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Futsal Women’s World Cup qualifying: Format, calendar

UEFA have provided an update on the FIFA Futsal WWC 2025 qualifying format: no preliminary round, a main round and an elite round to decide the four UEFA side that will qualify for the tournament.

UEFA qualifying contenders

Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Czechia
England
Finland
France
Gibraltar
Hungary
Italy
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Ukraine

Main round (draw and match dates TBC)

  • The 24 teams (all entrants apart from top seeds Portugal and Spain) are drawn into six groups of four
  • The group winners and, if necessary*, the best runner-up qualify for the elite round.

*Depending on an eventual European World Cup host selection

Elite round (draw and match dates TBC)

  • The eight teams, including Portugal and Spain, are drawn into two groups of four.
  • The top two in each group qualify for the finals.

France will hope to make it to the Elite Round for their first time in any UEFA tournament. We can also note that the FIGC has expressed an interest in hosting the World Cup in 2025 and it could potentially impact the qualification.

France name their preliminary World Cup 2023 squad

Herve Renard has chose 26 players who will report today at Clairefontaine to prepare the tournament. France will play two friendlies Republic of Ireland away on 06 July and Australia away on 14th of July before the tournament starts.

Here is the full squad:

There are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfield and six forwards. Herve Renard said Solene Durand with compete with Mylene Chavas for the third GK place. The fourth goalkeeper will travel to Australia in case of an injury as it is a specific position unlike an outfield player.

The big question is who will be the two outfield players that will not travel to Australia. During his press conference, Herve Renard was quite clear that Aissatou Tounkara was behind all the other defenders in the pecking order. As we know she has not had any real playing time with Manchester United this season.

In all logic, we will therefore have Eve Perisset at right-back with Elisa De Almeida as her back-up. The left-backs will be Sakina Karchaoui and Salma Bacha, who will also compete for the left-winger spot. At Centre-back, Captain Wendie Renard, Elisa De Almeida and Estelle Cascarino.

Then you would expect a midfielder to be left out, because with seven defenders only, you would not want to go to Australia with six defenders, if for example Maelle Lakrar another defender at the back of the pecking order was the second players to be released. It would mean a 3-6-8-6 configuration and quite a risk. If you get one injury and one suspension during the tournament, you end up short of defenders.

The midfield list has two defensive midfielders Amandine Henry and Oriane Jean-Francois, that’s one experienced and one up and coming player. There is one deep playmaker in Sandie Toletti. Two box to box players in Grace Geoyro and Laurina Fazer, again one experienced player and one upcoming youngster. Two playmakers Kenza Dali and Lea Le Garrec who has recently come back into the squad after years in the wilderness and one left-winger Amel Majri. It has to be said, should two defenders be left-out of the final squad, it means the coah intends to use either Geyoro or Henry as emergency centre-back solutions.

There are only six forwards in the long list, you would certainly expect all of them to be selected in the final 23. It is interesting to note that two youngsters Vicky Becho and Naomie Feller have been selected ahead of more experienced players and will be used as super-subs during the tournament. I was lucky to see them recently play the Netherlands u-23 away in Almere and they certainly looked good.

The final 23 are likely to be named just before leaving to play the friendly in Dublin. There are probably five or six players on the fringe fighting not to be left out and they have two weeks to convince the staff to take them on the trip to Australia.

FA WSL Summer 2022 transfer window

Updated 23 August. The transfer windows open 17th of June and close on 8th September just before the season will start.



Chelsea

In: Charlotte Wardlaw (end of loan – Liverpool), Aggie Beever-Jones (end of loan – Bristol), Emily Orman (end of loan – Crystal Palace), Eve Perisset (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Kadeisha Buchan (Olympique Lyonnais), Kateřina Svitková (West Ham), Lucy Watson (Sheffield United), Johanna Rytting Kaneyrd (BK Häcken)

Out: Jana Andersson (Hammarby IF), Ji So-Yun (Suwon FC), Drew Spence (Tottenham), Poppy Soper (Charlton), Emma Thompson (Lewes – loan), Jorja Fox (Brighton – loan)

Arsenal

In: Halle Houssein (end of loan – West Ham), Lisa Evans (end of loan –West Ham), Anna Patten (end of loan – Aston villa), Viktoria Schnaderbeck (end of loan – Tottenham), Kaylan Marckese (HB Køge)


