Andie's Soccer Blog

The World Cup came to an end this weekend, with Spain taking the gold medal in a 1-0 win over England. I was rooting for England in the final, but I think Spain was the better team in the end, by a very small margin. The game took place predominantly in the midfield, with only 5 shots on target for Spain and three for England. It felt very cautious, with each team trying to hold possession and wait for the right moments to push forward, and in the end only Spain was able to convert their chance to a goal. Spain did have a penalty that was saved by English keeper Mary Earps, who despite the loss, was given the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper at the World Cup. 

The third place match between Sweden and Australia wasn’t nearly as close; Sweden won the bronze medal with a 3-1 win. Australian center back Alanna Kennedy didn’t play in the semi final or this third place match because of a concussion issue, and after she had played every other game in the tournament, her absence noticeably changed the effectiveness of Australia’s defense. England’s goal in the semi final and Sweden’s first goal in this match both came on defensive errors on Kennedy’s replacement’s side of the field. Sam Kerr scored Australia’s only goal with a banger from outside the box, but Sweden added two more goals in quick succession as Australia struggled to push for the win.

At the end of the tournament, FIFA also awards individual player awards.

Best young player: Salma Paralluelo, Spain. Paralluelo is 19 years old, and scored game-winning goals for Spain in both the quarter and semi-finals as a substitute. She’s a gamechanger. 

Golden Glove: Mary Earps, England. Earps saved a penalty in the final, and also got England through a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. She had some massive saves, and is currently petitioning Nike to sell goalkeeper jerseys alongside the regular national team jerseys.

Golden Boot: Hinata Miyazawa, Japan. This award is given to the tournament’s top goalscorer. Miyazawa scored five goals, even as Japan went out in the quarterfinals. She more than doubled the total amount of goals she has scored in her entire international career.

Golden Ball: Aitana Bonmati, Spain. This award is the tournament MVP, and usually goes to a player on the gold-medal team. Bonmati is a midfielder and played a stellar final to top off a great performance as Spain’s playmaker at the world cup.

Controversy

At the medal ceremony, the president of the RFEF kissed one of the players, Jenni Hermoso, on the mouth. Hermoso stated late that she didn’t like it. The man brushed it off, saying it was an action of joy and passion. But would he kiss the Spanish men’s national team players like this?

In other posts, I have mentioned that Spain’s coach, Jorge Vilda, has repeatedly been accused of mistreating and abusing his players, causing 15 players to boycott the national team. The spanish soccer federation (RFEF) spoke to players, but took very little action to address concerns, and eventually replaced all but 3 players on the World Cup-winning roster.

With Spain’s win, it’s hard to say what Vilda’s future will be. If Spain had performed poorly, like team USA, Vilda could easily have gone the same way as American coach Vlatko Andonovski, who resigned earlier this week. But with a world cup win under his belt, Vilda’s position in a clearly sexist organization doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

What’s Next?

Women’s soccer keeps going after the World Cup. In the USA, the National Women’s Soccer League shows most games on Paramount+ for USA coverage, and on nwsl.com for all international viewers. Games go through the finals in October. 

England’s FAWSL league resumes in September, and can also be watched in the USA on Paramount+. 

The Australian Liberty A-League Women plays in the off-season of the NWSL, so there is some back-and-forth between players that play in both leagues, starting in October 2023.

International teams also continue playing games outside of the world cups, called “Friendlies”. USA games have been shown on HBO Max, but there are also usually some less-than-legal Youtube videos of matches that pop up after a day or two. Team USA is playing September 21 and September 24 against fellow World Cup Team South Africa, and games will be on the Peacock app. 

Thanks

Out of the 32 original teams, only four teams are left, split into two semifinals: Spain v. Sweden, and Australia v. England. This is the culmination of three weeks of joy, passion, and heartbreak…and some really good soccer. These teams have all found their grooves, their momentum, and there is so much on the line now that everyone will be giving it their all. At this point, I don’t know what else I can say about these teams, but I went back through each team’s journey so far to look at the results so far in the tournament. 

Spain, FIFA ranked 7

Won 3-0 over Costa Rica

Won 5-0 over Zambia

Lost 4-0 to Japan

Won 5-1 over Switzerland

Won 2-1 over Netherlands

Sweden, FIFA ranked 3

Won 2-1 over South Africa

Won 5-0 over Italy

Won 2-0 over Argentina

Won in penalties over USA

Won 2-1 over Japan

Australia, FIFA ranked 10

Won 1-0 over Republic of Ireland

Lost 3-2 to Nigeria

Won 4-0 over Australia

Won 2-0 over Denmark

Won in penalties over France

England, FIFA ranked 4

Won 1-0 over Haiti

Won 1-0 over Denmark

Won 6-1 over China

Won in penalties over Nigeria

Won 2-1 over Colombia

I think that both games could go either way, and it would be arrogant and stupid on my part to try and predict anything from here on out. It is a guarantee that we will have a brand-new champion; none of these teams have won a world cup before. England and Sweden have gotten to the semifinals and won medals before, but Spain and Australia are at this point for the first time in program history. 

I wish I had made separate blog posts about these, but my travel back to the USA was overwhelmingly nuts and jet lag has hit me hard, so just pretend this is two separate posts.

USA Exit

In Round of 16, team USA was heartbreakingly eliminated by Sweden in penalty kicks. Ironically, it was the best game that the USWNT played the whole tournament, but even their best was not enough to make the difference against Sweden and their keeper Zećira Mušović, who made 11 saves (most in one game in the world cup so far) to keep the scoreline 0-0. The final penalty kick that gave Sweden the win was almost saved by USa keeper Alyssa Naeher, until goal line technology (7 cameras located around the field) determined that the ball had crossed the line with a millimeter to spare. A SINGLE MILLIMETER.

It is the first World Cup ever where the USA did not get a medal. People have a lot of opinions on why. Some people blame the coach, who will probably be fired just based on the result. Other people (idiots) blame the team themselves, saying they focus too much on money and advocacy and not enough on the game. These players have worked their entire lives to be on this stage, and often this is the only chance they get. It is insulting to these players to say that their singular focus is not winning the World Cup. 

