Fifa Women's World Cup day five preview: Italy v Argentina, Germany v Morocco, Brazil v Panama

1 year ago 20

History could beryllium made connected time 5 of the Fifa Women's World Cup if Nouhaila Benzina plays for Morocco.

The 25-year-old defender volition go the archetypal subordinate to deterioration a hijab, the Islamic headscarf, astatine a World Cup if she features against 1 of the tourney favourites, Germany.

That is the 2nd crippled of the day, with Italy facing Argentina, who are trying to triumph their archetypal World Cup match, earlier successful the morning.

Brazil, who person won each 8 of their World Cup openers, get their tourney nether mode against debutants Panama.

Italy v Argentina

Group G | Auckland | 07:00 BST | ITV

Italy are hoping to physique connected a quarter-final decorativeness astatine the 2019 World Cup, which was their archetypal clip successful the tourney since 1999.

But they finished bottommost of their radical astatine Euro 2022 successful England with lone 1 point.

"This World Cup is important - conscionable arsenic the erstwhile 1 - due to the fact that it does proceed the maturation process. We person qualified for 2 World Cups successful a enactment and this is extraordinarily important for the maturation successful Italy," said manager Melina Bertolini.

"Our question keeps growing. It's a precise young movement; it's inactive fragile."

TheItaly squad includes 16-year-old Barcelona midfielder Giulia Dragoni.

Argentina person ne'er won a sanctioned Women's World Cup match, losing each six games earlier 2019 and picking up 2 points successful 2019, including a 3-3 gully with Scotland.

Captain and goalkeeper Vanina Correa, 39, has been successful the squad for each 4 of the tournaments, including this one.

In the non-Fifa-sanctioned 1971 World Cup, Argentina, who beat England 4-1 successful the radical stage, mislaid 4-0 to Italy successful the third-place play-off. That is their lone erstwhile meeting.

Argentina person bounced backmost good considering they did not play a crippled betwixt 2015 and 2017, erstwhile they mislaid their Fifa ranking for inactivity.

Rachel Brown-Finnis' prediction: This is different crippled I americium truly looking guardant to, and again it should beryllium close. I americium going with Italy to borderline it, truthful Argentina volition person to hold a small longer for their archetypal World Cup finals win. 2-1.

Key stat: Argentina person failed to people successful 67% of their Women's World Cup games (6/9), the highest percent among the teams who person played much than six games successful the competition.

Germany v Morocco

Group H | Melbourne | 09:30 BST | ITV

Morocco go the archetypal Arab squad to play astatine a Women's World Cup, with skipper Ghizlane Chebbak saying: "We consciousness that we person to enarthrosis a large work to amusement a bully image, and to amusement the achievements that the Moroccan shot squad has made successful presumption of advancement by qualifying.

"This is simply a large milestone for america and we anticipation that our lucifer with Germany volition pave the mode for different matches."

Team-mate Benzina, who plays her nine shot successful Morocco, volition go the archetypal subordinate to deterioration a hijab astatine a elder women's tourney if she plays. The hijab was authorised by Fifa successful 2014.

There are 70 places betwixt the teams successful the Fifa rankings, with Germany 2nd successful the world.

German manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said: "All the games are tight. Women's shot teams person travel ever closer.

"All the countries coming present are not lone arrogant to beryllium astatine the World Cup, but they perfectly person the prime to play present and to airs problems."

Germany person wounded doubts implicit cardinal players Marina Hegering and Lena Oberdorf.

Rachel Brown-Finnis' prediction: I tin spot Germany winning large here. They volition inactive beryllium hurting from losing past year's Euros final, but they volition usage it successful a bully mode - to occurrence themselves up.

In their eyes, I americium definite it has been excessively agelong since they past won a World Cup - they were back-to-back champions successful 2003 and 2006 - truthful that's their people this time.

Defeat won't extremity Morocco's chances of getting retired of the radical and I'd emotion to spot them emulate their men's team, who reached the semi-finals successful Qatar past year, but that is evidently a immense ask. 4-0.

Key stat: Germany's extremity quality successful World Cup openers is 34-3. Two of the 4 instances a squad person scored astatine slightest 10 goals successful a Women's World Cup crippled were Germany successful their opening crippled (11-0 v Argentina successful 2007 and 10-0 v Ivory Coast successful 2015).

Brazil v Panama

Group F | Adelaide | 12:00 BST | ITV

Football royalty Brazil person won the Copa America Femenina 8 times but are yet to triumph a World Cup, finishing 2nd successful 2007.

Marta could go the archetypal subordinate - antheral oregon pistillate - to people successful six World Cups - though determination is nary warrant the 37-year-old volition start.

Coach Pia Sundhage said: "We're not picking the 2 champion forwards. We volition prime forwards who link with each other."

Panama are ranked 52nd successful the satellite and this is their archetypal World Cup.

"We cognize everything astir Panama. I've been watching; the adjunct manager has been watching truthful galore games," said Sundhage.

Forward Riley Tanner was calved and raised successful the United States but played for her mother's homeland Panama.

Her team-mates telephone her 'Frozen' due to the fact that of her expected resemblance to the cartoon's blonde quality Elsa.

She told the BBC swapping shirts with Marta aft the crippled would beryllium "a imagination travel true".

"I americium ace star-struck," said Tanner, who made her Panama debut lone this year.

"It's each happened beauteous quickly. I went from lone visiting Canada and a ngo travel to Costa Rica to flying each the mode crossed the satellite to play successful a World Cup qualifier successful New Zealand, truthful it's conscionable crazy."

Rachel Brown-Finnis' prediction: I seldom get to ticker Brazil successful enactment but I can't hold to spot some these teams - there's nary mode this 1 volition extremity up arsenic a goalless draw. 3-1.

Key stat: Brazil fable Marta is the apical scorer astatine the Women's World Cup, with 17 goals successful 20 matches.

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