.

First up, Austria faced Serbia and they were a tough test for them. Serbia took the lead just a few minutes in but undid that good work by conceding an own goal. They held on and drew 1-1 with Austria dropping crucial points. Next up, Austria faced Spain in what was a Euro 2017 rematch. Spain avenged the Euro defeat with Jennifer Hermoso scoring the only goal.

Predictions

So who looks to be qualifying, who will be in the playoffs, and who may just miss out? As previously mentioned, Spain and Italy look set to be qualifying automatically in their next games. Spain face Israel on June 7 and Italy face Portugal on June 8. Switzerland look firm favorites to qualify as well, but there is a small matter of a game against Scotland who are behind them with a game in hand. The deficit is only six points so a win for Scotland could change things up. The Netherlands could qualify yet again. The Republic of Ireland are three points behind, but luckily they have both played each other home and away. It’s more about who could get second and a possible playoff spot. Norway won’t want to miss out on a World Cup, and they have a game in hand over the Republic of Ireland, as well as being only one point behind. They do still have to face each other both home and away; Republic of Ireland will host on June 8th and Norway will host on June 12th.

As previously mentioned, Sweden and Denmark are fighting it out for that top spot in Group 4 with Sweden three points ahead. This is another group where the top two will face each other. They face each other on the final day of qualifying which is September 4. Points will be crucial for Denmark, as they may miss out on playoffs as the other results stand at the moment. The biggest shock of all could come from Group 5. Iceland are currently second but they are only two points behind Germany with a game in hand. They shocked everyone by beating the Germans in qualifying earlier on. If they repeated that feat, they could qualify automatically with the Germans quite likely to be in a playoff spot. The crucial match between the two will take place on September 1.

Ending up where we began the roundup, Group 1 could have an interesting ending, with England leading the group just two points ahead of Wales. The two face each other in what is likely to be another well-attended match on August 31. However, with how certain results could fall, this encounter may be more attacking. Either side of that game, England face Russia and Kazakhstan away with wins looking likely in both. Wales face Russia as well as the stubborn Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s shaping up to be quite some race for those all-important World Cup spots so keep your eyes open in a couple of months time and see just who will go and who will falter.

Euro Roundup: WSL, Sweden, UWCL and the International Break

Posted on by RJ Allen

WSL Title Race

The NWSL may have just started but other leagues are nearing the end of their current seasons. One, in particular, is WSL1, which saw a big shock this weekend when Reading beat first-place Manchester City 2-0. Reading have been a tough team to beat this season and are starting to really show just how good they can be. An improvised bicycle kick finish by Remi Allen put the Royals in front and Kirsty Pearce secured the win for them despite going down to 10 players. City had plenty of chances but just couldn’t get past Mary Earps in the Reading goal.

Had City won, they would have capitalised on Chelsea dropping points to their London rivals Arsenal. The Chelsea-Arsenal matchup is always close and full of drama, and this one lived up to it. Sari van Veenendaal made an error in clearing the ball, which Ramona Bachmann latched onto before sending it into Fran Kirby. Kirby took a touch and poked it past Veenendaal to get her 20th goal in all competitions this season. Beth Mead leveled it up for Arsenal right before halftime with a great solo goal. She made a good run, beat a couple of the defenders, and finished well. She was easily one of the best players in that game and fully deserved the goal.

Birmingham City quietly moved up to third in the table with a good 2-0 win against Sunderland and Liverpool kept themselves near enough in the top five with a 4-0 win against Yeovil Town. Arsenal are just ahead in fourth of Liverpool on goal difference.

With matches still to be rearranged after weather delays, and some teams having games in hand, this title race could go right down to the wire. There is no room for error for any of the top five.

Sweden

As most of you will have heard by now, Christen Press has joined her former team Kopparbergs/Göteborg on a short team deal after the interesting saga with the Houston Dash. Press was last with this team after WPS folded, a spell with the club saw the team win the Svenska Cupen.

It’s been a few years, so let’s look at where the club is now and where the league is currently. Press has come into the league at the start with the Damallsvenskan kicking off April 14. Kopparbergs will kick off their season away against Rosengard on the 16th. Rosengard were runners-up last season, while Kopparbergs finished eighth last season out of 12 teams and will be looking to improve on that.

UEFA Women’s Champions League

This is another club competition nearing its finale for the season. UWCL is highly regarded as it really shows who is the best in Europe. History has already been made, with both WSL1 teams in the tournament—Chelsea and Manchester City—making it to the semifinals for the first time. It’s also the furthest that Chelsea have ever made it. They faced Montpellier in the quarterfinals, and while the French side did make it tough, Chelsea progressed through 5-1 on aggregate.

Manchester City made it interesting for themselves in the second leg against Linkoping. City took a 2-0 lead into the away leg and what ensued was a goalfest, with both teams going for it. The second leg ended 5-3 to Manchester City. The other two in the semifinals are usual suspects at this stage, with Lyon and Wolfsburg both making it through. Wolfsburg secured their place with a 5-0 win over Slavia Praha in the first leg, but drew 1-1 in the second. Lyon faced quite a tough test against a great Barcelona side but won both legs to put them through.

Both semifinals are on the same day with the first leg on April 22 and the second one on April 29. Both English teams will start off at home. Manchester City face Lyon, who they faced at this stage last year. Lyon won the first leg last time, but City managed to win the second one—although it wasn’t enough to put them through. City will be looking to go one step further this year.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be facing their nemesis Wolfsburg. The German team has put Chelsea out twice before in earlier rounds, but the third time could be the charm for the Blues. Chelsea have already come through a tough journey, beating Bayern Munich, currently second in the Frauen Bundesliga, on away goals. They then went on to beat Rosengard 4-0 over two legs before facing Montpellier. This is not the same team as in previous seasons, with manager Emma Hayes bringing in players to really strengthen Chelsea’s ability to compete on various levels. Chelsea are currently unbeaten in the league, and could finally beat Wolfsburg over two legs. These two semifinals are really unpredictable and we could see yet more history made.

International Break

This month sees four federations kick off or resume their World Cup Qualifications. AFC will see the Asian Cup take place in Jordan, with five teams qualifying for the World Cup. CAF will see teams in the first qualifying round for the African Women’s Cup of Nations, and the Copa America will directly qualify two CONMEBOL nations and send a third to a playoff against the fourth-place CONCACAF team.

The fourth federation is, of course, UEFA, and the European qualifiers look to be at the business end. Eight teams will qualify out of seven groups. Group 1 sees the top two teams, Wales and England, go head to head for the first time in this campaign. Wales currently top the table with 10 points, but England are behind by just one point with a game in hand. England have won all three of their matches so far, and will be full of confidence after performing well in the SheBelieves Cup.

England are now second in the world, but Wales won’t be too much of a pushover, with players like Jess Fishlock and Natasha Harding in their ranks. 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the encounter, which takes place at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on April 6 and it should be a great atmosphere. Expect England to win and thrash their next opponents Bosnia with Wales ending their campaign later on in a playoff spot.

Group 2 is a bit more wide open, with Switzerland on top, with 12 points, and Poland second with six points and a game in hand. Group 3 is quite close, with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland level at seven points, while Norway have six points. The Netherlands and Republic of Ireland face off on April 10. Group 4 has Denmark and Sweden first and second based on goal differential, with Denmark to face third-place Ukraine. Germany will look to regain their form against the Czech Republic, who are second. Rounding out the groups, the top two in Group 6 (Italy and Belgium) face each other April 10, while Spain and Finland in Group 7 play April 6.

We could see teams going a step closer to their place at the World Cup and maybe a few shocks as well.