The Women’s Game - June 30th, 2023
The Women's Game Newsletter will be a daily newsletter during the World Cup. It will start going out via email Monday, July 10.
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It’s Friday, June 30. Give us four minutes and we give you everything World Cup.
Ireland is heading to their first ever World Cup with unsurprising style. That includes North Carolina Courage’s own Denise O’Sullivan, who had a hometown send-off in the rebel county of Cork to top them all. The bagpipes were expected, the young rappers perhaps not.
Spain Hangs Seven on Panama
With three weeks dwindling before us and the World Cup, contenders the world over ready their squads with final tune-ups and friendlies.
Last evening at the Estadio Román Suárez Puerta in Avilés, Spain, Manager Jorge Vilda guided his team to a 7-0 rout of Panama. While certainly a convincing scoreline, only so much can be gleaned from the 6th ranked FIFA nation (Spain) gliding past a side ranked 52nd and preparing for its World Cup debut.
What will boost the mood even more than the scoresheet is the return of Alexia Putellas, long-sidelined from the game by ACL injury, as the two-time Ballon D’Or recipient and world class Barcelona midfielder made her first starting XI for Spain since injury. Her readiness will be monumental for Spain’s chances, and her 22nd minute goal to put Spain ahead 2-0 was a seismic solace that she’s back and ready to take on the world.
As for the Panamanians, the rout remains purposeful, as the World Cup debutante was able to work through match plans preparing for a tough group in Australia. They’ll meet strong tournament contenders in Brazil and France, and face fellow-Concacaf footballers Jamaica in Group F.
World Cup Tune Up Time
The friendlies stay fresh through the weekend, when a montage of World Cup glory-hunters meet for final tests.
- England v Portugal (Saturday, 10:15 AM EST)
England’s reigning European Champions are feeling confident in their depth, nevermind the myriad injuries striking their elite talent in Beth Mead (Arsenal), Fran Kirby (Chelsea) and Leah Williamson (Arsenal) from the field of play. Saturday, they’ll test up against Portugal, whose entry into major tournaments has proven Cinderella-story capable, with a scrappy side that should strike caution into USA’s Group E. Portugal is new to the World Cup but veteran-heavy in their squad, with a stout backline looking to stymie England, and an attack fueled by Portugal’s first-ever Champions League winner, Jéssica Silva, who lifted the ultimate club trophy with footy juggernaut Lyon.
- Italy v Morocco (Saturday, 12:15 PM EST)
Morocco’s women’s football team greet their first ever World Cup this July, and will hope to make an impact as momentous as their compatriot’s semi-final run in Qatar last December. Their order will be a tall one, though, as they’ve assembled into a group containing a formidable German side, flanked by strong tournament returnees South Korea and Colombia. Saturday, they test themselves against Italy, whose chance of progressing to the knockouts has promising potential, thanks in part to veteran leaders like Juventus’ Barbara Bonansea, who did this to Australia in 2019. Should they progress, though, there’s a strong chance they meet the Americans first on arrival.
- Brazil v Chile (Sunday, 9:30 AM EST)
The only national team with ballers as in form as Team USA’s at the moment might be the NWSL conglomeration of Brazilians. Whether it's Kerolin’s cascade of hat tricks and braces for North Carolina Courage, Marta’s veteran leadership in Orlando for the Pride, or Debinha’s whimsical wonders breaking through defenders for Kansas City Current, the Brazilians could be hitting their peak at just the right time. They tune-up against Chile, whose world class goalkeeper Christiane Endler has propelled top-European side Lyon to multiple trophies, and will propel a South American side familiar with the tournament but unfortunately unqualified this year.
- Netherlands v Belgium (Sunday, 2:45 PM EST)
USA’s fellow Group E contenders and former World Cup Final-foes, the Netherlands, are without their star in Vivianne Miedema this summer. But the Dutch have high hopes to progress far even without her, as players from PSG’s explosive winger (and sometimes midfielder) of dashing dexterity on the dribble Lieke Martens to Wolfsburg’s midfield dominant on both sides of the ball Jill Roord are in ascendant form. They meet Belgium for a runout that shouldn’t prove too difficult a test, as the Belgian squad remains semi-professional, and short of a World Cup berth this year.
USWNT to Receive Arthur Ashe Award
Good Morning America dropped big news about the US Women heading Down Under this Wednesday. At next month’s ESPY Awards, the US Women’s National Team will be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.
Named after tennis phenom Arthur Ashe (whose impact on the world moves far beyond his three Grand Slam titles, of which he is the first and only African American man to ever do so) the annual award is reserved for those whose life and work “transcends sports”.
The US women will be honored with the award this year to acknowledge their long-time fight for equal pay, and the ensuing first-of-its-kind settlement with U.S. Soccer last year.
“Momma Needs to Work on Her Touch”
Rog interviewed Crystal Dunn last week, and the pod drops (checks notes) TODAY! Taped just after the official roster unleashed itself upon the globe, Crystal was in a joyous state, and had lots to say. Including this:
“I don’t know why there’s all this chatter about me not being a great outside back. I think I’m pretty bomb, I don’t know what you guys are watching.”
