Group B Preview: England

England (#10)
Region: UEFA
Coach: Hope Powell
How They Qualified: Won UEFA Group Stage, then defeated Switzerland in playoff.
Prior Cups:
2007: Lost in Quarterfinals
2003: DNQ
1999: DNQ
1995: Lost in Quarterfinals
1991: DNQ
Returnees from 2007 WWC: (13) Brown, A. Scott, Stoney, F. White, Williams, Aluko, K. Smith, Yankey, Asante, J. Scott, Chamberlain, Carney, Unitt.

Roster (Average Age: 26.56)

Name	Pos	Club	Age	Caps/Goals
Karen Bardsley	GK	Sky Blue FC	26	13/0
Rachel Brown	GK	Everton	30	73/0
Siobhan Chamberlain	GK	Bristol Academy	27	18/0
Sophie Bradley	DF	Lincoln Ladies	21	5/0
Claire Rafferty	DF	Chelsea	22	4/0
Alex Scott	DF	Boston Breakers	26	77/12
Casey Stoney	DF	Lincoln Ladies	29	74/4
Dunia Susi	DF	Birmingham City	23	13/0
Rachel Unitt	DF	Everton	29	89/7
Faye White	DF	Arsenal	33	99/13
Anite Asante	MF	Sky Blue FC	26	49/1
Laura Bassett	MF	Birmingham City	27	19/0
Stephanie Houghton	MF	Arsenal	23	16/1
Jill Scott	MF	Everton	24	45/6
Fara Williams	MF	Everton	27	92/34
Eniola Aluko	FW	Sky Blue FC	24	55/11
Karen Carney	FW	Birmingham City	23	60/11
Jessica Clarke	FW	Lincoln Ladies	22	25/6
Kelly Smith	FW	Boston Breakers	32	104/43
Ellen White	FW	Arsenal	22	14/5
Rachel Yankey	FW	Arsenal	31	109/14

Recent Matches:

Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
5/17/11	Sweden	Friendly	W 2-0
4/2/11	USA	Friendly	W 2-1
3/9/11	Korea Republic	Cyprus	W 2-0
3/7/11	Canada	Cyprus	L 0-2
3/4/11	Scotland	Cyprus	L 0-2
3/2/11	Italy	Cyprus	W 2-0
10/21/10	New Zealand	Peace Cup	T 0-0
10/19/10	Korea Republic	Peace Cup	T 0-0
9/16/10	Switzerland	UEFA Playoff	W 3-2
9/12/10	Switzerland	UEFA Playoff	W 2-0
8/21/10	Austria	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 4-0
7/29/10	Turkey	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 3-0
6/19/10	Spain	UEFA WC Qualifier	T 2-2
5/20/10	Malta	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 6-0
4/1/10	Spain	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 1-0

Hope Powell’s squad may have the best chance ever for England to advance far into the tournament. They have twice reached the quarterfinals, including 2007, when they were beaten by the US 3-0. They are a very experienced, with 13 players returning from that team.

But which team will show up in Germany, the team that just defeated Sweden and the United States in back-to-back friendlies or the team that played two scoreless ties at the Peace Cup and lost to Canada and Scotland at the Cyprus Cup?

One of the players from the 2007 team, Fara Williams, did not get a chance to play in that quarterfinal match. She received two yellow cards and was forced to sit and watch from the side. Williams is a true organizer for the English team, excellent at possession and pin point on free kicks. She will surely be hungry for this World Cup.

The English have a multitude of scoring options. Kelly Smith, a perennial Player of the Year candidate, is their main target. She just recently passed the 100 cap milestone in her career and has scored 43 goals. She is tough and healthy after suffering through some injuries in 2009 and early 2010.

As for who will be her striking partner, that’s anybody’s guess. Eni Aluko looked to be the odds on favorite after the 2009 Euros in which she played brilliantly. However, she has scored just twice in her last 11 appearances for England. Karen Carney usually plays more of a wing and has been injured for the early part of 2011. Rachel Yankey is the experienced veteran and scored against the US in that recent friendly. Then there are young talents like Ellen White and Jess Clarke to be considered.

An American-based goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, now appears to be their number one keeper. She has started six of their last seven matches, while Rachel Brown had received the lion’s share of the starts before that.

Perhaps the most suspect part of their lineup might be their back line, where Faye White has also been nursing an injury as of late. The English defense is experienced with Alex Scott, Rachel Unitt, and Casey Stoney. While their defense has been better lately, they did give up 14 goals in six games at their last major competition, the 2009 Euros. Goal differential could be very important in this tournament and their defense had better be more defiant than that.

England did appear to get a favorable draw and should be the odds on favorite to advance and possibly win the group. Japan will likely be their stiffest competition and they did not look sharp in a pair of recent matches against the United States. Mexico is relatively inexperienced team and New Zealand, while improving, should not be a problem for England if they play well. However, it must be said that New Zealand played a well-earned tie against England last fall.

If this team plays well and puts it all together, they could make a run deep into this tournament, perhaps all the way to the finals. This might be their best chance yet to place among the top teams in the world.

Note: Some information in this article was obtained from www.fifa.com and www.thefa.com.

England Wins World Cup Warm-Up Over Sweden

Hope Powell's England squad has knocked off another high ranking team in defeating Sweden by a 2-0 margin. Jill Scott scored early in the second half and Karen Carney later added a penalty to boost England to the victory.

