Japan and China will spearhead Asian challenge
LONDON • Among the five teams to represent Asia at this year's Women's World Cup in France, Japan and China are likely to have the continent on edge as they seek to advance far in the tournament.
The Japanese team who were world champions in 2011 became a symbol of the nation's recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier that year, as well as an inspiration for women's football around the globe.
A number of younger players from the 2011 generation have matured to provide the current side with leaders in every area, including defenders Saki Kumagai and Aya Sameshima, midfielders Mizuho Sakaguchi and Rumi Utsugi, plus forward Mana Iwabuchi.
They are joined by a new crop with plenty of international experience, such as Moeka Minami in defence, Yui Hasegawa and Hina Sugita in midfield, and Rikako Kobayashi up front.
Japan have a style of play underpinned by hard work and good technique, demonstrating an ability to punish opponents with patient build-up and coordinated pressing.
But in a modern world where tactical trends are increasingly homogenised, Japan no longer possess the kind of qualities to stand themselves apart.
The 25-year-old forward Kumi Yokoyama is a real threat to defences however, capable of dribbling through tight spaces.
The Guardian predicts that Japan will reach the round of 16 at least.
For China, runners-up in 1999, they were just one step away from their first Asian title since 2007 in the Indonesian Asian Games last year, before being beaten by a last-minute Japan goal in the final.
The young generation of the Iron Rose are attempting to restore the team to their former glory, yet they are still some distance from the peaks they reached in the 1990s.
The defence, led by captain Wu Haiyan, is pretty settled but the line-up of the rest of the team depends on where the key forward, Wang Shuang, plays. She often has a free role and is expected to be firing on all cylinders after a largely successful season in France with Paris Saint-Germain.
Having reached the quarter-finals four years ago in Canada, coach Jia Xiuquan has said he would love to go one step further in France. But given the quality of the team, another appearance in the last eight might be more realistic.
South Korea, who reached the last 16 in 2015, will count on Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun's experience of playing in Europe.
Nicknamed "Ji Messi" by fans who regard her as the female equivalent of the Barcelona great, she is their record scorer with 54 goals in 115 appearances.
Australia will be led by captain and striker Sam Kerr, 25, as they hope to improve on their quarter-final exit four years ago.
Thailand did not make it past the group stage in 2015 and will seek a better finish this time round.
THE GUARDIAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
And unlike England camps of old where club rivalries have left to factions forming on international duty, Kane believes Gareth Southgate's squad will not be distracted ahead of Euro 2020 qualifiers against Czech Republic on Friday and away to Montenegro on Monday. "We've got a great bond here and at the end of the day we are good friends.
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp
Football: Liverpool 'did all we could' in Premier League race, says Klopp Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp applauds at the end of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Klopp : Liverpool 'did all we could' in Premier League race
Mourinho´s huge pay-off fails to dent Manchester United´s record quarter Woodward paid tribute to former youth coach Eric Harrison, who died on Wednesday evening aged 81, describing him
Man Utd spent £19.6m on sacking Jose Mourinho and backroom
- Crystal Palace moved further away from the Premier League relegation zone with a 3-1 win at fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday thanks to second half goals from Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha.
Football: Palace climb away from troube with 3-1 win at Burnley
FAS technical director hopeful Sigurdur Ragnar Eyjolfsson says Iceland can be model for Singapore With a population of less than 350,000, Iceland's meteoric rise in football has drawn questions here as to why Singapore cannot follow suit, with both nations hemmed in by limited human resources.
Football: New FAS technical director Joseph Palatsides
Nazri, 48, who was recently appointed assistant to new national coach Tatsuma Yoshida, said: "They responded to me very well and I always try to win the players' trust, that's the most important
Football: Even if they come on for just five minutes, I trust
Klopp calm for the run-in LONDON • The Premier League title race is the most competitive it has been for years, but Jurgen Klopp is not having a "heart attack" whenever he hears nearest challengers Manchester City have won.
John Barnes urges calm from Liverpool fans in title run-in
A Spanish court on Wednesday acquitted former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, who spent nearly two years in pre-trial custody, of money laundering. Rosell, his wife and four others, were accused of "large-scale money laundering" of close to EUR 20 million (USD 23 million) since 2006, relating to television rights and sponsorship deals in
Spain court acquits former Barcelona president of money
(In the statistics below, "astronaut" is applied to all space travellers to avoid the use of "astronaut/cosmonaut".) During spaceflight. As of December 2018, in-flight accidents have killed 18 astronauts, in four separate incidents. The current statistical fatality rate is 3.2 percent.
Molly Parker On How Deadwood Set the Stage for Lost in Space
Jaguars ban four fans who threw objects in Seahawks game. The Jacksonville Jaguars announced officials have banned four fans responsible for throwing objects during Sunday's game at EverBank
What happens when you are banned for life from a baseball
Football: Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax in Champions League, says Allegri Ronaldo (rear) and Alex Sandro during a walk round at Juventus Stadium on April 9, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS
Cristiano Ronaldo losing battle to be fit for Juventus
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment