The envelope please...

In retrospect, the 2011 Women's World Cup being awarded to Germany over Canada seems like an obvious decision. They've just hosted the most successful World Cup ever, and their women's team is the newly crowned world champions. Plus, the tournament has been in Asia and the USA for the past three cycles, so it's probably time to bring it back to Europe.

But it's prompted an awful lot of speculation that it's because FIFA has recognized what a mess the CSA is right now (no CEO, no technical director) and doesn't want to reward them with another big tournament until they get their house in order. It's also been suggested that FIFA isn't happy with the current CSA constitution, which awards votes depending on a province's contribution via player enrolment levies (with a voting cap at 25% per province) rather than giving each province an equal vote. Good luck with that, guys; insert your own Meech Lake joke here.

Oh, and there's also the fact that the U20 tournament this summer reportedly lost almost $2 million. That's outweighed by the economic impact, estimated as having contributed about $114 million to Canada's GDP. And most of the overrun was from unexpected additional costs that should be covered by FIFA. They're probably not thrilled by that either, although it's probably just a drop in the bucket of their annual budget.

So all of that may have played a part in the decision. I suspect the turmoil at the CSA was the biggest factor, although I'm rather more cynical about it; I suspect it was less because the FIFA suits cared about how well organized the bid was and more because they figured a country that couldn't even scrounge up some big names for the announcement wasn't going to be much use if they wanted a favour down the road. (Why yes, I have read Foul! recently, why do you ask?)

Wilkommen, meinen Damen und Herren...

FIFA has announced that Germany has been awarded the 2011 Women's World Cup, beating a bid from Canada, who were the only other contenders after the other potential host countries had dropped out.

On the one hand, I'm disappointed that the tournament won't be here, but on the other hand, maybe this'll give me an excuse to go to Germany in a few years...

Women's World Cup Final

Germany 2-0 Brazil

The final match featured the two countries that have undoubtedly been the best teams over the course of the tournament -- albeit with very different styles of play. All the cliches about the men's teams -- Germany strong, well organized, good in the air and clinical in front of goal; Brazil full of flair but weak at the back, and not afraid of a bit of simulation -- were equally applicable here. And in fact this was a replay of the men's World Cup final from 2002, even ending with an identical scoreline -- although it was 2-0 in favour of Germany this time around.

Brazil's defensive shakiness was apparent from the outset, with Kerstin Garefrekes shooting into the side netting, but nevertheless it was the Brazilians who had the better of the early chances and nearly scored from a free kick by Daniela in the 7th minute. Daniela also hammered a volley off the post in the 23rd minute -- she had a number of good chances throughout the game, but just couldn't seem to score. Germany also wasted a few chances and were having problems coping with the Brazilians' pace at the back, but they held on well and it was all scoreless going into halftime.

Germany came out stronger in the second half, and in the 51st minute, captain Birgit Prinz broke the deadlock. The ball was fed forward to Sandra Smisek -- who'd spurned a great opportunity to score in the first half -- and she checked back and laid it off to Prinz, who beat Andreia from 10 yards out. Brazil looked for an equalizer immediately, with a breakaway by Marta, but she was denied by a last-ditch tackle in the box. Germany responded by almost doubling their lead from a corner kick, as Annike Krahn's header flashed just wide of the net.

Then, in the 62nd minute, the moment that could have changed the match: Another break forward by Brazil, this time by Cristiane, and again the player was taken down in the box. But this time the referee rightly awarded a penalty against Linda Bresonik, which Marta stepped up to take. It wasn't well taken, though -- fairly central, and at the right height for the keeper -- and was easily blocked by Nadine Angerer, who had an excellent game in goal for Germany. A few minutes later, she followed up her penalty save by diving to push a free kick onto the post and preserve her record streak without conceding a goal.

Brazil continued to throw players forward, with Germany content to fend them off and look to attack on the break. It must have been a long, nervous second half for the Germans, though, as their second goal didn't come until the 85th minute, when substitute Fatmire Bajramaj won a corner that was headed in powerfully by Simone Laudehr to guarantee her team the victory. It made Germany the first team to win back-to-back Women's World Cups. And although there were good performances all over the pitch, from players on both sides, it ultimately came down to the two stars: Birgit Prinz, who delievered when it counted, and Marta, who didn't.

After the game, Marta was awarded both the Golden Ball and the Golden BootShoe. (I wonder if they're still voting on that before the final is over.) Birgit Prinz had to settle for the Silver Shoe -- and of course the World Cup itself, which is not a bad consolation prize.

The USA recovered a bit of dignity in the bronze medal match, beating Norway 4-1 to claim third place, with a brace from Abby Wambach. Hope Solo? Not even on the bench. Ouch. That's going to be a long, cold plane ride home.

And just to throw my two cents in: Yes, her post-game interview probably wasn't the smartest thing she could have done. If she'd kept her mouth shut, she'd be PR gold right now. But I can't fault her too much for not showing loyalty to her team, when it doesn't seem that they'd shown her much loyalty either with the original decision to bench her. (And if anything, she was criticizing the coaching decisions, not her teammates themselves.) But it seems to me that they're using her to deflect attention from the fact that the rest of the team didn't play well, and I think the way they've made her into a scaepgoat for their own failure is really shabby.

Women's World Cup: Semi-finals

Germany 3-0 Norway
This matchup between two of the traditional powers of women's football was actually much closer than the score would suggest. Both teams started strongly, and it was a very fast, open game, with Germany and Norway taking it in turns to break downfield, and only some excellent tackles from both sides preventing a goal. Norway probably had the better of the early chances, but Germany were always looking to cause trouble with Birgit Prinz and Kerstin Garefrekes running at the Norwegian defenders. And it was Prinz who created the opening goal just before halftime: fed from the wing by Fatmire Bajramaj, who'd come on as a sub just moments before, she cut the ball back across the 6-yard box, only for Norway's Trine Ronning to head it into her own net.

Norway almost equalized from a corner soon after, but they were still trailing at halftime and Germany were the stronger team after the break. The Germans' second goal didn't come until the 70th minute, however, as Kerstin Stegemann looped the ball over the keeper and in off the far post. The third goal came just five minutes later, as Martina Mueller pounced on an underhit backpass to put the final nail in the coffin for Norway.


USA 0-4 Brazil
I have to admit that I was shocked by this result: the pre-tournament favourites beated by upstart Brazil. (Shocked, and a little bit gloating; that's what you get for that obnoxious Nike campaign.)

The big story obviously is coach Greg Ryan's decision to replace Hope Solo with Brianna Scurry in goal. Ryan's going to get a lot of stick for this, and rightly so; Solo gave up two goals in the USA's opening game against North Korea but hadn't put a foot wrong since, and she deserved to keep her place, no matter how experienced Scurry is. Ryan supposely felt that Scurry's shot-stopping ability was more suited to the Brazilian's style of play, but nevertheless, switching goalies partway through a tournament is just dumb. First of all there's the always touchy question of whether your keeper will be psychologically prepared and confident, and second there's the risk that you'll mess up the all-important communication between the keeper and the defenders. I suspect that's what led to the first goal, an own-goal from a corner: in the replay you could see Scurry calling for the ball, but Leslie Osborne intervened and headed it into her own net. And it's possible that Scurry was at fault for Brazil's second goal, too -- a low, hard shot by Marta that beat her at the near post.

The USA's problems were compounded by Shannon Boxx being sent off for a second yellow just before halftime -- a terrible call by the referee. It looked like Boxx and Cristiane had just gotten their feet tangled up accidentally, and both players went down together. Cristiane was actually behind Boxx at the time, so if anything the foul should have gone the other way. Even before that, though, the USA was finding it hard to contain Brazil, with the Brazilians' pace and skill on the ball giving them problems from the beginning. Brazil came out strongly in the second half and sliced open the USA again with a goal from Cristiane. After that they had the luxury of slowing the game down and showing off their tricks -- like Marta's flick over the defender for their fourth goal.


The final between Germany and Brazil should be very interesting. I think I've been underestimating Brazil because, although I knew that they could score goals, I suspected that their defence could be kind of shaky. So I'm curious to see what will happen when they come up against a team like Germany that has a solid defense and no problem scoring goals of their own. (Kind of like what I expected from the USA, actually.) I'll be cheering for Germany, like I usually do. I suppose Brazil are the underdogs, but they're still Brazil, and besides, I don't think I can cheer for a team that was diving like they were -- not to mention the way Cristiane celebrated when Boxx got sent off, which just left a bad taste in my mouth. I really have no idea who's going to win, though.

As for the third-place match, the big question is who'll get the start in goal for the USA. And also whether Hope Solo has found the time to punch Greg Ryan in the face.

Women's World Cup: Quarter-finals

Germany 3-0 Korea DPR
Norway 1-0 China
USA 3-0 England
Brazil 3-2 Australia

All the results in this round were pretty much as you'd expect. North Korea worked hard but were eventually dispatched with stereotypical Germany efficiency, with goals from Kerstin Garefrekes, Renate Lingor and Annike Krahn. Hosts China were knocked out by Norway thanks to Isabell Herlovsen's first-half goal, with the Chinese squandering too many chances.

England held the USA to a scoreless draw at halftime and must have been hoping for a repeat of their first-round result against Germany, but the Americans took over after the break, with Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx and Kristine Lilly all scoring.

In the last of the quarter-finals, Brazil dominated the game and took a 2-0 lead over Australia midway through the first half. But the Matildas fought back and equalized, before Cristiane scored in the 75th minute to take Brazil into the semis.


I also want to go back to the draw between Canada and Australia that ended up with the Canadians being knocked out. Canada took the lead within about 30 seconds, but I think that early goal actually hurt them, because it meant that Australia came at them hard, while Canada just tried to defend. They held out until halftime but Australia equalized soon after, and Canada played much better after that, knowing that they needed a win to progress. It looked like they'd done it when Christine Sinclair headed home in a corner in the 85th minute, but then Cheryl Salisbury scored late in stoppage time to put Australia through.

A dramatic way to go out, but so disappointing for the Canadians, especially after they reached the semi-finals in 2003. I think that maybe they overachieved last time around, and this time they just weren't quite good enough. Although the battle between them and Australia was very close, I didn't see enough to suggest that they would have gone on to beat one of the other teams in the quarter-finals.

Women's World Cup: Day 5

Now that's more like it: Canada recovered from the disappointment of their opening game against Norway with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Ghana. Canada took the lead through a header from Christine Sinclair -- now Canada's top scorer at the World Cup -- in the 16th minute, and added three more goals in the second half.

In the other Group C game, a late goal from substitute Lisa De Vanna earned Australia a draw with Norway, after the Norwegians had taken an early lead with Ragnhild Gulbrandsen's second goal of the tournament, coming in the fifth minute. The draw leaves Australia still top of the group on goal difference, but tied with Norway on four points, with Canada close behind on three points. Everything comes down to the final games, with Canada and Australia facing off while Norway take on the eliminated Ghana.

Brazil continued to dominate in Group D, thumping China 4-0 with a brace each from Marta and Cristiane, including three goals in the space of six minutes on either side of half-time. Meanwhile, Denmark dominated their game against New Zealand, but it took two free kicks in the second half to earn them the win, one curled into the top corner by Katrine Pedersen and the second headed home by Cathrine Paaske Sorensen.

The Kiwis, who failed to put a single shot on target during this game, have been virtually eliminated now, but the question of which two teams will go through is still unresolved. Brazil's place in the quarter-finals is almost set, thanks to their two wins and outstanding goal differential, but they have to play Denmark, in their third game. China are level with Denmark on points and will be hoping for Brazil to help them out by beating the Danes, while they take on New Zealand in a game they should expect to win.

Group C
Canada 4-0 Ghana
Australia 1-1 Norway

Group D
Brazil 4-0 China
Denmark 2-0 New Zealand

Women's World Cup: Day 4

The most notable result from this round of games was England holding Germany to a scoreless draw. It was a thoroughly disciplined performance by England, as the defence stifled the German attack while Kelly Smith, leading the line on her own, harried them at the other end. England allowed Germany very few clear chances at goal, and keeper Rachel Brown was equal to those they did have, including an excellent save late in the game.

Argentina were Germany's victims in their first match, but they put on a much better show against Japan -- possibly heartened by goalkeeper Romina Ferro replacing the unfortunate Vanina Correa. Japan thoroughly dominated in terms of both possession and shots but couldn't seem to score, while Argentina could only muster up one shot on target. The one and only goal came late in the game, Yuki Nagasato pouncing on a rebound in stoppage time to give Japan the win.

That leaves Germany and Japan level with four points atop Group A, although Germany have a far superior goal differential. England trail with two points, but they still have a chance to move on to the next round if they win their next game and beat Argentina by more goals than Japan did.

In Group B, the USA bounced back from the disappointment of their draw against North Korea to defeat Sweden 2-0. Once again it was Abby Wambach (in this case, her presence rather than her absence) who made all the difference as she scored both goals for the USA, from a coolly taken penalty in the first half and a super half-volley in the second.

North Korea also won their second match 2-0, beating Nigeria thanks to two goals in the first half from Kim Kyong Hwa and Ri Kum Suk. Both goals came from set-pieces, the first directly from a corner that looped into the net over keeper Precious Dede (best. name. EVER). The Koreans and the USA are tied and lead the group with four points each; they face Sweden and Nigeria, respectively, in their third game, with both teams knowing that a draw will be enough to see them through to the quarter-finals.

Group A
Argentina 0-1 Japan
England 0-0 Germany

Group B
Sweden 0-2 USA
Korea DPR 2-0 Nigeria

Women's World Cup: Day 3

The Canada-Norway match was the first one I've actually been able to watch all the way through (not just highlights), because the Mothercorp in its infinite wisdom is only showing the games featuring the Canadian team during the group rounds. I realize there's probably not much of an audience for women's soccer, but come on: the matches are all at some ungodly hour of the morning. Surely they could pre-empt the cartoons for a few days.

Anyway, the 2-1 loss is a bit disappointing for Canada, but not a terrible result, as you would have expected this to be the toughest of their group games. Possession was about 60/40 in favour of Norway, but in spite of that it still felt like a pretty even game, especially in the first half. Canada had the lead at the break, with a goal from Candace Chapman after being set up by good work from Christine Sinclair, but it could have been two, had it not for Melissa Tancredi's early goal being harshly disallowed for a phantom foul on the Norwegian keeper.

Tancredi was replaced after the interval by Rhian Wilkinson, and Norway came out the stronger team in the second half. With Canada retreating into a defensive shell, Norway poured on the pressure and quickly equalized with a goal by Ragnhild Gulbrandsen. The winning goal for Norway came late in the came, scrambled into the net by Ane Stangeland Horpestad from a corner. I have to wonder if substituting Tancredi was a mistake, because her physical presence had shaken up the Norwegian defence and allowed Canada to create some good chances -- much like Gulbrandsen did for Norway. The way both teams reorganized at halftime only benefitted Norway, as they took the game to Canada, and only a few outstanding saves from goalkeeper Erin McLeod kept the score as close as it was.

Australia, surprisingly, are on top of the group after the other Group C match, beating Ghana 4-1 to earn their first ever win at a World Cup. The Matildas took an early lead through Sarah Walsh and followed that up with two more goals in the second half before Anita Amankwa scored a consolation for Ghana. It was too little, too late, though, as her team were unable to turn their share of possession into clear chances, and Australia scored again soon after to put the game out of reach.

In Group D, China and Denmark played out one of the most engrossing games so far. Denmark fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the 87th minute, but it was there was to be an even more dramatic ending to the match, as Xiaoli Song scored again for China just a minute later to secure the win. In the final match, New Zealand were comprehensively beaten by Brazil, who put five goals past them, including two from Marta. Still, at least the Kiwis managed not to capitulate as thoroughly as Argentina had in the tournament's opening game.

Group C
Norway 2-1 Canada
Ghana 1-4 Australia

Group D
New Zealand 0-5 Brazil
China 3-2 Denmark

Today's a rest day, and the second round of group games resumes tomorrow.

If you haven't seen any of the games, you should at least check out some of the highlights on the FIFA website, because there are some very good goals in there.

And a few other links:

• The Global Game has an interesting article about Marta and the state of women's soccer in Brazil
  
• The New York Times' Goal blog is covering the World Cup, albeit from an American-centric perspective
  
• Canada's Rhian Wilkinson is also blogging from China
  
• And finally, I don't believe I forgot to mention this earlier, but I have to pimp Kickster, an excellent new site covering women's football

Women's World Cup: Day 1-2

Last summer in the men's World Cup, Germany v. Argentina was one of the best games of the tournament. Not so much with the women's version. This was a blowout. A score you'd usually associate more with, say, Germany v. San Marino. The Germans were helped by some terrible goalkeeping by Vanina Correa, who put the ball in her own net twice, as well as some equally atrocious defending by Argentina; the back line might as well have not even been there for all the good they were. I think they just kind of gave up after the first five goals or so. But even so, it takes a pretty good team to score eleven times in the space of 90 minutes, including hat tricks for both Birgit Prinz and Sandra Smisek. WIR SIND DEUTSCHLAND. WIR SCHTOMPEN ON DIE PUNY SOUTH AMERICANS MIT UNSERE BIG SCHTOMPY BOOTS.

Fortunately, the other matches so far have been much closer. In the other Group A match, Japan scored first with a free kick from Aya Miyama, before England equalized and then took the lead with two quick goals from Kelly Smith. But in injury time, Miyama scored from another free kick on the edge of the box, leaving both teams with a share of the points.

(I'm not going to do the bad hair awards for this tournament, because most of the players just have ponytails, which is boring. But I have to mention Japan's Eriko Arakawa, who has a truly spectacular fro. How do you even head the ball with that?)

Group B, meanwhile, is wide open, as both of those games also ended in a draw. North Korea surprised the favoured Americans with two goals in the space of five minutes, both scored with the USA down to 10 players while Abby Wambach was off having a nasty head wound stitched up. I'm not quite sure why that took the team up so much, though -- if you're going to be missing a player, wouldn't you want it to be a striker?

And finally, Nigeria's Cynthia Uwak scored a late equalizer to give her team a deserved point against Sweden, who'd taken the lead early in the second half with a goal from captain Victoria Svensson.


Group A
Germany 11-0 Argentina
Japan 2-2 England

Group B
USA 2-2 Korea DPR
Nigeria 1-1 Sweden

Women's World Cup Preview: Group D

BRAZIL
Nickname: Canarinha
Current world ranking: 8
Coach: Jorge Barcellos, who previously led the U20s to the bronze medal at the world championship in 2006.
How they qualified: Runners-up to Argentina at the South American qualifying tournament in November 2006.
Past record: Have qualified for every World Cup – the only South American team to do so. Their previous best was a third-place finish in 1999.
Other results: Five-time South American Champions. Silver medalists at the 2004 Olympics.
Why they could win: The Brazilians have a skilful, fluid style of play and have also been working on improving their defence. On the other hand, they also have a relatively young side, and the lack of experience could bring them down.
Key players: Marta, the 2006 FIFA Women's Player of the Year, is essentially the female Ronaldinho. You've all see that YouTube video where she's basically dribbling around players for the fun of it, right? She's complemented up front by the left-footed Cristiane, who scored 12 goals in 7 games during their qualifying campaign, and the veteran Katia, appearing in her third World Cup.
Predicted finish: Quarter-finals

CHINA
Nickname: Steel Roses
Current world ranking: 11
Coach: Marika Domanski-Lyfors, who formerly coached Sweden, became China's first foreign manager when she took over this spring.
How they qualified: Qualified automatically as hosts, but also won the Asian championship in July 2006.
Past record: Runners-up to the USA in 1999, they were eliminated by Canada in the quarter-finals in 2003.
Other results: Eight-time AFC champions.
Why they could win: China have home-field advantage, which should give them an edge, but on the other hand there's a danger that they could crumble under the weight of expectation. The team will be trying to bounce back after a disastrous performance at the Algarve Cup earlier in the year.
Key players: Striker Han Duan, already a veteran at only 23, is speedy and good in the air. Ma Xiaoxu, another striker, is only 19 but was the AFC Women's Player of the Year in 2006. She won the golden ball and the golden shoe at last year's U20 world championship and is known as "Lady Wayne Rooney" in China – presumably for her goal-scoring prowess rather than any other similarities.
Predicted finish: Quarter-finals

DENMARK
Nickname: Nothing that I could find, but Wikipedia tells me that the men's team are called the "Danish Dynamite," which is…kind of lame, actually
Current world ranking: 6
Coach: Kenneth Heiner-Moller, who took charge last year after previously coaching the women's team at Brondby.
How they qualified: Narrowly won their UEFA qualifying group, with a 6-1-1 record.
Past record: Have made it to the quarter-finals twice, in 1991 and 1995, but failed to qualify in 2003.
Other results: Semi-finalists at Euro 2001; won the silver medal at the Algarve Cup this year.
Why they could win: Denmark have plenty of experience and are solid from back to front. They struggled through qualifying, though, and have never managed to set the world alight at this level.
Key players: Katrine Pedersen in defence, Anne Dot Eggers Nielsen in midfield, and Denmark's top scorer Meret Pedersen up front are the core of the team. They're complemented by attacking midfielder Catherine Paaske Sorensen, who was the top scorer in the Danish league last year.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

NEW ZEALAND
Nickname: Football Ferns
Current world ranking: 23
Coach: John Herdman, who moved up to become the senior team's coach in March after guiding the U20s through the world championships last year.
How they qualified: Easily won the Oceania championship in April 2007, finishing with a +20 goal differential.
Past record: Qualified only once before, back in 1991, when they lost all three group games.
Other results: Not much; they were perennial runners-up in Oceania until Australia moved to the Asian federation.
Why they could win: Let's face it, they probably won't. New Zealand have a relatively young side, leavened by a handful of more experienced players. They'll just be looking to pick up their first points in a World Cup tournament.
Key players: Veteran Maia Jackman, making her first appearance at the World Cup, is a versatile player who can play as a striker, centre back, or right-sided midfielder.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

Group Predictions
I originally picked Group B as the group of death, but I actually think it's this one, because Group B has the USA as clear favourites whereas here there are three teams all with an pretty equal chance of finishing on top. Denmark are ranked higher than both Brazil and China, but they're the weakest of the three Scandinavian teams and getting out of the group could be tough. I picked Brazil and China to go through, partly just for the sake of balance so that there'd be a South American and an Asian team in the quarter-finals.

Women's World Cup Preview: Group C

NORWAY
Nickname: Gresshoppene
Current world ranking: 4
Coach: Bjarne Berntsen, who took over in 2004 and guided the team to the final of Euro 2005.
How they qualified: Won their UEFA qualifying group, with a 7-1-0 record.
Past record: Won the 1995 World Cup and finished fourth in 1999, but were disappointingly eliminated in the quarter-finals in 2003.
Other results: Finished second at Euro 2005, and won the Olympic gold medal in 2000.
Why they could win: Berntsen has transformed the team with a more attacking style of play, and brought up new players from the U19s like Isabell Herlovsen and Stine Frantzen. However, they've suffered from a lack of consistent finishing up front.
Key players: Midfield playmaker Solveig Gulbrandsen, back after the birth of her first son, has 33 goals in 105 caps. Experienced goalkeeper Bente Nordby is one of the best in the world.
Predicted finish: Semi-finals

AUSTRALIA
Nickname: Matildas
Current world ranking: 15
Coach: Tom Sermanni, who returned to the team in 2005, having also coached them from 1994 to 1997.
How they qualified: Runners-up to China at the Asian championship in July 2006. With China qualifying automatically, Australia got the region's first qualifying spot.
Past record: Have qualified for three previous tournaments (1995, 1999 and 2003) but failed to make it past the group stage each time.
Other results: Three-time champions of Oceania before switching to the Asian confederation; also made it to the quarter-finals at the 2004 Olympics.
Why they could win: Australia has a talented, athletic team, with a mix of experience and youth. They beat China recently in two consecutive World Cup warmup matches.
Key players: Skipper and centreback Cheryl Salisbuy, with 127 caps and 30 goals, will be playing in her fourth world cup. Youngsters like Sally Shipard, Collette McCallum and Kylie Ledbrook have joined the team from the U20 squad.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

CANADA
Nickname: Big Red (really? ugh.)
Current world ranking: 9
Coach: Norway's Even Pellerud, who's been in charge since 1999; he previously managed the Norwegian women's team that won the World Cup in 1995.
How they qualified: Runners-up to the USA at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in November 2006.
Past record: Qualified in both 1995 and 1999, when they were eliminated at the group stage; in 2003 they had a great run and finished fourth.
Other results: Second at the 2007 Gold Cup. The U19 team also won the silver medal at the 2002 world championship.
Why they could win: The Canadian team is physically strong and quick on the break. They had a relatively young squad in 2003, when they made it as far as the semi-finals, but the team is more mature now, and looking to make up for the result in the Gold Cup this year, when they were only narrowly beaten by the USA in the final. They've had some uneven results recently, though, including a so-so campaign at the Pan Am Games and a scoreless draw with Japan in a World Cup warmup.
Key players: Captain Christine Sinclair, with 56 goals from 88 caps, is Canada's top scorer. She was player of the tournament at the U19 world championship in 2002, and then scored three goals in five games at the 2003 World Cup. Fellow striker Kara Lang is coming back from a torn ACL, but has a powerful free kick and is also good in the air.
Predicted finish: Semi-finals

