Women’s World Cup: Profiles of Groups D, E and F

Paris (AFP) – The United States have dominated women’s football for two decades, and although the team arrives in France at war with their national federation, there is little doubt they are favourites.

The draw has handed the Americans a favourable group and the format gives strong teams time to find their feet.

The first round, with six four-team groups, will eliminate just eight teams.

The top two finishers in each group will advance along with four best third-place teams.

In the second part of our group-by-group analysis AFP looks at the contenders in groups D, E and F.

Group D

England (No. 3), Argentina (No. 37), Scotland (No. 20), Japan (No. 7)  

England were semifinalists in Canada four years ago and in the Euros in 2017. That tournament was followed by the removal of coach Mark Sampson for “inappropriate and unacceptable” conduct but his successor, Phil Neville has maintained the momentum.

Despite winning 59 caps for England, Neville never played in a World Cup but he is confident his squad can do well and exploit the goodwill at home. 

“We have nothing to fear,” Neville said. “The crowd and media are behind us, we are going into a major tournament as the best-prepared team.”

Japan followed an unexpected victory in 2011 with Olympic silver in 2014 and a runners-up spot in the 2015 World Cup, when they eliminated England in the semis. 

A golden generation may have been replaced by a host of players promoted from the under-23s with an eye on the Tokyo Olympic tournament next year, but past results suggest the Japanese are over-achievers.

The Scots have qualified for the first time. 

“You can’t just go to a World Cup and say you’re just there to enjoy it,” coach Shelley Kerr told the BBC. “Our priority is getting out of the group stage.”

The 37-year-old midfielder Mariela Coronel, who played in 2003 but missed Argentina’s disastrous 2007 appearance, can set a record for the longest gap between World Cups.

Key match: England v Scotland. England may want revenge against Japan but Scotland are their oldest footballing enemy and the match on the Riviera is guaranteed a big TV audience in the UK.  

Group E

Canada (No. 5), New Zealand (No. 19), Cameroon (No. 46), Netherlands (No. 8)

Canada have been to the last six World Cups without ever making the last four. 

Christine Sinclair has 282 caps, more than the entire Jamaican squad. She also has 180 international goals, second only to former US star Abby Wambach, and the 35-year-old Sinclair is Canada’s penalty taker.

from World Soccer Talk http://bit.ly/2W7CnGF