Austria
Euros best:Semi-finals(2 017 )
Coach:Irene Fuhrmann
Captain:ViktoriaSchnaderbeck
Routetothefinals:Finished
secondinGroupG to France,
holdingthemtoa 0-0drawin
theprocess,toqualifyasone
ofthe threebest runners-up.
England
Eurosbest:Runners-up
(1 98 4, 20 09)
Coach:SarinaWiegman
Captain:LeahWilliamson
Route to thefinals:Withno
qualifiers,Englandplacedgreat
stock in theArnoldClarkCup,which
theyhosted andwonin February.NorthernIreland
Eurosbest:Debut
Coach:Kenny Shiels
Captain:MarissaCallaghan
Routetothe finals:Despite
finishing as theworstrunners-up
acrossallninegroups,Northern
Ireland overcameUkraine4- 1
onaggregate in theplay-offs.Norway
Euros best:Champions
(1 98 7, 19 93)
Coach:MartinSjogren
Captain:Maren Mjelde
Route to thefinals:Topped
GroupC with a 10 0 percent
record,althoughtwoof their
fixtureswerecancelled.P R E V IE W
G r o u pA2 0 2 2w om e n ’s eu r op e A nch A m p io n s h ipAdaHegerberg’sreturn to the
Norwegianfoldaddsspicetoa group
thatotherwise looksveryfamiliar.
England,AustriaandNorthernIreland
arecurrentlyinthe same WorldCup
qualifyinggroup,Englandknocked
Norwayoutofthe last twoWorldCups,
andNorwayshareda Eurosqualifying
groupwithNorthernIreland,winning
bothmatches 6-0.
NorthernIrelandhavealsolost
thricein 18 monthstoEngland,4-0
atWembleyand5-0inBelfast in
WorldCupqualifying, anda 6-0
friendlydefeatwith a weakened
teamatStGeorge’sPark.
Theseresultsareunsurprising
giventhebulkofKenny Shiels’team
arepart-time,most playinginthe
domesticleagueandothersinEngland’s
second-tierChampionship.However,
sinceJanuary they have hadthebenefit
oftrainingfull-timethankstosupport
fromtheprovince’sgovernment.In
Everton’s SimoneMagillandLiverpool’s
RachelFurnesstheyhavesomequality.
Andthereis a strongspirit,asevinced
bythe wayplayersralliedroundShiels
after he saidfemale playersconcede
goalsinquicksuccessionastheyare
“moreemotionalthanmen”.
Nevertheless,theyarethegroup’s
outsiders.Currently 46 thintheworld
rankings– theonlyteamatthefinals
outsidethetop 30 – thisistheirfirst
majorchampionshipandinsomeways
theirtaskisalreadydone.Qualifying
hasledtoa surgeofinterest underlined
byattractinganationalrecord15, 348
toWindsorParkfor theWorldCup
qualifierwith England.Thatisnotto
suggesttheyaremerelyhere forthe
ridethough.Backedbya vocalsupport
theywillfrustrateanyteamthattakes
themlightly.
Austria, whohavetaken fourpoints
fromsixagainstNorthernIrelandin
WorldCupqualifying, pose a threat
tothe group’sheavyweights.Fiveyears
agotheyweresurprisesemi-finalists,
toppinga sectionthatincludedFrance
andSwitzerland,thenbeatingSpainon
penaltiesin thequarter-finalsbefore
goingoutthesameway to Denmark
inthe last four.
Theyonlyconcededonegoalin 510
minutesinthattournament andremain
defensivelystrong.Theywereobstinate
oppositionwhentheymetEnglandat
SunderlandinWorldCupqualifyingin
November, withthe1-0 marginfailingto
reflectEngland’s territorialdominance.Halfofthe squadplay in Germany’s
Bundesliga,and there areoutstanding
playersateachendofthe parkinthe
formofHoffenheimgoalscorerNicole
Billa andArsenalgoalkeeperManuela
Zinsberger. Coachedbyformernational
teamplayerIreneFuhrmann,Austria
comeinto thefinalsingoodform.
Hegerbergreturns to aNorway
teamstrongenoughtoprovidean
appropriate platformforher talent,
assumingherre-integrationhasbeen
smooth.CarolineGraham Hansenis
arguablythemostpotentwideattacker
inEuropeandBarcelonateam-mate
IngridEngena growingpresence
inmidfielder. FridaMaanumhas
establishedherselfasanimportant
player at ArsenalandGuro Reiten
forcedherwayintoChelsea’s
formidableattackingline-up.
However, goalkeeperCecilie
Fiskerstrandisoutwithan ACL
sufferedin MaywhileMarenMjelde
hasstruggledtogetbackinto Chelsea’s
teamafter eightmonthsoutwith a
similarinjury.CoachMartinSjogren
willhopehisclever, versatilecaptain
isatleast closetoherbestby July,
thoughthere will be preciouslittle
opportunitytoregainmatch sharpness.
Englandarestillbasedaround
a core of ManchesterCityplayers,
withStephHoughtonnamedinthe
provisionalsquaddespite notplaying
sinceJanuary.Thedefensivelynchpin
hasinevitablylostthecaptaincywith
Arsenal’sLeahWilliamsontaking
overin a generationalshift.
InjuryhasruledoutWilliamson’s
clubteam-mateJordanNobbs,while
there aresimilarconcernsover Fran
Kirby.ButLucyBronzeisreturningto
formandfitnessandChloeKellycould
bereadyintime.Finishinghasbeenan
issuefor Englandagainst elite opposition,
despiteEllenWhite’s lethality, but
reachingthelastfouris theminimum.G A
A t a ,e g l a d ,n t i l a d ,n a yHomenationsrivals...
NorthernIreland’s
JulieNelson fights
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England’sLauren
Hempduringa 2 023
WorldCupqualifierComeback...
Norwaystar
AdaHegerberg