World Cup 2.0 – Why girls’s Olympic soccer is a should watch at Paris 2024 | Paris Olympics 2024

Lower than a yr after the worldwide breakout success of the FIFA Ladies’s World Cup in Australia, a superb variety of that event’s finest gamers can be again; this time, the worldwide soccer epicentre can be Paris Olympics 2024 with 12 groups combating for the gold medal.

World champions Spain is among the many favourites to style glory, regardless that the staff will make its Olympic debut within the French capital, whereas perennial heavyweights america can be on the lookout for redemption after struggling their worst-ever World Cup consequence.

Staff USA’s neighbours Canada are the defending Olympic champions after they did the unthinkable on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, defeating highly-favoured Sweden within the gold medal match. Disappointingly, the Swedes is not going to participate within the Paris 2024 Olympics after failing to qualify.

Becoming a member of them on the absentees checklist would be the United Kingdom, who couldn’t safe an Olympic berth by way of the inaugural Ladies’s Nations League.

With senior skilled gamers and full-strength squads, the 12-team girls’s Olympic soccer occasion affords a star-studded and premier world soccer competitors of the very best high quality when in comparison with the 16-team males’s occasion, which is restricted to under-23 gamers with an allowance for less than three over-age skilled gamers.

The fan curiosity in girls’s Olympic soccer competitors is anticipated to be greater than ever, because of the success of the 2023 World Cup, which attracted report world tv viewing figures.

USA: A staff in transition

With a brand new coach at its helm and a squad that includes upcoming stars, a new-look Staff USA will compete on the Olympics.

England’s Emma Hayes has been employed to show across the staff’s fortunes and the skilled coach could possibly be a breath of contemporary air that the American girls’s sport wants.

Hayes, who led Chelsea to seven Ladies’s Tremendous League titles, took over the reins simply earlier than the Olympics, though her appointment was introduced late final yr after Vlatko Andonovski resigned within the wake of their bitter World Cup exit.

After successive triumphs in 2015 and 2019, the US was anticipated to finish a “three-peat” of titles on the 2023 World Cup, however the People had been knocked out within the final 16, dropping to Sweden on penalties.

The stress is on Hayes as she manages a staff looking for its method again to the highest of the world rankings, having slipped to their lowest-ever spot (fifth). There may be additionally satisfaction on the road for the four-time world champions.

“Everyone knows the primary components of the American DNA, and that won’t change beneath my stewardship,” Hayes stated in her first press convention as head coach in June.

US captain Lindsey Horan, who was a part of the aspect that received bronze on the Tokyo Video games, stated the staff has moved on from their World Cup heartbreak and goes for gold in Paris.

“After the World Cup, we actually regrouped,” Horan instructed reporters this month.

“You take a look at the younger gamers coming in, the leaders on this staff, you realize, simply [a] massive mesh of what we’ve. I believe what you’re going to see and what’s in retailer for us is unimaginable.”

Staff USA’s 18-player Olympic roster options thrilling new expertise reminiscent of ahead Sophia Smith and defender Naomi Girma, whereas veterans Horan, Alyssa Naeher and Crystal Dunn add high quality depth to the squad.

In a shock omission, Alex Morgan, one of many final hyperlinks to the nice US girls’s soccer staff dynasty, was ignored by Hayes. Will probably be the primary time for the reason that 2008 Olympics that the high-profile ahead is not going to go well with up for the nationwide aspect in a significant competitors.

Staff USA has received a medal in all however one of many seven Olympics which have featured girls’s soccer, together with 4 gold medals, the final of which got here at London 2012.

Goalkeeper Naeher stated the Paris Olympics will give the staff an opportunity to start a brand new chapter, as they give the impression of being to regain their supremacy on the worldwide stage.

“We’ve talked to this complete yr about trying in the direction of the long run and turning the web page and having this new id and shifting ahead,” Naeher instructed reporters.

“That is the beginning of that,” she stated.

“With Emma in right here and the total new employees and the roster being set, I believe now that is the chance to formally sort of transfer in that ahead route. And that is the primary event for that. You’ll be able to really feel the vitality.”

The US are in Group B alongside 2016 Olympic champions Germany, Asian heavyweights Australia, and Zambia, whose squad consists of the world’s costliest feminine participant, Racheal Kundananji.

Can Spain do the double?

Spain emerged because the 2023 FIFA World Champions in Australia and New Zealand regardless of coping with off-field points together with an ugly participant revolt. Later, their title triumph was marred by a scandal triggered by ex-Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales provoked worldwide outrage by kissing star participant Jenni Hermoso with out consent through the medal ceremony after the World Cup remaining. The disgraced former official is about to stand trial in February 2025, whereas his shut ally Jorge Vilda was additionally sacked because the coach by the Spanish FA.

In contrast to the World Cup, Spain will head to the Olympics with out distractions and has the prospect to develop into the primary staff to win the Olympic Gold-World Cup double.

The Olympics can be a brand new expertise for the top-ranked Spaniards however having received the World Cup and the Nations League final yr, they know what it takes to win at a significant event.

Their squad is wealthy in world-class expertise, that includes 2023 Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, all-time prime scorer Hermoso, veteran midfielder Alexia Putellas and promising winger Salma Paralluelo.

“We’re an bold staff and I’m an bold one that by no means will get bored with successful,” stated Bonmati, who received Liga F and the Champions League with Barcelona final season.

“A very powerful factor now’s to give attention to successful gold.”

Spain, taking part in beneath new coach Montse Tome, are in Group C with 2011 world champions Japan, two-time Olympic silver medallists Brazil, and Nigeria, the top-ranked African staff.

Marta steps up for Brazil, Canada excessive on confidence

Brazil will head to Paris 2024 in quest of the gold medal that has eluded them, having received the silver in 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Head coach Arthur Elias’s squad consists of probably the greatest gamers of all time, Marta. The 38-year-old can be taking part in in her sixth and remaining Video games earlier than retiring from worldwide soccer on the finish of the yr, and the legendary ahead would like to lastly add a gold medal to her prolonged checklist of profession achievements.

“She brings lots to the desk, she’s the best athlete of all time,” Elias stated of Marta, who’s Brazil’s main aim scorer.

Canada have caught with a significant chunk of their gold medal-winning squad as coach Bev Priestman known as on 13 gamers who had been a part of the Olympic success in Tokyo.

Captain Jessie Fleming, certainly one of six girls on the 18-player squad competing of their third consecutive Olympic Video games, stated the eighth-ranked staff are assured of a superb efficiency.

The Canadians are the one aspect to have reached the rostrum in girls’s soccer at every of the final three Olympic Video games.

“We’ve got grown lots within the final yr as a staff and are assured we will repeat the success we’ve had traditionally on this event,” stated Fleming, who took over the captaincy after long-time skipper Christine Sinclair retired late final yr.

Canada is in Group A with hosts France, Colombia and New Zealand.

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You’ll be able to comply with the motion on Al Jazeera’s devoted Paris 2024 Olympics event web page with all of the information and options, in addition to occasion build-up and stay textual content commentary on chosen soccer, basketball, tennis and boxing fixtures.