The final legs of UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup begin on Friday. Hooligan Soccer will be bringing you some match previews of the most important fixtures, starting with England traveling to Greece.
How They Got Here
Greece may be a surprise story from the men’s Nations League, but their women’s team isn’t as well known. Outside of the 2004 Olympics, where they were the host nation, Greece’s women’s side has never qualified for an international tournament. They’ve also never played England. The team will take some confidence from four solid wins in their group C3 phase, beating Faroe Islands and Georgia in both fixtures. They also had two shutouts at home.
England’s draw into group A3 was a rough one. Opponents Iceland and Ukraine would be relatively easy, but defending World Cup champion Spain? Tough. It started brightly for the Lionesses, handily thumping Ukraine 6-1, then dispatching Iceland at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground 2-0.
Then at Wembley Stadium, before 62,000 fans, England pulled off a gritty 1-0 win over Spain. Lauren Hemp’s 3rd minute goal was the difference maker. After a 1-0 win away in Iceland, England faced the reverse fixture in Spain knowing a draw would likely earn them top spot in the group. Alas, they fell 4-0 in Mallorca. Despite earning an identical 15 points with the Spaniards, England claimed second place based on goal differential.
England Must Look Ahead
Any lingering disappointment must be brushed aside from England. Their group phase competition was far better than Greece, and although the two have never met they must know that they are heavily favored. That doesn’t mean they should dismiss them, however. Greece are playing in Athens at the Olympic Stadium, so passion and pride will be on full display. And let’s not forget that Greece scored 11 goals in four games. Curiously, all 11 goals were scored by different players. This gives England defenders no single individual to watch out for or neutralize.Â
England’s manager Sarina Wiegman knows all this. As one of the most decorated managers in the women’s game, she’ll have her side suitably grounded but equally fired up for the two ties. She’s called up many of the usual crew, and even a handful of debutantes. The only notable absences are Lucy Bronze, who had to leave camp due to injury, and Chloe Kelly who is still dealing with a hamstring issue.
Who to Watch
It’s going to be very skewed towards England in this section, I’m afraid. I expect at least a pair of braces and quite possibly a hat-trick from any number of England players, with either Lauren (Hemp or James), Alessia Russo or Beth Mead the leading candidates.
But once the lead gets comfortable, Wiegman could give any of these young players their first caps. Chelsea’s Lexi Potter, an attacking midfielder, is a shoo-in for minutes. At 28 years old, defender Grace Fisk from Liverpool could get a nod. Forward Freya Godfrey from London City Lionesses might finally earn a cap after a number of call-ups. Erica Parkinson, an 18 year-old who plays for North Carolina Courage and is also eligible to play for Singapore, Portugal and Japan, is the longest shot of touching the pitch. But you never know.
As for Greece, all eyes will be on goalkeeper Dianna Giannakouli. The 28 year-old will likely be peppered with shots, and she could rack up an impressive saves tally. Up front, striker Sophia Koggouli will be looking to add to her team-high 26 goals. She’s not only the oldest player (35), but the most capped with 96.
The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. Q is also a respected Sports Journalist with extensive experience in Soccer, particularly the Premier League, Champions League, MLS and USL. The Qooligan provides analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. He is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects expertise, experience and no shortage of attitude.