GHANA
Nickname: Black Queens
Current world ranking: 47
Coach: Isaac Paha, who took over in 2004. He captained Ghana as a player and also coached the men's U17 team to second place at the world championships back in 1992.
How they qualified: Runners-up behind Nigeria at the African championship in November 2006.
Past record: Qualified twice before, in 1999 and 2003, but failed to make it out of their group both times.
Other results: Three-time runners-up for the CAF title.
Why they could win: Ghana have some talented players with lots of skill on the ball, but their chances are pretty slim, to be honest.
Key players: Attacking midfielder Adjoa Bayor, the former African Women's Footballer of the Year. Striker Anita Amankwa is a new addition to the team with plenty of speed.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

Group Predictions
Norway are the top seed and will be looking to redeem themselves after a relatively unsuccessful tournament in 2003. Winning the group could set up a European showdown with Germany in the semi-finals. I think Canada have a good chance of being the second team to qualify for the knockout rounds, but if they progress they'll likely come up against the USA in the semis. Australia have never made it out of their group before and I don't think they'll do it here either, while Ghana will just be trying for a better finish than their continental rivals Nigeria.

Women's World Cup Previews: Group B

SWEDEN
Nickname: Blågult (the blue-yellow)
Current world ranking: 3
Coach: Thomas Dennerby, who took over from Marika Domanski-Lyfors in 2005 after being named Sweden's coach of the year in 2004.
How they qualified: Won their UEFA qualifying group, with a 7-1-0 record.
Past record: Have qualified for every tournament and are perennial contenders. Their best showing was as runners-up to Germany in 2003, when they lost in extra time.
Other results: European runners-up in 2001; 4th place at the 2004 Olympics.
Why they could win: Dennerby has instilled a new tactical flexibility in the team, as well as bringing in some new blood, and it seems to have worked, as they racked up an impressive 32 goals in qualifying. But the team has been since hit by a string of injuries.
Key players: Strikers Hanna Ljungberg (no relation to Freddie) and Victoria Svensson led the line for Sweden in 2003, but with Ljungberg struggling with injuries, newcomer Lotta Schelin will have to step up and fill her boots.
Predicted finish: Quarter-finals

USA
Nickname: USWNT (wow, just as boring as the men's side)
Current world ranking: 1
Coach: Greg Ryan, who took over from April Heinrichs in 2005 and has a virtually flawless record with the team since then.
How they qualified: Won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in November 2006.
Past record: Have won the world title twice, in 1991 and 1999, but were knocked out by eventual winners Germany in the semi-finals in 2003.
Other results: They've won just about everything you can win in women's football, including the Olympics (twice) and the Gold Cup (three times).
Why they could win: Let's face it, they probably will. The USA recently regained their #1 world ranking, and they'll be out to avenge the loss to Germany in the 1999 World Cup. They've brought up a new generation of players who are probably even better than the squad that won the title before.
Key players: Striker Abby Wambach has 77 goals in 96 games; she's tall and strong, sort of like a female version of Didier Drogba, except blonde and less inclined to falling over. She'll be teamed up front with veteran Kristine Lilly, appearing in her fifth World Cup.
Predicted finish: Winners (much as I hate to say it)

NIGERIA
Nickname: Super Falcons
Current world ranking: 24
Coach: Effiom Ntiero, who took charge in 2006 after coaching the U19s at the world championship in 2002.
How they qualified: Won the African championship in November 2006.
Past record: Have qualified for all four previous tournaments; their best finish was reaching the quarter-finals in 1999.
Other results: Five-time African champions.
Why they could win: Nigeria has monopolized women's football in Africa, and they've got plenty of talent in the team. The core of the squad from 2003 has returned, plus some stars from the U20 team.
Key players: Young striker Cynthia Uwak, who has great pace and skill on the ball, and fellow centre-forward Perpetua Nkwocha, the 2006 CAF Women's Footballer of the Year.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

KOREA DPR (NORTH KOREA)
Nickname: None that I could find, but the men's team are known as the Taeguk Warriors
Current world ranking: 5
Coach: Kim Kwang-Min, an experienced coach who took over in 2005.
How they qualified: Finished third at the Asian championship in July 2006, but earned the region's second spot at the World Cup because winners China had qualified automatically.
Past record: Qualified twice before, in 1999 and 2003, but failed to progress past the group stage both times.
Other results: Won the AFC title in 2001 and 2003. The U20 side also won the world championship last year.
Why they could win: The Koreans are well organized and work hard, with plenty of speed and stamina. But they've been going through a rebuilding phase recently, and I suspect that they're missing that spark they need to progress.
Key players: Striker Ri Kum Suk is the team's captain and best-known player. She won the golden boot in the 2003 AFC championship, with 15 goals, but her scoring record isn't quite so impressive at World Cup level.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

Group Predictions
The USA should top the group easily, and I expect Nigeria to be at the bottom – although they're the best team in Africa, they usually disappoint at the World Cup. Second and third place, though, are a bit harder to predict. When I originally looked at the groups back in April, I picked Korea to go through, but now I might be leaning towards Sweden. Either way, the runners-up here will probably have to face the mighty Germany in the next round. Lucky them.