As with a lot of things, the real reason is…it’s complicated. The USA did look disorganized and unprepared in the group stage games, and while Coach Vlakto Andonovski definitely does hold some responsibility, his player pool was also affected by major injuries, and he inherited poor long-term planning strategy from US Soccer. After the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, there was not enough done to transition the team from relying exclusively on its older players for goal production. Of the 9 scorers for USA at the 2019 World Cup, only 3 of them were starters in the 2023 World Cup, and only one of them (Lindsay Horan) scored a goal. 

As we have also seen this year, this is the World Cup of Chaos. THREE debutantes made it to the knockout stage, while Germany, Brazil, and Canada did not. Teams are better than ever, and can finally challenge the teams that have been considered elite in other years, including the USA. This is a good thing. 

Quarterfinals

Spain v. Netherlands

Spain and Netherlands both faced easier opponents in the round of 16, Spain taking down Switzerland and Netherlands taking down South Africa. Netherlands has played more consistently over the course of the tournament, and although Spain has shown some really good moments, I do think their 4-0 loss to Japan is indicative of problems against high-ranked teams, and so Netherlands will likely win.

Japan v. Sweden

Of all the games, I think this is the quarterfinal game that will produce the winner of the World Cup. Japan has been on fire, and has shown that they can win against teams like Spain and Norway AND make it look easy. Sweden fought for their life against the USA, and won; they can use that momentum against Japan. Their keeper Mušović is finding her rhythm, and will be a bigger challenge to Japan than any other keepers the country has faced. My pick for this game is Japan winning, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Sweden gets the upset.

Australia v. France

France had an easy win against Morocco in the round of 16, scoring three goals in the first 24 minutes, but only one goal in the rest of the game. Similarly, they had an easy win against Panama in the last group stage match, but were held to only 1 goal in the second half. If France continues to have weak second halves, they could struggle against Australia. The host nation pulls massive crowd support at every game, and has put together strong wins against Canada and Denmark. I think that Australia will use their momentum to put together a win against France.

England v. Colombia

I have been busy being a tourist in New Zealand, which is a beautiful country, and have not had time to sit down and talk through all the games happening. Groups A, B, and C have already played their last group stage games and teams have moved on to the knockout round, and other teams will do the same in the next three days. 

Group A

Group A was the wildest group by far, with each team getting at least one win. This meant that each team had the ability to advance to the knockout stage with a win in their last game. Switzerland ended up winning the group with a win and two ties, and Norway took second place with only one win and one tie. The last games were probably the least dramatic–Norway steamrolled the Philippines 6-0, and Switzerland held New Zealand to a 0-0 tie. It was a hard game to watch, as Switzerland seemed to be playing for the tie instead of a win, while New Zealand threw everything they had at the game and still came up short.

Group B

This group also had some chaos, with the marquee teams Australia and Canada both struggling, and both needing a win against the other to move on. But it wasn't the close match a lot of people expected, Australia ended up dominating 4-0, preventing Canada, the current Olympic gold-medalists, from moving out of group stage. Big Oof. Nigeria also qualified for the knockout stage, with two 0-0 ties, and a surprise win over Australia, which seems to have kicked the host country into action before their Canada game. Maybe they owe Nigeria a thank you?

Group C

This was a classic group stage–no ties, no upsets. Japan won all three games, including a decisive 4-0 win against Spain, even though Spain held 77% possession. Japan's counterattack is LETHAL. For their part, Spain won pretty easily against the other two group opponents, but they will need to be on their toes in the knockout stage.

Group D

This is another group shaping up to be a classic group stage with no upsets–but although the results look normal, the games have been anything but. Haiti has kept both of their games to only 1-0 losses, and England has only had 1-0 wins. England can go through with a win or a tie, but could technically get knocked out if both Denmark and China with with goal differentials greater than 2. Math is fun!!

Group E

USA play tonight against Portugal, and need a win or a tie to go through. Although both USA and Netherlands are slated to go through, either team could get knocked out by an upset. I'm stressed.

Group F

F is for…France? Fail? Freedom? Right now, France and Jamaica are the top two teams in the group. If things go as expected in their games tomorrow, France and Brazil will be the top two. But none of the games in this group have been "as expected". I'll be at the France vs. panama game in Sydney tomorrow night. Allez les Blues! 

Group G

Sweden has locked in their path to the world cup with two wins, but any other team could be the second team to go through. Argentina has a tough task with their last game against Sweden, but Italy and South Africa will literally be battling head to head for the last spot. Italy could get through with a win or a tie, while South Africa needs an outright win. 

Group H

The USA's second group stage match, against the Netherlands, ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, which USA won 2-0. Aside from the two countries who participated, it was a very different match. The game was played in Wellington, NZ, a coastal town that is windy and about 45° on game day–chilly for players and spectators! USA fans showed out in full force, as usual, but there was also a good number of Dutch fans–enough to make me very sad while I watched them celebrate the first goal of the game, scored by Jill Roord.

Things in the first half did not look good for the USWNT; the players looked disorganized and unsure of their positions, even though it was the same starting players from the game a few days ago against Vietnam. The Netherlands goal was a screamer from outside of the box, through six USA defenders that were all a step out of position. This is the first time in THIRTEEN World Cup games that the USA has trailed.

After halftime, the USA subbed out Savannah DeMelo, who I thought was one of the only players making an effort in the first half. However, she had to make way for Rose Lavelle, and I can recognize that Rose brought much-needed energy and focus to the USA attack. An intense foul by Danielle VanDeDonk against Lindsay Horan led to a standoff in the box, and after the players were separated by the referee, Horan scored a stunning header to bring the USA level. 

Following the goal, the USA seemed to pick up steam, and looked more like their usual selves. The team created chances, but just could not finish on them. Against other teams, we likely would have scored more goals, but the tie ended up being a wake-up call for the USA– we can't continue to start games at that casual pace. The final group stage game is against Portugal, who scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of their game against Vietnam. If both the USA and Portugal start their upcoming game in the same way they started their previous games, the USA could be in serious trouble.

After the match, many questions were raised about the strategy of USA coach Vlatko Andonivski. He started the same lineup of players in both of the USA's games, and only brought on a single sub against the Netherlands. In the scope of a larger tournament, this brings up two issues. One, players could get burned out. Two, if a player gets burned out before a big game, the player replacing her might not have any World Cup experience, which can be a distraction for that player and for the team as they work around the new addition.