Out:  Tobin Heath, Lisa Evans (West Ham), Viktoria Schnaderbeck (retirement), Halle Houssein (West Ham), Anna Patten (Aston Villa – loan), Lydia Williams (PSG), Hermione Cull (London City Lionesses), Natalia Negri (Crystal Palace), Simone Boye- Sorensen (Hammarby), Alex Hennessy (West Ham), Fran Stenson (Birmingham City – loan), Nikita Parris (Manchester Utd)

Man City

In: Deyna Castellanos (Atletico Madrid), Leila Ouahabi (FC Barcelona), Laia Aleixandri (Atletico Madrid), Mary Fowler (Montpellier HSC), Sandy MacIver (Everton), Kerstin Casparij, FC Twente)


Out: Georgia Stanway (FC Bayern), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid), Jill Scott, Karen Bardsley (retirement), Karima Benameur (Olympique de Marseille), Janine Beckie (Portland Thorns)


Man United

In: Emily Ramsey (end of loan – Birmingham), Fran Bentley (end of loan Bristol City), Adriana Leon (West Ham), Rachel Williams (Tottenham Hotspurs), Grace Clinton (Everton), Lucia Garcia (Athletic Bilbao), Nikita Parris (Arsenal), Aissatou Tounkara (Atletico Madrid)

Out: Karna Solskjaer (Aafk Fortuna), Fran Bentley (Bristol City), Ivana Fuso (Bayer Leverkusen – loan), Martha Harris (Birmingham City), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Kirsty Smith (West Ham), Carrie Jones (Leicester – loan), Tara Bourne (Birmingham -loan), Emily Ramsey (Everton -loan)


Tottenham

In: Gracie Pearse ( end of loan – Crystal Palace),Esther Morgan ( End of loan – Leicester), Eleanor Heeps ( end of loan – Blackburn), Drew Spence (Chelsea), Ellie Brazil (Brighton), Ramona Petzelberger (Aston Villa), Amy Turner (Orlando Pride), Angharad James (Orlando Pride), Nicola Karczewska (FC Fleury ), Celin Bizet Ildhusøy (PSG)

Out:  Josie Green (Leicester), Angela Addison (Charlton), Rachel Williams (Manchester United), Viktoria Schnaderbeck ( end of loan –Arsenal), Tang Jiali ( end of loan – Shanghai Shengli), Maeva Clemaron (Servette  Geneve)

West Ham

In: Jess Ziu (Shelbourne), Halle Houssein (Arsenal), Lisa Evans (Arsenal), Kirsty Smith (Manchester United), Izzy Atkinson (Celtic), Sophie Hillyerd (Charlton), Alex Hennessy (Arsenal), Vivianne Asseyi (FC Bayern), Thea Kyvag,


Out: Ollie Harder (manager), Gilly Flaherty (Liverpool), Lois Joel (London City Lionesse), Anna Leat (Aston Villa), Kateřina Svitková (Chelsea), Zaneta Wyne (Racing Louisville), Halle Houssein ( end of loan – Arsenal), Lisa Evans ( end of loan – Arsenal) , Adriana Leon (Man United), Emily Moore, Tameka Yallop



Brighton

In: Poppy Pattinson (Everton), Veatriki Sarri (Birmingham), Rebekah Stott (Bulleen Lions), Elisabeth Terland (SK Brann), Park Yeeun ( Gyeongju KHNP), Jorja Fox (Chelsea – loan)

Out: Inessa Kaagman ( PSV), Emily Simpkins (Charlton), Fliss Gibbons (Crystal Palace), Danielle Bowman (retirement), Aileen Whelan (Leicester), Danique Kerkdijk (FC Twente), Emma  Koivisto (Liverpool), Ellie Brazil (Tottenham), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Emily Simpkins (Charlton), Faith Nokuthula (Blackburn)

Reading

In:  Brooke Hendrix (Melbourne Victory), Rebecca Jane (Charlton), Jackie Burns (BK Hacken), Lauren Wade (Glentoran), Charlie Wellings (Celtic), Diane Caldwell (Manchester United)

Out: Leila Lister (Colorado Buffs), Natasha Harding (Aston Villa), Brooke Chaplen (retirement), Chloe Peplow (Crystal Palace – loan)

Aston Villa

In: Simone Magill (Everton), Anna Patten (Arsenal – loan), Danielle Turner (Everton), Natasha Harding (Reading), Anna Leat (West Ham), Kenza Dali (Everton), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash)