Both teams were playing without key players. For England, Fara Williams and Faye White were both sidelined with injuries. Meanwhile, Sweden was without Stina Segerstrom, who suffered a severe injury and will miss the World Cup, as well as Sara Larsson and Nilla Fischer, who were also nursing injuries.

USWNT Adds Engen and Farrelly to Roster

Pia Sundhage has called Whitney Engen and Sinead Farrelly up for the final friendly against Japan. Engen was added to provide much needed depth for the US back line, with Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, and Amy LePeilbet all trying to heal from injuries. Farrelly was added after the devastating injury to Lindsay Tarpley in Saturday's match against Japan.

A former star at North Carolina, Engen is now a starter for the Western New York Flash after playing her rookie season for the Chicago Red Stars. Engen has missed just four minutes of action in 29 WPS matches.

Farrelly is a rookie midfielder for the Philadelphia Independence, starting in her first WPS season for coach Paul Riley. The former Virginia star was the second overall pick in the January draft.

England 2, United States 1

For the third time in the last five months, the United States tasted defeat as England executed a dominating first half performance to a 2-1 victory. Jess Clarke and Rachel Yankey scored for England.

For the first 35 minutes of the match, England thoroughly controlled possession and scoring chances, as the United States rarely threatened. The middle three of England's 4-3-3 formation, Kelly Smith, Jill Scott, and Fara Williams clearly outplayed their counterparts during the opening half.

England struck first just eight minutes into the match. Rachel Yankey outfought Ali Krieger for a ball on the left side of the box and crossed to the middle where Jess Clarke finished past Nicole Barnhart, with a bit of an assist from Kelly Smith who did a nice job of screening Amy LePeilbet away from the ball. England was up 1-0 and the game had just barely begun.

England made it 2-0 before the half hour. On a counterattack, Kelly Smith found wide open spaces between the US midfield and back line. She dribbled for a long stretch to the top of the box, where three defenders converged on her. She deftly passed the ball outside left to a wide open Rachel Yankey. Yankey hit a beautiful finish, high and inside the right side netting.

England had other golden opportunities and barely missed on a couple of free kick opportunities, with Fara Williams hitting the crossbar on one and Kelly Smith bending another just inches wide. The US were quite fortunate to only be down by two goals at the 35 minute mark.

But against the run of play in the 39th minute, Megan Rapinoe received the ball toward the left side just past center, dribbled to the middle unchallenged and let go a low shot from 22 yards that beat English keeper Karen Bardsley just inside the left post.

Pia Sundhage made two substitutions at the half, sending Stephanie Cox in for Amy LePeilbet, who was making an uncharacteristic start at left back and looked none too comfortable doing so. The other sub was Hope Solo, seeing her first action in eight months, in for Barnhart. Solo did make a nice sliding save early in the 2nd half, but was relatively unchallenged otherwise.

The early part of the 2nd half was a bit more evenly played than the first, but the US was still unable to manufacture any scoring chances. Three more substitutions followed, with Lauren Cheney coming on for Abby Wambach in the 62nd minute, Alex Morgan subbing for Amy Rodriguez in the 70th, and Tobin Heath in for Megan Rapinoe also in the 70th. Wambach still did not look 100% with a heel injury that's been bothering her for several months.

The substitutions seem to breathe life into the US side and the chances started coming, even though the goals did not. The best chance may have been in the 71st minute when Rachel Unitt just handed the ball to Heather O'Reilly who had clean breakaway only to send the ball wide of the left post as an onrushing Bardsley forced the shot.

England had one of her best chances just a minute later as Kelly Smith got behind the American defense. Smith, who played a very strong match, hit an unusually weak shot that rolled wide, much to the relief of the US team.

Hope Powell made two second half substitutions, Sophie Bradley for Faye White, who appeared injured as she came off, and Karen Carney for Yankey.

Alex Morgan, who has been the US spark as of late, had as many as four chances in the last 20 minutes, but just couldn't find the net. In the 76th, Carli Lloyd hit a hard shot that was saved by Bardsley with the rebound falling to Morgan, but she just couldn't get a good shot off. In the 80th minute, she received a brilliant long pass from O'Reilly, chested the ball down, but her shot sailed just wide of English goal.

In another instance, the ball rolled just past Bardsley at the top of the box in traffic, but Morgan was knocked off balance as she went by and was unable to take advantage. It was Morgan again in the 86th minute sending a hard shot wide left of the goal.

The final chance for the US came in stoppage as a hard Carli Lloyd shot was blocked by Unitt. The United States had finally run out of time and the final score stood at England 2, United States 1.

For England, Kelly Smith had her usual strong match, as did Rachel Yankey and Fara Williams. In fact, the entire English midfield played very well and their forwards were active for the first three quarters of the match. Yankey and young Ellen White kept the US defense back on their heels for much of the match. The English back line made strong flank runs early, especially Alex Scott, and were just good enough defensively to preserve the win. Bardsley was solid in goal.

For the US, Heath, Cheney and Morgan gave the team energy and Heather O'Reilly played a strong second half. Megan Rapinoe was also very active early on. The US defense looked uncomfortable and a bit overmatched at times, before settling down as the 2nd half wore on. They often faced superior numbers as England was able to exploit the huge gaps between the US midfield and back line.

