Manager Nualphan hopes for a favourable World Cup finals draw for Chaba Kaew
>> Team manager Nualphan Lamsam hopes Lady Luck will smile on her women’s national football side during the draw for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The draw will be made in Paris today beginning at midnight Thai time.
Thailand are in Pot 3 with South Korea, China, Italy, Scotland and New Zealand.
In Pot 1 are hosts France, defending champions the USA, Germany, England, Canada and Australia.
In Pot 2 are, Japan, Brazil, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway.
In Pot 4 are Argentina, Nigeria, Chile, Cameroon, South Africa and Jamaica.
There will be six groups in the June 7-July 7 finals. The top two teams in each group and four third-placed teams advance to the knockout stages.
“We were in a very tough group in t he 2015 finals,” Nualphan said yesterday.
“We hope to get a better draw. However, we are in Pot 3 and could meet top teams from Europe or South America. We want to go farther than we did four years ago so the draw will be very important.”
The Chaba Kaew made their World Cup debut at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Although they were in a tough group with Germany, Norway and Ivory Coast, they posted creditable results.
They suffered two 4-0 losses to Germany and Norway but secured their first-ever finals win with a 3-2 victory over Ivory Coast.
Thailand coach Nuengruethai Sathongwien will attend the draw ceremony.
With just six months to go for the tournament’s opening game in Paris, anticipation is growing ahead of today’s draw. The spotlight on the women’s game continues to grow, and next year’s competition in France will be the most lucrative yet.
There remains a chasm, though, compared to the men’s World Cup that will take some years yet to close, in financial terms and in terms of the media spotlight.
However, there are some advantages to that — twelve months ago, President Vladimir Putin took the stage in the Kremlin at a politicised draw for the World Cup in Russia, but this time at least the football can be the sole focus.
The hosts will be among the top seeds for the 24-team tournament, in which the United States will defend their crown while Olympic champions Germany will be strong contenders too.
Competition is likely to be intense, however — 2011 winners Japan will fancy their chances, as will Phil Neville’s England, semi-finalists at the last World Cup and at Euro 2017.
“We’ve got the experience now but we want to make sure we go all the way,” England star Fran Kirby told The Guardian recently.
The ceremony at La Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside Paris, takes place on a weekend when the French capital is preoccupied with the threat of more violent “yellow vest” protests over rising living costs in the country.
France, though, successfully staged Euro 2016 despite terrorism concerns and is sure to put on a show for the women’s game as Les Bleus aim to match the achievements of the men, World Cup winners in Russia.