As it stands, USA is on top of the group because of goal differential, but even with a win, the USA could lose the top spot to Netherlands if the Dutch beat Vietnam by a lot of goals. That being said, a USA win is not guaranteed–As a country at their first world cup, Portugal has nothing to lose. The USWNT, ranked #1 in the world, has absolutely everything to lose. A USA win of tie would send them through to the knockout stage, but a loss would catastrophically end the USA's World Cup and send Portugal through to the knockout stage. 

Every team in the world cup has now played their first group stage game. I haven't watched all of them, but I've kept an eye on the results. An alarming number of teams favorited to win the tournament had shaky starts:

Canada tied Nigeria 0-0 after their star player, Christine Sinclair, had her penalty saved. 

England wins 1-0 against Haiti, but only by the skin of their teeth. Like the Canada game, this came down to a penalty. The first penalty attempt was saved, but the save was overruled by VAR, and Stanway converters the second attempt. 

France tied Jamaica 0-0, which gave Jamaica their first ever result in a world cup.

The 0-0 ties open up the possibilities of group upsets–if Canada, England, and France tie or lose the next game, it's the equivalent of an F1 car crashing and blowing up in a giant fireball--you hate to see it, but you can't look away. 

It is heartening to see the parity of teams improving as well. Countries like the Philippines, Ireland, and Haiti are proving that the title of World Cup Debutante is not a sign that they can be taken lightly. 

Other countries are behaving a lot more predictably.

Germany beat Morocco 6-0, the widest goal differential thus far in the tournament.

Japan beat Zambia 5-0, even after 3 goals disallowed for offside. 

I am officially on my way to the World Cup! I flew into Honolulu, Hawaii yesterday for a brief stop on the way to New Zealand. My flight was delayed, though, so I ended up landing at the airport at the same minute that the USA match started. I pulled up the match on my phone and watched as I walked through the airport, got my luggage, got some transport, and finally made it to a sports bar where the Honolulu arm of the American Outlaws supporter group had gathered to watch the game. They welcomed me with open arms, and an AO scarf to wear at the next games (if the scarf makes it on TV, they get free shots! I am happy to help, if I can)

The USA was heavily favored in the game, and the matchup brought back memories of the USA's first game in the 2019 world cup, which was a 13-0 walloping of Thailand. So even though the USA won 3-0, it still felt like a loss, as it did nothing to reassure those who question if the USA has the strength to progress in the tournament. 

Team USA did not start all of its strongest players, leaving some on the bench to prepare for the next game against the Netherlands, which will likely be the most difficult group game. But the players on the field generally played well…and that's the best I can say. I'm hoping that some of the missed chances were players settling into the world cup, and not a sign of missed goals to come–we saw shots go wide from Horan and Rapinoe, and even a saved penalty from Alex Morgan. The goalkeeper for Vietnam kept her team in the game, especially with her save on the (admittedly weak) penalty from Morgan.

Team USA also tried out a new center back pairing with Girma and Julie Ertz. Ertz has been playing the last four years in a defensive midfielders position, but likely got pulled back into center back (a position she played in 2015 world cup) after Becky Sauerbrunn's injury. I do love to see Ertz playing center back again, but she also could score some killer goals from defensive midfield, which the USA might need. At this point, I have no clue who the center backs will be for any given game.

We have had the first elation and the first desolation of the world cup. The tournament officially kicked off at 3AM eastern time, with New Zealand vs Norway in Auckland. New Zealand, having lost all 15 of their group stage games in the last five world cups, were definitely the underdog. But in front of a record-breaking crowd, in their home country, they put on the show of a lifetime. Norway put up a good fight, but the Kiwis absolutely dominated the possession stats and threw wave after wave of offense at Norway. In the second half, New Zealand forward Hannah Wilkinson scored a beautiful goal off of a smooth assist from Jacqui Hand, and NZ didn't back down for the rest of the game, even after missing a penalty that would have given them 2. When the final whistle blew, and they had won their first World Cup win ever, the excitement and energy was palpable even at 4 am on the other side of the world. It was an amazing start to the tournament, and captain Ali Riley was in tears as she talked to reporters afterwards, saying that this result would inspire the next generation of kiwi footballers.

The Australian opener against Ireland was slightly less meaningful, but it made up for it in grit and chippy, fiery tackles from both sides. The first utter desolation of the tourney came when Irish defender Marisa Sheva made a needless and sloppy tackle in the box, giving up a penalty kick that Aussie Steph Catley buried in the back of the net. It was the lone goal of the game and gave Australia the win, leaving Sheva in visible tears on the bench. 

Women’s Soccer coverage has a long history of being booted around, network to network, and never staying in one place for too long.  The American NWSL has been aired on at least seven different platforms (by my count) in its 10 year history. Similarly, USWNT games have been aired on all of the major networks, and it changes tournament-to-tournament. The world cup qualifying was on CBS/Paramount+, some friendlies were on HBO max, and now the world cup (drumroll, please…) will air on Fox.

Not all the games, of course. The USWNT games will all likely be on normal FOX, but other tournament games will be on FS1 and the FoxSports app. If you don’t already have access to this, I think the cheapest option is Slingtv blue plan, at about $40 for a month. 

Match Schedule is here (it should update for your timezone): https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/2023-fifa-womens-world-cup/scores

USA Group Stage Games:

USA v. Vietnam, July 21,  9pm ET/8pm CT

USA v. Netherlands, July 26  9pm ET/8pm CT

Before every World Cup, teams get together a few weeks in advance and play one or two matches to help prepare for the world cup. These games, known as “Friendlies”, don’t count towards any standings, but are meant to see how each team’s rosters work in a real game situation. Some teams play other world-cup bound countries, others don’t. 

There are interesting strategies in these games–do you choose an opponent that will challenge you, or choose an easy win to give your team confidence? Do you start your starters, or start the second string to protect your starters from injury? Do you try to mimic conditions by playing in the host country? Or do you play in your home country? As this is the last game before the World Cup, tensions are always high, and results are always interesting. But I want to lead off with a disclaimer–these games are high strategy and low risk, precisely planned for teams to test things out before the world cup. Any results, good or bad, are not predictors of how teams will do at the world cup. 