The United States will train in Scotland for a few days before returning home. Their next action will be a pair of matches against Japan in May.

USWNT vs. England

The US Women's National Team will meet England for the first time in four years as they visit Leyton Orient on Saturday (ESPN2, 3pm ET). While the match is a friendly, it is one of the final tuneups for both teams heading into the 2011 World Cup, so both sides will be taking this match plenty seriously.

The last time the two teams met was the 2007 World Cup quarterfinals in China, with the United States winning 3-0 after a scoreless halftime affair. The United States went on to be easily defeated by Brazil in the semifinals.

At this late date, less than three months from the World Cup kickoff, it is likely that both US coach Pia Sundhage and English coach Hope Powell pretty well have their minds made up as to who will make up their rosters for that tournament. But there may still be a slot or two undecided and some players will be hoping to tip the scales in their favor on Saturday.

While the US roster is heavy on midfielders, the English roster appears to be heavy at defender and at forward, if one wanted to hazard a guess as to where the openings might be.

While these two teams don't meet very often, many of the players are quite familiar with one another. No fewer than six of the English team either play or have played in WPS. Both teams have very little "new blood" on their roster. In fact, 10 of the 13 players that played for England in that 2007 match will be active for Saturday's match.

Strangely enough, the US team only has six starters from that 2007 match on their roster...Hope Solo, Christie Rampone, Stephanie Cox, Shannon Boxx, Heather O'Reilly, and Abby Wambach. Strange, of course, because Pia Sundhage has been criticized in some circles for not bringing new players onto the team. But that 2007 team was not Sundhage's team and a large contingent of that roster has since retired including Kristine Lilly, Kate Markgraf, Briana Scurry, Aly Wagner, Angela Hucles, and Marci Jobson.

While the US and England couldn't meet until the semifinals in 2011, it is still a possibility. Whatever happens Saturday, it should be an interesting battle between two teams who should certainly make some noise in Germany.

Rosters:
USWNT (Coach: Pia Sundhage)
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris, Hope Solo.
Defenders: Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn.
Midfielders: Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Meghan Klingenberg, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Kelley O'Hara, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley.
Forwards: Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

England (Coach: Hope Powell)
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley, Rachel Brown, Siobhan Chamberlain.
Defenders: Sophie Bradley, Lindsay Johnson, Claire Rafferty, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Dunia Susi, Rachel Unitt, Faye White.
Midfielders: Anita Asante, Laura Bassett, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Fara Williams.
Forwards: Eniola Aluko, Karen Carney, Jess Clarke, Natasha Dowie, Kelly Smith, Sue Smith, Ellen White, Rachel Yankey.

Canada Wins the Cyprus Cup

They needed overtime to do it, but Canada won the Cyprus Cup championship by a 2-1 margin over Holland. Just three months ago, Canada had easily defeated Holland 5-0 in a match played in Brazil. This time proved to be much tougher.

The match was played in harsh weather, with rain and very windy conditions. The weather played a part in an early defensive error by the Dutch and Jonelle Filigno, the goal scoring hero against Italy last Friday, once again scored to make it 1-0 for Canada.

Holland was able to tie the match late in the first half. Claudia van den Heiligenberg scored to make it 1-1.

Late in regulation, Erin McLeod suffered a minor injury and had to be replaced by Stephanie Labbé. She was able to keep Holland from scoring any further goals.

Emily Zurrer scored the game winner off of a Diana Matheson corner kick in the 99th minute. Canada completed a solid tournament in which they defeated four strong European sides in the process.

3rd Place: France 3, Scotland 0

Marie-Laure Delie made it her second hat trick of the tournament as she scored all three goals in France's 3-0 victory over Scotland. Bérangèr Sapowicz recorded the shutout for France.

5th Place: England 2, South Korea 0

Sue Smith's brace led England to a 2-0 win over South Korea. After a disappointing run in the group stage of the tournament, England finished strong in taking fifth place.

Karen Bardsley and Siobhan Chamberlain shared the shutout for England.

7th Place: Mexico 5, New Zealand 0

After a scoreless first half, Mexico scored five times in the closing stanza to defeat New Zealand in the 7th place match. Stephany Mayor scored a hat trick to lead the way for Mexico, who finished the tournament unbeaten with two wins and two ties. Dinora Garza added a goal and the fifth was an own goal by New Zealand.

9th Place: Italy 2, Russia 0

Italy won 2-0 over Russia on goals by Patrizia Panico and Giulia Domenichetti.

11th Place: Switzerland 2, Northern Ireland 1

In a match between two teams searching for their first win at the Cyprus Cup, Switzerland edged Northern Ireland 2-1. Lara Dickenmann scored a first half goal to give Switzerland the lead. Northern Ireland tied the match early in the 2nd half, but Martina Moser scored the game winner in the 65th minute.

Canada and Holland Advance To Cyprus Cup Final

Canada won their third straight match at the Cyprus Cup with a 2-0 victory over England in Group A. For Canada, it was their third shutout, this one by Erin McLeod. It was a battle between the world's 9th and 10th ranked teams.

After most of the first half went by scoreless, Christine Sinclair scored on a rebound of Diana Matheson's shot giving the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Halftime substitution Brittany Timko made it 2-0 just ten minutes into the second half. Most of the second half of the match was played in fairly heavy rainfall.

