Women's World Football

Brazil forward Marta has officially been ruled out of her team's Women's World Cup opener against Jamaica on Sunday as she continues her recovery from a thigh injury.

Per ESPN FC, team manager Vadao confirmed she won't be ready in time for the contest.

The six-time FIFA Player of the Year remains a key figure for the Selecao, even at the age of 33. While her scoring numbers have declined on the club level in recent years, she's expected to be the focal point of Brazil's attack in this tournament.

The Selecao have underwhelmed on the international stage in recent years―they haven't made it to the World Cup semi-finals since 2007―and enter this year's tournament in horrendous form, losing all of their matches in 2019.

Per football writer Grant Wahl, little has gone right for the South American giants:

They'll face Jamaica, Australia and Italy in Group C. The Matildas are the highest-ranked team and favourites in the group, while the Italians are seen as Brazil's biggest threat for a second-place finish.

Jamaica are making their World Cup debut and are not expected to threaten Brazil much, even if Marta won't feature. The team's second match, against Australia on Thursday, is far more crucial, and having the veteran scorer back for that outing will be key.

According to Vadao, she could be fit in time.

Keramuudin Karim, the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation, has been given a lifetime FIFA ban and a fine of 1 million Swiss francs for sexually abusing female players.

According to Tariq Panja of the New York Times, it was the harshest punishment FIFA could impose:

Per Rob Harris of the Associated Press, at least five players came forward to accuse Karim of sexually assaulting them:

In December, the Guardian's Suzanne Wrack reported the allegations from the players, who chose to remain anonymous out of fear for the safety of themselves and their family. Wrack also reported on Thursday that FIFA had been made aware of possible abuse of players in April 2017, with an investigation not beginning until March 2018.

The allegations include putting a gun to a player's head after sexually assaulting her, threatening to cut of another player's tongue in front of her team-mates and spreading rumours other accusers were lesbians.

FIFA's official statement announcing the ban revealed the abuse took place between 2013-18.

Per AFP (h/t Wrack), Karim has denied the allegations, saying they are part of a conspiracy against him. He also said there was no evidence against him, though former assistant coach Haley Carter disputed this claim, pointing to the players' testimonies.

Germany will play at a Women's World Cup for the eighth time in their history in France, and once again they will be expected to make a deep run in the tournament.

Since winning back-to-back competitions in 2003 and 2007, Die Nationalelf have underwhelmed by their own high standards, as they suffered a disappointing quarter-final exit on home soil in 2011 and then finished fourth in Canada four years ago.

The squad they will take to France is full of quality, with midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan expected to be one of the stars of the tournament. However, they've not been perfect in their preparations for the competition.

Here is the Germany squad in full and a preview of how the two-time world champions are likely to fare in France.

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Squad

The team's official Twitter account relayed the 23-woman squad, as well as the five players on standby ahead of the World Cup:

Starting XI

In their friendly against Chile on May 30, Germany lined up as follows: 

Almuth Schult; Giulia Gwinn, Marina Hegering, Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh, Carolin Simon; Melanie Leupolz, Sara Dabritz, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Svenja Huth, Lea Schuller; Alexandra Popp

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Preview

While Germany won seven of their eight qualifying matches for the competition without conceding a goal, they did suffer a historic loss. Their defeat by Iceland on home soil was the first time they've ever been beaten in front of their own fans in a World Cup qualifier.

There has been a change of leadership since a spot in the summer showpiece was confirmed, as former German international Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was given the responsibility of leading the team to France.

Commentator Derek Rae was impressed with what he saw from the team in the early stages of her tenure:

There will be a determination among the team to excel, too, especially after their failure at the European Championships in 2017. For the first time in six editions of the competition, Germany didn't lift the trophy, as they were dumped out by Denmark in the quarter-finals.

Since then, there have been some changes in the squad; most notably, forward Anja Mittag brought the curtain down on her international career. Captain Alexandra Popp will be seeking to fill the void she's left behind.

The competition's Twitter account reflected on her goalscoring exploits at youth level in the World Cup:

Still, much of Germany's success will depend on Marozsan, who has gone a long way to establishing herself as the best midfielder in the game in recent years.

The Lyon playmaker was nominated for the Ballon d'Or Feminin last year, although she eventually finished third, with her club team-mate Ada Hegerberg taking the prize. Marozsan's value to Lyon has been evident again this year, starring for the side on their way to domestic and European dominance.

In the team's 4-1 UEFA Champions League final win over Barcelona, she scored the opener after a trademark surge into the box:

Pitted with Spain, South Africa and China in Group B, Die Nationalelf shouldn't have too many problems getting into the knockout stages and past the first knockout round. 