USA v Wales

Team USA played one game against Wales, a team that did not qualify for the world cup. This means that Wales could start their best players and play full-on, while the USWNT didn’t necessarily give their full effort. Wales is ranked significantly lower than the USA, so many people expected a blowout. However, Wales held the USA to 0-0 in the first half, sparking doubts about the USA’s offensive line. USA did pull out a 2-0 win with a brace of goals from Trinity Rodman late in the second half, after substitutions provided energy and creativity up front

The USA’s defense also looked shaky–The two starting centerbacks for team USA, Cook and Girma, are great in their own right, but neither has played in a World Cup before. Also, the starting goalkeeper was Casey Murphy, while from 2016 up until earlier this year it has been Alyssa Naeher. This could be an indication that Murphy will be the starting keeper for the World Cup, as teams like to use the same keeper every game to stay in a good rhythm.

Takeaway: USA isn’t in trouble if their offensive line isn’t clicking, they have players on the bench that can create different scoring opportunities to catch opponents off guard late in games.

Germany v. Zambia

This game was the stunner of this week, with #81 Zambia beating #2 ranked Germany, 3-2. I think that Zambia has an advantage that other teams don’t–no one sees them coming. While most other lower-ranked teams approach better teams in a bunker defense designed to keep the other team’s offense out, Zambia’s strategy seems to be throwing all of their weight forward, concentrating on getting the ball to their forwards, including Barbra Banda, who is sure to become a household name in the tournament.

Germany did seem like they were caught off-guard right away. They went two goals down, after their defense allowed some open shots they should have pressured. However, Germany showed their mettle with a very organized approach to come back from a two goal deficit. Zambia only eked out a win after chipping the German keeper in the final seconds of stoppage time–again, unexpected! 

Takeaway: Watch out for Zambia. I think Germany probably approached this game too lightly, but I also think that Zambia maybe showed their hand, which could work against them in the world cup. I’m not worried about Germany–this result just feels unlucky.

Australia v. France

Australia beat France in a 1-0 win yesterday, proving that they are a favorite to win the whole tournament, six days before their first game in Sydney. Both teams looked good and played fiercely, leading to injury concerns on both sides that hopefully don’t amount to anything serious. 

France dominated possession and had more shots than Australia, but without seeing the numbers it looked like Australia had more energy, and maybe even more passion, especially in front of a 50,000-strong crowd. Australia was able to uncover some holes left by France’s defensive med and centerbacks, but France’s backline should work well enough to get them through group stage, at the very least.

Takeaway: I think this says more about Australia than France, and made them look just a little more dangerous than they did before. 

Ireland v. Colombia

This match was played in Australie behind closed doors–but drew attention when the Irish Soccer Federation announced that the match was called off in the 23rd minute after dangerous play caused Irish midfielder Denise O’Sullivan to be sent to the hospital with a shin injury. Colombia also released a statement, saying that their team had played fairly and within the rules, but that they respected the Irish team’s decision to call off the match.

Expected to move on: Germany, Colombia

Expected to exit in group stage: Morocco, Korea Republic

Germany

FIFA Ranking: 2

Reputation:

Much like the men’s side, the German women’s team is a MACHINE. Unless the unthinkable happens again (see: the men’s side 2018) Germany should get out of the group with ease, and I would definitely rank them as a favorite to win the World Cup. Their style of play is crisp, clean, and a little bit curt...if that makes sense. They will lay their bodies on the line, and they will lay your body on the line too if you’re playing against them. They shockingly failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but were runners-up in the Women’s European Championship in 2022, which is a much more accurate indicator of their strength.

Player Pool: 

Germany is another team with extraordinary depth, with all their players on top domestic teams or premier teams in England or France. Alexandra Popp, new captain of the team, also leads in goals scored for German, but is really known for the use of her large stature to win duels. Every position is filled with veterans, and Germany has been skillful in ensuring that even its younger players have gotten experience in big games.  Every player is a team player and can be a standout in their own right, so it’s hard to pick specific players to highlight. That being said, of course there are players that rise to the top–Lena Oberdorf, Sara Däbritz, and Melanie Leupolz all deserve a shout out. 

2019 WWC performance:

Germany looked okay during the women's World Cup, but less confident than many people had anticipated. They made it through the group stage with narrow 1-0 wins against Spain and China, and an easy win against debutante South Africa. They plowed over Nigeria in the round of sixteen, but were stymied by Sweden in the quarterfinals.  On many past occasions, they had beaten Sweden, so many were surprised when the game went the other way. Dabritz, Magull, and Popp led the scoring, while young newcomer Gwinn and veteran Hegering held down the midfield and defense, playing all 450 minutes of their tournament run.

Colombia

FIFA Ranking: 26

Reputation: 

Colombia’s women’s team has historically done well in South American competition, feuding with Brazil for top honors, even as their own federation doesn’t support them as much financially as they do their men’s side.  Earlier in 2023 the Colombian Federation began an agreement with FIFA to begin increasing funding for women's soccer at all levels.  That won’t help the team in this World Cup, and they will be fighting tooth and nail against Korea Republic for the second spot in the group.

Player Pool:

Colombia has one of the older teams of the World Cup, with more veterans than newbies. After missing the 2019 World Cup, they will need to rely on players that were around for the 2015 World Cup, like Catalina Usme,  Daniela Montoya, and keeper Sandra Sepúlveda. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did Not Qualify

Korea Republic

FIFA Ranking: 17

Reputation:

South Korea is recognized as “Korea Republic” by FIFA. Asia’s women’s football culture has been improving on a regional stage, but has struggled to keep up internationally, and Korea Republic  is no exception. The best players on this team are the ones that leave Korea to play in a European or American league. They have never qualified for the Olympics. Their best result in a Women’s World Cup came in 2015, when they made it out of the group stage, but they couldn’t repeat the result in 2019, and likely won’t do it again in 2023. 

Player Pool: 

Ji So-yun (midfielder) made a name for herself and for Korea with a long career for Chelsea in England, but moved back to South Korea in 2022. Cho So-hyun is another team veteran playing in England, and the pair form a strong midfield. Captain is Kim Hye-ri, a veteran defender. She plays with about half the roster for South Korea’s Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels team, the top side in Korea’s domestic league.

