Norway, Nepal and Ghana - your women's football roundup
It may be an international break, but that does not mean that the action comes to an end. Instead, it arguably ramps up even more in excitement and importance, with there not simply being points to play for but places in major finals and higher positions in future qualifying campaigns.
As ever, this newsletter will bring you right up to date with all of the latest from on and off the field, highlighting three key talking points from the many matches that have taken place, picking out some of the things that others have been writing about and providing a podcast episode to further enhance your understanding of the latest from the women’s game.
3 key talking points….
Gemma Grainger is already making her mark in Norway
Norway’s match in Croatia last week was their first under new head coach Gemma Grainger, following her decision to move to the Scandinavian nation from Wales in January, and all eyes were on her and them when the game got underway to see if her appointment would work out for both parties and what sort of Norway fans can expect to see during her tenure.
It did not take long for answers to be provided, and they were largely positive, with the team showing careful control of the ball and not making many inaccurate passes, whilst there was also plenty of movement and rotation around the pitch which will have pleased both Grainger and those watching on from the stands.
It is clear that Grainger’s aim is to implement an attacking style of play that sees Norway play the ball forwards as early as possible, but without conceding possession in cheap circumstances, and a lot of what they did in this game showed that the players have bought into that and have been working hard to ensure that they can make it work in practice.
https://twitter.com/philipoconnor/status/1761078187860119794
Whilst beating Croatia was not a surprise in itself, with their opponents being much lower down in the rankings, the manner that they went about their business is the key thing to take from this match, and there is no doubt that it was a really pleasing start from Norway and a definitive step in the right direction.
Why Nepal are ones to watch in Asia
Whilst much of the world’s attention has been on Europe and North America over the last seven days, there have been matches taking place in other areas of the globe too, and some well worth discussing.
One of the tournaments that has caught the eye is the West Asian Championship, and the team that have really stood out in it so far has been Nepal, with them putting on some really strong displays and showing to so many why they are not a team to underestimate when at full swing. Stylistically, they are quite transitional and like to keep the ball moving at pace, with there being a clear Spanish influence in their play, and they match that with solidity at the back which means that they score a lot and have not conceded too many clearcut opportunities.
https://twitter.com/TheCoolAatma/status/1760919289190556142
When looking at their performances against Syria, Iraq and Palestine, it becomes clear just how dangerous they are to come up against, with them pressing high up the pitch against all three and winning the ball back in promising areas of the pitch, and that was one of the reasons that they managed to create so many chances and to score goals in different ways, with midfielder Preeti Rai a strong competitor in the midfield and Sabitra Bhandari leading the line with quality and composure.
https://twitter.com/iamdipesh_/status/1761461173789094279
Nepal have unsurprisingly made it to the final of the tournament, where they will face defending champions Jordan, and it could be an interesting and tightly contested final. Regardless of if they win the final or not though, there is no doubting their quality and they can definitely be backed to keep playing at this high standard in the future and to keep challenging for honours.
Ghana really are on the road to recovery
When Ghana were drawn against Zambia in the third round of the African Olympic qualifying stages, there would have been many who would have been fearing the worst, with Zambia possessing one of the most feared front lines in the continent and showing time and time again that they have the ability to break teams down in a number of ways.
“Zambia display principles of direct, fast, vertical football, with different ways of executing it, trying to avoid long passes in many instances. Instead, they have a specific idea that moves the ball on the ground and progresses quickly to the final third.”
Bryant Marques, writing for Total Football Analysis in July 2023.
However, Ghana are a team who are rapidly growing in confidence at the moment and who have been putting on some really positive displays of late, and the fact that they succeeded in holding their opponents out for much of the first leg will have only increased that belief, with them showing some staunch resistance to keep Zambia at bay and to make it difficult for them to get clear shots away at goal.
As the game went on and they realised that they could compete in the match, they started to marry that defensive resolve with counterattacks, attempting to hit Zambia early whenever they did get the ball, and it was clear from that that they had a game plan that the players again had faith in and it gave their opponents a lot to think about as the game wore on.
“When [Nora] Häuptle took charge in January 2023 she initiated a rejuvenation of the squad, phasing out the old guard and developing a new core mainly made up of those promoted from the Under-20s. This has led to consistent results – the Black Queens have won 10 out of 11 matches under her, scoring 34 goals, conceding two and keeping nine clean sheets – and are able to control games, create a lot of chances and fight on when things are not going their way.”
Emmanuel Ayamga, writing for The Guardian in February 2024.
Zambia may have won 1-0 in the end to take an advantage into the second leg, but Ghana would have come away with plenty of positives from the match, and it would have shown those watching that they really are on the road to recovery and that they are not a side to be taken lightly as they try to get back to the level that they used to be at.
Read all about it….
Naomi Layzell could be England’s next young star - the England senior and U22 squads have been on a warm-weather training camp in Spain this week, with both playing friendly matches too, and there has been a strong integration between the two. One player who has been invited to train with the senior team is defender Naomi Layzell, and Emma Sanders’ article for BBC Sport looks at why the Bristol City player is one to watch for the future.
The rise of data analytics in the NWSL - there has been a growing belief in the use of data and statistics to help teams in the NWSL to gain a competitive advantage on the field and to help them find the best talent off it to further enhance their squads. This article by Steph Yang on The Athletic goes into detail on it’s rise and the advantages and disadvantages of using it.
A player’s perspective on the perils of playing Spain - ever since the World Cup came to an end, there has been a growing feeling that Spain are the new superpower tactically and the team that everyone is finding difficult to beat. In her first column for The Guardian’s Moving The Goalposts newsletter, Bayern Munich and Sweden defender Magdalena Eriksson goes through some of the issues that players face when trying to set up against them.
Lend me your ears….
The Lionesses start the year in style!! - with it being an international break, the main stories have been happening on the field, but the latest episode of TalkSPORT’s The Women’s Football Show podcast also goes into detail on how Tottenham Hotspur and Jamaica goalkeeper Becky Spencer dealt with post-tournament blues and some new initiatives off the field looking to advance the understanding of women’s health.
That’s all for now - back next week!!