SPAIN vs ENGLAND

Squad named for Spain clash

Sunday, 13 June, 2010

Hope Powell keeps faith with 22 players from last qualifier in Malta.

The England Women’s Head Coach, Hope Powell, has named her squad for next Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Spain and she has called upon the same 22 players who travelled to Malta for the 6-0 victory last month.

A victory in Aranda de Duero would leave England within touching distance of a play-off place and in preparation for what could prove to be a pivotal game in the qualification campaign, Powell took her squad to La Manga last week in order to acclimatise to the hot weather.

The English-based players arrived in Madrid this afternoon, while the American-based contingent will meet up with the squad on Monday and the whole squad will then spend the rest of next week preparing for the game.

"It was a really good week,” said Powell, of the time spent in La Manga. “It was very competitive, which is what we required. The conditions are considerably warmer than they are in England, so to have to opportunity to train in these conditions could be invaluable. At the moment it’s so far, so good, but the real work starts on Monday.”

Spain and England are both nine points clear at the top of Group 5, although, crucially, England have a game in hand on their Iberian counterparts. These two nations met at the Den in April when a Katie Chapman strike gave Powell’s side a 1-0 win and a similarly positive result would further enhance England’s claim for a play-off berth.

"It makes our case a lot easier to manage,” said Powell, of this scenario, “but we won't get carried away. We are focused on getting a good result against Spain and then we'll take it from there.

"We know it's going to be a tough game. The last time we played them we got the result we wanted although it was a very tight game. I wasn't surprised by the way they played and we expect a similar style again.

“They're at home which will be to their advantage and we just have to be as well prepared as we usually are. We have to counter any of their strategies and try and get the result we want.”

Squad in full