2015 Women's World Cup

Lord Spencer wrote:Isn't it the same in Italy as well?

AFAIK in many of the classic football power houses, women football is treated rather negligently. Germany took quite a while until we put some focus on womwen football, too.

In Germany it was explicitely forbidden until 1970 (!) - no official football club within the DFB was allowed to have a female team. The DFB only decided to allow it when the women refused not to play and the DFB feared that we might set up our own version of the DFB.

By now about 1 million women are organised in football clubs under the DFB in Germany.

Hey RWO, why isn't Angerer playing for Germany against Brazil in the Algarve Cup right now? Injury?

Nadine Angerer isn't injured, but in the last matches, coach Silvia Neid decided to rotate her with Almuth Schult so that Schult would get more experience as Nadine Angerer isn't the youngest anymore and the German team is gradually phasing older players out and new players in (well, and of course we do have a lot of injuries like WPotY 2014 Nadine Kessler who will undergo surgery on her knee and now Luisa Wensing who broke her leg in the match against China and some others).

BTW, Silvia Neid gave three young players of the U20 World Champions their senior debut in the China match.

24 years old Almuth Schult isn't exactly bad either - she already stood in when Nadine Angerer was injured and played in the last Algarve Cup, and she was named IFFHS World Goalkeeper 2014 together with Hope Solo after she won the double of Bundesliga and Champions League with VfL Wolfsburg in 2013/14.

By the way, we already have the next top goal keeper waiting behind Almuth Schult, U20 World Champion Meike Kämper who was voted keeper of the tournament in 2014.

That Germany team, despite missing out on the Algarve Cup final, are well worth their #1 spot in the world rankings. Made a Brazil side that's drawn with and beat the USWNT this year look like amateurs at times.

Well, it is a pity that we can't play the Algarve Cup final against the USofA, but our girls messed up big time against Sweden who really played well in the first match. I hope that Germany and the US will have a nice match in Canada somewhere along the tournament!

The US looked much better in today's final against France. That early goal seemed to help calm nerves and give the US control.

23 days to kick-off. Germany going into this as favourites?

Hm. Dunno. We have about 7 or 8 starters injured.  On the other hand, that shouldn't be an excuse for a German NT. Plus Nadine Anger will want to lead the kids to the World Cup as she will hang up her gloves after the tournament.

Preliminary line-up for the German NT (will be reduced to 23 players by 24 May 2015):

GKs: Nadine Angerer (Portland Thorns), Laura Benkarth (SC Freiburg), Almuth Schult (VfL Wolfsburg), Lisa Weiß (SGS Essen)

Defense: Saskia Bartusiak, Bianca Schmidt, Kathrin Hendrich (all 1. FFC Frankfurt), Tabea Kemme, Jennifer Cramer (both Turbine Potsdam), Annike Krahn, Josephine Henning (both Paris St. Germain), Leonie Maier (Bayern München), Babett Peter (VfL Wolfsburg)

Midlfield: Fatmire Alushi* (Paris St. Germain), Melanie Leupolz, Melanie Behringer, Lena Lotzen (Bayern München), Sara Däbritz (SC Freiburg), Anna Blässe, Lena Goeßling (VfL Wolfsburg), Simone Laudehr, Dzsenifer Marozsán (both 1. FFC Frankfurt)

Strikers: Pauline Bremer (FFC Turbine Potsdam), Anja Mittag (FC Rosengard), Lena Petermann (SC Freiburg), Alexandra Popp (VfL Wolfsburg), Celia Sasic** (1. FFC Frankfurt)

*) née Fatmire "Lira" Bajramaj
**) nèe Célia Okoyino-daMbabi

Let's go Canada

England

Canada will definitely feel they have a shot since they'll be at home, but other than Sinclair their team doesn't look as strong as it has in the recent past.

Similarly the US still seems to be struggling a bit to find its new identity after the exit of Pia Sundhage in 2012.


Not sure about England, they have some talented players but I'm not certain they have the overall ability throughout the squad, or the management necessary, to win it all.


Japan and France are usually both quite competitive but I've seen and heard little about them, so can't really judge.

English NT (official call-up):

Goalkeepers: Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal); Karen Bardsley (Man City), Carly Telford (Notts County)

Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton (Man City), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Laura Bassett, Alex Greenwood (Notts County), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Casey Stoney (Arsenal)

Midfield: Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Fara Williams (Liverpool), Jill Scott (Man City), Jade Moore, Karen Carney, Jo Potter (Birmingham), Katie Chapman (Chelsea)

Forwards: Toni Duggan (Man City), Eni Aluko (Chelsea), Lianne Sanderson (Arsenal), Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns), Fran Kirby (Reading), Ellen White (Notts County)

BBC analysed the English squad here:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32611132


LOL, I just saw this here: "Confident England are targeting World Cup glory in Canada". Will English media ever learn?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/11/mark-sampson-england-world-cup-canada-hope-powell-katie-chapman-toni-duggan

German NT (official call-up)

Goal: Nadine Angerer (Portland Thorns, 138 caps/0 goals), Laura Benkarth (SC Freiburg, 0/0), Almuth Schult (VfL Wolfsburg, 20/0)

Defense: Saskia Bartusiak (70/1), Bianca Schmidt (both 1. FFC Frankfurt, 48/3), Tabea Kemme (13/0), Jennifer Cramer (both Turbine Potsdam, 20/0), Annike Krahn (116/5), Josephine Henning (both Paris St. Germain, 25/0), Leonie Maier (Bayern München, 24/3), Babett Peter (VfL Wolfsburg, 88/4)