Hope Powell's squad saw massive changes from Friday's match, with Canada also inserting new blood into the lineup.

For Canada, the victory continues an impressive run of soccer dating back to last September. They are 13 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws over that time. Canada will face Holland, ranked 15th in the world, in the final on Wednesday.

Scotland 0, Italy 0

Scotland and Italy played to a scoreless draw on Monday. It was enough for Scotland to finish in second place in Group A, just one point ahead of England.

It looked like Scotland might win the game late as they were awarded a penalty with just 10 minutes remaining in the match, but Chiara Marchitelli stopped Kim Little's penalty attempt to preserve the tie. Gemma Fay earned the shutout for the Scots.

Holland 6, Switzerland 0

Holland easily defeated Switzerland 6-0 and will play in the championship match against Canada. They were led by a Kirsten van de Ven hat trick and a Chantel de Ridder brace. The Swiss fell behind 2-0 in the first six minutes and never seriously threatened to make it a match.

Holland will now face Canada, a team they lost to by a 5-0 margin at the Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo in December.

France 5, New Zealand 2

Marie-Laure Delie scored three times to lead France to a 5-2 victory over New Zealand. Delie scored twice in the first half to give her team a 3-2 lead at the break, after France had fallen behind in the game's opening minutes on an own goal.

Eugenie Le Sommer and Elise Bussaglia added goals for France, while Anna Green scored directly on a corner kick for the Ferns.

Because of their loss to Holland, France settles for a 3rd place match up against Scotland, while New Zealand will meet Mexico, in what should be an interesting 7th place match of two teams headed for the World Cup in June.

Mexico 3, Northern Ireland 1

Mexico was able to finish the Cyprus Cup group stage unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. However, the Mexicans still fell short of South Korea, who won Group C.

Maribel Dominguez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute on a penalty after Charlyn Corral had been fouled in the box. Corral scored just minutes later to make it 2-0 by halftime.

Northern Ireland cut the lead to one as Rachel Furness headed one home early in the 2nd half. Nancy Gandarilla scored for Mexico late in the match for the final tally. Gandarilla was making her debut for Mexico.

South Korea 2, Russia 1

Ji So-Yun and Yeo Min-Ji scored to lead South Korea to a 2-1 victory over Russia. Ji's goal came in the opening minutes of the match. South Korea led 1-0 at the half.

Russia briefly tied the score in the 77th minute on a goal by Ekaterina Sochneva, but the Koreans quickly answered with Yeo's goal just a minute later for the game winner.

Final Group Standings:
Group A: Canada 3-0-0, 9 pts; Scotland 1-1-1, 4 pts; England 1-2-0, 3 pts; Italy 0-2-1, 1 pt.
Group B: Holland 3-0-0, 9 pts; France 2-1-0, 6 pts; New Zealand 1-2-0, 3 pts; Switzerland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group C: South Korea 2-0-1, 7 pts; Mexico 1-0-2, 5 pts; Russia 1-1-1, 4 pts; Northern Ireland 0-3-0, 0 pts.

Finals Day Matches:
Championship: Canada vs. Holland
3rd/4th Place: Scotland vs. France
5th/6th Place: England vs. South Korea
7th/8th Place: New Zealand vs. Mexico
9th/10th Place: Italy vs. Russia
11th/12th Place: Switzerland vs. Northern Ireland

Scotland and Holland Post Upsets at Cyprus Cup

Upsets were the order of the day at the Cyprus Cup. Scotland were able to shut out England by a 2-0 margin, while France was beaten by Holland 2-1. Canada won their second straight 1-0 shutout, this time over Italy.

Scotland 2, England 0

The Scots got their two goals from Arsenal Ladies players Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little to post a 2-0 victory over neighboring England on Friday. It was the first victory for Scotland against England in over 30 years.

Although it must be noted that England's best player, Kelly Smith, did not play in the match, it was still an impressive victory for Scotland.

Beattie, normally a defender, was moved forward in this match and it paid off handsomely for coach Anna Signeul. In addition to her goal, she also earned an assist on Little's goal in the 1st half.

Shannon Lynn picked up the shutout for Scotland, while a stout Scottish defense helped Lynn keep England off of the scoreboard.

Scotland will now face Italy on Monday, still with an outside chance to win Group A. They need help from England over Canada and then need to win their match by a greater margin.

Canada 1, Italy 0

Canada continued a pattern of strong performances, knocking off Italy 1-0. Young Jonelle Filigno scored the game's only goal, assisted by Christine Sinclair. Italy came close on a few occasions in the second half, but were unable to draw even.

Filigno, who is just 20 years old, scored her sixth career goal as member of the Canadian National Team.

Stephanie Labbé earned a shutout for the Canadians, who have not surrendered a goal in either match at Cyprus.

Canada will now face England on Monday, needing just a tie or a win to secure first place in Group A. Italy will play Scotland in their final Group A match.

Holland 2, France 1

Holland posted a 2-1 upset win over France in Group B action at the Cyprus Cup. Renee Slegers and Manon Melis scored for the victors. Camille Abily scored for France.

The victory over the 8th ranked team in the world puts Holland into the championship match next Wednesday. They will face Switzerland on Monday. France will play New Zealand to decide who finishes in second place for Group B.

