Meet Brazil’s opponents in the Women’s Cup – 07/17/2023 – Sport

Brazil’s women’s team shouldn’t have much difficulty qualifying for the group stage of this year’s World Cup. The tournament starts this Thursday (20).

Of the three countries the Brazilians will face, two have already crossed Brazil’s path in past World Cups. Only one represents actual danger.

Main rival in Group F, France was the one who eliminated the Brazilian team in the round of 16 in 2019 and arrives in Australia and New Zealand as one of the favorites for the title.

Four years ago, in the group stage, the yellow and green team beat Jamaica.

The two countries will be rivals for Pia Sundhage’s charges now, all with their problems on and off the pitch.

See below who will be on the Brazilian path in the group stage of this year’s World Cup.

Panama

Participations in World Cups: 1
best placement: Premiere in 2023
When: 24.July.23, at 8 am
Where: Hindmarsh Stadium, Australia

Qualified for its first World Cup after overcoming Papua New Guinea and Paraguay in recaps, Panama has disputes on and off the pitch.

One of the biggest underdogs of the tournament, the team will be in Australia and New Zealand to gain experience. But there is a more tangible objective: to equalize the money distributed between the men’s and women’s teams.

“We are going to prepare ten times better than in a normal situation, because we are going to face the best in the world”, said coach Nacho Quintana. In a friendly in preparation for the World Cup, Panama was thrashed by Spain 7-0. He asked, in an interview on the FIFA website, that his players not lose their joy despite the adversity.

In a 4-5-1 formation, the Panamanian priority will be to avoid conceding too many goals. This should overwhelm the main name of the squad, midfielder Marta Cox, 25. The first player in the country to play in the Mexican league, she is considered an example for girls from poor neighborhoods in Panama City, the country’s capital.

She will have as a partner in the frame the young Deysiré Salazar, 18, scouted by teams from the United States and pointed out as someone who may have superior talent even to that of Cox.

France

Participations in World Cups: 5
best placement: semifinal in 2011
When: 29.July.23, at 7 am
Where: Brisbane Stadium, Australia

Eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Cup, when it was the host, France has a lot to prove in 2023. Considered one of the favorites for the title this year, the team arrives at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand after a period of crisis, change of coach and the disappointment of having fallen from the last Eurocup in the semifinal.

At the end of February, captain Wendie Renard, 32, one of the best defenders on the planet, announced that she would no longer play for the national team. Others considered starters confessed to the thought of following her. The president of the national federation, Noel Le Graet, was accused of sexual harassment. There was also dissatisfaction with the work of coach Corinne Diacre and the structure offered to the women’s team.

The solutions were emergency. Le Graet resigned from office. Diacre was eventually fired and replaced by Herve Rennard (no relation to Wendie), coach who led Saudi Arabia in the last men’s Cup, when he was the biggest upset of the competition by defeating future champion Argentina. Four years earlier he had managed Morocco in Russia.

With the change in the coaching staff, Wendie Renard went back. But the new commander will not be able to count on the forwards Delphine Cascarino and Marc-Antoniette Katoto, both from Lyon and injured.

In the squad for the World Cup, midfielder Amandine Henry, 33, reappeared after a three-year absence.

Despite the classification having been conquered with 100% success in ten games of the qualifiers, there is distrust for the performance of the selection in the important competitions. In qualifying, there were 54 goals scored and four conceded.

If Grace Geyoro is the main assistant of the team, with participation in goals in eight games of the Qualifiers, and Eugenie Le Sommer is one of the main scorers, the star of the team is Renard, with his style of so much class that it is described as “imperial” by European publications.

With her in charge, the tendency is for the team to use the 4-3-3 and the short time to adapt to what the new coach wants can also be an unfavorable factor for France.

Jamaica

World Cup appearances: two
best placement: group stage in 2019
When: 2.Aug.23, at 7am
Where: Melbourne Rectangular, Australia

Barring a big surprise, Jamaica does not have a considerable chance of qualifying, but will have a chance to win a match at the Women’s World Cup for the first time when they face Panama on July 29.

In its only previous participation, in 2019, the team lost all three matches by rout. One of them, for Brazil by 3 to 0.

To provide better training and travel conditions for the selection, virtual crowdfundings were opened to raise US$ 175 thousand (R$ 840 thousand). The financial issue became a huge crisis in the selection in the months leading up to the trip to Oceania.

A text released jointly by the players complained about the bad conditions of transportation, accommodation, structure for training, food and other problems for the selection’s matches. Even after several meetings with leaders, the issues were not resolved.

The team that traveled to Oceania has players born in the United States and the United Kingdom, but with Jamaican ancestry, repeating the formula used by the men’s team that qualified for the 1998 World Cup, in France.

Although it has young athletes who can attract attention, especially in attack, Jamaica’s results will basically depend on what striker Khadija Shaw, 26, who scored 31 goals in 30 games last European season, can do. Of physical strength, speed and strong in the aerial game, she is difficult to mark.

The goalscorer’s success will also depend on midfielder Solai Washington, 18. Born in the United States, she is the youngest member of the squad and was still in high school in the United States when she was called up by Jamaica for the first time. Coach Lorne Donaldson also called up other newcomers, such as goalkeeper Liya Brooks, 19; and striker Kameron Simmonds.