The 2 Liverpool FC players involved at the Women’s World Cup

A summer tournament looms once more and Liverpool have two representatives in the upcoming Women’s World Cup to keep an eye on.

The new league season for Matt Beard and Co. does not begin until the end of September, with the women’s game pausing for the World Cup.

And it is a momentous occasion for Liverpool captain, Niamh Fahey, who has been selected in Ireland’s squad for their history-making appearance in the competition.

The Republic of Ireland qualified for their first major tournament after finishing runners-up in their World Cup qualifying group, locking in a trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Fahey has been at the heart of Ireland’s defence and will face a stern challenge in helping her team reach the knockout stages from Group B, which includes co-hosts Australia, Canada and Nigeria.

The Liverpool skipper is not the only Red to make the trip to the southern hemisphere, with midfielder Fuka Nagano selected for Japan.

Nagano joined the Reds in January and has proved an exciting addition to the Reds’ midfield, and she is expected to be a key cog for her country this summer.

There are high expectations for Japan, who will be eager to improve on their round of 16 finish in the last edition of the competition in 2019.

Nagano’s side will meet Zambia, Costa Rica and Spain in Group C. Liverpool’s two representatives will only meet if they make it to either the final or the third-place playoff.

The tournament is taking place in Australia and New Zealand, and begins on July 20 and ends with the final on August 20.

 

Ireland and Japan’s group games

There is plenty of travel for Ireland to undertake in the group stages, starting in Sydney before trips to Perth and Brisbane:

• Australia – July 20, 11am (BST)
• Canada – July 26, 1pm
• Nigeria – July 31, 11am

Japan, meanwhile, will be based in New Zealand for the group stages:

• Zambia – July 22, 8am (BST)
• Costa Rica – July 26, 6am
• Spain – July 31, 8am

Only the top two in each group progress to the knockout stages. In the UK, the competition will be shown live by the BBC and ITV.