New Zealand 2, Switzerland 1

The Football Ferns posted their first win at the Cyprus Cup, with a 2-1 win over Switzerland. New Zealand scored two late first half goals, one by Kirsty Yallop, the other by Betsy Hassett and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

Sandy Maendly scored a late goal for Switzerland to close within one, but New Zealand was able to finish with the win. Jenny Bindon got the victory in goal for New Zealand.

New Zealand will now face France on Monday with a chance to finish second in Group B.

Russia 2, Northern Ireland 1

After falling behind early, Russia was able to post a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.

Ashley Hutton scored her second goal of the tournament to give Northern Ireland a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute. Tatiana Skotnikova answered to tie the score just before halftime. Elena Fomina converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give Russia the lead. A game Northern Ireland squad was unable to equalize.

Russia and South Korea both will enter the final contest with a win and a draw, with the two teams facing each other on Monday. Mexico has posted two ties and still has a chance should they defeat Northern Ireland and the other two teams tie.

Mexico 1, South Korea 1

For the second straight match, Mexico played to a draw, a 1-1 tie with South Korea. Jeon Ga-Eul scored in the 15th minute to give South Korea the early lead. Mexico got the tying goal in the 2nd half with Dinora Garza scoring on a free kick.

Mexico played the last 26 minutes of the match a player short, as Nayeli Rangel received a second yellow card. Erika Vanegas and the Mexican defense were able to keep South Korea off the board for the remainder of the match.

Mexico will face Northern Ireland on Monday and can still finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on the results of the two Group C matches. South Korea can win Group C with a victory against Russia.

Canada and England Open with Cyprus Cup Victories

Canada won their Cyprus Cup opener over Scotland on the strength of an Emily Zurrer goal in the 70th minute. The University of Illinois product scored her first international goal on the senior level.

Zurrer headed in a Diana Matheson corner kick for the game winner. Erin McLeod earned the shutout for Canada.

England 2, Italy 0

Hope Powell's team got off to promising start with a 2-0 victory over Italy in their Cyprus Cup opener. Goals by Ellen White and Kelly Smith led England to victory.

White took advantage of a defensive error by the Italians early on. Smith's goal was on a penalty after Jess Clarke had been tripped up in the box by Elisabetta Tona.

Holland 4, New Zealand 1

Holland scored three first half goals and coasted their way to a 4-1 victory over New Zealand. Sherida Spitse opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was followed by a Manon Melis brace before intermission.

Sara Gregorius was able to get New Zealand on the board in the 75th minute, before Renee Slegers finished the scoring in the 83rd minute.

France 2, Switzerland 0

Gaëtane Thiney and Camille Abily netted goals as France defeated Switzerland 2-0. Bérangère Sapowicz posted the shutout for the French.

South Korea 3, Northern Ireland 1

South Korea opened Cyprus Cup play with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.

Mexico 0, Russia 0

Mexico and Russia played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, with Erika Vanegas earning the shutout for Mexico.

Cyprus Cup - Group A Preview

The Cyprus Cup is set to kick off on March 2 and for many teams, it will be their last major competition before the 2011 World Cup. This year, the Cyprus Cup has a field of 12 teams, five of which will be among those competing in Germany come June.

The twelve teams have been divided into three groups:
Group A: Canada, England, Italy, Scotland
Group B: France, Holland, New Zealand, Switzerland
Group C: Mexico, Northern Ireland, Russia, South Korea

Eleven of the 12 teams are ranked in FIFA's top 26 teams, with only Northern Ireland being lower at #64.

The competition will have group stage matches on March 2nd, 4th, and 7th, before a final round is played on March 9th.

Here is a preview of Group A, with Groups B and C to follow shortly:

Canada
Coach: Carolina Morace
World Rank: #9
World Cup: Qualified by winning the CONCACAF region.

Latest Results:
Four Nations Tournament (China): Defeated China 3-2, Lost to United States 1-2, Defeated Sweden 1-0.
Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil): Defeated Holland 5-0, Defeated Mexico 1-0, Tied Brazil 0-0, Tied Brazil 2-2
CONCACAF WC Qualifiers: Defeated Trinidad & Tobago 1-0, Defeated Guyana 8-0, Defeated Mexico 3-0, Defeated Costa Rica 4-0, Defeated Mexico 1-0.

Preliminary Training Roster:
Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbé, Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod.
Defenders: Candace Chapman, Shannon Woeller, Emily Zurrer, Rhian Wilkinson, Melanie Booth, Marie-Eve Nault, Robyn Gale, Brittany Timko.
Midfielders: Carmelina Moscato, Desiree Scott, Chelsea Stewart, Jonelle Filigno, Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt.
Forwards: Josée Bélanger, Chelsea Buckland, Christina Julien, Brooke McCalla, Jodi-Ann Robinson, Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi.

The Canadians have been playing very good soccer over the past few months, going 10-1-2 over their last 13 matches, winning two major competitions and qualifying for the World Cup along the way.

Unfortunately, most of the talk surrounding the Canadian team lately concerns off-the-field issues. Coach Carolina Morace announced that she is resigning after the World Cup, citing differences with the Canadian Soccer Association. In response, her team threatened to strike because of what they perceive as the unfairness that CSA had dealt with Morace and because of other issues including compensation. All of this has put a cloud over a Canadian program that may be at its highest level in quite a few years.

