World Cup Group G: Sweden likely to dominate with second up for grabs

Argentina

Overview

Argentina have a very clear target in their fourth World Cup: a win. Three defeats in 2003 were followed by three more in 2007, and while in France in 2019 they picked up two draws – against Japan and Scotland – a victory remained elusive.

The Albiceleste have been improving but the arrival of coach Germán Portanova three years ago has taken their game to a higher level and qualification for the World Cup was secured with a third-place finish at the 2022 Copa América. “The truth is that they called me to take Argentina to the World Cup,” he said. “It is exciting to be able to face top teams in the world, they have a different rhythm, a different speed, but we will try not to lose our essence and compete well.”

The squad has a blend of youth and experience. Established players such as Estefanía Banini (Atlético Madrid), Vanina Correa (Rosario Central), Florencia Bonsegundo and Aldana Cometti (both Madrid CFF) dovetail with younger team-mates who are mostly based domestically and are, in all likelihood, ones for the future.

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The goal is clear – a victory, any victory – but their recent progress means fans can be enthusiastic about the possibility of qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time. Experienced goalkeeper Correa, playing in her fourth World Cup, could be vital in achieving that lofty aim, lining up behind a well-drilled backline.

Taking motivation from the success of Lionel Messi and the Argentina’s men’s side in Qatar is also useful – to a point. “It is a big inspiration, but the expectation is not the same,” the forward Paulina Gramaglia told the Associated Press. “We don’t have the same foundation that they have, we are not seeking to win the trophy. We have our own goals and our context.”

The coach

Germán Portanova was a globetrotting defender in his playing days, turning out for teams in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Spain and Italy. His first step as a coach in women’s football was at Deportivo UAI Urquiza, where he became a three-time league champion and managed the team in three editions of the Copa Libertadores. Portanova took over the national side in 2021. “This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in my football career,” he said on his appointment. “Being able to direct the women’s national team is the best. Representing your country is defending the flag, the heart, the homeland.”

Star player

In 2021, Estefanía Banini became the first Argentinian woman to be named in Fifa’s World XI. Her technique and ability mean the 33-year-old Mendoza-born midfielder remains key to the national side. This will be her second and probably last World Cup. “I understand that this is over [soon] and I have enjoyed it to the fullest,” she said. “I have mixed feelings: I would love to play for life, especially with the national team.”

Rising star

Lorena Benítez made her debut in the Argentinian top flight before turning 14, the legal age required to play in Argentina. Her team forfeited the points from the match as a result. Today the 24-year-old is a midfielder who has great game intelligence on the field and a terrific eye for a pass. Currently on loan at Palmeiras in Brazil, Benítez stands out for her assists and shooting prowess; and she is improving all the time.

Did you know?

Yamila Rodríguez makes headlines not just for her football but also for her tattoos: the Palmeiras striker has a huge portrait of Cristiano Ronaldo, her idol, on her left leg. “Without a doubt he is the best player in the world. He is perfect. I am amazed at everything he does,” she said. Rodríguez also has a Diego Maradona tattoo.

Standing of women’s football in Argentina

Growing, although it still has a long way to go. In March 2019, the first division turned professional and top-flight teams are required to have a minimum of 15 contracted players. However, there are many things that need to develop, such as improvements in salaries so that players do not have to take second jobs.

Realistic aim at the World Cup?

In 2017, Argentina dropped out of the Fifa rankings due to two years of inactivity and the players went on strike to improve their conditions. So just reaching the tournament remains an achievement. That said, the aim now is to get a first World Cup win in a challenging group that contains Sweden, South Africa and Italy. Although Argentina’s recent performances have raised hopes of potentially even qualifying for the round of 16.

Written by Micaela Cannataro for as.com

Italy

Overview

Italy are in the middle of a generational transition. The coach, Milena Bertolini, sprang several surprises with an unpredictable World Cup squad. Bertolini excluded midfielder Aurora “Yaya” Galli, one of the pillars of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup, and captain Sara Gama. The centre-back is a legend of the Italian game, already in the national side’s hall of fame and the first woman vice-president of the Italian Footballers’ Association.

