Sports Then and Now

The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup gets underway in Berlin on June 26th and it looks like a three-way battle for glory.

Sixteen teams in total are battling for the biggest prize in women’s football (soccer) and Brazil, who can boast Marta – the biggest star in the women’s game with five consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year awards – will take some beating.

Brazil are a creative side who have struggled to win big tournaments and will be looking to change that in Germany. The hosts could be one side likely to challenge the Brazilians for glory in the World Cup as they look to defend their title and the football predictions (soccer) reflect this.

As usual, Germany are a solid unit and they have a great goalscoring threat of their own in Birgit Prinz. With a passionate home support behind them Germany could fancy a third consecutive World Cup title.

The third big team in the tournament is the United States, who won the World Cups of 1991 and 1999. Never have the US finished outside the top three in any World Cup and, despite under-performing in qualifying, they should be there or thereabouts in the competition.

The Japan, England and Sweden should be classed as outsiders in the football odds, with the Japanese fourth in the FIFA rankings behind the US, Germany and Brazil.

England beat the United States and Sweden in recent matches and will be full of confidence going into the world cup, where they are in Group B with Mexico, New Zealand and Japan.

Hosts Germany are in Group A with Canada, Nigeria and France, while the USA are in Group C with Columbia, Sweden and Korea. Group D has Brazil, Australia, Norway and Equitorial Guinea.

The top teams stand out from the draw going into the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the prospect of the big guns colliding in the latter stages makes the tournament a fantastic proposition.