As far as soccer goes, Canada hopes to continue the success they have had the past six months. They are led by their all-time leading scorer, Christine Sinclair, who has scored 115 goals in 151 international matches. She is often paired with veteran power forward Melissa "Tanc" Tancredi. They also have young offensive talent in MF Jonelle Filigno, F Josée Belanger, and Christina Julien.

The Canadians can also boast one of the deepest squads in their history. Other players include WPS goalkeepers Karina LeBlanc and Erin McLeod, WNY Flash defender Candace Chapman, Portland Pilot college star Sophie Schmidt, and Lillestrøm SK veterans Rhian Wilkinson and Diana Matheson.

England
Coach: Hope Powell
World Rank: #10
World Cup: Qualified by winning UEFA Group 5 and then defeating Switzerland 5-2 aggregate in two-game playoff.

Latest Results:
Peace Cup: Tied South Korea 0-0, Tied New Zealand 0-0.
UEFA Playoff Round: Defeated Switzerland 2-0, Defeated Switzerland 3-2.
UEFA WC Qualifiers (since July, 2010): Defeated Turkey 3-0, Defeated Austria 4-0.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley, Siobhan Chamberlain.
Defenders: Sophie Bradley, Lindsay Johnson, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Dunia Susi, Rachel Unitt, Faye White.
Midfielders: Anita Asante, Laura Bassett, Jess Clarke, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Sue Smith, Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey.
Forwards: Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith, Ellen White.

Hope Powell and the English National Team are probably looking forward to some tough competition at this tournament. They have only played one other World Cup qualified team over the past year, that being New Zealand at the Peace Cup. Not that they haven't faced some tough sides in the interim, having played matches against Switzerland, South Korea, and Spain. England has not lost a match since their 1-0 loss at the hands of Canada in last year's Cyprus Cup.

England has a strong, veteran team. Any conversation about the Lionesses must start with perennial Player of the Year candidate Kelly Smith. The 15-year national team veteran has scored 42 international goals and her next cap will be her 100th. Smith is a smart, strong player who is a threat to score any time she takes the field.

If you like speed, young forward Eniola Aluko can give you plenty. With a couple of WPS seasons and a strong 2009 Euro Tournament under her belt, she is an emerging star.

Most of the English team is made up of veterans including Faye White, Casey Stoney, Alex Scott, and Fara Williams. Karen Bardsley has been seeing more and more time as the English goalkeeper and is competing for the number one job.

Italy
Coach: Pietro Ghedin
World Rank: #11
World Cup: Just missed qualifying after winning UEFA Group 7 and losing by 3-2 aggregate to France. Then defeated Ukraine and Switzerland, before falling 2-0 aggregate to the USA in playoff.

Latest Results:
World Cup Qualifying Playoff: Lost to the United States 1-0, Lost to the United States 1-0.
World Cup UEFA Playoffs: Defeated Switzerland 1-0, Defeated Switzerland 4-2, Defeated Ukraine 3-0, Tied Ukraine 0-0, Tied France 0-0, Lost to France 3-2.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Chiara Marchitelli, Anna Maria Picarelli, Katia Schroffenegger.
Defenders: Elisa Bartoli, Alia Guagni, Elisabetta Tona, Viviana Schiavi, Roberta D'Adda, Sara Gama, Laura Neboli.
Midfielders: Alessia Tuttino, Elisa Camporese, Giulia Domenichetti, Pamela Conti, Alice Parisi, Carolina Pini.
Forwards: Patrizia Panico, Melania Gabbiadini, Ilario Mauro, Evelyn Vicchiarello, Daniela Sabatino.

One thing that must be said about this Italian side is that they have been well-tested. They took the longest route of any team to World Cup qualifying only to fall just short in the end after two 1-0 losses to the United States.

After a grueling fall schedule where every match had so much on the line, this year's Cyprus Cup must almost seem like a holiday to them. The Italian squad has a nice mixture of young players and veterans. They are a very competitive side, with all of their losses over the past year being by just one goal.

Long-time veteran Patrizia Panico, now 36 years old, is nearing 100 career goals. She is the Italian's primary scoring threat. Melania Gabbiadini is back from an injury that sidelined her from the matches against the US. Playmaking midfielder Elisa Camporese is also a player to watch.

The Italians have a sturdy defense that can be very hard to score on. Young Sara Gama is a threat from the outside back position going forward. Short, but scrappy, Anna-Maria Picarelli holds down the goalkeeper's position.

Scotland
Coach: Anna Signeul
World Rank: #24
World Cup: Failed to qualify, finishing second in UEFA Group 3, just behind Denmark.

Latest Results:
Friendlies: Defeated Wales 4-2, Defeated Poland 2-1.
UEFA WC Qualifiers (Since July, 2010): Tied Denmark 0-0, Defeated Greece 4-1.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Gemma Fay, Shannon Lynn.
Defenders: Jennifer Beattie, Frankie Brown, Rachel Corsie, Ifeoma Dieke, Emma Fernon, Rhonda Jones, Rachael Small.
Midfielders: Hayley Lauder, Kim Little, Joanne Love, Leanne Ross, Megan Sneddon.
Forwards: Diana Barry, Rebecca Dempster, Christie Murray, Suzanne Grant, Jane Ross.

