Women's World Cup: Shelley Kerr names Scotland squad for finals
Last updated on .From the section Scottish
No Scotland player is going to this summer's World Cup finals on "emotion or sentiment", said national team coach Shelley Kerr after announcing her squad for the tournament in France.
Kerr named her 23-strong party for Scotland's finals debut on Wednesday.
Utah Royals defender Rachel Corsie will be captain, with Arsenal midfielder Kim Little as her deputy.
"Speaking to the girls yesterday, even the ones selected, there was a few teary eyes," said Kerr.
"Jo Love got her first cap in 2002 and 17 years later she's going to a World Cup. That's what dreams are made of.
"I got my first cap in 1989, so to sit here 30 years on and pick a squad for the World Cup, that's just amazing. And as much as the players are proud, I'm really proud."
All 23 were part of the squad that drew with Chile and beat Brazil in Spain last month, with the exception of Fiorentina striker Lana Clelland.
The only notable absentee is defender Emma Mitchell, who scored for English champions Arsenal at the weekend.
- Meet Scotland's World Cup squad
- All you need to know about Women's World Cup
- From borrowed boots to the World Cup finals
- David Luiz's party & tumble dryer confusion
Scotland begin their Group D campaign against England in Nice on 9 June, before facing Japan on 14 June and Argentina five days later.
Kerr's side host fellow qualifiers Jamaica on 28 May at Hampden, before embarking on what will be only their second major tournament after the 2017 European Championships.
In their most recent outing, Little's goal gave the Scots a 1-0 friendly win over Brazil, with that victory over the world's 10th best side followed by Kerr insisting her team were not "dark horses" for the finals.
England finished third at the last World Cup, while Japan were runners-up. However, with four third-placed teams also making the last 16, Scotland are targeting the knockout stages.
"We've got an experienced squad, but there's young players in there who aren't feart of anything," Kerr said. "And the Euros has been good for preparing us for a major tournament.
"You can't just go to a World Cup and say you're just there to enjoy it. There's absolutely no doubt our priority is getting out of the group stage, we know it's going to be tough but that's the target we've set.
"So we need to set aspirational targets and this group of players have shown they can achieve that."
'Leaving out Arsenal's Mitchell shows depth' - analysis
BBC Scotland's women's football commentator Alasdair Lamont
Mitchell's absence is a surprise. Despite the emergence of Nicola Docherty in recent games, and Mitchell's relative lack of football at Arsenal, missing a second major tournament will be a bitter blow to the full-back. But the fact Kerr can afford to leave out a defender from the WSL champions tells you all you need to know about the improving strength in depth in this squad.
The head coach used 35 players during the qualification campaign and personally called those who did not make the cut as well as those who did. Her next big call will be to pick a starting XI for the England game. The core of the team - Lee Alexander, Rachel Corsie, Jen Beattie, Kim Little, Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert - is well established.
Docherty is a likely starter at left back, while two of Lisa Evans, Fi Brown and Claire Emslie will probably occupy the wide roles. That leaves a central midfield berth - assuming Cuthbert plays up front - and right back up for grabs.
The players have a little over three weeks to make their case.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: Lee Alexander (Glasgow City), Jenna Fife (Hibernian), Shannon Lynn (Vittsjo GIK)
Defenders: Chloe Arthur (Birmingham City), Jennifer Beattie (Manchester City), Rachel Corsie (Utah Royals), Nicola Docherty (Glasgow City), Sophie Howard (Reading), Hayley Lauder (Glasgow City), Joelle Murray (Hibernian), Kirsty Smith (Manchester Utd)
Midfielders: Lizzie Arnot (Manchester Utd), Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City), Kim Little (Arsenal), Jo Love (Glasgow City), Christie Murray (Liverpool), Caroline Weir (Manchester City)
Forwards: Fiona Brown (FC Rosengard), Lana Clelland (Fiorentina), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Claire Emslie (Manchester City), Lisa Evans (Arsenal), Jane Ross (West Ham Utd)
Comments
Join the conversation
But obviously the main reason the BBC publish all these articles as main stories is because it's the only football that they show on live TV.
Men finding women footballers sexy: Sexist, bigoted, offensive, ... *add relevent buzzword here
No skills, no passion, no one cares! Why don't the BBC get this?
Football on us.let alone giving it major
Headlines as if that's not bad enough.
BBC STOP WERE NOT INTERESTED IN
đź’© FOOTBALL PLAYED BY WOMEN
IT'S IRRELEVANT ..đź‘Ž
Shame on the BBC - no mention of the upcoming announcement on BBC Breakfast. Compare that to the almighty hoo-ha they had for their MIGHTY LIONESSES!! last week. I so hope Rachel & Co can burst their bubble on the 9th.
Not surprised though unfortunately.
But I have eyes and I can see that it isn't.
I’m not sexist - I love women.
But the standard of football they produce is laughable and can’t be compared to the men’s game - just a fact.
They literally cannot give tickets away because the product is so poor.
But of course the bbc know better than us.
It’s pathetic