Out: Anita Asante (retirement), Marisa Ewers (retirement) Jodie Hutton (Bristol), Natalie Haigh, Shania Hayles (Bristol), Sophie Haywood (Sheffield United), Anna Patten (end of loan – Arsenal), Chloe Arthur (Crystal Palace), Ramona Petzelberger (Tottenham), Sian Rogers (Charlton – loan), Emily Syme (Bristol)




Everton

In: Jess Park (Manchester City – loan), Emily Ramsey (Manchester United – loan), Sara Holmgaard (Turbine Potsdam), Karen Holmgaard (Turbine Potsdam), Katja Snoeijs (Girondins de Bordeaux), Katrine Veje (FC Rosengard)

Out: Claire Emslie (Angel City), Simone Magill (Aston Villa), Valerie Gauvin (NC Courage), Danielle Turner (Aston Villa), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Sandy MacIver (Manchester City), Cecilia Runarsdottir (FC Bayern), Anna Avengard (BK Häcken), Kenza Dali (Aston Villa), Sara Holmgaard (Fortuna Hjorring – loan)



Leicester

In: Josie Green (Tottenham), Aileen Whelan (Brighton), Erin Simon (Racing Louisville), Carrie Jones (Man United – loan)

Out: Esme de Graaf (Feyenoord), Paige Bailey-Gayle (Crystal Palace), Sophie Harris (Southampton), Abbi Grant (Glasgow City), Luana Zajmi, Sophie Barker (Sheffield United – loan), Elysia Boddy (Bristol City), Charlie Devlin (Birmingham – loan)


Liverpool

In: Emma Koivisto (Brighton), Gilly Flaherty (West Ham), Eartha Cummings (Charlton), Shanice van de Sanden (Wolfsburg)


Out: Charlotte Wardlaw (end of loan- Chelsea), Jade Bailey, Rianna Dean (Crystal Palace), Meikayla Moore (Glasgow City), Evie Smith (Blackburn), Charlotte Clarke (WBA -loan), Ashley Hodson (Birmingham  – loan)

FA WC Winter 2021 transfer window

Sheffield United

In: Rebbeca Rayner ( Nottingham Forest)

Out: Veatriki Sarri ( Birmingham)

Coventry United

In: Georgia Stevens (Thor/Ka), Anna Wilcox, Olivia Clark

Out:

Crystal Palacec

In: Kirsty Barton ( Brighton – loan)

Out:

London Bees

In: Sophie Quirk ( Reading – loan)

Out:

Leicester City

In: Sophie Harris ( Watford)

Out:

The FA WSL relegation race 06/09

Reading have replaced Aston Villa at the bottom of the FA WSL table follwing their defeat to Arsenal. Bristol and Birmingham also join the relegation with their defeat and 0 point on board so far.

Reading 6-1 away defeat to Arsenal leave them bottom of the table on goal difference. Bristol City are not far behind with a home defeat to Everton 4-0, while Birmingham recorded a 2-0 defeat away to Brighton. Aston Villa of course were defeated at Villa Park 2-0 on Saturday and were temporarily in the bottom place and climb up three positions.

Coming up next for the bottom four teams are Chelsea v Bristol City, with the title holders needing a win after dropping two points at Manchester United. Not an easy game at all for the Vixens. Reading v Aston Villa. A game were both side will try to get their first point on board and it should ve quite even and open with many goals. Birmingham City v Manchester United. Blues will be looking to get their first point on board against a United side that performed really well to get a point against Chelsea and will see reinforcements add more threat up front, something that they missed last season.

The FA WSL relegation race 05/09

Aston Villa are the first team in the relegation place for the 2020/21 season following their 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City.

They are level on points with ten other sides but have a worse goal difference.

You would expect them to climb up the table tomorrow and leave the relegation place as the other teams will begin their season and one team could be beaten by a higher margin than them.

The FA WSL champions league places race 05/09

Manchester City are top of the League following their 2-0 win away to Aston Villa.

The three teams currently in the Champions League places are Manchester City, Arsenal and Birmingham.

There should be some changes tomorrow as the other ten teams will come into action for the first time this season.

 

 

Analysing the FA WSL 2019/20 rules

The FA have finally published the FA WSL/FA WC 2019/20 rules. Quite late to be honest as we are now in February and the League started in September. Obviously, the clubs had copies of the regulations but the general public was blocked from seeing them until now.