Scotland just missed getting out of their group stage in UEFA World Cup qualifying, falling just a point shy of Denmark. Since the last qualifying matches in August, the team has been fairly inactive, playing just one match, a victory over Wales. They will get thrown into the fire in a tough group stage at the Cyprus Cup.

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Scottish star, Julie Fleeting, was not on the roster released to the press for the Cyprus Cup. Fleeting, who just gave birth to her first child, may not be quite ready from a fitness standpoint.

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Ifeoma Dieke is probably the player with whom WPS fans are most familiar. The veteran defender has played 32 matches for the Chicago Red Stars and Boston Breakers over the past two seasons. Gemma Fay has over 100 caps in goal for the Scots.

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Scotland has several talented young players such as Rachael Small, Kim Little, and Rebecca Dempster, that will give a bright future to the team.

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Cyprus Cup-Group A Schedule

Wednesday, March 2

Canada vs. Scotland (Ammochostos/Larnaca)

England vs. Italy (GSZ/Larnaca)

Friday, March 4

England vs. Scotland (GSP/Nicosia)

Italy vs. Canada (GSP/Nicosia)

Monday, March 7

Scotland vs. Italy (GSZ/Larnaca)

Canada vs. England (GSP/Nicosia)

Wednesday, March 9

Finals Day.

Iceland win 2-0 against England

Iceland won surprisingly 2-0 against England in a friendly in Colchester on Thursday.

Iceland play Denmark in England on Sunday and England meet Denmark on July 22.

WPS Weekend Matches-July 12th

There are only two matches on this weekend's WPS schedule, both on Sunday. Sky Blue FC travels to Boston in a rematch of last weekend's match, while FC Gold Pride ventures into Toyota Park to face the Chicago Red Stars. Pretty much every game from here on out will have playoff ramifications.

Sky Blue FC at Boston Breakers

When these two teams met up last week, Sky Blue was badly in need of a victory to get back into the hunt for the playoffs. They got it by shutting out the Breakers 1-0. Another victory this weekend moves them into a tie for 3rd which would be their highest position of the year. Boston presently holds down 3rd place and needs a win to stay on the heels of 2nd place Athletica.

Jenni Branam has three shutouts in the last four games for Sky Blue, including one against the Breakers last Saturday. The back line for New Jersey is a strong, consistent group. All have over 1000 minutes played for the season, except Christie Rampone, who was injured for a few games early on. Englishwoman Anita Asante has been rock solid in the middle along with Rampone. Sky Blue has given up less than one goal per game on average.

Sky Blue has had trouble scoring, but last week marked the first time all year that they have scored in 3 consecutive matches, so maybe things are starting to change. Also significant is the fact that their last 5 goals have been scored by five different players, Kacey White, Natasha Kai, Rosana, Julianne Sitch, and Heather O'Reilly. Kai has been bothered by injuries throughout the season, but when healthy, she is as dangerous as anyone not named Marta. O'Reilly scored the only goal in last week's match directly off of a corner kick and she has probably been the best player offensively for Sky Blue.

Boston had a three game unbeaten streak stopped by Sky Blue and find themselves in the thick of a messy playoff race, just 2 points ahead of Washington and 3 ahead of New Jersey. The Breakers also have a strong defense and like Sky Blue, one of their top defenders is from England, Alex Scott. Add to that USWNT players Amy LePeilbet and Heather Mitts and veteran Sue Weber. Allison Lipsher has been fine in goal since taking over the starter's role in late June.

The Breakers leading scorer has been Kelly Smith, but she hasn't recorded a goal since the end of May. Like Sky Blue, Boston has had a variety of scorers with their last 6 coming from different players, including Scott, Smith, Amy Rodriguez, Christine Latham, Jenny Nobis, and Kristine Lilly. Joining Lilly and Smith at midfield will be Angela Hucles and Sophia Mundy.

Boston could get some separation from the pack with a victory, which would put them five points clear of 4th place Washington. Sky Blue is looking to have an inside position for the playoffs heading into the final four weeks of action. SBFC has won both of the previous two meetings.

FC Gold Pride at Chicago Red Stars

After going winless for 9 games, one victory has put the Red Stars back into the playoff chase and they are now in 6th place. The combination of a victory over FCGP and a Sky Blue loss would vault them into 4th position. FC Gold Pride occupies the bottom of the table and needs a victory to keep their playoff hopes realistic. The two teams will meet at Toyota Park on Sunday.

FC Gold Pride has been as high as 3rd place in the middle of May, but they have earned just 2 points in their last six matches. Scoring has been a major problem for Bay Area and they have been shut out in 4 of their last 8. Basically, it's been Christine Sinclair or nothing. With a call up for the Canadian National Team looming next week for Sinclair, FCGP needs to find another source of offense quickly. Sinclair has scored five goals, good enough for third best in the WPS. Behind her, only Tiffeny Milbrett has scored more than one. Midfield should be one of Gold Pride's strengths and they do possess well, but have not contributed much offensively.

Defensively, Gold Pride has been okay, but inconsistent. They have started Nicole Barnhart in every match except one and have recorded only two shutouts for the season, tied with the Freedom for the lowest in the league. Rachel Buehler is Gold Pride's best defender.

