Five West Ham United Women have been in international action this weekend as the build-up continues to summer tournaments.
With UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, which is being hosted by England, now under a fortnight away, national teams are playing warm-up matches across the continent in preparation, including Hawa Cissoko’s France and Dagný Brynjarsdóttir’s Iceland.
Cissoko was unfortunately sent-off in France’s 4-0 victory over Cameroon at the Pierre Brisson Stadium in Beauvais, near Paris, on Saturday. The defender was shown two yellow cards in quick succession after being introduced as a second-half substitute and will now be suspended for a friendly with Vietnam on Friday 1 July.
Brynjarsdóttir’s Iceland kick-off their preparations with an away friendly with Poland at Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski Stadium on Wednesday 29 June.
With 16 nations involved in the competition, which kicks-off on Wednesday 6 July, countries from across the world are providing opposition for the qualified teams and other European teams for friendly internationals, with Yui Hasegawa’s Japan and Mackenzie Arnold and Tameka Yallop’s Australia among them.
Melvine Malard, Griedge Mbock Bathy and Ouleymata Sarr (two) scored the goals in a comfortable win for the French, who are in Group D alongside Iceland at Euro 2022.
Japan will themselves host the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Women’s Championship next month, with the action starting on Tuesday 19 July, and stepped up their own preparations for that tournament, which also features China, Chinese Taipei and South Korea, with a 5-0 win over Serbia.
Hasegawa started and played the full 90 minutes in midfield as Japan ran out 5-0 victors at the Football Association of Serbia Sports Centre in Stara Pazova.
Riko Ueki, Hikaru Naomoto, Hinata Miyazawa, Remina Chiba and Yui Narumiya were all on target for Japan, who next travel to the Veritas Stadion in Turku to take on Finland on Monday 27 June.
Arnold and Yallop had a day to forget at Australia were beaten 7-0 by Spain at the Estadio Nuevo Colombino in Huelva on Saturday.
Yallop started and played the opening 67 minutes before being replaced, which Arnold replaced Teagan Micah in goal at half-time as Spain, who are in Group B at Euro 2022.
Australia will hope for a more positive result when they travel to the Estadio António Coimbra da Mota to face Portugal – another Euro 2022 qualifier – on Tuesday 28 June.
Two nations who have not qualified for Euro 2022 - Scotland and Ukraine - met at the Stadion Miejski w Rzeszowie in Poland on Friday.
There, West Ham's Lisa Evans started as Scotland ran out 4-0 winners, with former Hammer Martha Thomas scoring two of her country's goals.
With the 2022 CONCACAF Women's Championship taking place in Mexico from 6 July, Adriana Leon and Canada drew 0-0 with South Korea at BMO Field in Toronto on Sunday evening.
Canada have been drawn to face Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and Costa Rica in Group B at the CONCACAF Women's Championship, having finished as runners-up to the United States at the 2018 tournament.
