Scots aim to rouse the nation with World Cup bid
PEDRO Martinez Losa has already spoken about inspiring a new generation as he takes charge of the Scottish women’s national team for the first time this evening.
But the most effective way to achieve that will be by ensuring qualification for major tournaments.
Scotland’s inaugural appearance at the World Cup in 2019 invited a media focus on the women’s team the likes of which they had never experienced before. Failure to win a place at the European Championships made it difficult to sustain the same level of interest but, as a new World Cup campaign kicks off tonight against Hungary in Budapest, there is a golden opportunity to recreate some welcome noise around the women’s team.
Scotland can make it back-to-back World Cup finals appearances by qualifying from a group that includes top seeds Spain and Ukraine, as well as the Hungarians and the Faroe Islands.
Spain have invested enormously in women’s football in the last decade, with current European champions Barcelona leading the way, while their national team have just broken into FIFA’s top-ten rankings for the first time. The group favourites have genuine aspirations of becoming the No 1 national team in the world, with significant funding available to achieve that ambition.
Scotland go to Spain in the fifth match of the campaign in late November before hosting new head coach Losa’s compatriots in the penultimate fixture in April.
The group winners qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, while a play-off awaits the runners-up to establish the two remaining direct spots, as well as one further place at an inter-confederations play-off.
‘We need to start with motivation and points,’ said Losa. ‘It’s a fresh start and we’ll be playing our home games at Hampden. These players will inspire the next generation of girls and women and we also want men to feel inspired by our national team.
‘We have the experience before of being successful. And we have the experience of the last qualification where one bad dynamic or bad results make it more difficult. We are aware of that.’
Losa only met the players as a group last Sunday evening and, despite a raft of injury issues, he remains confident of getting the campaign off to a winning start this evening before hosting the Faroe Islands at Hampden on Tuesday.
Caroline Weir and Lucy Graham miss out while striker Lisa Evans is also injured. Rangers’ Lizzie Arnot, Rachael Boyle of Hibs and Glasgow City’s Jenna Clark have been called up as replacements but, despite coming into the job so late and the frustrations of injury issues, Losa remains upbeat.
‘I have to be (confident),’ he said. ‘We are Scotland, we are not a club level. We have fantastic players, energy, values and team spirit.
‘We will prepare in detail and try to go to the game being brave to get the points. But I cannot guarantee that.
‘I expect a really organised Hungary team. They got a couple of positive results in friendly matches.
‘They have the same opportunity as us on Friday to qualify for the World Cup. They will feel more confident counter-attacking with a couple of special players that they have. It is up to us to neutralise that.
‘There are ways to adapt to what we want to achieve.
‘At the end of the day, it’s a team performance.’