JAPAN
Previous FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances: 1991,
1995, 1999,2003
All-time best: 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals
Coach: Hiroshi Ohashi studied at the Osaka sports institute, then became a teacher before coaching a women’s team for the first time in 1982. The 47-year-old sets great store by grit and determination, tactical flexibility and team spirit. After a spell in Singapore, Ohashi took over as coach of Japan’s women’s team in 2004.
Star player: Homare Sawa (29) has been playing for Beleza in the Japanese league ever since she was twelve, the only interruption being a sojourn in the USA with Colorado Rush and Atlanta Beat. An attacking midfielder, she made her debut for the Japanese national side at the age of 15 and has gone on to win 120 caps, scoring 62 goals.
The team: The Japanese players tend to be small in stature, which makes them all the more speedy and agile. Despite lacking strength in the tackle, Japan are dangerous on the break. All in all, they are difficult opponents whose major weakness is their inconsistency.

GERMANY
Previous FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances: 1991, 1995, 1999,2003
All-time best: 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners
Coach: Silvia Neid (43) took over as national team coach in 2005, succeeding the highly successful Tina Theune-Meyer, with whom she had worked as assistant coach for ten years. Neid was capped 111 times for Germany and also won 12 titles in Germany at club level. Her main priority as a coach is to nurture young talent.
Star player: Three-time FIFA Women’s World Player Birgit Prinz has a phenomenal record of achievement: 161 caps, 105 goals, one World Cup and four European Championships. Last year, the publicity-shy 28-year-old also won Germany’s domestic double with 1. FFC Frankfurt.
The team: The defending champions have an outstanding team containing top players such as goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg, playmaker Renate Lingor and striker Birgit Prinz as well as several emerging talents. Germany are certainly among the favourites for the title.

Congratulations to the leading figures in world football who will be celebrating their birthdays in March 2008:
FIFA Honorary Member Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
will be 75 on 3 March
FIFA Honorary Member Charles J. Dempsey
will be 86 on 4 March
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter
will be 72 on 10 March
FIFA Honorary Member Poul Hyldgaard
will be 79 on 19 March
FIFA Honorary Member
Dr Ferdinand Hidalgo Rojas
will be 79 on 27 March