Holders set testing schedule
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Article summary
Germany are set to face three of their four fellow European FIFA Women's World Cup contenders - England, Norway and Denmark - over the next few months.
Article body
Germany are set to face three of their four fellow European FIFA Women's World Cup contenders - England, Norway and Denmark - over the next few months after the holders announced the next phase of their warm-up schedule for defending the global trophy in China from 10-30 September.
Tough tournaments
The first stop of Silivia Neid's team, who last week defeated Japan 6-3 in their last friendly of 2006, will be China itself for a four-nation tournament from 26-30 January. That competition will also involve the hosts, recent CONCACAF Gold Cup winners the United States and England, fresh from their first Women’s World Cup qualification in 12 years. Then from 7-14 March, Germany will be in Portugal to defend the prestigious Algarve Cup, and have been drawn in Group A with World Cup contenders Norway and Denmark plus France. The fifth European team heading for the Far East in September, Sweden, will be in Group B and meet Finland, the US and China.
Schedule
Neid’s aim is to reduce her core squad from 32 players to 24 by the end of those tournaments, and plans training camps from June. The team could also face some pre-World Cup competitive games as UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ qualifying is scheduled to begin in April. Germany are top seeds for the draw on 13 December in Nyon.
Lingor on shortlist
