International Football
Women’s World Cup contenders navigate turbulence less than 100 days before kickoff
Injuries and upsets among top Women’s World Cup contenders show there are plenty of twists and turns to be had with less than 100 days before the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
Brazil beat Germany, the world’s second-ranked side, 2-1 and Australia ended England’s 30-match unbeaten run 2-0 on Tuesday, the final day of the April international friendly window.
England coach Sarina Wiegman said the team must improve “to be at our best at the World Cup”. Defender Leah Williamson insisted the loss would give the European Champions “a bit of fire”.
But injuries have shaken up other World Cup favourites, with little time left to plan a 23-player squad.
Olympic champions Canada were left without several key veterans in their 2-1 loss against France on Tuesday, and coach Bev Priestman told reporters she would likely have to take an extended group into the preparation camp as they try to plan “with and without some very critical players”.
Midfielder Sophie Schmidt, who has made more than 200 appearances for Canada and helped them win gold in Tokyo, said it would be up to every player to make what remaining time they have left count.
“Obviously the margins are very small against top-tier teams,” she said. “So as individuals we need to go home to our home environments, make sure we’re ticking all the boxes, being our best selves.”
For defending champions United States, who are aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive title, the challenge is filling the hole left behind by goal-scoring machine Mallory Swanson, who went down with a torn patella tendon over the weekend.
“With losing Mal, obviously, conceptually we may look slightly different,” head coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters after their 1-0 win over Ireland on Tuesday.
“Once this camp is over and we review it, we hope to have a little better answer or at least a clear understanding of the direction that we want to take.”
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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