Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Football followers will be licking their collective lips at the prospect of being able to watch the world’s best footballer over the next couple of weeks. I’m judging that purely on the number of world player of the year titles. Lionel Messi? No, better than him, although we’re on the right continent!
I’m talking about Brazilian striking sensation, Marta, who has won an incredible five World Player of the Year titles. Still not heard of her? She’s known as ‘Pele in skirts’, she’s supposedly hotter than Arsenal Soccer Club Bahrain’s Deena, and is the leading player in a Brazilian team hoping to lift the World Cup in Germany.
Sixteen teams convene in the tournament starting on Sunday with a match between Nigeria and France, closely followed by hosts and defending champions, Germany, who meet unfancied Canada.
Germany have been the dominant force in women’s football for several years. In the last World Cup they didn’t concede a single goal and thrashed Argentina 11-0 before outplaying the superb Brazilians 2-0 in the final. On home soil, led by striking legend Birgit Prinz and European Golden Boot winner, Inka Griggs, they are firm favourites and will be seeking an unprecedented hat-trick of titles.
The Brazilians are expected to push them close. Despite missing out in the final of the last World Cup they have revamped their squad adding some much needed height to side that lost in China. The Brazilians start their campaign on June 29 against Austria.
Another team favoured to do well is the US. Based on an ever-growing game at home and a professional league that attracts some of the best players from across the globe, the US hope to follow up their triumphs in 1991 and 1999 with victory in Germany.
Other teams looking to impress will be the Scandinavian duo of Norway and Sweden and the ever-improving English.
England coach Hope Powell and key players Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey, will be aiming to qualify top of a group comprising Japan, New Zealand and Mexico and ultimately claim the top prize in the final to be played in Frankfurt on July 17.