Midfield: Melanie Leupolz (27/5), Melanie Behringer (103/26), Lena Lotzen (all Bayern München, 21/4), Sara Däbritz (SC Freiburg, 15/0), Lena Goeßling (VfL Wolfsburg, 71/8 ), Simone Laudehr (87/23), Dzsenifer Marozsan (both 1. FFC Frankfurt, 47/23)

Forswards: Pauline Bremer (Turbine Potsdam, 4/0), Anja Mittag (FC Rosengard, 119/33), Lena Petermann (SC Freiburg, 2/0), Alexandra Popp (VfL Wolfsburg, 53/27), Celia Sasic* (1. FFC Frankfurt, 103/57)

18 of the players already played in the Euro 2013 winning team, two belonged to the 2014 U20 World Cup winning team. Women World Player of the Year 2014 Nadine Keßler of VfL Wolfsburg misses the World Cup due to injury.

*) nèe Célia Okoyino-daMbabi

Source: http://www.sport1.de/fussball/frauen/2015/05/wm-aufgebot-bundestrainerin-neid-streicht-hendrich-blaesse-und-weiss

Gemany play a friendly against Switzerland right now in preparation of the World Cup during their training camp in Feusisberg (the same location where the Swiss men usually train before international matches). The match is played on articificial turf by the same company that will provide the turf in Canada, too.

Aaaand Switzerland scored in the second minute o_O
02.) 1:0 - Ana Maria Crnogorcevic


Swiss Nr.13 Ana Maria Crnogorcevic who just won the Champions League with her club team 1.FFC Frankfurt put the ball into the net behind Nadine Angerer.

The Swiss NT is coached by Martina Voss-Tecklenburg a former German international who once played together with Silvia Neid who is the German head coach. 8 (soon 9) of the Swiss players are starters in the German Bundesliga. The World Cup 2015 in Canada is the first big tournament Switzerland qualified for.

Hm. Somehow the kits are all wrong - Switzerland play in white, while Germany wear their brand new all red away kits. I'm more used to Switzerland playing in red and Germany in white...


The big red shirt in the background is what the Swiss kits normally look like.


Stylish bicycle kick by Bachmann

59.) 1:1 - Simone Laudehr
64.) 1:2 - Dzsenifer Maroszán


Dzsenifer Maroszán


Tsk tsk. And now Nadine Angerer decided to do a Manu Neuer and dribbled wildly around o_O

75.) 1:3 - Dzsenifer Maroszán


Still not looking happy that she was only subbed in and didn't start the match

FT - Switzerland 1:3 Germany


Swiss NT (official call-up for the World Cup 2015):

(click to enlarge)

Opening match in 30 minutes at 00:00 GMT+2

Hosts Canada will meet China PR to get the ball rolling.

Line-ups:

Canada: Mcleod (GK); Buchanan, Belanger, Sesselmann, Scott, Sinclair (C), Schmidt, Tancredi, Chapman, Filigno, Lawrence

China PR: Wang Fei (GK); Liu Shanshan, Wu Haiyan (C), Li Dongna, Wang Shanshan, Li Ying, Zhao Rong, Gu Yasha, Tan Ruyin, Wang Lisi, Ren Guixin

http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/round=268020/match=300269484/index.html

Canada favourites surely. But then I didn't even know China qualified so they are a complete mystery

China even hosted in inaugural tournament in 1991, a second one in 2007, and they were World Cup runners up in 1999. In Women's football you will often find some different countries who have good chances to go far than in the men's game.

Here you can see the results of the Women's World Cups so far: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup#Results

Let's Go Canada!

I remember Canada from the 2011 World Cup when they played against Germany. Very strong team with an impressive captain in Christine Sinclair!

Sinclair is literally the face of Canadian soccer and that is including mens team, because she is one of the world's best in her sport...unlike the men

the Country really supports the women a lot more then the men because we believe they actually have a chance

a lot has changed since that embarrassing 2011 performance, the Bronze at the Olympics has raised expectations and the manager has this team believing in themselves.

where as the manager in 2011 pretty much bailed on them


National Anthems begin ffs whose cutting onions in here

Yeah, when I just looked at the overview of the World Cups, Canada did get to the semis in 2003. Not bad! At home soil with the support of the people - who knows where they will end?

The Main course after that lovely appetizer.

This will be my first Women's WC. Only watched the finals of the last one.

The Chinese goalkeeper WANG Fei plays for Potsdam in the German Bundesliga, by the way. Not bad! (She managed to get the starting spot over German keeper Anna-Felicitas Sarholz)

Good job by Erin McLeod who managed to save the day after the mistake of the defender.

o_O That was a close call - well-executed Chinese freekick hit the post.

China the far better team. Canada's defending has been atrocious.

Pseudo wrote:China the far better team. Canada's defending has been atrocious.

China has completed four passes this entire half. Both sides are awful.

Chinese goalkeeper is decent though. She also could be wifey.

HT - Canada 0:0 China PR

@Betty La Fea

The Chinese goalie plays for Turbine Potsdam in the German Bundesliga (one of the most famous German clubs - 2 x CL winners, 6 x BL winners and some more GDR titles), so she has to be good as she managed to displace a German keeper as starter there (and we have a lot of good goalies in women football, too).