US learns its foes, schedule
Netherlands makes group interesting
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The defending champion United States will face the Netherlands in the group stage of the women’s soccer World Cup next summer, setting up an early repeat of the 2019 World Cup final.
The draw was made at a ceremony in Auckland on Saturday.
Four-time champion the United States was drawn in Group E with Vietnam, the Netherlands, and a playoff winner to be determined. This is the first time the tournament will include 32 teams, drawn into eight groups of four.
The United States will play all of its group matches in New Zealand. The tournament is to be played at 10 stadiums in Australia and New Zealand in July and August. The match against the Netherlands will be at Wellington on July 27.
The US team beat the Dutch, 2-0, in the 2019 final in France.
“Netherlands is a very good team and one that’s developing a lot, and it’s changed a lot in the last two years or so. And then the opening game against Vietnam, I think that’s great for us to get us going in the tournament, and just overall I’m very excited,” US midfielder Lindsey Horan said.
Second-ranked Sweden is drawn in Group G with South Africa, Italy, and Argentina. Third-ranked Germany is in Group H with Morocco, Colombia, and South Korea, and European champion England in Group D with Denmark, China, and a playoff winner.
The three playoff winners will be determined through inter-continental qualifying matches in Auckland in February.
Under the formula of the draw, the six top-ranked teams couldn’t face each other in the group stage. That ensured the United States will not face Sweden in the group stage of a major tournament for the first time in 10 years.
The draw was conducted in the same manner as the men’s World Cup. Teams were divided into four “pots” of eight teams based on FIFA world rankings. The US team was placed in Pot 1 among the top-six ranked teams — Sweden, Germany, England, France, and Spain — along with hosts Australia and New Zealand, who qualified automatically and already had been placed into groups. New Zealand took slot 1 in Group A and Australia slot 1 in Group B.
Canada, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, was also in Group B with Ireland and Nigeria.
“Bring it on,” Australia coach Tony Gustavsson told reporters after the draw. “Rankings wise it’s a very, very tough draw. And then if you look at the bracket as well and who we’re facing, just based on ranking, obviously Canada is the favorite in our group and we should end up second.”
New Zealand will play 1995 champions Norway in the opening match of the tournament at Auckland on July 20. Australia opens later that day against first-time qualifier Ireland.
The US team will play Vietnam at Auckland on July 22, then the Netherlands on July 27 and finally the playoff winner also at Auckland on Aug. 1.
Pot 2 is made up of Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Norway, Italy, China, and South Korea. Pot 3 contained Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Colombia, Argentina, Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. Pot 4 was made up of Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, and the three qualifiers to be determined.
Playoff A will feature Cameroon, Thailand, and Portugal. Playoff B will involve Senegal, Haiti, and Chile, and playoff C Chinese Taipei, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, and Panama.
“This World Cup is not only going to be the best, it’s going to be the most competitive in our history,” said Jill Ellis, a two-time World Cup-winning coach with the United States.