News about Mobcast Cup: http://www.nadeshikoleague.jp/topics/2012_11_mobcast-cup-2012-1.html Ok, for all non-Japanese readers (including myself ), the link says that the draw took place and thus matches have been decided: - november 22th, 16:30 (Japan time): NTV Beleza vs. Olympique Lyonnais - november 22th, 19:20 (Japan time): INAC Kobe Leonessa vs. Canberra United the match at 19:20 shouldn't be too much early for European viewers (about middle-day: not sure exactly when, with the end of daylight savings). On november 25th, the losers of the two matches above will meet at 13:30 (Japan time) to battle for 3rd place; at 17:20 (Japan time; also quite an acceptable time in Europe, although earlier in the morning) the winners of the matches above will play the final match to decide the Champion. Anyone wants to throw some predictions about results? You can start betting!
Yes, Schelin is a good striker who plays for Lyon and the Sweden National Team. But Lyon still has more of the France normal starting 11 than Inac has from the Nadeshiko.
I will shock by saying that here but I think that the friendly match between Germany and France on 29th November is much more important for French Football than the Mobcast Cup. In summer 2013, there will be the Euro tournament and it's crucial for France to meet high level teams before. So, this match against Germany is extremely important. That's why I'd prefer to see OL's French internationals playing this match (because they will be in Sweden) than playing in Japan. And it seems very, very, very difficult for them to play both...
Well, Gromit, there will obviously be a training camp before that friendly match: do you know when exactly it's planned to start? Maybe at least some of OL players could join NT later. I agree, though, that we could miss the bigger names, like Abily, Nécib, Renard, Le Sommer... Am I right that lately Bini seemed to have cut Bompastor from NT? She, at least, should come in Japan then... (and, with her, other players not part of french NT: Henry, Tonazzi... There are also other European NTs playing friendly matches at the same date? If not, OL could also have Schelin, Dickenmann and all of their non-french stars, including Otaki). I don't know: I hope the Mobcast Cup, although not an established international tournament, it's felt as an important chance to confront clubs from other continents; I am not saying that OL should have all of its international players, but maybe they can deploy a more than decent team anyway. After all, the Mobcast Cup final is 4 days before the friendly match vs Germany: it's true that it involves an intercontinental flight, but maybe it could be that some players manage to play both matches. It's also a chance to visit Japan for them, maybe it could be deemed as viable if done in a quite relaxed-spirit, like tourism with a pair football matches in between... I guess JFA is surely aware of the problem (and possibly it was also when they decided the dates of the tournament? ) and I wonder if they made some pressure for OL to have at least part of their stars...
The players will stay only 3 or 4 days in Japan with two big matches, two flights, less than 3 days to "digest" everything and then play the most powerful team of the moment (and in Germany)... Oh, and just before to go to Japan, they played an extremely important League match at Paris gainst the PSG... I really think it's impossible for the players to perform in Japan then in Germany... And yes, Lyon can have a very good team to offer in Japan even without its internationals. I hope that Bompastor will be called again by Bruno Bini and plays vs Germany. I don't know if Sweden and Switzerland (for Schellin and Dickenman) have matches scheduled at that time or not. I wouldn't be surprised for Sweden which has to prepare for "its" Euro too and with its new coach, Pia Sundaghe. I'm not sure if the JFA did know everything about France's schedule. OL knew, that's for sure. Did they try to present the FFF with a fait accompli ? I don't know..
when we discussed this earlier slhj said, and it fits with what i roughly knew, the official convocation is valid 48h before the match. all called players must honor this under pain of losing their card but i'm sure none of OL's players will miss the mobcast cup to assemble earlier. JM Aulas will be adamant about this, and in part because of the bompastor affair which you can read more about in the bini's babes thread. there's no tug of war at present between him and the FFF but he'll want to get his foothold just in case. in his eyes (mine too) he's done more for women's football in france than anyone in the fed and he'll be damned if they tell him what to do. he would if anything be more cooperative with the swiss or swedish feds but neither of them have fixtures scheduled in this period. otaki will of course get a spotlight. this cup is a big thing for him and for the club make no mistake: he wouldn't fly his ladies out there for a purse that doesn't even cover the kerosene bill otherwise. as for les bleues, abily, nécib, ELS, (renard is injured)... none of these really matter. they'll be just fine as long as marie-laure délie plays. i thought we all knew that. we crossed posts, so a bit of reiteration. the last part? well, of course! as for switz and sweden, i looked it up both on their sites and FIFA,s : no fixtures. the heavy scheduling? OL has the depth to handle zorkiy, then la paillade, then PSG, then the mobcast, no problemo. if bini's player pool doesn't have the same it's not lyon's problem. as for soniagate... rêve toujours!
Wow, that's big news for me, since I am really a big fan of this competition and that's the reason why I opened this very thread to discuss it! That's exactly what I was looking for: a person with a good, first hand, knowledge of the situation and of the level of involvement of OL in this competition! Thank you very much, Guignol! If we can be quite sure that OL will come in Japan with its best team, I am more pumped up than ever: INAC will be mentally relaxed after winning its second consecutive league, but it should be still enough fit (Nadeshiko League's last matchday is this sunday, so they shouldn't lose their fitness). I look forward to an OL-INAC final match; it would be really great if it'd happen, with all the big names on the pitch: Abily, Sawa, Nécib, Kawasumi, Schelin, Ohno, Bompastor, Kinga... wow, if I start listing them it really looks like a star-studded match! And also Otaki will finally have a chance to shine on home soil, as you rightly mention! I don't know much about that, apart from the occasional Virany's rant , but I am very curious, so I'll make sure to check the thread! Thanks again!