Women's World Cup Preview: Group A

GERMANY
Nickname: Die Nationalelf (nothing to do with Legolas; it means "the national XI")
Current world ranking: 2
Coach: Silvia Neid, who took over in 2005, having previously led the U-19 side to the title at the world championships in 2004. She was also a member of the German side that lost in the final in 1995.
How they qualified: Won their UEFA qualifying group with a flawless campaign, winning all eight games.
Past record: Reigning world and European champions, Germany are always one of the favourites for the title. Their worst performance was in 1999, when they only made it to the quarter-finals.
Other results: Six-time European champions; they were also bronze medalists at the 2004 Olympics.
Why they could win: Germany are a very talented and physically tough team. They cruised through qualifying, scoring 31 – with goals coming from all sorts of different players – and only conceded three, thanks to the strength of goalkeeper Silke Rottenburg and a solid defence in front of her.
Key players: Striker Birgit Prinz racked up eight goals in qualifying and is a two-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. Midfielder Renate Lingor is the team's linchpin; she has great vision and can be deadly from set pieces.
Predicted finish: Runners-up

ENGLAND
Nickname: Three Lions (or should that be the Three Lionesses?)
Current world ranking: 12
Coach: Hope Powell, appointed as the team's first-ever full-time coach (and also their first female coach) in 1998; she racked up 66 caps and 35 goals for England in her career.
How they qualified: Finished on top of a tough UEFA qualifying group that also included France and the Netherlands, with a 6-2-0 record.
Past record: Only one previous appearance at the World Cup, in 1995, when they were knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals.
Other results: Not much to speak of, although they were semi-finalists at the European championships in 1995.
Why they could win: Women's football in England has made great strides in recent years, boosted by hosting the Euro 2005 tournament, but there have also been setbacks like the Charlton ladies' team being closed down due to lack of funding. They lost 1-0 to China in a recent World Cup warmup game, but they're still riding the high from their successful qualifying campaign, where they only gave up two goals.
Key players: Strikers Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith, who both play for the quadruple-winning Arsenal ladies' team. Smith was the player of the tournament at the Four Nations Tournament in China last year.
Predicted finish: Quarter-finals

JAPAN
Nickname: Nadeshiko (the Japanese word for the wild pink carnation that has come to symbolise the country's ideal woman)
Current world ranking: 10
Coach: Hiroshi Ohashi, who took over in 2004.
How they qualified: Finished a disappointing fourth at the Asian championship in July 2006, but beat Mexico in a playoff to earn a spot at the World Cup.
Past record: Have qualified for every tournament, but their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 1995.
Other results: Four-time runners-up at the AFC championship.
Why they could win: Japan has a well-balanced, hard-working team. The players support each other selflessly, and they're good at creating space and passing around opponents. However, they struggled in qualifying, and hard work alone won't be enough to get them through the tournament.
Key players: Midfielder Homare Sawa, Japan's all-time scoring leader, with 60 goals in 118 caps. This is her fourth consecutive World Cup, and she's got lots of experience, having made her first appearance in the Japanese women's league at age 12.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

ARGENTINA
Nickname: Albicelestes
Current world ranking: 29
Coach: Carlos Borello, who's been in charge since 1998; he previously coached at San Martin de Burzaco in Buenos Aires.
How they qualified: Upset Brazil to win the South American qualifying tournament in November 2006.
Past record: Qualified for the first time in 2003, when they lost all three of their group games and finished with a goal difference of -14.
Other results: Three-time runners-up for the CONMEBOL title, before finally beating Brazil last year.
Why they could win: That victory over Brazil in the South American championship is a big point in their favour, but the fact is that – unlike the situation with the men's teams – Argentina are not nearly as strong as the Brazilians. The Argentines have good passing and ball-control skills, but have been let down by some wayward finishing.
Key players: Striker Maria Belen Potassa, who scored one of the key goals against Brazil and previously played with the U20s in 2006, is quick and has a good shot. Influential veterans include Marisa Perez and Rosana Gomez in midfield, and Romina Ferro in goal.
Predicted finish: First-round elimination

Group Predictions
Germany are the obvious favourites to win the group, and I think they can go all the way to the finals. England may be ranked below Japan, but I see them as a dark-horse candidate here. Unfortunately, the draw means that they'd probably end up facing the USA in the quarter-finals, which would likely spell an end to their campaign. Argentina may have beaten Brazil recently, but I don't think they're ready for the world stage yet.

It's Mike Newell's worst nightmare

Just a quick reminder (to myself as much as anyone) that the Women's World Cup is coming up next month, starting September 10.

I did a short preview of the groups here back when the draw was made; if I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll do a longer write-up of all the teams sometime between now and when the tournament starts.

The Canadian women's team is currently in the middle of a training camp in Vancouver, leading up to their final pre-World Cup tune-up, a friendly against Japan in Tokyo on August 30. Canada is coming off an uneven showing at the Pan American games, where they ultimately finished third but had a couple of terrible performances along the way. The training camp has allowed them to get some injured players back, and coach Even Pellerud believes the team is stronger than the squad that finished fourth in 2003. (The Canadian roster is here.)

