After triumphs from Australia and New Zealand as co-hosts of the Women’s World Cup, attention now turns to the upcoming group play matches featuring three top contenders: Canada, Spain, and the United States.
Spain and the United States have a history of success in the final stages of the Women’s World Cup, but they will need to handle the pressure of being marked as favorites. On the other hand, Canada faces the pressure of living up to its high expectations on the World Cup stage. Their match against Nigeria ended in a goalless draw on Friday.
These matches will provide a clearer picture of which contenders are poised for a championship run and which ones need to address their issues.
The first match to watch is Spain vs. Costa Rica. Spain, boasting several players from the powerful European club Barcelona, has lost only once in the past year. However, Spain, like many other teams, has had internal conflicts with its federation, even though a temporary truce was declared before the tournament.
In the opening match of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Costa Rica managed to hold Spain to a 1-1 draw, a result they will be hoping to replicate.
Next, we have the United States taking on Vietnam. Vietnam, playing in their first Women’s World Cup, has odds of winning the tournament set at a staggering 50,000 to one. However, they surprised the highly rated German team in their friendly match on June 24, keeping the scoreline close at 2-1.
The United States received criticism for their dominating 13-0 victory over Thailand in the 2019 tournament. Despite the backlash, the team, aiming to create history with a third consecutive title, is focused on securing a win in any manner.
Then we have Nigeria vs. Canada. Both teams temporarily put aside their battles with their federations regarding investment and equal pay to compete in their opening match, which ended in a goalless draw.
Canada, the reigning Olympic champions, reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2015 but suffered a round of 16 exit in 2019. Nigeria has a successful history, winning the Africa Cup of Nations 11 times, but they face a tough challenge in a group that includes the host nation, Australia.
Lastly, the match between the Philippines and Switzerland is worth noting. The Philippines, making their debut in the Women’s World Cup, have a roster featuring 18 American-born players. They faced a defeat against Switzerland, a team with only one previous Women’s World Cup appearance in 2015. Both teams are not expected to go far in the tournament.
In summary, these upcoming matches will provide valuable insights into the potential championship contenders and the areas they need to address, while also showcasing the passion and talent of teams from around the world.
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