There is a very active women’s international window about to get under way and almost all teams – including Scotland – are in action across the globe.
This early-year window has traditionally been utilised by all countries as a crucial opportunity to prepare for qualification games and major tournaments in the year ahead.
However, in 2021 – given the Covid climate – it was used sparingly and only by those countries who were required to play games which had been cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
It is a camp the SWNT are relishing, as there have been few opportunities where the squad has been able to spend as much time on the training pitch – and this one will allow us plenty of that coaching time.
Recent international windows have been a whirlwind with the pressure of vital World Cup qualification games, and trying to work on anything else has been a secondary concern.
Of course, the team will still need to prepare for three testing international fixtures during this camp, the first of which is on Wednesday.
The opening game in our defence of the Pinatar Cup will come against Wales, with our opponents in games two and three dependent on how results in the competition pan out.
There are eight teams headed to Spain for the coming 10-day tournament, with the Republic of Ireland also playing in the competition.
Russia and Belgium will be the two teams who pose the greatest challenge as the highest-ranked sides taking part.
Meanwhile, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary have all grown in stature in the past few years and make up the remaining teams competing.
Does Glasgow City’s defeat in crunch clash with Rangers suggest the title is finally going to change hands?
The pressure was firmly on Glasgow City through the week after their very disappointing 3-1 SWPL 1 defeat away to Rangers last weekend.
The sub-par performance would have been as worrying as the result itself for those associated with City and it put Rangers in the title-race driving seat as the season enters the business end.
Rangers struck another psychological blow against City when they comfortably beat Hamilton 4-0 on Wednesday to open up a five-point gap at the summit, in a game which came a night ahead of City’s match at home to third-placed Celtic.
City have been in this position before and a number of their players will be unfazed by the pressurised situation they face in the run-in.
They showed they are up for the fight at Petershill Park on Thursday night, as a dominant and controlled City display against the Hoops to win 2-0 snuffed out any further concerns over their form and cut Rangers’ lead in the standings back to two points.
A first half goal from Ode Fulutudilu put City ahead at the break and that was added to by Tyler Dodds on the hour mark, with a well-taken finish through the legs of Chloe Logan in the Celtic goal.
The result was a much-needed one which will instill some confidence back in the younger players in the City squad and help erase some of the frustrations hanging around the team from the weekend.
Although it’s still all to play for at the top of SWPL 1 this term, there is no getting away from the fact the game between Rangers and Glasgow City last weekend was the biggest of the season so far, and one where in previous years you would expect City to come out on top and strengthen their grip on top spot.
Over the years, City have been ruthless in the crunch moments of seasons and historically have been unrelenting in their use of winning knowhow to devastate challengers.
But their long reign now looks like it might finally be under real jeopardy as Rangers look to have asserted themselves as the side to beat.
Nothing is decided, though, and the top three must face one another at least once more before the champions are crowned.
Rangers will also have a second Old Firm match within that period and, while they came out winners the last time they met Celtic, they have a rather dismal record in that fixture.
What is a foregone conclusion at this point is that only the top three are now in the hunt for the two European spots. Hibernian’s defeat to Aberdeen last weekend almost means they are 18 points off second – a gap which I can’t see them bridging.
Hibs have been one of City’s most consistent challengers over recent seasons – before Rangers and Celtic made the decision to significantly enhance the professional environment of their women’s teams.
The Hibees have disappointingly failed to match the investment of those two clubs and they have fallen behind as a result.
It is a warning for other teams hoping to continue to build a successful women’s team – the standards in Scotland are ever-rising and it is encouraging that every year teams are pushing to improve on the pitch, but it also requires a corresponding increase in resources off the pitch.
Chaplen health news comes in week where Stott returns to international action
Reading midfielder Brooke Chaplen has been ruled out indefinitely after the club confirmed the player has a bone tumour in her right leg.
The worrying news about the 32-year-old comes in the same week former Brighton defender, Rebekah Stott, returns to the New Zealand national team just less than a year after her stage three Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis.
Stott continues to document her gruelling and intensive journey she has endured and it’s fantastic to read of her inclusion next week.
Meanwhile, England will play hosts next week forthe inaugural Arnold Clark Cup, where Spain, Germany and Canada will all compete in the new “friendly” tournament.