🏆 Concacaf's Women's World Cup is here
With six teams qualified, including two making their debut, can the region flex its WoSo muscle in Aus-NZ?
We are on the eve of Concacaf’s Women’s World Cup.
Maybe that’s a strange thing to say, given that the tournament kicks off tonight a full 14 time zones ahead of most of the region. Yet, with both Panama and Haiti qualifying thanks to a pair of playoff victories earlier this year, Concacaf can boast six teams in the top tournament.
Only UEFA has more - classic Europe - but the confederation heads into the tournament not only boasting the reigning champion and the current Olympic gold medalist but also able to say it was the most successful region in the qualification tournament.
So, what will the actual World Cup hold for teams in the Concacaf region? Well, heading into the tournament, there’s good news and there’s bad news.
The good news: Concacaf has six teams in Aus-NZ, and two should compete to win the World Cup
We know the United States and Canada should compete
Injuries, plus other teams generally raising their levels, are the most likely factors that would derail the United States’ quest for an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Canada, meanwhile, has a stern and experienced back line but a stark lack of creativity up top, something they weren’t able to sharpen much this year as it demanded better conditions from the federation, including more preparation matches for situations just like this.
The attacking issues may be exacerbated if injury problems crop up. Midfield star Jessie Fleming hasn't been participating in full training sessions, though manager Bev Priestman says she’ll be ready to go for the opening match against Nigeria.
Still, Canada comes in as the Olympic gold medalist and may be able to put together a run similar to the one they went on in Tokyo.
The potentially bad news: It’s going to be tough for the Concacaf teams
It wouldn’t be a shock to see four of the six Concacaf teams out at the group stage, with a combination of on-field struggles and really tough groups painting an ugly picture for the non-North American teams.
Jamaica and Panama ended up in the same group. Fun! The bad news, though, is that they’re also in there with France and Brazil, a pair of teams that have aspirations of making a deep tournament run.
Jamaica is in the World Cup for the second time in a row, breaking the glass ceiling for Caribbean teams with its qualification for France in 2019 and now getting back to the sport’s top stage.
Manager Lorne Donaldson is a measured coach who is asking for more leadership from within his group, whether it comes from mega-star forward Bunny Shaw, relatively new addition Drew Spence, who won a number of WSL titles with Chelsea, or elsewhere. The skill level after some of those top players, though, falls off a fair amount, and it may be tough for the Reggae Girlz to compete with the other group rivals.
There will be a Concacaf showdown on the second matchday, which could put a potential winner in position to spring a surprise on the final day and get through the group.
Unlike Jamaica, which continues to spar with its federation, Panama seems to have had a fair bit of good preparation leading in to the tournament. It also has a few names familiar to long-time Concacaf fans like midfielder Marta Cox and Natalia Mills, plus cult hero goalkeeper Yenith Bailey. Bailey is one of more than 10 players on the roster currently playing in Panama’s nascent domestic league, something of a cause for concern against group rivals with players working in the world’s top competitions.
Outside of that group, Costa Rica also has a tough slate, meeting Spain, recent-Germany-upsetters Zambia and Japan.
But the decision to drop legendary midfielder Shirley Cruz has heaped pressure on Amelia Valverde, pressure she doesn’t need more of thanks to the team’s recent slump. Since qualification, Costa Rica has won once, a home friendly against the Philippines, running up eight losses and three draws.
Rounding out the field, Haiti is one of the youngest teams in the tournament. If you read the newsletter, you can say you knew about 19-year-old superstar Melchie Dumornay way before it was cool. “Corventina” can make something out of nothing, and the rest of Haiti’s attack also is quality.
Missing center back Claire Constant because of an ACL injury and relying on a back line that lacks experience basically at every slot, it could be difficult for Haiti to keep scorelines low. Could make for fun viewing, as long as that attack can keep pace.
Hey Jon! How will the newsletter cover the Women’s World Cup?
As I mentioned, this is Concacaf’s WWC. Thanks to your support, I’m hiring a couple of writers to make freelance contributions to the newsletter! It’s a cool moment in the ‘life’ of this little publication.
That said, I think most fans already have a number of good places to go for day-to-day coverage of the tournament. The writers I bring on will look to find those same angles you’ve come to expect from Getting CONCACAFed, stuff you simply can’t find anywhere else. I’ll be popping in when I have the chance, too.
Got an idea for a story? Want to tell me how you’d like to see the Women’s World Cup or Leagues Cup or something totally different covered? Hit reply!
Also, I think the Discord is about to get popping if you’re looking to mix it up with fellow Concacaf sickos up at odd hours.
How about a gambling segment for the WWC? A pick of the day or picks for all the days games. There’s a significant audience out there whom are interested in betting on the WWC, but don’t know enough about the women’s game to make educates choices. A expert opinion would be greatly appreciated.