From there, the level of competition will inevitably improve, and it will be fascinating to see how this reshaped side copes up against elite opponents. The potency of Popp and the midfield mastery of Marozsan should see them to the semi-finals at least.  

Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe are among the veterans named in Jill Ellis' squad of 23 US women's national team players for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

The trio are included among 12 returning players from the 2015 World Cup as the USA look to defend their title and win the tournament for the fourth time.

The World Cup will run from June 7 to July 7, with the Americans opening their campaign against Thailand on June 11. They'll play Chile on June 16 and Sweden on June 20.

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Here's Ellis' squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher

Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett

Midfielders: Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, Samantha Mewis

Forwards: Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe

The squad is packed with experience, with an average of 80 caps per player.

Eight players have represented the USWNT more than 100 times, including Lloyd with an astonishing 274 appearances for her country.

The 36-year-old is the only player in the squad who has previously played in three World Cups, though six players have been to two.

Aly Wagner, who played in the 2003 and 2007 tournaments, gave her insight into why Ellis was keen to name an experienced roster, per soccer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald:

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The team should have plenty of firepower, too, with Lloyd and Morgan having scored more than 100 international goals apiece.

The latter reached that tally in a 5-3 win against Australia in April:

That match was the United States' first after they finished behind England on home soil in the SheBelieves Cup.

The team have responded well since and warmed up for the World Cup with five consecutive friendly victories.

In that time, they've scored 22 goals and not conceded since the Australia clash, picking up 6-0, 3-0, 5-0 and 3-0 wins over Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand and Mexico, respectively.

The USA have never finished worse than third at a World Cup, and based on the strength of their squad and their excellent preparations for this year's tournament, they're unlikely to break that run.  

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup will get under way on Friday, as host nation France take on South Korea at the Parc des Princes. 

France are one of the favourites to reach the final to be played in Lyon on July 7. However, they will need to secure passage through Group A first.

South Korea will be seeking to spring a big upset in the opener, while the other two sides in the group—Norway and Nigeria—go head-to-head in Reims on Saturday.

Odds

France win (4/9)

Draw (71/10)

South Korea win (21/1)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker.

Date: Friday, June 7

Time: 8 p.m. (BST), 3 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: BBC (UK), FOX Sports 1 (U.S.)

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), FOX Sports Go (U.S.)

Preview

France manager Corinne Diacre will be expected to steer this group of players to the latter stages of the competition, and the coach is blessed with some of the most gifted footballers on the planet.

European football journalist Andy Brassell noted just how high profile an event the World Cup is in France:

In their squad there is a blend of both youth and experience, not to mention a core of stars who were part of the Lyon side that recently hammered Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final; that was Lyon's fourth European Cup success in a row.

One of those is skipper Amandine Henry, who has dominated so many midfield battles in the past. Meanwhile, up top the goals will likely come from her Lyon team-mate Eugenie Le Sommer, who has netted 74 times for France.

The competition Twitter account shared some of her best moments for Les Bleues on her 30th birthday recently:

Le Sommer is the senior option in what is an otherwise youthful attacking setup, with Delphine Cascarino (22), Valerie Gauvin (22) and Emelyne Laurent (20) some of the back-up options.

France are the big favourites to win Group A, although they are unlikely to stroll through all of their matches. Norway, Nigeria and their opening-day opponents South Korea will be intent on making their mark against the hosts:

South Korea made it to the World Cup after a fifth-placed finish at the Asian Cup, and under the guidance of Yoon Deokyeo, they have developed a reputation for being defensively robust. In Ji Soyun, they have an attacking star too, as she's established herself as one of the best players in the FA Women's Super League with Chelsea.

Even so, France are one of the premier outfits in this competition and with a raucous crowd behind them they have enough to take three points from this fixture.

Prediction: France 2-0 South Korea

New Zealand dented England's title hopes ahead of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup by beating the Lionesses 1-0 on Saturday in their last friendly match ahead of the summer tournament.  

England peppered the New Zealand goal in the first half but fell behind to a Sarah Gregorius opener early in the second period, making the most of Carly Telford's goalkeeping blunder.

Phil Neville's England side are one of the teams expected to compete for the top prize in France this summer, but defeat to the Ferns means they've now won only four of their last eight games.

England's first half at the Amex Stadium was a familiar case of Neville's side demonstrating plenty of ingenuity but little in terms of end product.

It took his team 45 minutes to find their breakthrough against Denmark in their previous game, and it was only in April that Canada held England at bay altogether in a 1-0 win for the North Americans.

England beat Spain and Denmark in the build-up to Saturday's duel, and journalist Richard Scott praised the turnout on the south coast:

Neville will have been frustrated to see so many chances go astray for his side, particularly in what was expected to be a morale-boosting fixture before their World Cup bow.

