This window is the last chance for nations like Senegal and Cameroon to work on their shortcomings before they attempt to join the fun next summer in Australia and New Zealand. Other teams looking for tests in EuropeStill looking for their feet under coach Futoshi Ikeda, Japan are once again in Europe this month as they face England (Friday) and Spain (Tuesday), the latter the last team they'll meet in their World Cup group at the end of July.
Opting for just the one match this window, against Norway, France are still looking for answers in attack since the loss of Marie Antoinette-Katoto to an ACL injury during the Euros. It's a similar problem to Katoto's club team, PSG, and just like the French giants, there may well be no easy answer for manager Corinne Diacre. On an unprecedented unbeaten run, European champions England will be sparring with Japan on Friday and Norway on Tuesday.
But with a raft of fixtures taking place over such a small amount of time, which are the ties to look out for? United States pick a stern testThe USA's double-header against Germany (7 p. m. ET Thursday, and 5 p. ET Sunday on ESPN) should be high on most people's agendas as the World champions look to find some stability against a Germany team that's building up a head of steam into the World Cup. Three years into Vlatko Andonovski's tenure as USWNT boss and there are possibly more questions than answers around the squad.
Not quite the team they were since winning the 2011 World Cup, the departure of coach Asako Takakura after five fruitless years has given Nadeshiko the chance to hit reset once more. However, they've yet to look like the real deal under Ikeda. With the coach trying to integrate younger players like striker Riko Ueki, midfielders Nanami Kitamura and Hinata Miyazawa into the fold while experimenting with different formations, there is a lack of a clear overarching picture.
The key for manager Bev Priestman will be how flexible she makes her midfield, with her Brazil team expected to attack at will. The Olympic gold medal-winning coach will need to find a way of keeping the team strong while allowing a player like Jessie Fleming, who is in plumb form for Chelsea, to contribute to the attack in transition. As for that attacking Brazil team? Coach Pia Sundhage has finally found some consistency in their results since the retirement of Formiga (aged 43) and Marta's ACL tear earlier this year.
With Chile gearing up for their intercontinental playoff match in February against the winner of Senegal vs. Haiti, the team from South America will be favourites regardless of who they clash with in the playoff Group B final, but staying fresh and making sure everyone understands their roles on the pitch will be paramount for José Letelier. With Paraguay (No. 51) also in playoff action at the start of next year (in Group C), Las Guaraníes will have to overcome Chinese Taipei (No.
A win wouldn't necessarily be building confidence, but with Spain known for struggling to put their best attacking football on display at major tournaments, it could be a road map for their trickiest World Cup group game next summer. An all-European affairElsewhere on the continent, Norway will clash with France (Friday) before taking on England (Tuesday), which will provide new manager Hege Riise some much needed answers as she attempts to rebuild the team after humiliation at the Euros. Still new to the team, Riise is not just without the best two players in the Norwegian talent pool right now -- Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen -- but is trying to bring in fresh talent. Norway may well come away with two losses from their two matches, but the important thing for Riise will be the performances.
With time ticking down to the World Cup, the question isn't so much whether Japan will be ready in time, but rather if Ikeda knows what he wants from this team. Facing two teams who like to keep the ball as much as they do, there is no better time to see if the coach has answers to the bigger questions around their playing style. For Spain, who will spar with Argentina before facing Japan, there are ample distractions off the pitch with the majority of the Barcelona and Basque contingent still missing from the squad due to the dispute with the federation and no clear end in sight. As such, the squad Jorge Vilda has called in has a distinctly young feel to it, with 13 of the 23 born in the 2000s. The coach and his charges would have taken great heart from beating the USA last time out, but Japan will be a different problem for them.
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