AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) – Four years after France fell flat within the Women’s World Cup because the host nation, Les Bleus return to the worldwide stage with a brand new coach decided to dethrone the United States.
France hoped to contend for the 2019 event title however was eradicated by the Americans within the quarterfinals in Paris. The plan for a greater outcome this yr was almost derailed in February when captain Wendie Renard give up the group “to protect my mental health” and two different gamers adopted her exit.
The French federation vowed to look into the state of affairs and in March fired coach Corinne Diacre with a yr remaining on her contract. The group changed her with Hervé Renard, who resigned as coach of Saudi Arabia’s males’s group to take the job.
Hervé Renard led Saudi Arabia to an upset over eventual winner Argentina within the males’s World Cup in November and, when he leads France in opposition to Jamaica on Sunday in a Group F match in Sydney, he might be simply the second coach to handle at each the boys’s and girls’s World Cups.
Hervé Renard additionally beforehand coached Morocco’s males’s group.
His hiring prompted Wendie Renard to return to the group and he or she’ll be on the sector for the primary ever assembly between France and Jamaica in girls’s worldwide play. It is France’s fifth look within the event, and Jamaica’s second look.
Jamaica misplaced all three of its matches in its 2019 debut, scoring solely as soon as whereas giving up 12 objectives. Its play on this World Cup will hinge on the efficiency of Khadija Shaw, a Manchester City striker who was one among solely two gamers to attain not less than 20 objectives within the English Women’s Super League from 2022-23.
Jamaica is one among many groups battling its federation over funding, and its gamers created a GoFundMe marketing campaign to boost funds for his or her preparations.
NETHERLANDS-PORTUGAL
The Netherlands returns to the Women’s World Cup seeking to go only one spot additional than 2019, when the Dutch misplaced to the United States within the ultimate.
The quest begins Sunday in a Group E match in opposition to Portugal in Dunedin. The Dutch beat Portugal 3-2 within the group phases of final summer season’s Women’s UEFA European Championship, and Portugal has misplaced seven of its earlier eight video games – together with 5 straight – in opposition to the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is with out star participant and all-time main scorer Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL enjoying for Arsenal in December.
Portugal is one among eight groups making its event debut and has performed in solely two earlier girls’s worldwide tournaments – the European Championships in 2017 and 2022. Portugal was knocked out within the group stage in each tournaments.
But the main target forward of this match has been the coaching situations in New Zealand, and each groups have complained that the amenities have been insufficient. Portugal coach Francisco Neto stated his squad couldn’t observe on its assigned discipline Friday as a result of heavy rain had made the enjoying floor insufficient.
The Netherlands has complained that its observe discipline in Tauranga is designed for cricket and too laborious for soccer.
Neto stated neither group can use it as an excuse in Sunday’s sport.
“It is what it is, and we need to adjust,” he stated. “Everyone has some problems with that. When we come here we don’t have many choice of pitches. All the teams and coaches want the same for their teams. We have problems with that too, not just the Netherlands.”
SWEDEN-SOUTH AFRICA
Caroline Seger will begin her fifth and ultimate Women’s World Cup on Sunday when Sweden performs South Africa in a Group G match in Wellington.
It might be Seger’s ultimate alternative to win a World Cup, one of many few gaps on her resume. Her 232 appearances for Sweden are essentially the most for any feminine participant in Europe.
“The World Cup has been my goal all this time, to be there and be able to train and play football again is everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m super-proud of the journey I have had,” Seger stated. “It’s about getting the one medal I’m lacking – to be right here with this nationwide group, that is my final likelihood. I gained’t be enjoying any extra World Cups.
“So to be able to hopefully help the team in every way I can to bring home gold would be of course a dream come true.”
Seger has two Olympic silver medals and two World Cup bronze medals. Sweden has by no means missed a Women’s World Cup, however has but to win a significant event.
It’s been an emotional journey for her and he or she broke down in tears discussing her comeback from harm in time to play in a single ultimate event. The 38-year-old midfielder has been combating calf issues and has barely performed for membership FC Rosengard this yr.
Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson nonetheless selected her for the roster, even when there was no assure Seger can be match to play. Seger was a second-half substitute in Sweden’s pleasant in opposition to Norway in April however was changed shortly afterwards as a result of her calf was bothering her.
“When I have felt that I am on the way back, I’ve had something happen that has caused me to back up again. Time runs away,” she stated as she began to cry. “I never thought that I would miss so many matches, I didn’t see that coming. It’s been a bad period.”
South Africa, in the meantime, is making its second event look. The group misplaced all three of its group video games in 2019 and is the the lowest-ranked group within the group that features Argentina and Italy.
South Africa can be a group embroiled in controversy as its gamers boycotted a pleasant this month in a dispute over wages. The South African Football Association put collectively a makeshift group that included a 13-year-old for the sport, a 5-0 loss because the World Cup squad watched from the stands.
The gamers stated Saturday the pay dispute was settled and they’re dedicated to enjoying the World Cup and won’t strike.
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