June 3, 20197 yr Author Mack, you've added everyone else to the opening post except me. Sorry Houdini, included you there. A case of brainfade there on my part.
June 5, 20197 yr Author The sweepstake draw will be taking place tomorrow. There are 5 spaces left. Just to say I appreciate you all taking part in this. So cheers. :), it means a lot.
June 6, 20197 yr Author Here we go, draw numbers happening in random order: 19. King Rollo Chile 500-1 After Chile failed to qualify for the 2015 World Cup, the country's national federation did not arrange any matches or training sessions for two years. The team dropped from 41st to 128th in the Fifa rankings. But Fernanda Pinilla, the team's 24-year-old fullback, has acted as president of the female players' union, and increased the visibility of the sport and improved conditions for female footballers. Surprisingly, Pinilla was left out of Chile's 23-player squad by coach Jose Letelier
June 6, 20197 yr Author 6. Houdini Australia 20-1 Australia have lacked stability in the build up to the competition, with previous coach Alen Stajcic sacked in January and replaced by Ante Milicic. Milicic heads into the tournament with less than four months experience as the Matildas’ head coach, and made a bold decision in omitting Kyah Simon from the squad. The Houston Dash striker has scored five times in two previous World Cups, but recent injuries have left her with minimum playing time in the last months. Mary Fowler made the cut instead, and at 16 is the youngest player confirmed for the tournament.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 23. PeteFromLeeds Sweden 25-1 At 36, Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl is limbering up for her fifth World Cup. Since making her international debut, the veteran keeper has become the face of women’s Swedish football and has amassed over 150 caps for her country. Ahead of the tournament, the Chelsea keeper - who will not be returning to the London club after the summer - trained with Swedish second tier side Superettan. “I’ve always loved these ad hoc sessions with a men’s team. They can challenge me in different ways and you know me, I love a challenge!” she posted on her Instagram page.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 20. Iz~ Japan 16-1 The 'Nadeshiko' head to France with grand plans of reaching a third successive final of a tournament they won eight years ago. A young squad has been assembled with one eye looking further ahead to the 2020 Toyko Olympics. Of the Japanese's 23-player squad, 14 are aged 23 or younger. Aya Sameshima, at 31 years-old, is one of the more experienced members and was part of the 2011 triumph in Germany. Japan have an impeccable record at the World Cup, qualifying for all eight editions.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 24. dobbo China 25-1 Formerly the dominant force in Asian women’s football, winning eight AFC Asian Cups and hosting the first World Cup in 1991, China have had less success over the last decade or so. Now Asia’s fifth-ranked team, their ambitions are lofty, with head coach Jia Xiuquan - a former men’s team player - setting his aims at reaching the final, if not winning the tournament outright.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 15. LewisGT Canada 20-1 The hosts of the 2015 World Cup, Canada boast one of the world’s leading international goalscorers in Christine Sinclair. The 35-year-old and captain of the national side has netted 181 times for her country and could break the all-time international goalscoring record, which is held by the USA’s Abby Wambach at 184. A potent midfielder who is widely regarded as Canada’s best female footballer of all time, this tournament will be her fifth Fifa World Cup.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 11. Klumzee Scotland 150-1 Scotland head coach Shelley Kerr has attributed the rise of the Scotland national team over the past few years not only to the work of her predecessor, Anna Signeul, but the increased professionalism across women’s football that ensures many of her players are full-time professionals - a world away from her own experiences. After winning the first of her 59 caps for Scotland in 1989, aged 18, Kerr worked on working on a VCR assembly line at Mitsubishi, and had a daughter, Christie, now 22. Famous for making history as the first woman to coach a senior men’s side in Britain when she took over Stirling University, Kerr’s bold steps followed an 18 month stint as Arsenal women’s manager, in which she won three trophies. Her Scotland side have similar pedigree, from the WSL alone, Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert is a Champions League semi-finalist; Lisa Evans and Kim Little are reigning champions with Arsenal; Jen Beattie and Caroline Weir FA Cup winners with Manchester City; Jane Ross an FA Cup finalist with West Ham; Manchester United’s Lizzie Arnot will join them in the top tier next season. Kerr has tasked her players with escaping the group but it is not hard to imagine them causing England problems when the pair meet in Nice.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 5. Wall England 6-1 The England head coach, Phil Neville, has little doubt that his side can go on to win the World Cup - an expectation he has never shied away from expressing publicly. There are, however, still some unanswered questions as the tournament looms ever-closer: what, for instance, is Neville’s best starting XI? Often Neville’s reign has impressed and concerned in equal measure, but despite the absence of midfielders Jordan Nobbs and Izzy Christiansen, Neville boasts a wealth of world-class players. Neville feels his captain, centre back Steph Houghton, is playing the football of her career; he argues often that Lyon’s Lucy Bronze is the best player in the world and the right back has just won her second successive Champions League with the French champions. The former Manchester City striker Nikita Parris finished second top scorer in the Women’s Super League this season and recently followed Bronze across to France, having been named the Football Writers’ Association player of the year.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 22. Mack Nigeria 500-1 The women’s national team have recently spoken out about the lack of equality in Nigerian football - pointing to their bonuses which came to only a third of the men’s teams. Their dominance in the continent is noteworthy, winning nine of the last 11 African Cup of Nations, helping them to qualify for every single World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1991.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 8. bigwiglaf Brazil 25-1 Brazil have possibly the most recognisable name in women’s football heading their team in Marta, but the story of the squad announcement was Formiga’s inclusion. The 41-year-old midfielder, who plays for PSG, announced her retirement from international football after the Rio Olympics, but it seems could not help but return. France will be a record seventh World Cup for the Brazilian, who has amassed 167 international caps since 1995.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 7. DJHazey South Africa 500-1 South Africa will be hoping to progress beyond the group stages having exited at this stage at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics. The side’s captain, Janine van Wyk, is the most capped player to represent the nation - male or female. The defender earned her 150th cap in September last year and currently holds the record as the most capped South African player of all time, with 166.
June 6, 20197 yr Author 9. Chez Wombat Jamaica 1000-1 Jamaica became the first Caribbean team ever to qualify for the World Cup, following a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Panama last year. Nicknamed the Reggae Girlz, the team were saved by financial ruin in 2014 by Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella, who organised and contributed to fundraisers to aid the ailing side. Now, after a long 12-match qualifying campaign, Jamaica are making their tournament debut - thanks in part to Shaw’s 19-goal contribution
June 6, 20197 yr Author 13. Leonardo Italy 66-1 Italy are in the mix for the first time since 1999 after missing out on the last four World Cups. Their woes at missing out on a 2015 spot in a final play-off were assuaged by qualification this time, but because of their hiatus from the top echelons of the game, not a single member of the current squad has been to the tournament before. With Australia and Brazil standing in their way, this is a tough group to try to progress from.
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