I am not talking about OL as itself but about the OL's players. Those who could play all those matches you quoted above but also Germany. Not Vendenheim (with all my respect to this team) but Germany, the most monstruous team today. Do you really think that those Lyonnaises could be fit enough to meet Germany three days after the (very likely) Final and the flight back ? And if they don't play, what's the use for France to play this match ? It's a preparation match for Euro. If you play without your best players or if they are on their rotules, yes what's the need ? I do hope that the Lyonnaises will be able to to play both events, don't have a doubt about that. But if I had to chose one of the two, I would say the match vs Germany. Much more important for me. But ir's true that I am not a Lyon's supporter . What is your opinion, you who is fully dedicated to the club ? What do you think is more important ? The mobcast or preparation for Euro ?
Sorry, but the Germany game is a friendly, a friendly, don't care about the entity rival, is a friendly, come on, and what preparation 6 months before the Euro? that is not preparation, the important games are the competition ones
the preparation for the euro. but the preparation for the euro entails a lot more than the first of TWO matches to be played against germany. considering the way the team has played recently it may even be better to duck the first one anyway, and rotating in new names is a way to do that and save face.
Of course that the preparation is not only the first two matches and that's why I hope that France goes to Algarve instead of Cyprus (particularly now that we know that England will be in our group at Euro, no need to meet it a 3rd time in 5 months before Euro, since a second friendly is planned). But if France plays vs Germany with a complete new team, that is players without any solid international experience (or exhausted Lyonnaises) and is beaten with a humiliating score, I don't think that it will help a lot. No new player could pops up in those conditions and psychologically, it could be devastating for the usual non-Lyonnaises players. Because even if France can have a decent team without the Lyonnaises, honestly, against Germany... The most curious is the silence from OL as well as from FFF about the participation (or not) of the concerned Lyonnaises at both events. It's in two weeks time only... To meet Germany is extremely important because that's what France lacked before the WC and the Olympics : friendlies against top nations. And you are not entitled to say anything on the subject, since you're a Spaniardo-Japanese who wishes France misses its preparation now that Spain is in the same Euro group !
It is funny that the views expressed here are the exact opposite of what many Euro football fans constantly try to hit me over the head with. Club is the most important..... Friendlies are just that, friendlies.... They are just games to try new things and new players, why does the USWNT always play their starting team and try to win... Germany wasn't really trying when they came over.... etc.etc.etc.... Nice to see that it goes both ways.
Well the European attitude have always been that Club is only more important when it comes to the important things and thats is only the National Leauge and Champions League. Other Cups (including FIFA Club World Cup) isn't really that important. A very Euro-centric beaviour I fear but that is the prevailing attitude.
Has anybody mentioned anything about potential serious money being up for grabs? This is probably the biggest factor in the players/clubs desire to head of to Japan during an otherwise mandatory FIFA international date. Just like the old Toyota club challenge held in Japan for the men, without any FIFA recognition, the only reason for Europe's top teams to enter something like this will always be based on the financial merits . If successful though, I'm sure we will see this event smoothly assimilated into a genuine FIFA calendar timetable; but right now, without the blessing of FIFA, I'm thinking the cash money factor will keep Lyon's French stars out of some (if not all) potential game time versus Germany.
OL is arguably the best women's team in the world. Now they have an half-chance to demonstrate it (I say "half-chance" because Japan and Australia are not "the world": the test would be more challenging with, just saying, Western New York Flash and some other club in the mix. But we already talked about that: Mobcast Cup is merely a first step). If OL is not motivated by that, I don't know what else could motivate them. (And that's ignoring the possible "cash" motivation Batfink mentions. Although I could be wrong, and I actually don't know anything about the prizes and would like to get info about it if anyone knows, honestly I am afraid women's football is not yet at the point where there can really be so much money at stake for this cup... ). Anyway, what I do think is: if OL wants to be taken seriously they CAN and MUST play under a tight schedule. If players that are rightly considered at the top of women's football right now can't play Mobcast Cup AND a friendly match vs. Germany (and consider that, even if OL and France mostly overlap, we're not talking an entire team: 6-7 starters, maybe?), well, then maybe they aren't the best in the world at all. And I am aware that women's football is different from men's, but OL girls train professionally like men's clubs, so they have no excuse if, once in a while, a level of involvement similar to men's football is requested to them: these are the elite of women's football and anyway it's not like they always have to play an important match every 3-4 days for months, like men's club. If you say they have to instead, because of France Division 1 matches + WCL, please consider the level of opposition in both competitions (at least at the first stages of WCL). Some matches in french league, for OL, are little more that training matches or even warming up. And first rounds of WCL aren't much more challenging for them. If at this point of the season they can't play a series of 3 or even 4 back-to-back big matches... well, if it's like this, then they are overrated!