World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

Denmark
Euros best:Runners-up(20 1 7)
Coach:LarsSondergaard
Captain:PernilleHarder
Routetothefinals:Narrowly
edgedoutItalytofinishtop of
GroupB by threepoints, thanks
toa 3-1victory in Empoli and
a bracebyNadiaNadim.

Finland

Eurosbest:Semi-finals(2005)

Coach:AnnaSigneul

Captain:Tinja-RiikkaKorpela

Route to thefinals:Topped

a groupfeaturingPortugaland

Scotland,securing1-0 stoppage-

timevictoriesintwo of their

fourgamesagainstthepair.

Germany

Eurosbest:Champions

(1 98 9, 19 91, 1 995, 1997 ,

2001 , 2005,2009, 2013 )

Coach:MartinaVoss-Tecklenburg

Captain:AlexandraPopp

Route to thefinals:ToppedGroup

I withoutbreakinga sweat,scoring

atleastthreegoalsinevery game.

Spain

Euros best:Semi-finals(1 997 )

Coach:Jorge Vilda

Captain:IreneParedes

Routetothe finals:A surprising

0-0drawinPolandwastheonly

blotontheircopybook, winning

theirotherseven gamesand

scoringajoint-high 48 goals.

Itdidnottakelongfor GroupB to be
anointedthe“group of death”,though
intruthit is morea groupofcertain
deathforFinland. Semi-finalistsin
2005,whenthe Euroswerelast staged
inEngland,withthegrowthofwomen’s
footballtheyhavebeenovertakenby
countrieswithlargerpopulationsand
wealthiermen’sclubstructures.
Finlandstillproduce decent players,
almostallofwhomgoabroadtomake
theircareers,butJuventusdefender
Tuija Hyyrynenistheonlyonecurrently
holdingdownaplaceatoneofthe
continent’selite.
TheFinnsstartagainstSpain, who
havemadethe transitionfromrank
outsidersin 2017 toco-favouritesthis
timedespiteneverwinningaknockout
matchata majortournament.Their
newstatusisprimarilybasedonthe
factthatthebulkoftheteamplay for
theoutstandingBarcelonaside.Their
ChampionsLeagueexperiencewill be
usefulasthetournamentmoves into
thebusinessend,butfirst Spainneed
toensure they escapefromthegroup.
Theyshoulddo.Clubfamiliaritywill
help.KeeperSandraPanosandthreeof
thelikelybackfourare at Barca– the
exceptionbeingManchesterUnited’s
Catalan-bornOnaBatllewhoislinked
withamovethere.Barca’s Alexia
PutellasandAitanaBonmatiarethe
keymidfielders.Upfrontitisa different
story as thebulkofBarca’s starting
forwardsareforeign.RealMadrid’s
EstherGonzalezislikelytoleadthe
linewith creativesupport from
Jenni Hermosoof...Barcelona.
RealMadrid’s 21-year-oldwinger
AtheneadelCastillo,outstandingin
Englandintheir Februarytournament,
couldshineifgivena spotin thesquad,
anda chanceonthe pitch.
Germanyusedtodominatethis
event.From 1989 to 2013 theywon
eightofninefinals,missingoutin

1993 whentheylost in thesemi-finals

onpenaltiestohostsItaly. Then,in

2017 , Denmarkstunnedthemin

the Rotterdamquarter-final.

SteffiJoneswasreplacedascoach

byformernationalteam-mate Martina

Voss-Tecklenburg,buttherewas

anotherquarter-final exitatWorld

Cup 2019 ,atthe handsofSweden.

InfairnesstoVoss-Tecklenburgthen,

shehadonlysixmonthspreparation.

Threeyearson,however, it is still

unclearwhatherbestteamis,a

situationcompoundedbytheloss

ofDzseniferMarozsan(injury)

andMelanieLeupolz(pregnant).

Havingseveralplayersabsentdue

toCOVID- 1 9 duringEngland’sFebruary

tournamentwas a furthercomplication,

butifVoss-Tecklenburgcanpull together

a fully-fitsquad,andfinda startingXI,

shehasplentyof very goodplayersto

callupon.

A core of theseplayersareyoung,

notablyKlara Buhl,SydneyLohmann,

LenaOberdorfandGiuliaGwinn.Ifit

transpiresGermanyarenot ready this

summer, theywillbe backthreatening

towinsilverwaresoon.

Denmarkreachedthefinalin 2 017

andhaveoneof

theworld’s best

playersinPernille

Harder. However,

lastSeptember

bothNadiaNadim

andNicoline

Sorensensuffered

seriousACL

injuries,playingfor

RacingLouisville

andEverton

respectively. It is

touch-and-go

whethereither

strikerwill be fit

enoughtonotjust

beselected,but

tomake an impact.Back-up Signe

BruunhasscoredheavilyinWorldCup

qualifying butonlystartedtwicefor

ManchesterUnitedsincejoining

onloanfromLyoninJanuary.

Therearepersonnelproblemsin

defencetoo.Everton’s Rikke Sevecke

hasnotplayed sinceJanuary dueto

injurywhileskipperSimoneBoye

Sorensenisfit,buthasrarelyfeatured

sinceswappingBayernMunichfor

Arsenal last summer.

Againstthisbackdropthegroup

lookshardtoescape,butDanishteams

dohavea habitofperformingwhen

leastexpected.

Group B

Denmark,Finland,Germany,Spain

Starplayer...Denmark

strikerPernilleHarder

Favourites...Spanish

playerscelebrate

a goal by Alexia

Putellas(L)

Gemany boss...

MartinaVoss-

Tecklenburg

WORLDSOCCER 63

GROUPB