It's a similar problem to Katoto's club team, PSG, and just like the French giants, there may well be no easy answer for manager Corinne Diacre. On an unprecedented unbeaten run, European champions England will be sparring with Japan on Friday and Norway on Tuesday. Having beaten the U. last month, the Lionesses will feel good about claiming two wins from two, but trying to maintain their course from their Euros win into the World Cup will be a tricky task for Sarina Wiegman. Still without captain Leah Williamson, the Lionesses are trying to navigate new terrain without Ellen White and Jill Scott following their retirements.
As such, the squad Jorge Vilda has called in has a distinctly young feel to it, with 13 of the 23 born in the 2000s. The coach and his charges would have taken great heart from beating the USA last time out, but Japan will be a different problem for them. A win wouldn't necessarily be building confidence, but with Spain known for struggling to put their best attacking football on display at major tournaments, it could be a road map for their trickiest World Cup group game next summer.
)With a wealth of talent coming through the pipelines as always, the biggest challenge for Andonovski isn't about choosing the right XI to play, but about getting those on the pitch to find the harmony and belief that has seen the U. win four World Cup titles. - Women's World Cup bracket and fixtures scheduleUp against a Germany team who only just reached the final of the Euros in England this summer -- a match they lost in extra time to hosts, England -- the No. 1 ranked team in the world will have to out-play their opposition, something they've struggled with over the past few years. For Germany, who very nearly added to their record eight European titles but lost to England in the final in the summer, their trip across the pond is much more about producing performances that speak to the quality available in their team.
Norway may well come away with two losses from their two matches, but the important thing for Riise will be the performances. Opting for just the one match this window, against Norway, France are still looking for answers in attack since the loss of Marie Antoinette-Katoto to an ACL injury during the Euros.
An all-European affairElsewhere on the continent, Norway will clash with France (Friday) before taking on England (Tuesday), which will provide new manager Hege Riise some much needed answers as she attempts to rebuild the team after humiliation at the Euros. Still new to the team, Riise is not just without the best two players in the Norwegian talent pool right now -- Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen -- but is trying to bring in fresh talent.
Other teams looking for tests in EuropeStill looking for their feet under coach Futoshi Ikeda, Japan are once again in Europe this month as they face England (Friday) and Spain (Tuesday), the latter the last team they'll meet in their World Cup group at the end of July. Not quite the team they were since winning the 2011 World Cup, the departure of coach Asako Takakura after five fruitless years has given Nadeshiko the chance to hit reset once more. However, they've yet to look like the real deal under Ikeda.
Double-headers are the flavour of the monthChile vs. Philippines, Colombia vs. Zambia, Jamaica vs. Paraguay, Senegal vs. Cameroon and New Zealand vs. South Korea all on the slate for two head-to-head games over the coming week as well. Although they're maybe not the matches that would have you traditionally wanting to watch, with six of the eight nations already qualified and the other two of Chile and Paraguay in the playoffs, there should be plenty of excitement around the four clashes.
The key for manager Bev Priestman will be how flexible she makes her midfield, with her Brazil team expected to attack at will. The Olympic gold medal-winning coach will need to find a way of keeping the team strong while allowing a player like Jessie Fleming, who is in plumb form for Chelsea, to contribute to the attack in transition. As for that attacking Brazil team? Coach Pia Sundhage has finally found some consistency in their results since the retirement of Formiga (aged 43) and Marta's ACL tear earlier this year. The Swedish coach has discovered the right blend of older and younger players, of defence and attack, and of those who play in the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino with those who play outside of Brazil.
In the third playoff group, Portugal (No. 23) await the winner of Cameroon (No. 58) vs. Thailand (No. 41), which gives more weight to the friendly pair of matches Senegal and Cameroon will play in Dakar -- both African nations are two matches from a place at the World Cup, but neither are considered favourites. This window is the last chance for nations like Senegal and Cameroon to work on their shortcomings before they attempt to join the fun next summer in Australia and New Zealand.
27), who featured at two of the last three World Cups, should provide a stern test and should help the Copper Queens when it comes to playing teams from Latin America as Costa Rica were drawn in their World Cup group. The same ought to be true for Colombia, who will be given a boost playing a CAF team, with fellow African debutantes Morocco (No. 76) in their group next summer. A growing team and another of the next summer's World Cup debutantes, Philippines are looking not just for two strong performances against La Roja, but some much-needed experience as they enjoy a resurgence under new manager, Alen Stajcic, following a sizable period of dormancy.
With the coach trying to integrate younger players like striker Riko Ueki, midfielders Nanami Kitamura and Hinata Miyazawa into the fold while experimenting with different formations, there is a lack of a clear overarching picture. With time ticking down to the World Cup, the question isn't so much whether Japan will be ready in time, but rather if Ikeda knows what he wants from this team. Facing two teams who like to keep the ball as much as they do, there is no better time to see if the coach has answers to the bigger questions around their playing style. For Spain, who will spar with Argentina before facing Japan, there are ample distractions off the pitch with the majority of the Barcelona and Basque contingent still missing from the squad due to the dispute with the federation and no clear end in sight.
With Chile gearing up for their intercontinental playoff match in February against the winner of Senegal vs. Haiti, the team from South America will be favourites regardless of who they clash with in the playoff Group B final, but staying fresh and making sure everyone understands their roles on the pitch will be paramount for José Letelier. With Paraguay (No. 51) also in playoff action at the start of next year (in Group C), Las Guaraníes will have to overcome Chinese Taipei (No. 40) to make it to the final of the group, against the winner of Papua New Guinea (No. 50) vs. Panama (No. 57). With this challenge ahead, the Reggae Girlz -- led by charismatic striker, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw -- ought to give Paraguay more than a good run for their money and could provide an early look into how the South American team will fare in their playoff group.
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