The U.S. women are saying pretty much the same thing about their team. The New York Times article I linked there also makes a point about the women's team being virtually ignored compared to the men's team, which is something the Canadians have to deal with as well; ironic, seeing as in both countries, the women's record is actually much better than the men's. So I can sympathize with that. What I don't have a lot of sympathy for, though, is the whining from the U.S. women (the USWNT?) about how "We don't know how to recover from a loss." Oh, you poor babies.

(I suspect my annoyance at that is partly due to latent anti-Americanism, and partly due to having read the NY Times article in conjunction with this story about the U.S.'s new gold jerseys, which go along with their "Take back the gold" slogan. Entitlement much?)

Right. Anyway, the U.S. are definitely the favourites going into the World Cup, but I think Canada has a chance to make it to the semi-finals at least. We'll see. If you're interested in watching the games, the CBC is showing all three of Canada's first-round matches, as well as all of the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the third-place match and the final on September 30. All the games are at 17:00 and 20:00 local time, which means 4:00 am and 7:00 am ET, so set your alarm clock.

Women's World Cup Draw

Taking a break from the Champions League action for a moment...the draw for this summer's Women's World Cup took place on Sunday in China. The top two teams from each group will go through to the quarter-finals. Here are the groups, with the teams' current world ranking in brackets:

Group A
Germany (2)
Japan (9)
England (12)
Argentina (32)

Germany are the reigning world and European champions. They're a talented and physically tough team who won all of their 8 games in qualifying, and I expect them to make it out of the group stage easily. Japan and England will probably be slugging it out for second place. Japan, whose best ever showing at the World Cup was the quarter-finals in 1995, had to beat Mexico in a playoff to qualify, after finishing behind Australia and Korea in Asia.

England also reached the quarter-finals in 1995, their only previous appearance in the tournament. The women's game has been growing in the country recently, though -- overcoming obstables like the FA banning women playing on league grounds from 1920 to 1971 (which kind of explains people like Mike Newell, eh?). They had a tough qualifying group that included France and the Netherlands, but they struggled through, and I think they could surprise people this year. The final team in the group, Argentina, upset Brazil to qualify in first place from CONMEBOL, but I don't think they've got the quality to carry them through a whole tournament.

Prediction: Germany and England


Group B
Nigeria (24)
USA (1)
Korea DPR (5)
Sweden (4)

I have to agree with YNBA about this one being the group of death. Unlike the men's World Cup, though, the USA are far from being underdogs. They won the tournament in 1991 and again in 1999 (a slightly disappointing 3rd in 2003), and they've recently regained their #1 world ranking. Sweden came second the last time around, losing to Germany in the finals, and they're one of the powerhouses of women's soccer. Another strong team that scores lots of goals, they went undefeated in their qualifying campaign.

I'm a bit surprised to see the Koreans ranked so highly, especially since they haven't made it past the group stage before at the World Cup. But that ranking is probably helped by the performance of their U20 team, who beat China to win the inaugural world championship last year. Nigeria are perennial contenders at the World Cup but usually disappoint once they're there -- their best performance was making the quarter-finals in 1999. But they're also five-time African champions, and this could be the year that they step up on the world stage.

Prediction: USA and (ooh, this is a tough one) Korea


Group C
Norway (3)
Ghana (48)
Australia (14)
Canada (10)

I'll be cheering for Canada, obviously -- it makes a nice changes from the men's game, where the Canadians are nowhere. Canada put in a strong showing in 2003 and finished fourth. They'll be without some veterans like Charmaine Hooper this time around after a dispute with the CSA, but they're going to be living together for three months in a training cap to prepare for the tournament and I expect them to do well again. Norway are the big guns in this group, though. They won in 1995 but -- missing some key players -- went out in the quarters in 2003. They've since regrouped and finished first among the European qualifiers.

Despite their lower international ranking, Australia actually finished ahead of Korea and Japan in their first attempt at qualifying through the Asian federation. They've never made it out of their group before but will be hoping for a better showing this time. Ghana, like Canada, are usually overshadowed by their continental rivals (in this case, Nigeria) -- but, like the men's side, will still be a tough team to play, trying to make the quarter-finals for the first time.

Prediction: Norway and Canada


Group D
China PR (11)
New Zealand (23)
Brazil (8)
Denmark (6)

I'm kind of surprised China are ranked so low -- but my perception of the teams' relative strength is still kind of biased by the first tournament I followed, back in 1999. China have slipped in the past few years -- they were runners-up in 1999 but were eliminated in the quarters in 2003 -- although they regained their continental title in the 2006 Asian Cup. New Zealand are making their first appearance at the World Cup since 1991. They qualified easily this year, but from the understrength Oceania federation; I expect them to get their little kiwi butts kicked.

Brazil come into the tournament wanting to restore some pride after their unexpected loss to Argentina. Their best performance so far was finishing third in 1999, and they have a good chance this year too, with Marta, the FIFA Women's Player of the Year in 2006. Denmark are one of three Scandinavian teams to qualify, but they're probably the weakest of the bunch. Their qualifying campaign was kind of a nail-biter, and they've never made it past the quarter-finals before.

Prediction: China and Brazil