There’s nothing left. The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is just around the corner. On July 20, the ball will roll and all eyes will be on the 32 teams that will fight to get a place in the final on August 20 at the Australia Stadium, in Sydney. Until then, there are still many unknowns to be resolved, with a Spanish team under construction and great rivals to avoid. This will be the first World Cup to ratify the global expansion of women’s football.
Will Alexia Putellas go to the World Cup?
The Spanish team looks at the World Cup with doubts. The team led by Jorge Vilda, which should be one of the favorites due to the quality of its players, is in no man’s land waiting for the dispute to be resolved. Problem that divides the locker room. After 15 players, among them 6 azulgranas, asked not to be called up until changes were made to the structure of the team, tension and instability have settled in the dressing room. At the time, the captains –Irene Paredes, Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas– gave their support to their companions. Now, despite the fact that none of the ‘fifteen’ have decided to return to the national team, two of the captains have. First it was Jenni, after a statement where she asked for unity and dialogue, and now it has been the turn of Irene Paredes, in the last call before the World Cup.
For this reason, all eyes are on Alexia Putellas. The Barça captain, in the process of recovering from her left knee, still doubts her participation in the World Cup, despite the fact that everything indicates that will be on the list definitive of Jorge Vilda.
France, leader of change
while the spanish federation She remains immobile in the face of the worrying situation that concerns her wardrobe, the Frenchwoman has taken action on the matter and has cut her losses. Various players, led by their captain Wendie Renardannounced their decision to give up the national team and the World Cup in a new cry to heaven for a few professional working conditions for the soccer players “Unfortunately, I will not play this World Cup in these conditions. It may be that my face hides the pain, but my heart suffers… and I don’t want to suffer any more,” Renard said in the statement. A few days later, the federation made an unprecedented decision: Corinne Deacon ceased to be the coach of the national team and Hervé Renard took his place.
The new French coach has returned the smile to a team that aspires to everything. The one who was the coach of the Saudi Arabian team in the World Cup in Qatar, he left men’s soccer to accept his first experience in women’s soccer. With him, has come the change within the institution. A deep restructuring based on the needs of the soccer players and with a full will to professionalize the estate. For example, Renard has authorized the players of the French team to go to the concentrations with their babies, since she considers that keeping them away from her children for more than a week has a negative psychological impact. “It is essential to give players with small children a structure. France is a bit behind, we must take this step,” he said at the press conference for his presentation. With all these changes, France It is postulated as one of the favorites in this World Cup. With some of the best soccer players in the worldthe renewed airs in the dressing room are an omen of a great tournament for the galas.
England, the rival to beat
the english they have devastated this last year with all possible titles. The team led by Sarah Wiegman was proclaimed last summer champion of the eurocup at a packed Wembley and in front of his fans. Furthermore, just a couple of days ago, the English women once again wrote their name in the history books by winning the first edition of the very final, a trophy that pits the European champion against the Copa América champion. The Brazilian team tried, but could not prevail in a penalty shootout that fell on the side of the main favorite to win the World Cup.
In addition to an exceptional generation, the hand of her coach has been transcendental. Wiegman she is unbeaten since taking the reins of the British team with 26 wins and 4 draws in her 30 games as coach. Wiegman is the umpteenth example of a trend that she has prevailed in recent years: the great continental and world titles have been lifted by teams led by women. The eurocup England took it (Sarina Wiegmann, who also won the previous edition commanding the Netherlands), the last two World CupsUnited States (Jill Ellis), the America Cup who conquered Brazil (Pia Sundhage) and the Olympic Games from Tokyo went to Canada (Bev Priestman).
Many casualties and end of US hegemony?
The World Cup, however, will not feature some of the best soccer players in the world. After the plague of injuries –particularly torn cruciate ligaments– that have shaken women’s football this past year, many proper names will not be present in this summer’s competition. as own Alexia Putellas, Beth Meadleader of the England team, Vivianne Miedemabenchmark for the Netherlands, Marie-Antoinette Katotokey piece for France, Ludmila da Silva, indisputable in the ‘canarinha’… All of them are still immersed in the tedious recovery from the torn cruciate ligament that has kept them away from the pitch for a large part of this season. Of all of them, it seems that only Putellas and Katoto will be able to respawn in time.
On July 20, the race to dethrone the United States will begin. The North Americans have won the last two World Cups, and their hegemony in women’s soccer has been overwhelming. Now a different era begins, with new references that challenge the established order.