2019 WWC performance:

Not great. They had a rough group, pulling Norway and France, so their only chance to advance was a third place spot, which neither they nor Nigeria achieved. They scored one goal in the tournament.

Morocco

FIFA Ranking: 73

Reputation: 

Morocco reached their first World Cup under the distinguished coach Reynald Pedros, who previously had coached Olympique Lyonnais Féminin to the french championship. Under Pedros, the team has grown to be one of the best teams in Africa. However, they have a record of falling short against teams outside of Africa, and will need this tournament and more international exposure to become a contender. 

Player Pool:

Captain Ghizlane Chebbak has played for Morocco for the last 10 years and is their top goalscorer. They have an up and coming forward in Rosella Ayane, who played for the English national youth teams, but switched to Morocco for her senior caps.

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: Sweden, Italy

Expected to exit in group stage: South Africa, Argentina

Sweden

FIFA Ranking: 3

Reputation: 

Sweden. What can I say, other than….Fuck Sweden. No, actually, they are a great team and a great group of women that are always serious contenders for the World Cup. I’m just a little bitter that they ousted the USA early from the 2016 Olympics. They finished runner-up in that tournament, and have never missed a World Cup or Olympic tournament, one of only a few teams to do so. They got silver again in 2020, and deserve a healthy respect from any team that goes up against them.

Player Pool:

Sweden has a really strong and consistent domestic league, and although the best players play in other countries, their league really strengthens the “second-string” domestic players, giving them roster depth. In a large tournament, roster depth can be the key to a winning run. Caroline Seger has the most caps for the country, and a trio of (very blonde) forwards leads goal-scoring: Stina Blackstenius, Sofia Jakobsson, and Fridolina Rolfö.

2019 WWC Performance: 

They won two of their group games, but played a reserved squad against the USA and picked up a 2-0 loss. Had they used their starters, the game might have gone differently, but as it was the last game of group stage, both teams were guaranteed a place in the knockout round. They fought their way through to the consolation round after a loss to the Netherlands, then picked up third place over England. Standout players of the tournament are Asllani, Sembrandt, and Seger. 

Italy

FIFA Ranking: 16

Reputation:

Italy used to be a powerhouse of women’s soccer in the 1990s, but has fallen down the rankings as other European countries strengthen. They do have a good domestic league where most of the players play, leading to a cohesive, flashy team that can hold their own against similar-ranked countries. In 2019 they had a strong performance,  but placed lower in the women’s Euros and had to go through additional qualification against other lower-ranked European teams to earn their spot in the World Cup. They are kind of a wild card in this bracket. 

Player Pool:

Young offensive player Sofia Cantore has been providing organization and structure to the front line and is still in the process of building a relationship with veteran Barbara Bonansea, so this World Cup will be a test of how well they can produce goals. Arianna Caruso and Manuela Giugliano hold down the midfield, and Lisa Boattin is the standout in defense.

2019 WWC performance:

Italy has a surprisingly good start to their World Cup run, beating Australia and showing that they were a force to be reckoned with. They kept pace with Brazil and beat Jamaica, proving that their presence in the tournament was no fluke and making their bracket one of the tightest competitively. They fought their way out of the round of sixteen against China, but fell in the quarters to the Netherlands. Their versatile trio of goalscorers is made up of: Bonansea, Galli, and Girelli.

South Africa

FIFA Ranking: 54

Reputation: 

This is South Africa’s second World Cup. Unfortunately, that probably won’t help them survive the group, as they are the only group without a true “debutante” in it, so they will likely end up in last place. However, they are young and full of spirit, and play with fire lit underneath them, and finished first in the African Cup of Nations in 2022.

Player Pool: 

The most promising players play outside of the South African league. Thembi Kgatlana plays in the USA, and has kept pace and scored goals against top-level American opponents. Linda Motlhalo plays midfield in Scotland and for South Africa. Both of them were in the 2019 World Cup, and have played around the world, so the team will rely on them and their experience to progress from group stage.

2019 WWC performance:

South Africa finished fourth in their group, but did manage to score a goal against Spain. Kgatlana scored their lone goal.

Argentina

FIFA Ranking: 28

Reputation:

Like any South American team, Argentina lacks the funding to be on par with their men's side, but they make do with what they do have. Argentina's tournament record isn't great, mostly because they haven't been in many tournaments, but they did hold their own in their 2019 group, playing three very close games and proving their mettle.

Player Pool: 

Goalkeeper Vanina Correa had an outstanding performance at the 2019 World Cup, but may not be the starter for 2023 after not many club appearances. Estefanía Banini is the most talented field player, and plays for one of the best clubs in the world, Real Madrid. 

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: France, Brazil

Expected to exit in group stage: Jamaica, Panama

France

FIFA Ranking: 5

Reputation:

France is one of the rising European powerhouses, but they’ve never fully...risen. They can hang with the best, but they’ve never finished better than 4th place in a World Cup and 5th in the Olympics. Their style of play is very European--smooth and skilled--but they are also known for their vengeful fouls, especially against rival teams Germany and USA. The players mostly play  together in the French league Division 1 Féminine, with about half the squad playing on the same team: Paris Saint-Germain, a total powerhouse in European and International Club football. 

Player Pool: 

Captain Wendie Renard is a 6’2” defender, who is known for headers at both ends of the pitch–she has 44 goals scored for France, despite her position at centerback. However, it was a question if she would even play in the World Cup, as she heavily protested the previous French coach Diacre. The only other player with more caps and goals than Renard is forward Eugenie Le Sommer, who will manage the offensive line, including Kadidiatou Diani, Viviane Asseyi, and Grace Geyoro.

2019 WWC performance: 

France dominated group play in an impressive fashion, and plowed through a not-so-easy  round of sixteen game against Brazil before being eliminated by the eventual champions, USA. They were unfortunate to come up against the USA as early in the knockout round as they did; many people believed it would come down to USA v FRA in the finals. As it was, the game against the USA was a very close match, and through the whole tournament, they showed they were one of the more dominant teams in the tournament.  Wendie Renard, a defender, led the French team in goals and led the defense, but also scored an own goal that almost sank the French team.