For Chicago, last week's victory over the Freedom had to be relief as did the two goals they scored. It marked only the second time all season that the Red Stars goal output had exceeded one. Similar to Gold Pride, Chicago has only had two players providing most of the offense, Cristiane and Lindsay Tarpley. Megan Rapinoe and Brittany Klein each have a goal and two assists to their credit. English midfielder Karen Carney has been noticeably quiet since early in the year.

The Red Stars' defense has been plagued by injuries for most of the season. Still, defense and goalkeeping have been the positives for this Chicago team, up until a couple of shaky games against Boston and Los Angeles. Caroline Jönsson hasn't missed a minute in goal for the Red Stars. With Marian Dalmy getting healthy, Chicago should be at full strength on the back line now. She joins Ifeoma Dieke, Jill Oakes, and Natalie Spilger. One thing to note is that Frida Östberg is listed as being out for this game with a "family commitment."

This match should see two desperate teams who both need a victory with the number of games remaining rapidly dwindling. The loser of this match will have an uphill task ahead to make up ground the rest of the way. Gold Pride leads the season series with a win and a tie.

Second Place Curse Broken

With Athletica's 1-0 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday, the 2nd place curse has officially been broken. The loss prevented Los Angeles from wrapping up the regular season championship for now. The next opportunity for the Sol to clinch first place will be on July 23rd when they meet FC Gold Pride, although Saint Louis would need to win at least one of their next two games to stay mathematically alive. Amanda Cinalli scored the only goal of the match on a nice feed from Eniola Aluko, while Hope Solo made four saves to shut out LA.

Six WPS Players Are Called Up for English National Team

English National Team coach Hope Powell has called up six WPS players for upcoming friendlies against Iceland on July 16th and Denmark on July 22nd. Those players are Kelly Smith and Alex Scott of Boston, Anita Asante and Karen Bardsley of Sky Blue FC, Eniola Aluko of Saint Louis, and Karen Carney of Chicago. With the exception of Bardsley, the rest of the players all start for their WPS teams.

Scott Scores For Breakers

Here is my recap of the Breakers - Freedom game at Goal.com -- Read On -- Alex Scott Saves Boston Breakers In 1-1 Draw

Select Members of England Women's NT Now With Contracts

The Football Association with a positive step forward has decided to reward select members of England Women's team by offering 17 players central contracts.

A total pot worth £1.28m over a four-year period will be paid to the 17 players. Not listed are players who compete in the WPS such as Boston Breakers forward Kelly Smith.

"This is a step in the right direction and a key strategy for England Women," said FA spokesman via BBC Sport. "Players can also work up to 24 hours in the week to boost their income."

Here is a list of the 17 players:

Rachel Brown (Everton), Siobhan Chamberlain (Chelsea), Carly Telford (Leeds Carnegie), Casey Stoney (Chelsea), Faye White (Arsenal), Rachel Unitt (Everton), Stephanie Houghton (Leeds Carnegie), Emily Westwood (Everton), Katie Chapman (Arsenal), Jill Scott (Everton), Laura Bassett (Arsenal), Rachel Williams (Doncaster Rovers Belles), Rachel Yankey (Arsenal), Sue Smith (Leeds Carnegie), Jody Handley (Everton), Lindsay Johnson (Everton), Corrine Yorston (Bristol Academy).

Red Stars Karen Carney Q and A Interview

Karen Carney speaks with Women's Soccer Insider -- Read On -- Exclusive Q and A - Karen Carney

The Bard -- Record-Holding Javelin Thrower

New feature at Goal.com -- Read On -- The Bard: Allow WPS Player Karen Bardsley To Introduce WPS Player Karen Bardsley

Top 30 Women's World Rankings

FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking

Top 30 - As of March 2009

1. USA
2. Brazil
3. Germany
4. Sweden
5. Korea DPR
6. Denmark
7. Japan
8. France
9. Norway
10. England
11. Canada
12. China PR
13. Italy
14. Australia
15. Russia
16. Ukraine
17. Netherlands
18. Iceland
19. Finland
20. Spain
21. Korea Republic
22. Czech Republic
23. Mexico
24. New Zealand
25. Scotland
26. Switzerland
27. Republic of Ireland
28. Argentina
29. Nigeria
30. Vietnam

WPS Stars Compete in Europe

Several WPS players are competing with their national sides in international friendlies this week.

In action so far, Germany and Brazil tied 1-1 Wednesday night before over 44,000 in Frankfurt, Germany. It was the largest crowd ever to attend a women's match in Europe. Brazilian WPS players Marta, Cristiane, Erika, Formiga, and Francielle competed for Brazil. Unfortunately, long-time German star Birgit Prinz suffered fractured ribs in the game.

Read on at UEFA.com

France topped Switzerland 2-0, including a goal by Los Angeles Sol midfielder Camille Abily. Sonia Bompastor of the Washington Freedom also played for France.

Read on at UEFA.com

On Thursday, England defeated Norway 3-0 in a friendly played at Shrewsbury. All five English WPS players started for the Lions.

Read on at TheFA.com

Later this week, Brazil is scheduled to play Sweden, which includes Sara Larsson of Saint Louis Athletica, at Goteborg, Sweden. France will play a rematch against the Swiss side.

Kelly Smith's recent interview with England Mad

English international and Boston star, Kelly Smith, spoke with England Mad about ten days ago. The Q&A offered great insight into her thoughts on the new league...

Check out the interview by clicking here.