Bertolini also dropped Valentina Bergamaschi and Martina Piemonte, giving a World Cup chance to the 16-year-old Giulia Dragoni. “Excluding Gama was a tough decision, but I have the right and the duty to choose,” Bertolini said. “The decision was technical, tactical, physical. We have other players that are ahead of her now.”

A group of players born around the millennium (Arianna Caruso, Martina Lenzini, Manuela Giugliano, Giada Greggi and Benedetta Glionna) will soon take control of the team, with teenagers Dragoni and Chiara Beccari as potential future leaders.

Italy qualified for the World Cup by winning Group G ahead of Switzerland, thanks to a late goal scored by Cristiana Girelli in Thun and aided by a draw between the Swiss and Romania. Bertolini usually plays with a four-player defensive line, Giugliano as a deep-lying playmaker and Barbara Bonansea as a driving force on the flank. Girelli and Valentina Giacinti, two experienced strikers, will be asked to provide goals and offensive quality.

“We want to play good, attractive football,” Bertolini said, looking forward to the World Cup. Chemistry will be a key factor. Italy need to find the magic they had in France in 2019. Otherwise, the end of a golden generation will be around the corner. “Euro 2022 was disappointing,” Bonansea said, reflecting on a tournament where Italy finished bottom of their group with one point. “I want to feel again the emotions we lived four years ago. If we enjoy ourselves, we can do something beautiful.”

The coach

Milena Bertolini was appointed in August 2017, after five years with Brescia. In this six-year spell, she has hit important targets for Italy: the quarter-finals at the 2019 World Cup, qualification for Euro 2022 and for this World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. However, a poor Euros has left its mark. Bertolini will probably leave after the World Cup and another coach will step in to write a new chapter. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach Italy,” Bertolini said. “Our life is always uncertain, and I am no exception. Our future will probably depend on the World Cup.”

Star player

Manuela Giugliano is quickly becoming the leader of Italy’s midfield and one of the players to watch in European football. She can play as a playmaker or a No 10, always displaying her style, vision, reading of the game and her ability to open up passing lanes that other players haven’t seen. At 25, she won her first Scudetto with Roma this year and seems ready to step up. “I found a balance I’ve never had,” she said this year.

Rising star

Giulia Dragoni made the news in Italy and abroad when named in the squad. Dragoni, a gifted midfielder, is still 16 and played only a few Serie A minutes with Inter. In January, she left for Barcelona, becoming the first foreign woman to reside at La Masia, the legendary Barça academy. However her talent is clear and Dragoni has always been considered destined for success. At a very young age she was named “little Messi” for her dribbling and technical qualities. After six months with Barcelona B, she is expected to train – and debut – with the first team next season.

Did you know?

On Valentine’s Day 2023, defender Lisa Boattin and her Juventus teammate, Sweden’s Linda Sembrant, announced their relationship through a video published on the club’s Instagram account. In June, Lisa and Linda were together in Formentera; in July they will battle each other to reach the knockout stage. Italy and Sweden will face off in Wellington on July 29th.

Elena Linari’s father was a rugby player and Elena grew up watching videos of the All Blacks, idolising Jonah Lomu. A World Cup down under is therefore special for her. “I am honoured to play in New Zealand, “she told fifa.com. “I am going to buy some rugby shirts because this sport means so much to me.”

Standing of women’s football in Italy

In 2022, footballers in Italy’s women’s top division finally turned professional. An epochal change. However it was the 2019 World Cup that altered the perception of the women’s game in the country. Players like Gama, Girelli and Bonansea started to appear on TV and become ambassadors for important brands, even if a comparison with men’s football is still impossible. For girls in Italy, volleyball remains the most popular sport. The number of registered football players recently increased to between 35,000 and 40,000, thanks to regular TV coverage. During the 2022-23 campaign, one Serie A Femminile game per week was broadcast on free-to-air television channel La7. The World Cup will be live on Rai, the national public broadcasting company.

Realistic aim at the World Cup?