Brazil

FIFA Ranking: 9

Reputation: 

I will stand in front of the world and defend women's soccer as less theatrical than men's. However, Brazil makes that hard. They are dirty and aggressive players, but they go down like a toothpick at the gentlest touch.  That's not to say they are not supremely talented, as many of them are, and they are one of the few countries where their  women's team is as fearfully imposing as their men's. The ladies of Brazil can dance around their opponents, but also can shoot balls so hard they break wrists. They are known as a team that is consistently difficult to beat, and have successfully integrated talented young players with their more veteran standouts to maintain their high level of play.

Players:

 There is one player on Earth who has won the FIFA world player of the year five times, and it's not Lionel Messi. Keep an eye on Marta, a fantastic all around player in her fifth World Cup, who I would like more if she flopped less. If anyone can fill her shoes post-retirement, it is Debinha, a crafty midfielder with a killer shot. The aforementioned youngsters of the team, Bruninha (20), Geyse (24), and Kerolin (23), might start, but can also provide a spark off the bench after the veteran players have worn down opponents.

2019 WWC performance:

Not bad! They played strongly, and although there was a lot of individual brilliance and skill, they couldn't come together as a team in the most important moments. They made it through to the knockout round, but didn't progress past the first round, falling to host France.

Jamaica

FIFA Ranking: 43

Reputation:

After their first World Cup in 2019, Jamaica confidently qualified for their second by beating Haiti, Mexico, and Costa Rica to finish third behind the USA and Canada in the qualifying tournament. They have really been building on their 2019 experience, and have climbed ten points in the FIFA rankings since then. Many key players that were in college in the 2019 World Cup have graduated and joined professional teams in the USA, England, and France, gaining even more experience in top-level soccer. 

Player Pool:

This team is made up of super talented college students, with one or two 30 year olds thrown in for good measure. Their qualifying run was made possible by their goalie, 19 year old Sydney Schneider, and scoring machine Khadija (Bunny) Shaw. Joining the team for this World Cup is Drew Spence, a midfielder who had made senior appearances for England, then took a period of mandatory leave from the international game so she could join the Jamaican side. 

2019 WWC performance:

For their first World Cup, not a ton was expected of them. They gave it their all and got valuable experience to build on moving forward. They pretty much got run over in the group stage, ending with a three game goal differential of -11. Still, it gives the nation something to build on and be proud of.  

Panama

FIFA Ranking: 52

Reputation: 

This is the first World Cup for Las Canaleras (The Canal Girls), who finally qualified after narrowly losing a spot in the 2019 World Cup to Jamaica, their rival in this group. Panama hasn’t played many games against world-up level teams since the 2022 qualifications, but played Colombia in June just before the cup, earning one loss and one tie . With a very young team, it will be difficult for them to get out of the group stage. Teams like Panama are the exact reason why the World Cup expanded to 32 teams–so that more lower-ranked squads can get experience and make the game more competitive on the whole.

Player Pool:

Goalkeeper Yenith Bailey splashed onto the scene, winning Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the 2018 Concacaf tournament, only one year after she switched from a midfielder to goalkeeper. It has been six years since then, and other goalkeepers have joined the squad, but Bailey has the most experience. For goalscoring, Las Canaleras will look to midfielder Marta Cox, and Riley Tanner, a young offensive player that is the only woman playing professionally in the USA.

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: USA, Netherlands

Expected to exit in group stage: Portugal, Vietnam

United States

See this Post! https://www.tumblr.com/andiessoccerblog/721584664034361344/uswnt-roster-drop-june-30-2023?source=share

Netherlands

FIFA Ranking: 8

Reputation:

The Netherlands won the 2018 Euros and reached the final of the 2019 World Cup, but in 2022 they dropped from 4th place to 8th place in the FIFA world rankings. This is a result of a team who has a solid base, but suffers if its stars are not available. Some of their strongest players aren’t playing at their best any more, and their extremely capable goalie from 2019, Sari Van Veenendaal, has retired, leaving huge shoes to fill. Additionally, the coach that led them to the 2019 World Cup final has since taken a job at England, leaving the team in the hands of less-experienced and very recent addition, Andries Jonker. Their most important game in the group will be the repeat of the 2019 final, Netherlands v. USA, where the Dutch walked away with silver.

Player Pool:

Netherlands’ stars from the 2019 World Cup are in the team’s midfield: Lieke Martens and Danielle Van de Donk. I would normally include Vivianne Miedema, but she was ruled out of the tournament with an ACL injury. The team will need to rely on veterans Sherida Spitse (captain), Shanice van de Sanden, and Jill Roord to pull them past the group stage.

2019 WWC Performance: 

The Netherlands skyrocketed into the final this year, winning their group and finding results in every game in the elimination round, except for the USA. Their game against Sweden went to extra time, but they showed the grit and talent to make it to the final.  They had an impressive number of goalscorers, with the top being Vivianne Miedema, and the goalie Sari Van Veenendaal won the tournament’s Golden Glove award, and is my Netherlands MVP.

Portugal

FIFA Ranking: 21

Reputation: 

It will surprise most people that Portugal is also a World Cup debutante–they are the highest FIFA-ranked debutante team– their inclusion this year is due to one of the extra European confederation spots in the expanded field. Despite never having qualified, Portugal has been a staple in the women’s game for years as they host the Algarve Cup, a yearly international invitational tournament that is considered a “Mini World Cup” that has run since 1994– making it the second longest running women's soccer tournament, other than the World Cup itself. Portugal will likely beat fellow debutante Vietnam in their group, but will likely not find results in games against the USA and the Netherlands, the gold- and silver-medalists of the 2019 World Cup.

Player Pool:

Portugal has several veteran players with over 100 caps, but there isn’t a front-runner that has scored massive amounts of goals for the country. FIFA pinpoints Dolores Silva as the player to watch, a dynamic midfield veteran that scored a couple goals in their path to qualify for 2023. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did not qualify

Vietnam

FIFA Ranking: 33

Reputation: 

After narrowly missing out on both the 2015 and 2019 World Cup, Vietnam finally qualified for 2023, and followed up their qualification by winning the 2023 Southeast Asia Playoffs, in which fellow debutante the Philippines didn’t make it out of their group. To help the growth of women's soccer in their country, there is a semi-professional league  that almost all of the players are in.  An interesting twist in their qualification is that some of their games were against Asian teams that were still suffering substantial player unavailability due to covid–but Vietnam’s luck ran out when the country got placed in this group with the USA and the Netherlands. 