So it is time for my annual review of the regulations. The first thing you note when you download the file on the FA website is that is called CLEAN as in the FA have cleaned some of rules. This is bizarre to name a file this way.

Something that is not new but with the Brexit now done, the EU players no longer have the freedom of movement do the rulemaker can decide what to do next when the transition period is finished.

2.1 The ownership, organisation, control and management of the Competitions and any rights associated with them of any nature shall be vested entirely and exclusively in The FA.

Unlike the men’s Premier League where the FA cannot dictate the competition rules, the FA WSL and FA WC are totally controlled by the governing body. We will see how the EU players will be treated next season.

The first interesting bit that was not there in last season rules I think  is the fact that the FA have soften their stance on Welsh clubs in the FA WSL/FA WC. It was bizarre to see them in men’s football elite Leagues but forbidden to do the same in Women’s football. This injustice has now been repaired.

2.5 The geographic area covered by the Competitions shall be England and Wales.

Then there is the usual paragraph on the Board and the Executive Operational Committee. Nothing special there.

The ground regulations have some interesting paragraphs:

7.1.3 A Club’s Ground shall be available for all home Competitions Matches which a Club
is due to participate in.

I am quite sure, it does not always happen actually. Certainly in the past there were availability problems.

7.1.4 Each Club shall register its Ground and its Pitch dimensions, with the Executive
Operational Committee prior to the start of each Playing Season. It will be
misconduct on the part of a Club to alter its Pitch dimensions during a Playing
Season unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Executive Operational
Committee. The Executive Operational Committee may at any time require a Club,
at its own cost, to submit a report from a qualified independent source certifying the
Pitch dimensions. 

Clubs are now allowed to change the pitch’s side depending on the opposition they are facing. That’s a funny one. I am quite sure, it could happen in certain places.

7.1.9 No alcohol shall be consumed in view of the Pitch before, during or after a
Competition Match. Glasses, glass bottles and cans containing alcohol must not be
brought into the Ground or taken into any area of the Ground in view of the pitch.

I bet this rule has been breached in corporate areas at big grounds.

There is a subject that has been brought in recently due to the pitches at Southport and Prenton Park, the alternative grounds

7.2 Alternative grounds

7.2.1 If at any point the Ground is or will not be available for home Competition Matches,
inspection or falls below the standards required in the Ground Regulations or Club
Licence (including in relation to usage), the Club must immediately submit to the
Board in writing its proposal for a ground at which its home Competition Matches are
to be played (“Alternative Proposal”).

7.2.2 The Alternative Proposal must contain documentary evidence in support of any
ground sharing arrangements and evidence that the proposed Ground is
demonstrably suitable for the Competitions and Competition Matches and that it
satisfies the standards set out in the Ground Regulations and Club Licence.

7.2.3 The Alternative Proposal shall be considered by the Board at the earliest
opportunity and, if it is considered suitable by the Board, the Board shall notify the
Club that the Alternative Proposal is approved. The Board may attach any
conditions to such approval as it considers appropriate.

7.2.4 Unless the Board considers it appropriate in the circumstances to waive any of the
foregoing, any approval of the Alternative Proposal will be subject to the Board
being satisfied that the ground in the Alternative Proposal complies with the Club
Licence and meets the standards required in the Ground Regulations. The Board
will use reasonable endeavours to ensure a person nominated by it inspects such
ground after receiving the Alternative Proposal and prior to the Board meeting
where it is considered, but if it is unable to do so, any approval of the Alternative
Proposal will be subject to the Board being satisfied that the ground in the
Alternative Proposal complies with the Club Licence and meets the standards
required in the Ground Regulations.

7.2.5 In the event that:
(a) the Club does not comply with Rule 7.2.1; or
(b) the Alternative Proposal is not approved,
the Club shall be deemed to be in material breach of these Rules

Then you get the bizarre cases of a very different ruling for grass and artificial pitches:

7.7 Pitch Standards

7.7.1 All Pitches must be flat and free from surface depressions and excessive
undulations. The maximum slopes allowable shall not exceed an even gradient of
vertical to horizontal 1:41 in any direction.

7.7.2 The relevant Club shall take such steps as the Board may specify from time to time
if the Board is not satisfied that the Pitch is being maintained to an adequate
standard, including but not limited to the Board commissioning an independent
report (including a Pitch Test) on the state of the Pitch, the cost of such independent
report to be borne by that Club.

