England
Group B: New Zealand, Mexico, Japan
Background: England are definitely a rising power. Runners-up in Euro 2009, just seen off USA and Sweden.
tactics: 4-2-3-1. england have so much talent in attack that Hope Powell is going to have a nice selection headache. England's greatest strength is their counter-attack. they play a very direct style, with their 4 attackers, whoever is playing, being more than capable of taking on the opponent.
Based on yesterday's game, i am really looking forward to the announcement of Hope Powell's squad.
for some reason, each squad will comprise of only 21 players.
if i were hope powell, i would name the following players
gk: karen bardsley, siobahn chamberlain, carly telford
defenders: alex scott, faye white, rachel unitt, sophie bradley, casey stoney, claire rafferty
midfielders: fara williams, jill scott, steph houghton, anita asante, dani buet
attackers: kelly smith, eniola aluko, karen carney, rachel yankey, jess clarke, ellen white, natasha dowie
i think this would be the best combination of youth and experience, and covers all the positions as well.
starting lineup
gk: karen bardsley
i think it is a straight fight between bardsley and chamberlain, with telford clearly one for the future. i think bardsley is more commanding at the back and was solid last night in the 70 minutes she played.
defence(left to right): unitt-stoney-white-scott
i think the defence picks itself, based on experience. but hope powell would be happy to know last night that youngsters like rafferty and bradley can step up if the need arises. in fact, bradley was quite impressive in central defence. while she didnt have to play directly against schelin, she did had to play against 2 powerful forwards. hope powell also knows that asante and houghton can play in defence.
midfield: fara williams-asante
fara williams is currently injured, but she is such a key player for both england and everton. the midfield engine. the last time i saw asante play in 2009, she was the centreback. quite surprised by how well she acquited herself yesterday in midfield. so sure on the ball.
of course, the biggest name missing is katie chapman. a real shame. i seriously still believe she should wait till after the world cup to retire.
jill scott will be the impact sub. to be honest, i don't really see houghton and buet playing much in the tournament. they are really going to be there for the experience.
attack: this is where it gets interesting. how does hope powell want to play?
for me, despite carney's performance in the no10 position in the second half, leading to talk that she could start there, kelly smith is still untouchable. kelly smith will start in that central position. but at least hope powell knows that if kelly smith gets injured or tired, she can put carney there.
wingers wise, yankey is probably the cooler head, while clarke will just take the ball and run. i personally feel that carney is the most complete winger who can come in and stay wide. aluko, with her pace, is also an option.
upfront, hope powell can stick to the no9 forward ellen white, or put the pacey counterattacker Aluko. Natasha Dowie is a fantastic youngster. lots of potential to be that complete forward. i am not sure if she will play, but they have to take her along because she is one for the future.
another option for powell would be to go the arsenal way and play kelly smith in the RVP role. then she could put aluko on the flank, carney behind smith and clarke/yankey on the other flank.
that's why i say hope powell has a nice selection headache in attack.
key players:
kelly smith
England's robin van persie. she is such a brilliant player to watch. i just hope that she stays fit. She was struggling with injury during Euro 2009, but still played such a big part in England's run to the final, so imagine her impact when fully fit.
Fara Williams
engine in midfield, vice captain.
alex scott
right back who pops up in the box. her weakness is perhaps her small size. i always believe that having fullbacks who understand how to adjust themselves according to their teammates is crucial to a team's success. how alex scott plays, how she links up with whoever is playing ahead of her will be important to england.
players to watch
Karen Carney
a key player in 2009, seemingly pushed to a sub's role this time round. if she gets her chance, she will play like a woman possessed to prove a point.
natasha dowie
perhaps hope powell's secret weapon.
outlook: lucky to be drawn in a relatively straight-forward group, though every team will know they have nothing to lose. They will be up against two technical teams in Japan and Mexico, which could suit them, allowing them to play on the counter. they started euro 2009 slowly and grew into the tournament. Recent success should give them the confidence to approach the tournament knowing they can win it, yet without the burden of 'favourite' tags as in the case of Germany and USA.
