Mark Sampson and his players now know what awaits them in next year’s Women’s World Cup but they had to wait longer than any of the other 23 teams to discover their fate.
The Final Draw took place in Ottawa in the stunning surrounds of the Canadian Museum of History yesterday (December 6th) but with England in Pot 4 out of the four pots, it was inevitable they would not have an early introduction to their Group opposition.
Before any ball was to be drawn there was the open ceremony to enjoy. ‘One Nation’ hoop dancers, heroes of ice hockey, Mounties, a bi-lingual national anthem, a six-foot dancing snowy owl called Shueme and, of course, Canadian star striker Christine Sinclair left you in no doubt which country you were in. It was all very entertaining but all were eager for the draw and I was desperate to discover who and where England would be playing.
The top six seeds: Canada, Germany Japan, USA, Brazil & France (Sweden are ranked 5th but switched with 6th ranked Brazil by FIFA to avoid confederation congestion) already there knew their host city venues and the draw selected their group opponents. Onto Pot 1 and the audience literally gasped as New Zealand were the first team to be drawn in Group A, pitting English-born, Canadian coach John Herdman, against his former staff and players.
The draw unfolded with only a small amount of controversy when Colombia was placed, against the rules, in Group E alongside their South American counterparts, Brazil. Colombia were subsequently moved to Group F and eventually the spotlight was pointing towards Pot 4. England’s Pot. The wait wasn’t over, however, until the very last ball was drawn, when England were placed in Group F, facing France in their first game on June 9th in Moncton. Moncton is an officially bi-lingual city on the East coast and its stadium is the smallest venue to be used in the tournament. Their other group games will see England play Mexico on June 13th also in Moncton before travelling 590 miles west to Montreal where they will face Columbia on June 17th.
So what was England’s Mark Sampson’s opinion of the draw?
“For the tournament, it’s a really exciting draw. Across all the groups there’s some really exciting matches going on. It will be difficult to predict the teams which are going to progress and from England’s point of view there are some difficult challenges ahead.”
With regards France in particular he commented:
“The French are an incredibly talented team which we’ve got a long history against. Not a very good one of late but it’s about time that changed and this gives us a great opportunity to do that.”
There’s no question, it’s a tough opening game. France finished 4th in the 2011 World Cup, knocking out England on penalties in the quarter finals in the process and many believe they have continued to improve since. I asked Mark Sampson whether playing France in the first game was good or bad thing?
“Whether it’s first, second or last is irrelevant. It’s important we’re ready for the challenge. We’re very excited by the tie. Without any shadow of a doubt they have some very talented players and a good coach.”
Image: tgsphoto.co.uk
England are scheduled to play France in friendly on April 9th, 2015 so, given the draw, we asked if the game would still go ahead:
“Yes, as far as I am aware. I would be very surprised if it were to change. It will be a great test for both teams. We have wanted to arrange as many friendlies as possible against top-team nations. We learnt a lot in our friendly against Germany and if we want this team to grow, which is a young team on a very long journey, then we have to play against the top teams and try and compete.
“[Playing against] the likes of the USA and France are a huge opportunity for us to learn and grow as group and hopefully we’ll be in a position when It comes to the friendly game to change that record against France and give us a bit of momentum going into the tournament.”
England’s second game against Mexico sees them face another team – one with a deep-lying defensive, style and slowish tempo – that England sides at both senior and U-20 level have struggled to break down in big competitions. England U20 drew 1-1 against Mexico in Moncton last year and it was the same score between the two sides when they faced each other in the 2011 World Cup group stage.
I asked Mark for his comments on facing Mexico once again:
“This is much-changed Mexico side and a team which is going to offer us a great challenge in terms of the style of play. Their style is something we’re not quite used to but we’ll have to make sure we’re ready for that and we’ll use the experience the players have had in the past to ensure we are ready for that game. Most importantly we will do our homework to make sure we are as prepared as we possibly can be for the challenge.”
England’s final group game against Colombia, in Montreal, on June 17th is also likely to be a challenge. Colombia are similar to Mexico in that they are a very young outfit but they also possess plenty of tournament experience. Over the past 4-5 years they have appeared in U-17 and U-20 World Cups, the 2011 World Cup in Germany and the 2012 Olympics. So to think they are lightweight opponents is to do them a disservice.
On reflection, it’s not the easiest of draws for England. That said, it’s certainly not the ‘group of death’. That honour goes to Group D, which features USA, Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.
Now that the draw is done and England, eventually, learned just who they need to beat to progress (and to do that they must finish first or second or be one of the best placed third place teams in their group) in next year’s Finals I wondered if Mark and his staff would sleep better?
“I’m actually not a very good sleeper anyway, so that’s pretty irrelevant to me! In terms of the draw, it’s a bit like taking exams and the same goes for the tournament. If you turn up and you haven’t done the preparation you should, rightfully, be nervous but we’ve done a lot of hard work to get here.
“This is more of an exciting day than a nervous day. A day of opportunity. I think the players, staff and myself are really looking forward to these matches and the preparation because there’s a long time between now and that first game of the tournament.”
By Andrew Mullen and Jennifer O’Neill
SheKicks.net
England’s Group Opposition
What do we know of England’s opposition in next year’s World Cup and who are the players to watch?
France – It’s a tough start, no question.
Overview: England have a poor record against France of late. We lost 2-0 against them in the Cyprus Cup Final earlier this year in March in a game which saw Gaetane Thiney and Camille Abily on the score sheet (see below).
More notably, France demolished Hope Powell’s demoralized and fragile team in Euro 2013 by 3 goals to nil and then there’s the pain of their late equaliser which lead to England’s elimination on penalties in the quarter finals of the 2011 World Cup.
Route to the WWC Finals: Played Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Kazakhstan and won every game.
Players to watch: They have so many who we know about that it’s hard to mention only one. So we’ll mention two. Louise Necib has been dubbed by the French media as the female Zidane – a player with great poise, skill and awareness (13 assists in qualifying) but Thiney, with 13 goals from midfield in the qualifiers is often the offensive driving force and clearly the threat. Oh and keep an eye on Griedge MBock Bathy, one of the most exciting players emerging in the game, a cool-as-you-like, young centre back. We’re not mentioning Eugenie Le Sommer or Wendie Renard or some of the other youthful prospects Claire Lavogez or Sandie Toletti, but you must be getting the picture?
Their manager: Philippe Bergeroo. Became national coach in July 2013. He was a goalkeeper in the squad that won the 1984 UEFA Championship and he was an Assistant Coach with the World Cup winning men’s team in 1998.
Mexico – Not again, is the cry.
Overview: Mexico can boast of their commitment to and benefit of working with a longstanding coach. Leonardo Cuellar has been at the helm since the team were created in 1998. Benefitting from their close proximity to their powerhouse neighbours, many of Mexico’s side were either American born, played or are playing at US colleges or have featured in the US’s NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). It means that England, as usual when they play Mexico, will be facing an organised and technically gifted side.
Route to WWC Finals: Played Costa Rica, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and USA. Won 2, lost 2
Player to watch: Definitely Monica O’Campo. Those England fans who witnessed the 2011 Finals campaign will remember the game in Wolfsburg when the left footed O’Campo had the gall to fire a right-footed, long-range screamer into the net.
Their Manager: As already mentioned, Cuellar has been in post since 1998 which makes him the longest serving national manger in the women’s game. He led Mexico to the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2011. In his playing days he won a CONCACAF Championship with Mexico in 1977 and also represented Mexico in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Check out the pictures, his hair was a star in its own right!
Colombia – If not here, then where is the win coming from?
Overview: The majority of the squad have been together for a number of years developing and playing tournament football. Therefore team unity, spirit and camaraderie cannot be underestimated. Only time will tell whether playing a young side in the third game of the group stages is a good thing. Do you rely most on youthful fitness or wise experience when it comes to the last game in the group stages of the World Cup Finals?
Route to WWC: Played Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. Won 5, drew 2.
Players to watch: No 10, Yoreli Rincon has been described as Colombia’s answer to Brazil’s Marta, which is praise indeed. She’s a fantastic player, still young but also shows a lot of maturity and leadership. Natalie Gaitan is their central defender, their captain and played in every minute of their 2011 World Cup campaign.
Their Manager: Felipe Taborda joined the Columbia National Women’s football team in 2012, taking over from the long-serving Ricardo Rozo. He coached Columbia to second place in the 2014 Copa America, where they were undefeated in seven matches.
In association with England team sponsors Vauxhall
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