Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: Australia's preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup will see them taking on France in Saint-Etienne .
The Matildas, led by head coach Alen Stajcic, will meet Corinne Diacre’s France on October 5.
Les Blues are currently ranked third in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, while Australia are eighth.
Stajcic said the fixture in France will help Australia benchmark themselves against one of the world’s top teams ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the same nation.
“France have probably been the best women’s football team over the past decade, with excellent individuals and an enterprising style of play,” said Stajcic.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After a busy month of international action, the-AFC.com assesses the trajectory of Asia's successful 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France qualifiers, and looks at what lies ahead before next year's Finals.
Japan
Three months after retaining their status as Asian Champions, Japan showed they have a long way to go before they again reach the top of the world, and Asako Takakura was frustrated to lose all three matches in a Tournament of Nations campaign the coach described as 'miserable'.
The Nadeshiko struggled defensively without regular captain and Best FIFA Women's Player Nominee Saki Kumagai, but the tournament did allow Takakura to introduce a number of new faces as she continues to search for the perfect combination.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bridgeview: The United States pipped Australia to the 2018 Tournament of Nations title after both sides ended their campaigns with wins on Thursday.
Australia defeated Asian champions Japan 2-0 but that was not to be enough as the USA beat Brazil 4-1 in the later game to take the title on goal difference.
USA and Australia finished on seven points but the Matildas will rue the last minute goal they conceded when they played the American world champions on Sunday, which salvaged the hosts what ultimately proved to be a crucial point.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Japan captain Saki Kumagai and Korea Republic star Ji So-yun have been recognised for their outstanding form at club level, earning selection in the UEFA Women's Champions League Squad of the Season.
The two Asian stars, who play for Olympique Lyonnais and Chelsea respectively, were chosen for the elite 18-player squad by UEFA's Technical Observers. They were the only non-European players to earn selection.
The honour is the icing on the cake in what has been a stellar season for Kumagai, who won the UEFA Women's Champions League for the third time in a row last month, having also lifted the AFC Women's Asian Cup in April.
The 27-year-old, along with with Lyon teammates Wendi Renard, Eugenie Le Sommer and Griedge M'Bock Bathy, earned selection in the Squad of the Season for the third successive year.
A total of nine Lyon players were named in the squad, reflecting the French club's recent dominance of the competition.