BEVERLY HILLS, January 29, (THEWILL) – The hosts of next month’s 2021 SheBelieves Cup, the United States, Thursday, announced that Argentina will take Japan’s place in the pairings for the Cup competition as Japan withdrew from the tournament due to the current status of the coronavirus pandemic in the East Asian country.
The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational women-only association football tournament held in different cities in the United States, usually in late February or early March. For the first three years of its existence, it was contested by the same four teams: the United States, England, France, and Germany.
This year, the Japanese withdrawal will see Argentina, Brazil, Canada and the United States compete in the sixth annual SheBelieves Cup. All matches will be played from Thursday February 18 to Wednesday, February 24 at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
The pairing of the competition will be affected by this change in tournament participants. With Argentina ranked 31st in the world and featuring an Argentine team that has been largely inactive for one a year, the balance will be lost coming into a competition where the other three active sides are all in the top 10 in the world.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has provided little support for her players, some of whom spoke out to demand better treatment, especially after qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. The team had mixed fortunes as some individuals shone brilliantly but the team missed out on advancing in part due to a wild, controversial game with Scotland which ended 3-3.
Yet, their participation in the SheBelieves Cup will give the Argentine players a reason to get active again, convince the AFA of the need to accord them the support they need while presenting their players with the opportunity to shine once more and possibly provide themselves with the opportunity to be seen and reckoned with.
Explaining the circumstances under which the Cup will be contested, U.S. Soccer said:
“Once all four teams arrive in Orlando, all the players and staff will operate inside highly controlled environments at the host hotel. The staging of trainings and the matches will fall under the comprehensive U.S. Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in accordance with the Concacaf Return to Play Protocols.
“Everyone entering the controlled environment will be tested for COVID-19 before traveling, upon arrival and every two days thereafter. The teams will not begin full team training until the results of all arrival tests are confirmed. All matches will be conducted with limited attendance.”
The rationale for Japan’s withdrawal is worrisome as Tokyo is scheduled to host the Olympics this summer. Although organisers have taken COVID-19 measures into account, the sheer effort that will be needed to keep everything under health and safety regulations, especially as cases are on the rise, will be a challenging prospect.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
