Norway's current problems, Casey Phair's potential and why Uganda are a team worth watching - your women's football roundup
It may be an international break in the women’s game, but that does not mean that the stories and talking points have ended, with so much still happening in all four corners of the globe and plenty for fans to discuss.
As always, this newsletter will bring you three short pieces of analysis, a selection of reading material to dive into and a podcast episode that will keep you up to date with all of the very latest from on and off the pitch.
3 key talking points….
Norway’s performance against France highlights the extent of their problems
For those who watched Norway at both Euro 2022 and this year’s World Cup, it will have become clear that the former powerhouses of the women’s game are not currently in a good place on the field, with positive results evading them and performances lacking overall quality.
The Scandinavian nation’s latest attempts to rectify their dwindling reputation came against France, with them hosting Hervé Renard’s side last week and travelling to Reims yesterday evening. However, looking at their first meeting in particular, all that really showed through was that the divide between the two is significant at this particular time and that there are several major issues that Norway have to attend to if they are to get back to where they once were.
Those issues were mainly present in their defensive work, with it clear that the full-backs wanted to defend on the front foot, but not winning their 1-v-1 battles and so leaving themselves open to being taken out of the game. Once they were, the rest of the defensive line had to shift across the field and gaps continually opened up, which was why the likes of Julie Dufour and Grace Geyoro really thrived in that first meeting between the two.
https://twitter.com/cheryld_ytb/status/1719102444578238605
However, there were other things that would have concerned interim manager Leif Gunnar Smerud, such as their disjointed play during transitions and the lack of connection on show when inside the final third, and there was also a general lack of shape and organisation around the field which instantly put them at a disadvantage.
All in all, whilst they did improve slightly with a 0-0 stalemate in France, it is clear that Norway have a lot of work to do if they are to get back to where they used to be, and whoever is given the permanent job next will need to hit the ground running from day one.
Casey Phair is one to watch for the future
One nation who have produced some excellent footballing talent during the last decade or so has been South Korea, with star names like Chelsea legend Ji So-yun and Brighton and Hove Albion forward Lee Geum-min just two of those who come to mind when looking at current stars of the national team.
It looks now as if another has rolled off the production line, with Casey Phair quickly making a name for herself as a key part of the next generation not just in South Korea but around the world. She was a player who was given several offers by nations who wanted her to play for them, but she opted in the end to represent the nation of her and her mother’s birth, and South Korea will have no doubt been delighted to have won that particular battle.
Her talent was immediately obvious when she stepped onto the field during the World Cup in the summer, and, even though head coach Colin Bell has been careful to shield her from too much public scrutiny at such a young age, it is evident to many that the 16-year-old is destined for great things.
For more on Casey Phair’s background and in-game qualities, have a look at my article for Impetus Football, written during the 2023 World Cup:
In their match against Thailand last week, she netted a hat-trick and gave her side so much on the pitch, with her operating as a target player at the top of the field and allowing those behind her to rotate and create problems for the Thai defenders to continually find solutions to. However, she looked just as good with the ball as she did without it, as her passing demonstrated calmness and composure and she linked up well with her teammates, and she really is someone to keep an eye out for in the coming years.
Why Uganda’s ropey defence will limit the impact of their attacking play
The women’s game in Africa is not always discussed in much detail, and yet there are some very interesting teams and stories that come out of the continent if fans know where to look for them.
Whilst South Africa, Nigeria and perhaps now Morocco will be well-known to many, another team to look out for is Uganda, who play with a really exciting, fast-flowing style of football that relies on clever combinations and quick changes of direction in order to keep the ball moving and to allow them to both create and use spaces ahead of them. It is a brand that is really easy on the eye and that proves effective when it comes to converting their opportunities, and it works because every player buys into it as a concept.
However, the true effectiveness of that attacking play is not matched on the whole by their defensive work, which is where they need to dedicate some time on the training ground. Their desire to push forward and to commit to attacks is commendable and should be encouraged, but what Uganda don’t do at the moment is to track back once they lose possession, which does leave them susceptible to counterattacks, and that was what Cameroon found out during their meeting last week.
Uganda could have gone behind on plenty of occasions and were perhaps fortunate not to do so, and working on their defensive shape during the transition from attack to defence is something that they definitely need to do if they are to continue progressing as a team.
Read all about it….
Aitana Bonmatí’s Ballon d’Or win - when the news came out that Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí had won the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, there were not many who would have been surprised. Her progression over the last year has been astronomic, and Jessy Parker Humphreys has looked at that in greater detail for The Athletic.
Linda Caicedo and the women’s game in Colombia - in this wide-ranging and very interesting interview with The Athletic’s Felipe Cardenas, Real Madrid star Linda Caicedo talked about her early life, well-documented health problems, transfer to Real Madrid and the current state of the women’s game in Colombia, and it is well worth taking the time to read.
North Carolina Courage take stock of their season - failing to make the NWSL play-off semi-finals might have felt like a failure to some who follow North Carolina Courage, but Alicia Rodriguez’s piece on her Substack page, Soccermusings, includes positive thoughts from head coach Sean Nahas and captain Denise O’Sullivan on why they can still be pleased about the campaign and a discussion on what classifies generally as success.
Lend me your ears….
Bonmatí wins the Women’s Ballon d’Or - for all of the latest on Aitana Bonmatí’s award, the ban given to Luis Rubiales, the state of play with England, Scotland and other national sides and more from the women’s game, the latest episode of TalkSport’s podcast is a must-listen.
That’s all for now - back next week!!