7.8 Artificial Pitches

Basically, there is full chapter about two pages long about those 3G/4G pitches that must meet a minimum FIFA standard and nothing specific on grass pitches.

Amazingly the postponed games come from grass pitch. So teams playing their home games on artificial pitches are held to a higher standard than those on grass pitches.It does not make sense and it explain why some teams are using poor quality grass pitches.

FA WSL Round 1 review

Season 2019/20 has started with a bang with many fans attending the games and a lack of goals. We will see if that defensive trend will carry on in round 2, but it might signal a new era where defenses prevail over attack?

All the games ended in a draw or with a win by a goal margin. There was also only one game in six that produced more than one goal which is a pretty poor return for the forwards. I think it is quite obvious that having full time teams has brought the defensive side of the game to a higher level with better fitness, organisation and preparation to the opposition strength and weaknesses.

The attack will know have to react and improve the same way in the future. It is the usual improvement cycle between attack and defense. There was a 0-0 draw between Bristol and Brighton, four 1-0 wins Chelsea v Spurs, City v United, Reading at Liverpool and Everton at Birmingham. Arsenal beat West Ham 2-1 in the only game with two plus goals.

The two promoted teams did very well against the title contenders and as mentioned where particularly well organised on the defensive side. The third contender Arsenal did the job could have won by a bigger margin as they had many 3-0 chances but ended up very close to a 2-2 draw as West ham hit the crossbar late in the game.

For the relegation battle, there are obviously five teams currently in the danger zone with the two promoted teams currently there alongside Liverpool, Birmingham and West Ham. As it is early days many of those are not likely to stay in the relegation battle in upcoming weeks as they make their way up to mid-table safety.

Everton’s win at Birmingham is an important  one should they both end up in the relegation battle at some points. Bristol and Brighton battled for a good point that launched their season well.

Round 2 will give us more information on the teams’ strength as the FA WSL is a League with only 22 games and not much margin for errors as seen last season. Chelsea never recovered from a disastrous start even if they were unbeaten and not conceding goals at the time. While City were unbeaten until the last 3 minutes of the season but still did not win the League.

Momentum is everything is a short season League.

 

Alarm bells ringing as Sunderland Ladies downgrades to part time football

In a surprising move Sunderland have decided to revert to their previous part-time business model and leave the mixed full time and part-time model they used to run.

The announcement made on the official website is intriguing.

“After three years of operating a structure consisting of both full and part-time players, Sunderland AFC Ladies is to revert to its previously successful part-time model.

Over recent months, and after significant reviewing and analysis, it has become apparent that having a mix of full-time and part-time players was not working as effectively as the club, and indeed the players, had envisaged.”

Now I was under the impression that Sunderland was on part-time only in FA WSL2 and went full time when they managed to get promotion. I actually thought nearly all their players were full-time last season, like most of the teams unlike Reading  and Doncaster who also had a mix of full time and part time players.

Are Sunderland are going back to their old WPL structure ? There comes the alarm bells. They cannot really compete in WSL 1 with a WPL structure and budget ?  Does it means they are likely to lose their licence for WSL 1 and will go WSL 2 or will they have enought budget to even stay in WSL 2 ? As per the regulations, you have to match up what the FA gives you and it will be £92,500 for WSL 1 and £62,500 for WSL 2.
This is definitely worrying on the business side of the things and on the football side, the two teams that struggled hard  last season were Doncaster and Reading who did not have total full time professional football . Sunderland did also struggle and it is no surprise that those three teams with a mixed structure ended up fighting for relegation.
 As it looks like the parent team cutting the funding, it is another reminder that not every men’s team has the money or the willingness to support their women side with big money like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City do.
When you see the debt level is way above £100M at Sunderland, it is no surprise they don’t want to spend too much money on the Ladies team.  Someone is not really good on the business side to accumulate such level of debts. They could sell Jermaine Defoe and use part of fee for the Ladies team.
This is clearly a bad news for the League as a whole. While the FA is trying to push the clubs to go forward, Sunderland takes a few steps backward. With the licence renewal coming soon, you really wonder if more clubs are at risk. The FA have opened a backdoor for new entrants, should one team or more does not get its licence renewed. We will see if that case happens very soon. I thought some WSL2 clubs were at risk but to have a WSL 1 team struggling for money is bad.