Telford was called into action before the break and pulled off a marvellous save to deny Betsy Hassett what looked a certain goal.

There was also a scare for New Zealand at the climax of the first half after forward Rosie White went to ground following a clash of heads with England defender Lucy Bronze, though she was fit to continue.     

It took New Zealand less than five minutes to find the opener after play resumed. Hassett slammed a shot straight at Telford, only for the England stopper to spill the ball directly into the path of the onrushing Gregorius.

Gregorius came into the match as New Zealand's highest active scorer with 33 goals. Her latest international goal hoisted her up to joint-second alongside Wendy Sharpe as her country's second-top scorer of all time.

That being said, women's football writer Mario Rustan highlighted her level of competition and hinted at the gulf between that level and most of England's players:

Telford's blunder in goal will have only reinforced to many England fans that Manchester City No. 1 Karen Bardsley is deserving of the starting jersey even at 34 years of age.

Veteran Karen Carney came on in place of Toni Duggan not long after the opener and helped position England more frequently in the opposition half, though their lack of end product continued to frustrate.

Jodie Taylor looped a wonderful ball over the top, but Carney, 31, hit her effort straight at opposition goalkeeper Erin Nayler in what was one of their better chances.

Carney's impact in England's attack was immediate ahead of what's likely to be her last involvement at a World Cup:

The attacks grew more desperate as it ticked closer to full time with Tom Sermanni's side still leading, and New Zealand even fashioned some of the better pressure in the closing stages.

It's a bad time for England to lose the free-scoring touch they looked to have developed through parts of 2018, and their World Cup aspirations could suffer unless they can rediscover the route to goal.

What's Next?

England get their Group D campaign up and running against Scotland on Sunday, June 9. Group E hopefuls New Zealand don't begin their World Cup until Tuesday, June 11, when they'll face the Netherlands.

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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England's preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup will continue with the Lionesses' final pre-tournament friendly against New Zealand on Saturday.

Phil Neville's team will be expected to win at Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium after brushing aside Denmark 2-0 in Walsall last week.

The head coach will be keen for key players such as forward Nikita Parris to maintain strong form ahead of the finals in France, which start on Friday.

Date: Saturday, June 1

Time: 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET

TV Info: BBC One

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC.co.uk

Parris is the match-winner in the final third who should scare England's World Cup opponents.

The 25-year-old has been prolific for Manchester City this season but has already agreed to move to Champions League holders Lyon.

She believes in her talent, telling Phil Medlicott of Press Association Sport (h/t Yahoo Sport) about her expectations for the World Cup: "I'm confident in my own ability, what I can do on a football pitch, and I'm confident in the players I've got around me."

Goals have never been a problem for Parris, so keeping her supplied with chances is the priority for England.

Midfielder Jill Scott, who also found the net against the Danes, can play a key role.

So can creative forward Karen Carney. The 31-year-old Chelsea ace must ensure there are plenty of crosses from the flanks for Parris to attack.

Carney, Scott and Parris should provide England with enough firepower to sweep New Zealand aside. However, the Kiwis have their own potent strikers in the shape of Rosie White and Sarah Gregorius.

They will test an England defence that was vulnerable from set-pieces at times against Denmark.

Neville knows the value of momentum, per BBC Sport: "Winning breeds momentum. We place a massive emphasis on winning in training, on and off the pitch. We like to create this competitive environment."

It will be important for England to keep performances and results on track ahead of the first group game against Scotland on June 9.

United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe has already ruled out a visit to the White House in the event the USWNT wins the 2019 Women's World Cup. 

Rapinoe responded, "Absolutely not," when asked by Sports Illustrated's Jenny Vrentas about a potential celebratory trip to see President Donald Trump.

"I am not going to fake it, hobnob with the president, who is clearly against so many of the things that I am [for] and so many of the things that I actually am," she said. "I have no interest in extending our platform to him."

Rapinoe is the second notable USWNT star to preemptively decline an invitation from the White House were one to come. Alex Morgan told Time's Sean Gregory she had no intention of going to the nation's capital, citing her issues with the Trump administration's family-separation policy at the border between the United States and Mexico.

The USWNT won the Women's World Cup for a third time in 2015. In October 2015, they were guests of President Barack Obama at the White House, continuing the tradition of sports champions celebrating their achievements with the president.

However, the tradition has become far less frequent since Trump took office. Most recently the Virginia Cavaliers turned down the opportunity after winning the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Baylor Lady Bears did commemorate their third national championship with President Trump, though.

The United States women's national team ended their preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup with a win, beating rivals Mexico 3-0 on Sunday in Harrison, New Jersey. 