Player Pool:

Since almost all of the team plays domestically, there isn’t a lot known about the team. Captain Huỳnh Như and midfielder Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung are the leading scorers.

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: England, Denmark

Expected to exit in group stage: China, Haiti

England

FIFA Ranking: 4

Reputation:

England is my favorite to win the World Cup. In 2022 they won the European Womens’ championship, cementing their position as a possible winner of the 2023 World Cup. Despite a few major injuries, the Lionesses are in fine form, and have a really solid core group of women with a good mix of veterans and young (but not inexperienced) talent. Their players mostly play at home in the FAWSL, possibly the best women's league in the world. The FAWSL also attracts international talents, so many of these players are already playing with and against their competitors, learning their styles and skills. Their coach Sarina Wiegman has a great record with England, and with the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup where they made the final. 

Player Pool:

There are a couple veterans that deserve a call out, like defender Lucy Bronzeand midfielder Jordan Nobbs, but the energy and heart that makes this England squad different from past rosters comes in a group of younger players. Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, and Chloe Kelly will be playing in their first World Cup, and have been in outstanding form for their English clubs and at the international level. 

2019 WWC performance:

England did well in group play, led in scoring by Ellen White, who really came into her own this World Cup. They notably defeated previous runner up, Japan. They had perhaps the easiest path to the semifinals, taking on Cameroon and Norway. England was unlucky to come up against the USA in the semifinals instead of the finals, but they followed up their loss to the USA with a loss to Sweden, unlike 2015.

China

FIFA Ranking: 14

Reputation:

China used to be really good. Asia Games champions a couple times, deep runs into World Cups and olympics, but no Gold Medals.In the past, they have recruited top basketball, track, and volleyball players to play soccer in order to be faster and taller than their opponents. It’s an interesting strategy that hasn’t...not...worked. But it hasn’t really worked, either. They are showing an international comeback, including beating South Korea  in the 2022 Asian Cup Finals. They have kept up with teams close to them in rankings, but will struggle against any team in the top 10. 

Player Pool:

All of the players on the team except one  play in China, a league that I do not follow, but one player does play in the USA for Racing Louisville FC, Wang Shuang. Their team looks very different than the squad that represented China in 2019, so standout players are generally unpredictable. I would expect veteran forward Wang Shanshan and defender Lou Jiahui to feature in starting lineups.

2019 WWC performance:

China didn’t play horribly, but they weren’t the team seen in previous years either. They sneaked into the group stage after a loss to Germany by salvaging a tie against Spain. They were eliminated by dark horse Italy in the round of sixteen. In total, they only scored 1 goal in all four games, which means their defense maintained two shutouts and limited opponents’ goals quite well. 

Denmark

FIFA Ranking: 18

Reputation: 

If any group has the potential for a ranking upset, it is this one. Denmark, although ranked below China, has been testing their mettle against all of Europe, and have shown themselves to be a worthy inclusion to the World Cup. It is not their first, in fact it is their fourth World Cup, even though they haven’t qualified since 2007. They have been on the edge of qualifying for World Cups in the past couple years, and  now the expanded field of teams has allowed them back in the cloche, and I don’t see them wasting their opportunity. 

Player Pool:

The Denmark roster boasts players across all of the major leagues in Europe–England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden. Captain Pernille Harder plays for Chelsea FC, one of the best of the best clubs in the world, and is the top all-time goalscorer in Danish football history. Forwards Mille Gejl Jensen and Rikke Madsen have found success at their American club, North Carolina Courage, in the 2023 summer season, which likely helped them onto the roster. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did not qualify

Haiti

FIFA Ranking: 55

Reputation: 

Haiti has never played in a world tournament, and their narrow qualification was a very proud moment for the entire country, and for the larger CONCACAF region. They will probably struggle against the other teams in their group, but it will be valuable experience for the players going forward.

Player Pool:

Melchie Dumorney, midfielder, won the CONCACAF qualifying young player of the tournament, and scored the two decisive goals against Chile to qualify for the World Cup. There are a few players that play college soccer in the USA, but the majority of them play for smaller clubs in France, which does give them experience playing european-style soccer.

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: Spain, Japan

Expected to exit in group stage: Costa Rica, Zambia

Spain

FIFA Ranking: 7

Reputation: 

Spain has exploded in the last four years in the European arena, both with their National team and with their top club team, Barcelona. They have jumped six spots in the world ranking in the last four years and have had several big wins against other top-ten opponents. However, in late 2022, 15 of the country’s top female players withdrew from the squad in protest over the coach’s “dictatorial” and “abusive” behavior, and alleged that the coach had gotten the job via bribery and contacts, rather than qualifications. In playing without these fifteen players, Spain has had inconsistent results. They beat an out-of-sorts USA team, but lost other games against similar opponents. Some of those fifteen players are included on the roster, and some are not. 

Player Pool:

A major portion of Spain’s roster plays in the country’s own league. The strong Barcelona team is led by striker Alexia Putellas, who has won the last two FIFA Ballon d’Or Feminin awards, which is given annually to the best player in the world. They have several standouts on each line, including : Irene Paredes on Defense, Putellas and Aitana Bonmatti in the midfield, and Jenni Hermosa at Forward.

2019 WWC performance:

Spain finished second in their group, losing to Germany but tying China, leading to a better result than many anticipated. They were unfortunate to come up against the USA in the round of sixteen and were eliminated, but it was a close 2-1 loss.

Japan

FIFA Ranking: 11

Reputation:

Japan had an incredible run in 2011-2015, reaching the final vs USA in the 2011 World Cup, 2012 olympics, and 2015 World Cup, but since then they have gradually lost their edge. Many of the players during that period have retired, and newer players haven’t found the same success. They are the highest ranked active Asian team and so far in 2023 have kept up with top 10 teams, but often couldn’t find a game-winning goal. Japan is known for their flawless technique and their ability to hold the ball, and recently they have demonstrated the ability to win the ball with a high press, leading to a high-possession style of play.

