Russia face Brazil in intriguing opener

As proceedings got underway, a little girl dressed as a referee appeared on stage to blow the starting whistle for the eagerly-anticipated draw. There was a tangible sense of excitement among representatives of competing nations as they waited to see what fate had in store for them at this summer's tournament, which is to be played in Moscow and St. Petersburg between 17 August and 3 September.

Those fortunate enough to be in attendance were treated to a Strauss waltz accompanied by a classical dance number performed by members of the Gzhel Dance Ensemble, later followed by the official speeches. With the crowd beginning to get restless, the organisers pulled an ace from their sleeve by releasing a series of enormous brightly coloured footballs, decorated with the flags of each participating nation. Having recaptured the audience's attention, it was time for Gzhel to reappear on stage, this time with a modern, high-tempo routine, filling the stage with a blur of music and movement.

As the spectacular musical display drew to a close, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. Jim Brown, FIFA's Director of Competitions, invited no fewer than four Olympic champions on to the stage as neutral participants in the all-important draw. Elena Zamolodchikova, double Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, Elena Azarosa, two-time Olympic champion in synchronised swimming, Karina Aznavuryan, winner of two Olympic golds in fencing, and European, World and Olympic rhythmic gymnastic champion Alina Kabaeva were all welcomed with thunderous applause.

Luck of the draw
There could be little doubt that Group A caused the biggest stir, the news that tournament hosts and reigning European champions Russia would take on Brazil in their opening game sending shockwaves around the room. The audience quickly recovered from the initial surprise to burst into a spontaneous round of encouraging applause for the home side, who could be seen shifting nervously in their seats. Everyone present agreed that there could be no better game to kick off the competition.

The surprises did not end there either. Australia, representing the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the first time at a world championship, were drawn in the same group as neighbours New Zealand, who had inherited the Oceania title previously dominated by the Young Matildas. An ironic quirk of fate saw to it that, having avoided each other in qualifying, the two sides' paths would cross at the biggest event in women's football this year. Kiwi coach John Herdman and Aussie representative Jo Sanders could not avoid a wry smile and a cheeky wink as the teams were announced.

Group C will be the only group containing two teams from the same confederation (Europe), with defending champions Germany taking on Switzerland, Mexico and Korea DPR. The talented German and Swiss players know each other all too well, having battled it out at the UEFA U-19 Championship, where both sides booked their places at Russia. On that occasion, Switzerland came off decidedly worse, crashing to a 5-2 defeat on Hungarian soil. "Germany again… I hope that things turn out differently this time around!" joked Swiss coach Claudio Taddei.

The Mexicans, meanwhile, refused to be intimidated, with their representatives confidently predicting that they intend to be the surprise package at this year's tournament.

Recently crowned Asian champions China PR, beaten by Germany in the final at Thailand 2004, open their campaign against tournament first-timers Finland, who have made astonishing progress in recent years. Fellow Group B rivals Canada, runners-up in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament, will play their first match against a yet-to-be-confirmed African side.

The remaining African team will take their place in Group D, where they face a formidable opening tie against the mighty USA. The Americans are desperate to repeat their title success at Canada 2002 after the disappointment of finishing third in Thailand. Meanwhile, group opponents France are out to atone for a previous failure this time around, having failed to make the quarter-final stage on their last appearance on the world stage over on Canadian soil.

The additional qualifying place awarded to South America has given first-time qualifiers Argentina the chance to take Group D by storm and prove that Brazil are not the only side in the region capable of quality football.

Aside from the identity of the two African sides set to compete on Russian soil, the path to success is now that much clearer for those teams gunning for glory this summer. The next three months could prove to be a vital opportunity to prepare valuable scouting reports on future opponents, with coaches working overtime to ensure their sides arrive in the best possible shape to be crowned queens of women's youth football.

 

August 17 its when the ball gets rolling in Ruskyland !!!!

 

Previous finalists face group underdogs



(FIFA.com) 16 Aug 2006

The tournament's opening day sees Canada and China, who marched all the way to the final in 2002 and 2004 respectively, begin their Russia 2006 campaigns against two teams hoping to prove the surprise packages of this FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship.
China v Finland
Podmoskovie (Shchelkovo, near Moscow), 17 August, 16.00 local time

Newcomers to this competition, Finland face an imposing task in Group B against three teams who have succeeded in qualifying for every edition, including the beaten finalists from both Canada 2002 and Thailand 2004 in Canada and China.

It is the latter of this heavyweight pair that the Nordic outfit face first, and while his players are bullishly insisting that they have come to Russia with qualification in their sights, long-serving coach Jarmo Matikainen strikes a more downbeat note.

"Realistically," he told FIFA.com at his team's Moscow base, "although being underdogs may help the mental preparation of the players, I think in the end that the quality and experience of teams like China and Canada will tell the story. We have nothing to lose, though, and we'll go into this tournament playing the same system (4-4-2) we used all through qualifying."

This, predictably enough, was greeted as "great news" by Linda Sallstrom, the team's star striker, who in addition to operating alongside a partner, will be supported from the flanks by the dangerous duo of Essi Sainio and Taru Laihanen. China would certainly be well advised to avoid underestimating a side who, in qualifying for Russia 2006 by virtue of reaching the last four at the 2005 UEFA European U-19 Championships, claimed the scalps of Greece, Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland among others.

Matikainen, however, admits that he will accept an early exit from the country's first-ever FIFA World Championship, provided that it establishes a basis for success in the senior women's ranks three years from now.

"In truth, I'd say we're coming here focussing on player development more than results or qualification because this is a generation of Finnish players we have big hopes for," he said. "Finland hosts the Women's European Championship in 2009 and that's a milestone in these players' development that I think we all have one eye on."

China also have a major senior event looming large on the horizon, of course, in the shape of next year's FIFA Women's World Cup, but unlike the Finns, they arrive in Russia with one, unambiguous target: the title.

Along with the USA, the Steel Rosebuds have the oldest team in the competition, with an average age of 19 years and six months - Finland, by comparison, are among the youngest, at 18 years and nine months - and Asia's number one team at this level will be aiming to go one better than they managed in Thailand two years ago.

Then, to the great surprise of many, China swept aside the illustrious likes of Italy, Canada and Brazil en route to an honourable 2-0 final defeat to the all-conquering Germans, and Ruihua is hoping that the memory serves to inspire his players, many of whom are veterans of that tournament. "It could be an additional pressure for the team but it could also give them greater motivation," said the 61-year-old.


Nigeria v Canada
Podmoskovie (Shchelkovo, near Moscow), 17 August, 19.00 local time
Beaten finalists in 2002 and quarter-finalists in Thailand, Canada predictably start among the favourites to go the distance at Russia 2006. Coach Ian Bridge believes, however, that with one key exception, this FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship is within the grasp of more teams than either of its predecessors at U-19 level.

"For me, the USA are a level above everyone else at the moment," Bridge told FIFA.com earlier this week. "But below the US, I think you have six, seven or maybe eight teams who could potentially win this tournament, and I'd like to think that we're on of those teams."

A man whose playing career took him to the 1984 Olympics and 1986 FIFA World Cup™, Bridge has not had his worries to seek coming into this tournament, with the injury-enforced withdrawal of Kara Lang, his captain and star player, undoubtedly the most disquieting.

The fact that he has yet to see Canada's opening match opponents in action is also of legitimate concern, although he knows enough about the Nigerians to expect the most demanding of encounters.

"They will have all the traditional virtues of African football: pace, athleticism, imagination - and heart too, because they've got to where they are without anything like the kind of support in their country that they deserve," he said. "I was actually quite pleased when I first saw the draw, but the longer it's gone, the more I've come to think that we've actually landed in the toughest group."

Canada can, though, take heart from the fact that they have won the only previous head-to-head between these two teams, which saw a 2-0 defeat inflicted on the Africans during the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship 2002.

A recent, Jodi-Ann Robinson-inspired 3-0 friendly win over the highly-rated Australians has also boosted confidence after a couple of morale-sapping defeats to fellow finalists China and Mexico, although Nigeria's previous experience at this level is sure to make them problematic opponents.

Many will recall that eventual winners Germany required a penalty shoot-out to oust the Falconets from Thailand '04 and they arrive at this tournament unbeaten in 12 FIFA U-19/U-20 Women's World Championship qualifiers.

Nigeria also won't lack for experience; of the six players in Russia participating in their third FIFA World Championship at this level, half are contained within the Africans' ranks: Akudo Iwuagwu, Akudo Sabi and Cynthia Uwak

Coach Emmanuel Tetteh Okonkwo is certainly of the opinion that his players are "ready to explode" in Russia, and Canada can merely hope that they prove able to withstand the blast.

 

United States 4, Argentina 1 :dielaugh:

August 21, 2006

MOSCOW (AP) -- The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Championship, routing Argentina 4-1 Monday.

Goals by Jessica Rostedt in the 13th minute and Danesha Adams in the 38th built a 2-0 lead. Mercedes Pereyra scored for Argentina in the 53rd before Allie Long boosted the lead in the 62nd and Casey Nogueira scored one minute into injury time.

O'Hara was ejected in the 73rd minute for receiving her second yellow card, and the Americans finished a player short.

The United States (2-0), which opened Friday with a 2-1 win over Congo, plays its final first-round game Friday against France (2-0), a 1-0 winner Monday over Congo. Because France has a plus-six goal difference to plus-four for the United States, the Americans need a victory to finish first in Group D.

In the quarterfinals, the Group D winner plays the second-place team in Group C, while the Group D second-place team meets the Group C winner. North Korea (2-0) leads Group D with six points, followed by Germany and Mexico (both 1-1) with three apiece and Switzerland (0-2).

Two years ago, when the tournament was the Under-19 World Cup Championship, the Americans finished third after losing to Germany in the semifinals.

 

Women's World Cup winners to get $1 million bonus :happy: :happy: :happy:

October 16, 2006

ZURICH (AP) -- The 2007 women's World Cup champions will get a $1 million bonus.

FIFA said Monday it will give $6 million in bonuses to the 16 teams at next year's tournament in China, which ends Sept. 30. The runners-up will receive $800,000, while the third- to 16th-placed teams will earn bonuses between $200,000 and $650,000.

FIFA also said defending champion Germany and host China will be seeded in separate groups. The governing body's rankings will be used to determine the other seeds.