It was feared that Spain would be missing several of the world’s best players in the summer World Cup, but several of those who refused the invitation to the national team are included in the preliminary World Cup group of the champion candidate.
The Women’s World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20. shows all matches of the World Cup on its channels.
Awarded as the best soccer player in the world Alexia Putellas see you at the summer World Championships. Putellas’ withdrawal was already feared during the season, but he has recovered from his serious knee injury. Putellas is with Spain’s head coach Jorge Vildan on the preliminary list of 30 players, from which the team for the World Cup will be named.
Spain has been at the center of controversy over the past year, as last fall 15 players said they would refuse a call to the national team as long as Vilda is coaching. Now about them Marion Caldentey, Fence Bonmati and Ona Batlle are now available to the national team.
Instead, the team is still missing, among other things, a topper Mapi Leonwho scored twice in the Champions League final Father Guijarro, Claudia Pina and the goalkeeper Sandra Panos – all of them represent Barcelona at the club team level, like Putellas.
The players were dissatisfied with the atmosphere, player selections and training, as well as the way injuries have been handled in the team. The players criticize the quality of training and the fact that Vilda always invites the same players to the national team, even if they have injuries.
The Spanish Football Federation took the head coach’s side in the matter and did not accept that the players questioned the coaching.
Sports expert Jonne Kunnas sees many sides to the situation.
– It’s really sad in itself that such decisions have to be made and the players have to think about missing big tournaments in terms of their careers. This situation has been clarified with the Spanish federation for many months. Now some of the players are satisfied and want to come to these games. Let’s see if the situation has really been resolved, how this will affect the team at the Games and what will happen after the Games, Kunnas describes.
Of course, now the very worst fears about the absence of the world’s best will not happen, because there are two of the world’s best midfielders: Putellas and Bonmati. Even so, Mapi Leon is still missing from the team, who according to Kunnas is currently the best topper in the world.
– If you look at it from a purely football point of view, it’s great that you get to see the best players in the world at the summer games when they make up their minds. Then, of course, the absence of Mapi Leon is a real shame from the point of view of football alone, says Kunnas.
Spain played amazingly well
Putellas had time to play in FC Barcelona, who won the Champions League, in five league matches this season and also came on the field for the last minutes of the Champions League final. The total playing minutes were 119.
– A knee injury is such a long and demanding rehabilitation that you won’t come back from it in an instant. But on the other hand, there is still a lot of time before the start of the Games in mid-July. Putellas has been consistently getting minutes in Barcelona. He certainly won’t be at his best before the Games, but nevertheless it is possible to get really close to excellent playing condition, Kunnas estimates.
In last summer’s European Championships, Finland shocked Spain in the opening match of the Games, when Linda Sällström put Helmarit in the lead in the opening minute. However, Spain rallied and won 4–1. Spain reached the playoffs and the top eight. England, who eventually stormed to the championship, was stronger in the follow-on match of the quarter-finals. At that time, Putellas was not involved due to an injury.
Before the summer World Cup, Spain has defeated tough countries in training matches, even though there has been a lot of excitement around the team and the tough class rejects have not been involved.
Spain has defeated the reigning world champion USA, Japan and Norway.
According to Kunnas, Spain has the same opportunities as last year to become champions. That’s when the road ended in the quarterfinals. However, the absence of Mapi Leon is now a big question mark.
– Spain has done confusingly well in training ground matches amid all this chaos. Even if Putellas is not in full swing, there are replacements in the team. Spain can be included in the top fight even without Putella, Kunnas states.