The Women’s European Championship coming up this summer is widely awaited as the groups have been drawn for qualification. There was much anticipation regarding the grouping of teams and all suspense has now come to an end now that the draw is over. England has been drawn in the group C with Russia, Spain and France giving them company.
England, having recently won the Cyprus Cup is looking like the favourites to lift this year’s European Championship trophy. There has been much talk going on as to whether the groupings are going to be easy or light for the teams. Hope Powell’s team which was the runner’s up in the last edition of the same tournament had finished first in their qualifying stages and hence has reached the tournament on a high.
They will begin their campaign on the 12th of July in Linkoping where they meet the formidable side of Spain. Their next fixture is three days later when they play Russia and then finally play France on the 18th of July.
Sweden which is hosting the tournament and is expecting to achieve much success in front of their home crowd has been drawn into the Group A. Both England and Sweden avoid the top seeded German side which has been drawn in to Ground B.
Hope Powell remarked after the draws that they knew each and every game would be difficult irrespective of the group in which they are going to be drawn. She said that her team had faced recently almost each side drawn with them and hence are aware of the threats they possess. She said that she knew each and every team’s qualities and know what they are up against. She reiterated her desire to achieve the European glory insisting that she was positive that her team would do well. England managed by Powell was knocked out of the World Cup last year by France as they beat them on penalties. The defeat still haunts the team as former captain of the team Fayne White missed the important spot kick thus being unable to save her team from elimination.
Euro 2013 will be taking place over a span of 18 days where the top two sides from each group would progress to thee knock out stages. These six teams will be joined by the best two third placed teams. Thus out of the initial nine teams, eight will be making it to the quarterfinals with only one team getting eliminated from the group stages itself.
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