Background: England are definitely a rising power. Runners-up in Euro 2009, just seen off USA and Sweden.
tactics: 4-2-3-1. england have so much talent in attack that Hope Powell is going to have a nice selection headache. England's greatest strength is their counter-attack. they play a very direct style, with their 4 attackers, whoever is playing, being more than capable of taking on the opponent.
Based on yesterday's game, i am really looking forward to the announcement of Hope Powell's squad.
for some reason, each squad will comprise of only 21 players.
if i were hope powell, i would name the following players
gk: karen bardsley, siobahn chamberlain, carly telford
defenders: alex scott, faye white, rachel unitt, sophie bradley, casey stoney, claire rafferty
midfielders: fara williams, jill scott, steph houghton, anita asante, dani buet
attackers: kelly smith, eniola aluko, karen carney, rachel yankey, jess clarke, ellen white, natasha dowie
i think this would be the best combination of youth and experience, and covers all the positions as well.
starting lineup
gk: karen bardsley
i think it is a straight fight between bardsley and chamberlain, with telford clearly one for the future. i think bardsley is more commanding at the back and was solid last night in the 70 minutes she played.
defence(left to right): unitt-stoney-white-scott
i think the defence picks itself, based on experience. but hope powell would be happy to know last night that youngsters like rafferty and bradley can step up if the need arises. in fact, bradley was quite impressive in central defence. while she didnt have to play directly against schelin, she did had to play against 2 powerful forwards. hope powell also knows that asante and houghton can play in defence.
midfield: fara williams-asante
fara williams is currently injured, but she is such a key player for both england and everton. the midfield engine. the last time i saw asante play in 2009, she was the centreback. quite surprised by how well she acquited herself yesterday in midfield. so sure on the ball.
of course, the biggest name missing is katie chapman. a real shame. i seriously still believe she should wait till after the world cup to retire.
jill scott will be the impact sub. to be honest, i don't really see houghton and buet playing much in the tournament. they are really going to be there for the experience.
attack: this is where it gets interesting. how does hope powell want to play?
for me, despite carney's performance in the no10 position in the second half, leading to talk that she could start there, kelly smith is still untouchable. kelly smith will start in that central position. but at least hope powell knows that if kelly smith gets injured or tired, she can put carney there.
wingers wise, yankey is probably the cooler head, while clarke will just take the ball and run. i personally feel that carney is the most complete winger who can come in and stay wide. aluko, with her pace, is also an option.
upfront, hope powell can stick to the no9 forward ellen white, or put the pacey counterattacker Aluko. Natasha Dowie is a fantastic youngster. lots of potential to be that complete forward. i am not sure if she will play, but they have to take her along because she is one for the future.
another option for powell would be to go the arsenal way and play kelly smith in the RVP role. then she could put aluko on the flank, carney behind smith and clarke/yankey on the other flank.
that's why i say hope powell has a nice selection headache in attack.
key players:
kelly smith
England's robin van persie. she is such a brilliant player to watch. i just hope that she stays fit. She was struggling with injury during Euro 2009, but still played such a big part in England's run to the final, so imagine her impact when fully fit.
Fara Williams
engine in midfield, vice captain.
alex scott
right back who pops up in the box. her weakness is perhaps her small size. i always believe that having fullbacks who understand how to adjust themselves according to their teammates is crucial to a team's success. how alex scott plays, how she links up with whoever is playing ahead of her will be important to england.
players to watch
Karen Carney
a key player in 2009, seemingly pushed to a sub's role this time round. if she gets her chance, she will play like a woman possessed to prove a point.
natasha dowie
perhaps hope powell's secret weapon.
outlook: lucky to be drawn in a relatively straight-forward group, though every team will know they have nothing to lose. They will be up against two technical teams in Japan and Mexico, which could suit them, allowing them to play on the counter. they started euro 2009 slowly and grew into the tournament. Recent success should give them the confidence to approach the tournament knowing they can win it, yet without the burden of 'favourite' tags as in the case of Germany and USA.
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