Favourites
With three teams inside Fifa’s top 10 plus the powerhouse of Africa, Group D is, without doubt, this tournament’s group of death. And no side is more primed to kill than the US. Runners-up last time around, they have lost just five games in the interim – and won more than 60. Star striker Abby Wambach is as prolific as ever, even in her mid 30s. It is, after all, just a few years since she was named World Player of the Year, and she has finished in the top three in that award each year since. The Americans’ sharpest shooter could this time even grab the golden boot that has so far eluded her. At the other end of the park they have one of the least striker-friendly keepers in the game, Hope Solo, screened by the likes of Christie Rapinoe, the second-most-capped player in the team’s history. She has over 300 of them. Ranked second in the world (behind Germany), the US may prove to be unstoppable in the familiar environs of North America.
Dark horse
Winning the cup might be beyond Australia. Then again, it might not be. The Matildas have been steadily improving with every tournament, and the 10th-best team in the world is prepared like never before. They gave up their day jobs at the start of the year to focus full-time on the task ahead of them, and returned home from a six-week tour of Europe quietly confident. Coach Alen Stajcic says he has so much firepower to choose from that finding room in this squad for Kate Gill, the country’s all-time leading scorer, just wasn’t possible this time around. They’ve won 12 of their past 18 games, and went unbeaten in last year’s Asian Cup until they met the world champions, Japan, in the final. They also slotted 11 past Vietnam in their farewell match, and their form line suggests they should go as far as the semi-finals, at least.
Coach to watch
Four years ago as coach of the US side, Pia Sundhage came within a couple of penalty kicks of winning the World Cup. She’s back home now, managing the fifth-ranked Swedes, a task that is not as auspicious as it sounds. While few have won as many games at the tournament as the Swedes, they have never lifted the trophy and have made the final just once. Sundhage’s task, then, is converting all their promise into something more meaningful. She certainly has enough talent in the squad to do something special. Lotta Schelin and Nilla Fischer were both shortlisted for the World Player of the Year award in 2014. Kosovare Asllani just played in the final of the Women’s Champions League. Her Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Caroline Seger missed out only through suspension. Sundhage knows how to win – she has two Olympic gold medals to prove it. But Sweden’s patchy form of late suggests they might come up short again.
Player to watch
Nigeria are the undisputed champions of African women’s football, which, unfortunately, isn’t not saying a lot. They may have won all but two African Women’s Championships, but they have barely won a game at the Women’s World Cup, despite being at every single one of them. “I believe that this team has a brilliant future,” said striker Desire Oparanozie after the disappointment of the last cup. “If we work well and lay down firm foundations, in four years we’ll come back stronger.” And if there is one very compelling reason to believe, it is Asisat Oshoala. Liverpool’s recent signing was in Canada last summer for the Under-20’s version of the World Cup, and won both the golden boot and player of the tournament awards. More importantly, her performances helped Nigeria reach the final of the competition. It’s the second time the Super Falconettes have made it that far this decade (it’s a biennial competition). In between, they finished fourth. Oshoala was also named best player at the recent African Women’s Championship. No wonder she is brimming with confidence right now. As she recently told the Guardian: “This season, if everything goes well, which I think it will, I believe I will have another record-making year in 2015.” Watch out.
Commentator’s kit
In stark contrast the US men’s national team, the women’s features just one player born overseas – the half-Canadian Sydney Leroux.
