Germany, the United States and Brazil are the favourites as the battle for the ultimate prize in football gets underway on Sunday in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Other countries among the 16 finalists will be looking to upset including England, Sweden and Norway who are hoping to stake their claim to the title in the sixth edition of the women’s tournament first staged in 1991. Brazil’s five-time Player of the Year Marta and all-time World Cup top scorer Birgit Prinz of Germany are among the big names who will headline the 51-million-euro showcase over three weeks. The United States, the two-time Olympic gold medalists, and Germany have traditionally dominated the tournament winning two titles each with Norway taking the honours in 1995. But five-time European champions Germany, trained by the world’s top women’s coach Silvia Neid, will be the team to beat, as they take on Canada, Nigeria and France in Group A.
The tournament kicks off with two-time defending champions Germany playing on CONCACAF champions Canada in Berlin’s 75,000-seater Olympic Stadium on June 26 with the final set for Frankfurt on July 17. The USA, the top ranked team in the world, have bounced back from their struggle through qualifying by winning the Algarve Cup in Portugal, and are in Group C with North Korea, newcomers Colombia and Sweden. The USA open their campaign against North Korea in Dresden on Tuesday. Japan, New Zealand, Mexico and England face off in Group B with Brazil, the 2007 runners-up, headlining Group D, where they are up against Asian champions Australia, Norway and debutants Equatorial Guinea. Marta, dubbed the female version of Pele by Brazilian coach Kleiton Lima, insists their time has come to emulate their countrymen’s achievements.
