International Football
As football events of Olympics kicks off, US women eye revenge over familiar foes, Sweden
United States captain Becky Sauerbrunn said the pain of their 2016 Olympic quarter-final loss to Sweden was driving her on ahead of the opening game between the two countries at the Tokyo Games.
Sauerbrunn was part of the team beaten on penalties by Sweden five years ago in Brazil, a loss that snapped a run of three successive Olympic titles for the US.
“I think what happened in 2016 was one of the worst results the senior national team has had in an international tournament,” Sauerbrunn told a news conference on Tuesday (July 20).
“For me it lit a fire going into 2019 and 2020… and going into this. It’s rich that we get to play them (Sweden) in our first game.”
Wednesday’s match at Tokyo Stadium will be the ninth meeting between the two nations at the World Cup or Olympics, making Sweden the Americans’ most frequent foe at a major tournament.
“Sweden in general is just a great squad so I’m excited we get to see them again,” said Sauerbrunn, set to win her 189th international cap.
“They’ve got dynamic forwards. I’m just really looking forward to the battle. They’re special players, (Stina) Blackstenius, (Sofia) Jakobsson, (Lina) Hurtig…”
The US have won four of six gold medals since the introduction of women’s football to the Olympic programme in 1996, and also finished runners-up to Norway in 2000.
Megan Rapinoe is arguably the most recognisable member of a 22-player squad that also includes Alex Morgan, who gave birth to her first child in May of last year.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski has won 22 of 23 games since replacing Jill Ellis in October 2019. The US have conceded just four goals in that time, with Sweden accounting for three of them.
The Skopje-born Andonovski began his tenure with a 3-2 victory over the Swedes in Columbus, while the most recent encounter resulted in a 1-1 draw in Stockholm in April when Rapinoe equalised with a late penalty.
“I think our team is very fortunate to have played as many games as we have,” said the 36-year-old Sauerbrunn, a two-time World Cup champion and 2012 Olympic gold medallist.
“It’s hard to replicate a game scenario. It has allowed us to form chemistry and work on tactics and dig down into those details that are so important.
“(But) going into a tournament you never know what’s going to happen.”
After dumping the US out in Brazil, Sweden scraped past the hosts in another shootout to reach the final before losing 2-1 to Germany.
Sweden’s run to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup secured their ticket to Tokyo, where they will be led by the vastly experienced Caroline Seger, the nation’s all-time record holder with 215 international appearances.
“The US brings the best when they need to be the best,” said Seger. “It’s going to be a very tough game for us tomorrow but we’re going to be prepared.”
Sweden have held their own against the US in recent times, with seven of the past eight clashes decided by one goal or fewer.
“I just know that all the games we’ve played against them we’ve been very good,” said Seger.
“We know we have to be prepared for those games and step up to a level that is very high. It’s going to be very intense.”
Australia take on New Zealand in the other game in Group G, with the top two from each of the three sections advancing to the quarter-finals along with two third-placed sides.
Reigning champions Germany failed to qualify for the tournament, while Japan return as hosts after missing out on the 2016 edition.
Britain will field a team comprised primarily of England players, with European champions and World Cup finalists the Netherlands making their Olympic debut.
Chile and Zambia are also participating for the first time, as China, Brazil and 2016 bronze medallists Canada complete the 12-team competition.
-AFP
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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