Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws    Fake-alcohol deaths highlight SE Asia's methanol problem    Netanyahu attacks ICC war crimes arrest warrants    KSrelief provided over $7bln to support children around the world    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    9 erring body care centers shut in Riyadh    20,000 military emblems confiscated in Riyadh    Al-Samaani visits headquarters of Hague Conference on Private International Law    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Fate of Gaetz ethics report uncertain after congressional panel deadlocked    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani indicted in New York on fraud charges    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Yemeni Orchestra's captivating performances in Riyadh, showcasing shared cultural legacies    Future of Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract remains undecided, says Saudi Pro League CEO    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Germany, US, Brazil favorites at Cup
NESHA STARCEVIC
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 06 - 2011

FRANKFURT, Germany: When Germany won its first major title in women's football at the 1989 European Championship, the players received a gift — a discounted coffee set.
The second-choice product from a local manufacturer, featuring a tacky design of red and blue blooming flowers, may have been a poor choice for a prize but, then again, the German football federation once banned organized women's football from 1955 to 1970.
The women's game has come long way since its pioneer days.
If the German team wins the upcoming tournament at home, each player will receive a bonus of ¤60,000 ($85,410).
“The World Cup will give women's football a new dimension,” says Katja Kraus, a former Germany goalkeeper who has risen to top management levels in the men's Bundesliga.
The women's domestic league, which is semiprofessional at best, needs a major boost. Few teams make money and not many players can live off their earnings.
“That's going to be the biggest challenge,” DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach said. The 12-team league had an average attendance last season of fewer than 900 per game, a far cry from the 40,000-plus average of the men's Bundesliga. Germany will be seeking to become the first team to win three straight titles when the tournament kicks off Sunday against Canada in Berlin's Olympic stadium and runs through to July 17.
That was the stadium that also hosted the 2006 men's World Cup final, when Italy beat France.
The 2006 tournament has been known ever since as the “summer fairy tale” for its fabulous weather, huge and generally merry and well-behaved crowds that turned it into a month-long party. German organizers are trying to reproduce that atmosphere and the strong marketing effort has sold 75 percent of the 900,000 tickets for the 32 games spread over nine venues.
Aside from Berlin, which will host only the opening match, the sole other 2006 World Cup arena to be used will be the Frankfurt Stadium, the venue of the final. Most other stadiums have a capacity of between 20,000 and 30,000.
All 32 games will be broadcast live in Germany by the two public television channels.
Germany's team has taken World Cup preparations just as seriously, spending more than two months in training camps.
Coach Silvia Neid's team played four warmup games and won them all, scoring a combined 15 goals and conceding none. That's not surprising, seeing that Germany won the title four years ago in China without conceding a goal.
Two of Germany's rivals were World Cup finalists — Germany beat North Korea 2-0 and Norway 3-0.
The United States comes into the tournament as Olympic champion and ranked No. 1 in the world, but the Americans lost 3-1 to Norway in a warm-up match and was the last team to qualify in a playoff against Italy, which was thrashed 5-0 by Germany three weeks ago.
The US won two of the first three World Cups but the last was in 1999. Still, the Americans don't see themselves as underdogs.
“If we're at our best, there's not a team in the world that can beat us,” veteran forward Abby Wambach said.
The US has lost to Mexico, Sweden and England in recent months. “That's a sign of how strong the sport has become,” captain Christie Rampone said. “International teams have more money invested and more of a commitment to women's soccer. There's not a team out there you can overlook.”
Though the US could run into Brazil in the quarterfinals if it struggles in the group stage, the earliest the team could meet Germany is the semifinals. Brazil, runnerup four years ago, is unbeaten since April 2009 and has Marta, the five-time FIFA player of the year.
But the Brazilians haven't played much since regional qualifying.
The Germans have only lost three games since February 2009 — but all three were to the Americans.
The United States has a tough group, with North Korea, Sweden and Colombia. Germany and Canada also face Nigeria and upcoming France. England plays Japan, New Zealand and Mexico. Brazil is with Norway, Australia and Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea has a Brazilian coach, seven naturalized Brazilian players and a few others born elsewhere. The team has also been accused by African rivals of using male players, a charge the team has vehemently denied.


Clic here to read the story from its source.