Naeher new hope for U.S.
The eighth WWC boasts the most competitive field of all tournaments since it began in 1991. You can make a case for several teams to take the victory lap at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon on July 7.
1. The defending champion U.S., No. 1 in the FIFA rankings, is the team to beat.
2. As hosts, talented France faces pressure to go deep in the tournament and wants to emulate its men, who captured last year’s World Cup in Russia.
3. Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Germany is always a threat, no matter what players it fields.
4. A solid Australia side is buoyed by the amazing Sam Kerr, who can change games in an instant.
5. Japan, the 2011 champs, traditionally fields a formidable side.
6. England hopes winning the 2019 SheBelieves Cup in the U.S. is a harbinger of things to come.
7. Canada, which underachieved with a quarterfinal elimination as 2015 hosts, has much to prove.
8. Brazil, behind the fabulous Marta
The U.S., winners of record three world championships (1991, ’99, 2015), tries to duplicate Germany’s feat as back-to-back champions (2003, ’07). After their first two titles, the Americans were a disappointing third. While many teams would love to finish that high, anything less than a championship would be considered a failure. They want to prove what transpired at the 2016 Olympics was an aberration. It was the first time in 13 FIFA-sponsored competitions they failed to reach the semifinals. If history repeats itself in France, get ready for some fireworks.
Team for ages or aged?
In 2003, the Americans deployed a team that averaged 27 years and six months, finishing a disappointing third. In 2015, the U.S. had one of the oldest teams (28), yet won. The 2019 squad is the oldest of this year’s tourney, averaging 29, compared to the average age of the 24 teams (26 years, six months). Brazil is second at 28 years and five months.
Alyssa Naeher has the unenviable task of succeeding the legendary Hope Solo in goal. Solo, fired from the team for her off-thepitch headlines and critical comments, was one of the best women’s goalkeepers ever, winning one WWC and two Olympic gold medals. While Naeher has looked solid, she never has been battle-tested on the biggest stage in the world. Can Naeher make the big save as Solo did so many times? If she can, the U.S. can go far.
Aussie striker Sam Kerr is a human highlight reel and a delight to watch, turning ordinary plays into spectacular goals. Canada striker Christine Sinclair turns 36 on June 12, but she still has some magic left as she’s three goals shy of Abby Wambach’s all-time international record (184). French captain Amandine Henry (no relation to Thierry Henry), and the 2015 Silver Ball winner, can do it all on both sides of the ball. Japan midfielder Saki Kumagai, who plays for French powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais, is revered in her home country for scoring the winning PK in the 2011 final. Defender Lucy Bronze, the backbone of England’s 2015 third-place finish, was dubbed the best player in the world by coach Phil Neville.
Games to watch
England vs. Scotland (Group D) on June 9, Germany vs. Spain (Group B) on June 12, Australia vs. Brazil (Group C) on June 13 and U.S. vs. Sweden (Group F) on June 20. If form holds, the game of the tournament could be the U.S. vs. France in the quarterfinals in Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on June 28. It would be a shame to see one of those teams eliminated early, but you can blame FIFA for this scheduling anomaly.