|
Group B
|
USA |
|
|
|
Coach: Greg Ryan |
Sure to be among the favourites, the USA - participants at every previous FIFA Women's world finals and winners in 1991 and on home soil in 1999 - roared their way to China 2007 as champions of CONCACAF. In point of fact, the dominant American ladies are the only side in the region to take the honours in the history of the continental showdown.
Led by wily old campaigner and captain Kristine Lilly, the Americans beat Canada in the final of last year's CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup to book another ticket on the world stage.
Since taking over from April Heinrichs in early 2005, Greg Ryan - a former player in the North American Soccer League - has taken the USA from strength to strength. Undefeated in his first 26 games in charge, Ryan led the American gals to an Algarve Cup title, a Peace Queen Cup championship in Korea Republic and a CONCACAF Championship on home soil and will surely be relishing his side's chances in China in 2007.
North Korea enjoyed mixed fortunes in 2006. On the downside, the senior team conceded the continental title to China after losing 1-0 in the Asian Cup semi-final. However, a major shot in the arm was provided by their youth team, who shocked the watching world by sweeping past many superpowers of the women's game to claim the country's first-ever football world title, the U20 Women's World Championship. The triumph was made all the sweeter for the fact that the final saw them exact sweet and brutal revenge on China, winning 5-0 in Moscow.
North Korea first emerged as a force at the 1993 Asian Cup, which saw them take the continental stage reaching the final. China denied them glory on that occasion and in the years that followed, they proved Asia's big under-achievers until, in 2001, they returned to the Asian Cup final, where they again faced China, and this time they emerged triumphant.
A successful title defence in 2003 cemented the respect in which they continue to be held in their own continent, while in the international arena, they have already successfully qualified for two World Cup finals in 1999 and 2003, although they failed to progress beyond the group stage in either.
One of the strongest nations in women's football, Sweden have qualified for the finals of every World Cup. Their best performance came at USA 2003, when Germany only just pipped them to the title with a 2-1 win courtesy of a golden goal. Like the Germans, Sweden also had a change of coach in 2005, with Thomas Dennerby taking over from Marika Domanski-Lyfors.
Dennerby has since blooded a number of promising newcomers, among them Maria Aronsson, Marlene Sjoberg and Elin Ekblom. Nonetheless, the bulk of the squad travelling to China will come from the class of 2003. That includes the likes of Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson up front, as well as Hanna Marklund, Malin Mostrom and Therese Sjogran, all players with more than 100 international appearances to their name.
Dennerby is working to introduce more flexibility into his team's tactical approach in the run-up to the finals, enabling them to switch from their traditional 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 variation as the situation demands. And there is little doubt that the players have the ability to respond. In qualifying they racked up 32 goals - one more even than free-scoring world champions Germany - while conceding just six at the other end.
Nigeria has long dominated the women's football scene in Africa, but they now have their sights set on making their mark on the global stage.
The Super Falcons were crowned African champions for a fifth time last November, keeping up their monopoly of the continental game, but they have not been able to translate that dominance into success at the World Cup or the Olympics.
It has also not been through a lack of exposure because Nigeria are perennial competitors in all of the top events. They have been to every World Cup since 1991, but only once managed to finish in the top eight.
At the last World Cup, Nigeria lost all three Group A matches and failing to score a single goal. The majority of the squad is likely to return in China, including veterans Mercy Akide and Florence Omagbemi, who missed the recent African championship. Omagbemi played in the first-ever Women's World Cup in China in 1991.
|
|