“Our goal is to qualify for the knockout stage, even if it won’t be easy,” Bertolini said. With Sweden as the clear favourites for Group G, Italy need to overcome Argentina and South Africa to advance. The first game, to be played in Auckland on July 24th against Argentina, is probably going to be pivotal.

Written by Luca Bianchin and Martina Angelini for Gazzetta dello Sport

South Africa

Overview

South Africa reached just their second Women’s World Cup by winning the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) for the first time in their history, having finished runners-up five times. The way they finally conquered Africa might serve the team well. Banyana Banyana, so used to running rings around some fellow African nations and hogging possession, learned to play without the ball at last year’s finals.

The coach, Desiree Ellis, and her technical team are aware that keeping the ball will not be an easy task against their opponents at the World Cup. This style adaptation sometimes made it difficult viewing for fans used to watching the team glide around with the ball at their feet. But South Africa ground out the necessary results, all the way to beating hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final.

According to one of the vital cogs of the team, goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, the World Cup will be a completely different ballgame to Wafcon. “When we played Wafcon, we were focusing on that task of winning it,” Dlamini said. “Which we succeeded in doing. Now it’s a different task. We have to put Wafcon aside and understand it’s 11 people versus another 11. You can’t go there with the cockiness [of being African champions].”

A pay dispute with the national association disrupted South Africa’s build-up and led to the first-team squad sitting out the team’s last warm-up game against Botswana. However it was resolved when billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe stepped in at the last minute and the squad arrive in New Zealand in good time.

Playing on the counter, the team will depend on the incisive passing of players such as Linda Motlhalo and Sassuolo’s Refiloe Jane in midfield. Centre-back Bambanani Mbane also possesses the ability to ignite a counterattack from defence.

That’s where the speed of Racing Louisville striker Thembi Kgatlana, Mexico-based Jermaine Seoposenwe, plus Hildah Magaia and Noxolo Cesane will come into play. If the South Africans are to spring a surprise or two in a group containing Sweden, Italy and Argentina, these players will have to be effective when chances arise.

The coach

Desiree Ellis has done it all with Banyana Banyana. She is a founding member of South Africa’s women’s team, which was established in 1993. Ellis cut her teeth for the role of head coach by serving as assistant to Ireland’s manager Vera Pauw while she was in charge of South Africa between 2014 and 2016. Ellis, who has been crowned Africa’s women’s coach of the year three times, led the team to their maiden World Cup participation in 2019. On her side’s prospects in Australia and New Zealand, Ellis said: “[Morocco’s men’s side] were not one of the favourites to get out of their group at Qatar 2022. They went there with a plan and they stuck to it. We have a similar idea of what we want.”

Star player

Thembi Kgatlana is one of the most influential footballers South Africa has produced. “Thembi is a special player,” Ellis said of her star forward. “You know what to expect from her. But sometimes you can’t stop it. The 27-year-old did not play much of a role as South Africa won Wafcon after suffering an Achilles tendon injury during the group stage. The injury kept her off the field for almost a year; now she is back to her scintillating best.

Rising star

Looking to learn from senior players such as Kgatlana and Seoposenwe will be 20-year-old Wendy Shongwe. The forward was an 800m athlete as recently as 2017, claiming bronze in the national high school championships that year. In 2021, she returned to football to fulfil a promise to her father and escape the loneliness of track running. “It was the team aspect of football that did it for me ... It is a case of one for all and all for one,” Shongwe said.

Did you know?

The Glasgow City midfielder Linda Motlhalo is known as the Randfontein Ronaldinho, a name emanating from her hometown and the fact that the playmaker’s mesmerising dribbles can leave rivals in a daze. As well as having impressive footwork on the field, Motlhalo is known as one of the best dancers in the Banyana Banyana team.

Standing of women’s football in South Africa

South African women’s soccer has come a long way since Ellis and company first laced up their boots three decades ago. There is now a semi-professional women’s league, which was established in 2019 and is broadcast on national television. However the road ahead is still long and challenging. “We still have a lot of players [who] go to work, then after work they have to come train or play,” Ellis said. “Sometimes they can’t travel with their team on the weekend because they work. Hopefully that will change in the not-so-distant future.

