Canada will be quite familiar with its group-stage foes at the 2019 Women’s World Cup,
Draws both New Zealand and the Netherlands for second time in a row
There was a sense of déjà vu as the Canadian women’s national team learned who it would face in the group stage of next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Canadians will lead Group E when the tournament kicks off in June in France, joined by the Netherlands, New Zealand and Cameroon, as announced in Paris on Saturday afternoon.
Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand were all in Group A for the round-robin stage of the 2015 tournament in Canada, with China rounding out that group. The Canadians finished first in the group with a win and two ties; China and the Netherlands, who were second and third respectively, advanced with a win, a tie and a loss each. Two ties for New Zealand wasn’t enough to advance to the knockout round.
The Canadians, ranked fifth in the world by FIFA, are favourites to win the group. The top team in Group E will face the runner-up in Group D, comprised of England, Scotland, Argentina and Japan, in the quar- terfinals. The runner-up will face their counterpart in Group F, which includes the United States, Sweden, Thailand and Chile. Four of the six thirdplace teams will also advance.
Twenty-four nations will take part in the nine-city tournament. It kicks off with a match between hosts France and Korea Republic on June 7, with the final to be played a month later.
Four nations will make their debut in this tournament, including Scotland, which kicks off its Women’s World Cup campaign against rival England in one of the most interesting matches of the group stage.
The defending champions, the No. 1-ranked United States, will look to stave off No. 9-ranked Sweden for top place in Group F. They are in the same group for a fifth straight Women’s World Cup. Sweden also knocked the U.S. out of the 2016 Olympics after a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.
This will be a first Women’s World Cup for Canadian coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller, who will bring a 23-player squad to France. He said Canada is one of the nations that could win the tournament, though the country has never finished higher than fourth in six tries.
“We are confident and have shown that we can beat the best on the world stage, so we are now focusing primarily on pushing and challenging ourselves throughout the first half of 2019, then fine-tuning in preparation for the (Women’s World Cup) next summer,” Heiner-Moller said in a release.
Here’s a look at Canada’s first three opponents:
VS. CAMEROON
When: Monday, June 10, 3 p.m. Where: Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
This will be the first encounter between these two countries. Cameroon debuted at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, advancing to the round of 16 before losing to China. The team qualified as the third-place finisher at the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations, behind Nigeria and South Africa.
VS. NEW ZEALAND
When: Saturday, June 15, 3 p.m. Where: Stade des Alpes, Gre- noble
Making it out of the group stage would be a first for New Zealand. In five Women’s World Cup appearances, the Football Ferns have never won a game. Canada has a 6-1-4 record against the Kiwis, most recently playing to a 0-0 draw in the 2015 tournament.
VS. NETHERLANDS
When: Thursday, June 20, 12 p.m. Where: Stade Auguste Delaune, Reims
The Netherlands will likely pose the stiffest test for the Canadians. Canada has a 9-0-3 alltime record against the Dutch. The two teams played to a 1-1 tie in the third game of the group stage at the 2015 tournament. Midfielder Lieke Martens, who pulls the strings for the Netherlands at the centre of the pitch, will be one to watch.