By Adam Millington
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – England have their sights set on a first ever Women’s World Cup title this year and begin their preparation this week with a defence of the Arnold Clark Cup on home soil to get their calendar year under way.
The European champions take on South Korea on Thursday before matches against Italy and Belgium.
England manager Sarina Wiegman will look to use the competition to examine her side’s readiness for this summer’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
The Lionesses, who finished 2022 unbeaten, claimed the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup crown last year, beating Germany, Spain and Canada to the trophy.
While the squad’s core remains the same, the emergence of young talent has presented Wiegman with a welcome selection headache.
Jess Park, Katie Robinson and Maya Le Tissier have all made the step up to senior international football recently after impressive performances in the Women’s Super League.
The pace and agile footwork of Park, 21, will be a welcome addition in the absence of Euros top scorer Beth Mead, who is absent with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The side will also be buoyed by the return of midfielder Jordan Nobbs, who has been forced to sit out the past two major tournaments through injury.
While the quality of opposition is not of the same calibre as last time around, all but Belgium – who reached the quarter-finals of the Euros – have qualified for the World Cup.
South Korea, who lost to China in the 2022 Asian Cup final, are coached by Leicester-born Colin Bell but suffered heartbreak in their last World Cup outing, losing all three games in 2019.
Their most potent threat, top scorer Ji So-Yun, will be a familiar face to many in the country after spending eight years at Chelsea, lifting the WSL title on five occasions.
Italy were tipped by many to be dark horses at the Euros after exceeding expectations at the 2019 World Cup, equalling their previous-best performance with a quarter-final finish in their first outing for 20 years.
Yet they proved those assumptions to be misguided last summer, failing to progress from the group stages.
Belgium, despite missing out on the World Cup, were a well-organised outfit under manager Ives Serneels in the European Championship.
Goalkeeper Nicky Evrard saved both penalties she faced in the group stage and kept the underdogs fighting against heavyweights Sweden until stoppage time with her skilled shotstopping.
Matches take place in Milton Keynes, Coventry and Bristol between Feb. 16-22.
(Reporting by Adam Millington; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