Tobin Heath celebrated her 150th cap in style with the opener in the 11th minute after a mistake from Mexican goalkeeper Cecilia Santiago. The Stars and Stripes kept prodding for a second goal but didn't find one until the 76th minute, when Mallory Pugh doubled the lead. Christen Press added a third goal in the final minutes.

The defending champions will face Thailand, Chile and Sweden in the group stages of the World Cup.

The United States predictably came out with plenty of energy early, feeding off the home crowd and hoping to put away El Tri before they found some momentum.

They got a helping hand from Santiago, who gifted Heath the opener with a dreadful pass:

More goals seemed inevitable after the early opener, but Santiago soon started to make up for her errors. The 24-year-old stopper played a fantastic first half, aided by some poor finishing from the Stars and Stripes.

The best chance of the half fell to Alex Morgen, who also spent some time on the sidelines after taking a kick to the shins:

USWNT reporter Erin Fish was impressed with the efforts from the Mexican stopper:

The pace of the contest dropped as the half wore on, in part due to the heat the match was played in. The Stars and Stripes were happy to defend their lead heading into half-time, with plenty of substitutions expected at the break.

Manager Jill Ellis didn't disappointed, and scorer Heath was shifted around the pitch so much she wound up playing left-back:

The many changes didn't aid the level of play, however, as Mexico continued to find success with their high defensive line. Morgan tried to make the most of several balls over the top, but the offside trap was working, and Santiago's heroics carried over into the second half.

The heat took its toll on the hosts as well, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher in need of the trainers at one point:

The USWNT's efforts to find a second goal were finally rewarded with roughly 15 minutes left to play, when Pugh just about managed to push the ball over the line after good work from Carli Lloyd:

With the pressure of finding the second goal gone, the Stars and Stripes' level improved, and Press also got on the board:

While the hosts were far from their best, they showed the depth that will make them strong contenders in the upcoming World Cup. The efficiency in front of goal will have to improve, but Ellis has enough time to work on that with her squad before the opener against Thailand.

What's Next?

The Stars and Stripes will travel to France, where they'll open their World Cup campaign on June 11 against Thailand. Mexico failed to qualify for the tournament.

The United States women's national team will face Mexico at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Sunday in their last friendly before travelling to France for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Stars and Stripes coach Jill Ellis has enjoyed a largely positive preparation for the tournament and appears settled on her essential group of players, which is unfortunate news for El Tri.

The United States have won their past five games in succession and are unbeaten in their past eight, losing only once since July 2017 (a 3-1 friendly defeat to France in January).

Mexico, on the other hand, have lost all three of their friendlies since finishing fifth at the 2019 Cyprus Cup in March, scoring once and conceding seven times.

It doesn't bode well for Sunday's visitors that they lost three times to Ellis' side in 2018, most recently suffering a 6-0 humiliation against the United States in October.

Date: Sunday, May 26

Time: 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET

Venue: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey

Live Stream: Watch ESPN (U.S.), Univision Deportes en Vivo (U.S.)

TV Info: ESPN (U.S.), Univision Deportes (U.S.)

Preview

Mexico's recent record against rivals the United States doesn't make for fun reading from their side, and the fact their upcoming opponents are in such strong form is ominous.

Carli Lloyd came off the bench to score twice as the United States pummelled New Zealand 5-0 on May 17. Fellow substitute Sam Mewis also netted to illustrate the difference in depth between the two sides:

There's a similar disparity between the USWNT and Mexico when it comes to player quality. However, all of the 12 goals the U.S. have scored in their past two outings against Mexico have come from their starting XI.

Ellis has a glowing recent record and will be glad to carry momentum into the World Cup, though it's worth noting the level of opposition has been fairly minimal. They edged Brazil 1-0 and beat Australia 5-3 in what could be considered their last genuine tests, which followed successive 2-2 draws against Japan and England.

Sports writer John D. Halloran found fault in Ellis' squad balance and appeared to suggest the midfield could be exposed in France:

Fortunately, Ellis midfield core is the one area that boasts a relatively young average age and should stand up well to the stamina demands. Julie Ertz, 27, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan, both 24, have been among the coach's first options in the middle, while Mewis and Crystal Dunn, both 26, have also played recent roles.

North Carolina Courage star Dunn is a wide player by trade but has shown the ability to take on more technically demanding roles closer to the engine room, much to Ellis' joy, per Goal:

Mexico and Houston Dash defender Ari Romero will be a familiar face to those other players based in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Alexia Delgado, 19, plays for the Arizona State Sun Devils and will be one to watch should she feature, having made her Mexico debut against Thailand in March.

The Unites States will face Thailand in their first match of the 2019 Women's World Cup on June 11, and beating Mexico to mark a sixth successive win would serve as an ideal send-off before they fly to France.