Realistic aim at the World Cup?

During their World Cup debut in 2019, South Africa failed to earn a single point and scored just one goal. That can be attributed to stage fright and inexperience as the players arrived on such a prestigious stage for the first time in their careers. In 2023, the team is dreaming of qualifying from their group. However before they shoot for that accolade, they have to register their first ever points. That will be the realistic target.

Yanga Sibembe for the Daily Maverick

Sweden

Overview

Sweden went unbeaten in their group during the qualifiers, winning seven games and drawing at home against Ireland. Their biggest win was a 15-0 victory over Georgia. Kosovare Asllani said she felt empathy for the opposing team and the when assistant coach Magnus Wikman spoke to the press he was asked whether the qualification system was unfair for certain teams. “We were too bad when we won 4-0 and you’re unhappy when we win 15-0,” he said. “I don’t understand anything. This is the way it has to be until it gets even, they will be good enough one day that they will be a threat to Swedish women’s football.”

Since Peter Gerhardsson took over in 2017 they have played in a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3 formation, with the head coach alternating between the two styles in qualifying.

One of the key players during the qualifiers was Lina Hurtig who recently has been struggling with injuries but tends to step up when it matters. Hurtig was Sweden’s leading scorer in qualifying with five of Sweden’s 32 goals. Their squad depth is a strength – Jennifer Falk and Hedvig Lindahl have shared goalkeeping duties of late behind a really solid defence with world-class players like Magdalena Eriksson, Linda Sembrant, Amanda Ilestedt, Nathalie Björn, Jonna Andersson and now injured Hanna Glas.

The coach

The now 63-year-old Peter Gerhardsson took over after the 2017 Euros and has taken his team into the top three in the two out of the three tournaments since (third place at the 2019 World Cup and silver at the Tokyo Olympics). He was a top-flight player before he went into coaching, representing Hammarby between 1978 and 1987 among other clubs, and was in charge of Häcken’s men’s team before taking over the women’s national team. When he was appointed there was a certain sense of “Peter who?” and some players had to Google his name to find out how he was. But there is no doubt that he is popular within the federation as he has just renewed his contract with the Swedish FA. Loves music and has about 1,500 CDs and 1,700 vinyl LPs.

Star player

Fridolina Rolfö showed her qualities with Wolfsburg but had never had a full season without injury before joining Barcelona, where the head coach Jonathan Giraldez converted her into a left-back. “I remember people thought that I was crazy at first for playing her as a left-back,” he told Fotbollskanalen. “But to me she isn’t a left-back, she’s a left-winger.” A player who would make it into any national team, Rolfö can be the difference maker for Sweden.

Rising star

Anna Sandberg got her first national team call up in January in a squad featuring only players from the Swedish Damallsvenskan. The left-back impressed the head coach enough to get her “real” call up the following month, with her debut coming in a 4-1 win over China. “They [Sandberg and Hanna Lundkvist, who also debuted] were incredibly good.” said Fridolina Rolfö. “They should be proud, because they showed people what it takes to be here. I am super impressed.”

Did you know?

At school Caroline Seger was in the same class as the future Wigan and Genoa defender Andreas Granqvist. They both later captained Sweden’s national teams.

Standing of women’s football in Sweden

Sweden’s clubs used to compete for Champions League titles and the country was a destination for the very best players. The reality is completely different now, and the domestic league has fallen off, suffering with very small crowds. All the games are live-streamed but the media coverage is barely anything compared to the men’s league. But when it comes to the women’s national team there is a lot of interest – when Sweden played Brazil before last year’s Euros they managed to draw a record crowd of 33,218.

Realistic goal

The third best team in the world should be fighting for silverware at the World Cup. However, some of Sweden’s key players such as Caroline Seger, Fridolina Rolfö, Amanda Ilestedt, Lina Hurtig and Kosovare Asllani have struggled with injuries during the spring. And the draw looks tough, with the USA or the Netherlands potentially waiting in the last 16.

Written by Amanda Zaza for fotbollskanalen.se