MADRID — Spain named its preliminary squad for the Women´s World Cup with Alexia Putellas and three of the 15 players who had renounced the national soccer team after a spat with the coach.
Australia and New Zealand will co-host the tournament from July 20 to Aug. 20. Spain will begin their campaign in Group C against Costa Rica on July 21. Zambia and Japan are also in the group
Putellas, a two-time Ballon d´Or winner, was included along with Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, who were among the players who in September announced they would not play for Spain because of differences with coach Jorge Vilda.
“If these players are here now, it´s because they are committed with the national team,” Vilda said after announcing his list.
“We have the good news that we have more players committed and more players available for the World Cup,” Vilda added according to AP.
Vilda called up 30 players who next week will begin preparations for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Vilda did not specify what made him accept the return of those three players, or if he had considered calling up some of the others who had rebelled last year.
The Spanish soccer federation had demanded the players to ask for forgiveness after they sent emails asking not to be selected because they said playing for Vilda “significantly” affected their “emotional state” and health.
“Since September, a lot of things have happened, and one of the best things was that we played 11 matches and won nine, losing one and drawing another,” Vilda said.
Elsewhere, Japan’s Mana Iwabuchi will not have the chance to appear at a fourth straight Women’s World Cup after the veteran forward was a surprise omission from Futoshi Ikeda’s 23-player squad for the 2023 tournament announced on Tuesday.
Iwabuchi was part of the teams that won the World Cup in 2011 and finished runners-up four years later. She also played in the 2019 tournament when Japan exited in the last 16.
The 30-year-old struggled for form in the 2022-23 Women’s Super League campaign and played only five times for Arsenal before spending the second half of the season with rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Captain Saki Kumagai, who scored the winning penalty in the shootout when Japan upset the US 12 years ago, is the only player remaining from the 2011 squad. The 32-year-old defender joined AS Roma from Bayern Munich last week.
Ikeda also called up Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa, Angel City forward Jun Endo, West Ham United duo Honoka Hayashi and Risa Shimizu, and Liverpool’s Fuka Nagano.
Japan begins their campaign in Group C against Zambia on July 22 before taking on Costa Rica and Spain.
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