Sunday 3 March 2019 13:53, UK
Scotland Women head coach Shelley Kerr says the Algarve Cup is proving to be ideal preparation for the World Cup.
Scotland began the tournament on Friday with a narrow 1-0 defeat against Canada, who are ranked fifth in the world, and are now preparing to face Iceland on Monday.
With just four months to go until the World Cup gets underway in France, Shelley says the team are benefitting from playing competitive games against quality opposition in a warm environment.
"We've set out to have the most competitive environment we've ever had with the national team," Shelley told Sky Sports News.
"That's a credit to the players because they challenge each other at training every day when they're here and it's a mark of where they're at and how far they've come.
"You need a competitive environment, you need to play against the best players, you need to play against the best teams to improve."
"It is a great tournament and I also hit home the message about trying to create a nice environment.
"The players are playing at the top level of their game but they need to be comfortable in their environment as well.
"It's a great setting, the pitches are good, and the facilities are excellent."
Scotland begin their World Cup campaign against England before playing further group games against Japan and Argentina.
"We want to win the games (at the Algarve Cup) but first and foremost it's performances we're looking for," added Shelley.
"Interesting for us as well is the tactical side of the game. We know we're going to come up against teams that can adapt tactically when we go to the World Cup."
