Women’s World Cup draw: USWNT-Netherlands reports on 10 must-see matches

Via Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

The World Men’s Soccer Championship is coming and the women’s event is not far away. It definitely feels closer now, after draw give 2023 Women’s World Cup Held on Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand.

Here are 10 must-see matches in the group stage Australia/New Zealand 2023, kicking off next July with a record 32 teams.

US-Netherlands

The second group stage match for both nations was a rematch of the 2019 Women’s World Cup final in France, which the US won 2-0 thanks to goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle. Much has changed for the two teams in the nearly four years since.

The Americans have a revamped squad; Rapinoe, the top scorer and Ballon d’Or winner at France 2019, is unlikely to start at 38. Meanwhile, the Netherlands has been overtaken by rising European rivals England and West Spain, dropped from third to eighth in the FIFA rankings and stumbled at the Euros last summer after winning the continental championship in 2017.

New Zealand-Norway

The opening match of any World Cup is special. It will certainly be for the co-hosts, who meet former world, Olympic and European champions Norway in the July 20 tie-in.

This is the sixth time Fern Football has appeared at the main event; they hope that playing at home will help them advance to the knockout stages for the first time. Beating the Norwegians would help.

It’s a realistic goal against a side that has fallen back heavily over the past two decades; even with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg back in performance, England beat Norway 8-0 at Euro 2022, the biggest defeat in show history.

Australia-Canada

The day after New Zealand played its first match, the other co-host country kicked off their World Cup campaign with 2020 Olympic gold medalists Canada.

Led by all-planet striker Sam Kerr, the 11th-ranked Matildas are looking to make their deepest run ever – assuming of course that they survive “Group of Death.” Australia reached the quarterfinals at three consecutive World Cups before bowing in the round of 16 in 2019.

As for Canada, the Les Rouges are hoping to finally repeat their Olympic success (the Canadian won bronze in 2012 and ’16) on the game’s biggest stage, where they have never made it past the quarterfinals. conclude.

Mr.trung

Big things are to be expected from the Lionesses after they won the European Championship last summer, just the second major tournament title for England, men’s or women’s, and the first in more than half-a-half. century.

Sarina Wiegman’s side opened against a determined opponent (Chile, Haiti or Senegal) and faced a good Danish team in their second game. But the final match is a Group D final against China’s 15th place, who have advanced to the knockout stages in each of the six Women’s World Cups they have participated in.

Spain-Japan

Two of the competition’s most technically gifted teams will meet in this delicious Group B encounter. Spain, America’s top-ranked team earlier this month, boasts a golden generation of talent led by Alexia Putellas, the world’s best player and Ballon d’Or winner for 2021 and 22. La Roja are a contender to win them all despite a disappointing quarter-final at the Euros, where they lost in extra time to eventual champions England.

The match against the Japanese No. 11, 2011 World Cup winner and 2015 runner-up, will tell us a lot about Spain’s position.

France-Brazil

Men’s heavyweights, Brazil and France have grown into elite women’s teams over the past quarter-century even though somehow there’s still no World Cup or Olympic title between them.

That could change next summer. Fifth-placed team Les Bleus still have a chip on their shoulders and a point to prove after a narrow loss to the United States in Paris in 2019, a defeat that also disqualified them from last year’s Tokyo Olympics. . Brazil must like its chances after winning its first Copa América Femenina crown earlier this year. Oh, and both teams play nice football, too.

United States-Vietnam

The Americans’ defense of the title begins when they meet the Vietnamese in Auckland on Day 3. Much will be made of the political history between the two nations prior to the game, but the US will be the strong contender. signed on the field against a country competing in its first World Cup, men’s or women’s.

The last time the US opened the World Cup against an opponent from the Asian Football Confederation, in 2019, they won with a score of 13-0. The defeat to Thailand took them to a fourth title. Looking to become the first team, men or women, to win three consecutive World Cups, Vlatko Andonovski’s squad will be hoping history repeats itself next summer.

Danish-English

With all due respect to Chile, Haiti and Senegal, England won’t get their first real test at Australia/New Zealand 2023 until they meet Denmark in Brisbane on 22 July in the round robin match. their second board.

Eighteenth place Denmark was one of the best teams in the world in the 1990s, and they are on their way back now after missing the last three World Cups. And while the Danes will still be significantly underrated compared to the reigning European champions, they have a reputation for being giant killers. At Euro 2017, Denmark ended Germany’s 22-year run as continental champions. They also had a perfect 8-0 victory in these World Cup qualifying matches, scoring 40 goals while conceding only 2. They won’t roll over for Lionesses.

America-Cameroon / Thailand / Portugal

For any country with World Cup ambitions, surviving the first round is Step 1. For the US, it will be equally important not to lose in the group stage final in 2023.

The Americans should beat whoever they face in Game 3. But after that struggle for control with the Netherlands, the US could easily fall into a psychological battle with itself. That may not matter during the day. But it can certainly happen when the knockout stage kicks in. So keep an eye out for how tight and responsive Andonovski’s team is in this game. It can tell us a lot about how the USWNT can rise in price when it matters most.

Germany-Morocco

Participating in a Women’s World Cup for the first time, Morocco will also become the first Arab nation to compete in the event as they face two-time champions Germany in the opening match.

Germany’s third-placed team aims to win their first global title since winning the 2016 Olympic gold medal. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup – like France, missing out on the Tokyo Olympics. because of it – after finishing fourth in Canada 2015.

It can be a long day for newcomers.

One of the top football journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered the US men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was an editor for ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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