The central Diana Gomes returned this Wednesday to integrate the work on the pitch of the Portuguese women’s soccer team, with four days to go before the debut in the 2023 World Cup, against the Netherlands, in Dunedin, New Zealand
In the 15 minutes open to the press, the player from the Spanish Sevilla team was together with the rest of the group, and later did specific work, still recovering from the injury suffered in open training on Monday.
A regular starter for the main Portuguese team, which she represented on 36 occasions (five goals), Diana Gomes thus gave good indications regarding her participation in the Portuguese debut.
If all goes well, the 24-year-old will be at the center of the team’s defense, along with Carole Costa, who stayed in the gym for the first part of training this Wednesday, before rejoining the group.
Kika Nazareth, for her part, also began to work with the rest of the players, showing more smiles, giving signs that she is on the way to a full recovery, being, however, still a great unknown for the clash with the Dutch.
The 20-year-old Benfica player was injured on July 1, in the away friendly against reigning champions England (0-0), and, since then, he has always been on the sidelines of the group led by Francisco Neto.
For the rest, the center back Sílvia Rebelo and the midfielder Fátima Pinto no longer have limitations.
The formation of the quinas faces the Dutch, runners-up in the world, on Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. local time (08:30 in Lisbon), in Dunedin, in a clash of the first day of Group E.
After the clash with the Netherlands, the Portuguese team faces Vietnam, also debuting, in Hamilton, on July 27, at 7:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. in Lisbon), closing Group E against the United States, winner of the last two World Cups, in Auckland, on August 1, at 7:00 p.m. local time (08:00).
The training for the corners continues the preparation for the 2023 World Cup on Thursday, with training scheduled for 10:30 am local time (11:30 pm this Wednesday in Lisbon), a time yet to be confirmed.
The competition kicks off precisely on Thursday, at 7:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. in Lisbon), with the match between the hosts New Zealand and Norway, who meet at Eden Park, in Auckland, in the first round of Group A.
The ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup takes place from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Source: TSF