Player Pool:

Japan has a solid core of players, led by Captain Saki Kumagai, one of the last hold-outs from the 2011-2015 team. About half of the team plays in Japans’ domestic league, but the rest of the players play in many different leagues–Hina Sugita and Jun Endo in the USA, Yui Hasegawa in England, and youngster Hamano in Sweden. Hamano is 18, but has already signed a multi-year contract with English powerhouse Chelsea before being loaned to the Swedish league. This club diversity means that players are familiar with and can adapt to different playing styles.

2019 WWC performance:

Well, they made it through the group stage, then lost in the round of sixteen to the Netherlands. AFter not making it to the 2016 Olympics, there was already a sense of unease about this former powerhouse team’s potential, and even more confidence was lost in them after this World Cup. They have shown that they still have talented players, but it seems they are missing something that had kept them going through their dynastic reign in 2011-2015.

Costa Rica

FIFA Ranking: 37

Reputation: 

This is not Costa Rica’s first World Cup, it is their second after qualifying 2015 but missing 2019. In 2015 they turned heads with their resilience, holding much higher ranked teams to ties in the group stage. Despite their 2015 performance, Costa Rica has only been able to achieve results against similarly or lower ranked opponents, and will face stiff competition against Japan and Spain. Much of their success is attributed to the guidance of coach Amelia Valverde, who was the youngest coach in the 2015 World Cup at age 24, and won FIFA world women's coach of the year in 2016.

Player Pool:

The most well known player from Costa Rica is American Club soccer star Raquel “Rocky” Rodriguez, who helped the Portland Thorns win the 2022 NWSL championship last year. Rocky will share the frontline with Melissa Herrera, who plays for Bordeaux in France.

2019 WWC performance:

Did not qualify

Zambia

FIFA Ranking: 81

Reputation: 

Zambia is a World Cup debutante, meaning that this is their first World Cup, although their first major tournament was the 2020 Olympics. They did not make it out of their group stage, with their only positive result being a 4-4 tie against China. They let in a lot of goals at the Olympics, but also surprised opponents with intense scoring drives. In the last friendlies before the world cup, they pulled out a stunning win over #2-ranked Germany. 

Player Pool:

Zambia has a clear headliner in Barbra Banda, who is the first player in Olympic history to score back to back hat-tricks in Olympic soccer games, the first in a 10-3 loss and the second in the 4-4 tie with China. She plays internationally in China and led that league in goals in the 2020 season. The remaining team members are young, all under the age of 25. Without any World Cup experience and with tough opponents, it will be difficult for this team to move on.

2019 WWC performance:

Expected to move on: Australia, Canada

Expected to exit in group stage: Ireland, Nigeria

Australia

FIFA Ranking: 12

Reputation:

As a host country, Australia’s games sold out almost immediately, so they are guaranteed to have a huge support base. Australia have a ton of potential to work with and completely dominate Asia and Oceania, but they have to bring their game up to par with USA and top European teams. The Aussies are inconsistent–they have beat the best teams in the world, and lost to teams ranked beneath them. I expect they will make it out of the group stage, and then it’s a 50/50 odds on winning the next game.

Player Pool:

Australia currently has arguably the best striker in the world, Sam Kerr, who scored five goals in Australia’s four women’s World Cup games in 2019 and leads top England club Chelsea. Several Australian midfielders play in the USA, including Emily Van Egmond and Alex Chidiac, and others play in top leagues and top teams in England and Sweden.  Australia has good depth, as many of their non-headliners play in two leagues–one in the American/European summer, and the second in the Australian summer. 

2019 World Cup  performance:

They were supposed to soar, and I talked them up a ton, but they were completely caught off guard in their first game, leading to an unexpected (but not undeserved) loss to Italy. They had possibly the best game in the cup against Brazil, a wild 3-2 finish that left me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, they went up against a tough opponent, Norway, in the first round of group play and were eliminated, but only after penalty kicks. 

Republic of Ireland

FIFA Ranking: 23

Reputation:

This is the Irish  women’s team's first World Cup. They can find success against teams ranked below them and won’t make it easy for Canada and Australia to take the top two group spots.  Ireland’s path to the World Cup is credited in part to coach Vera Pauw, who joined Ireland after coaching professionally in the USA. Ireland also benefits from its proximity to England’s FAWSL, where several Irish players play on lower-level teams. 

Player Pool:

Captain Katie McCabe is a leading scorer and an absolute brick wall for Ireland and for the Arsenal team in England. Her fellow midfielder, Denise O’Sullivan, is captain of the American team North Carolina Courage. Ireland’s strength is in their central midfield with these two players, but against tough competition they will need to rely on veteran defenders Lousie Quinn and Niamh Fahey. 

2019 World Cup Performance:

Did not qualify

Nigeria

FIFA Ranking: 45

Reputation:

Nigeria is one of a few teams that has qualified for all 9 World Cups. Historically they have been as much of a powerhouse as a team from Africa can be. In all 13 African Women’s Championships, they have been champions eleven times, including in 2014, 2016, and 2018. However, in the 2022 AFWCON, they finished fourth, barely qualifying for the World Cup. 

Player Pool: 

Nigeria has two standout forwards, Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona) and Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC), but not much other depth in their team. They will need a strong defense in the games in this group. They might have a slight advantage just on experience, as most of their players will have played in a World Cup before. 

2019 World Cup performance:

Nigeria had a rough draw in the group stage, playing Norway and France, but did succeed in making it past the group stage after a win over South Korea. Their first game in the round of 16 was against Germany, who dominated the game and sent Nigeria packing. 

Canada

FIFA Ranking: 6

Reputation:

Much like a moose, the Canadian Women’s National Team is fierce and strong, but mostly ignored until you come up against them in a fight. They are one of the most physical women’s teams in the world, and have a range of both young and veteran talent. The team has had inconsistent results: they hosted the2015 World Cup and were eliminated in the quarterfinals in a heartbreaking defeat to England, then struggled at the 2019 World Cup, then won the gold medal in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. The team has been fighting for equal pay and treatment, causing a distraction that could impact their performance. 

Player Pool:

Without a doubt, their most notable player is veteran Christine Sinclair, who holds the record for most international goals scored, male or female.  Jessie Fleming, who is only 24, will have almost a decade of experience under her belt when the World Cup starts, and is a starting midfielder for top club team Chelsea. Fleming and Jordyn Huitema (OL Reign) are two young players for Canada that are hitting their stride and building Canada’s future.

2019 World Cup  performance: