Whilst domestic competitions have been providing fans of the women’s game with plenty to enjoy over the past few weeks, this weekend sees rivalries put aside for a short period of time as clubs take a well-earned break and players reconvene with their national sides for the second international break of the year.
For many, the programme will consist of either friendly matches or a low-key tournament, but Europe will be in full competition mode as the Euro 2025 qualifying stages get underway, with every team setting out on the long road to Switzerland over the coming days and harbouring hopes of securing their place in next summer’s finals.
The higher-profile nations will understandably attract a great deal of attention over the coming weeks, but it is worth remembering that, with qualifying following the same format as the recent Women’s Nations League campaign, there will be plenty of mouthwatering encounters to take in in every corner of the continent, with nations coming up against those closer to their own ability and some tighter battles therefore expected. With that in mind, this tactical analysis will highlight some of those players who might not be as familiar to the wider fanbase for a variety of reasons and yet who could play a pivotal role in helping their teams to achieve their targets.
Sharon Beck
Whilst Spain were ultimately crowned the inaugural winners of the Nations League after beating France in the final, the top scorer for the competition actually came from a team who competed in Tier C during the competition, with Israel’s Sharon Beck finding the net on nine separate occasions during their meetings with Estonia, Kazakhstan and Armenia and quickly attracting attention from different areas of the continent for the quality of her performances.
What was particularly impressive about that feat was that, whilst she plays in the forward line for her country, Beck is not an attacker by trade, with her featuring mainly in the midfield for club side Köln Frauen. However, that is not to say that Israel have ignored that side of her game, and it has actually been integrated into their own tactics when it has suited them to do so.
Their trip to face Armenia was one match when her central third qualities really came into their own. The home side set up with a high backline throughout the match, and Israel knew, therefore, that they would always have a chance of breaking them down if they could find a way of playing the ball into the unguarded territory behind them.
