Women’s World Cup Group C Preview; Alexia Putellas’ Ingenuity Meets Barbra Banda’s Power

• Alexia Putellas and Spain headline the Group C action at the 2023 Women's World Cup
• A couple of Spain's big hitters have withdrawn from playing, but they still have a decent squad
• Barbra Banda will be keen to make up for the time she lost during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Alexia Putellas will mark her return from injury by leading Spain to a major championship in Group C's mouthwatering fixtures.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner featured partly in Barcelona's Champions League final win in June, weeks after recovering from her anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Spain will come up against one of the four nations to have won the World Cup, Japan; as well as Costa Rica; and Zambia, who will be looking to register huge results in their debut appearance.

Sports Brief has also done previews for Group A, Group B, Group D, Group E, Group F, Group G and Group H.

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Japan

Japan's pedigree of yesteryears cannot be questioned. Their 2011 triumph and run to the 2015 final is not a distant memory.

However, the current team has struggled to replicate the successes of the previous squad after an insipid round of 16 exit to the Netherlands in 2019.

This will be Head Coach, Futoshi Ikeda's first bow at the World Cup. He will look up to the experienced Yui Hasegawa, who makes the team tick at the heart of midfield.

Ikeda's main concern was a lack of goals on his side, but he has changed his formations repeatedly, which paid off with a 3-0 win over Olympic Champions Canada in 2015.

Player(s) to watch: Yui Hasegawa, Fuka Nagano

Spain

Spain have been hit by off-field issues after a majority of their star players chose to stay away from national team duties due to an ongoing dispute with the federation.

Head Coach, Jorge Vilda will however be relieved to welcome back the talented Putellas. This will be Spain's third consecutive showing at the World Cup amid its rise in European football due to Barcelona's ever-growing stature and invincibility.

Football: Women's World Cup Group A

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They exited in the round of 16 to eventual champions USA in 2019, but with a better squad and more experience, Vilda will be wanting to test the waters further when he heads Down Under.

Apart from Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso will be a cause for concern for opponents, with the 32-year-old's ability to play in a couple of positions upfront a real asset to the team.

Aitana Bonmati has also had a splendid season with Barcelona and will want to add more fuel to the Ballon d'Or rumours floating around.

Player(s) to watch: Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso, Aitana Bonmati, Salma Paralluelo

Costa Rica

Las Ticas will be making a return after making their debut in 2015. Head Coach, Amelia Valverde has been a mainstay at the team, becoming the head coach at only 28 years old when they made their World Cup debut.

She ruffled a few feathers when she omitted former captain, Shirley Cruz from the squad, leading to the 37-year-old retiring altogether.

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Raquel Rodriguez, the country's all-time leading goalscorer, will be their main focal point as they seek to upset the status quo at the tournament. Valverde will also have a crop of young players who were part of the U-20 Women's World Cup last year.

Player to watch: Raquel Rodriguez

Zambia

The Copper Queens will be among the new ladies on the block looking to rub shoulders with the who's who in women's football.

They have been pegged back by claims of sexual misconduct against their Head Coach, Bruce Mwape, but if their statement 3-2 win over two-time Champions Germany is anything to go by, they aren't in Down Under to joke around.

Barbara Banda's timely return can't be overstated. They did the job without her in the qualifiers, but the goals she adds to this side are immense.

Player to watch: Barbra Banda