The Women’s World Cup starts this week as 32 nations compete for the biggest prize in international football.
Over the coming week we will be diving into each group and analysing every team’s chances, whilst also looking at which player from each team could have the biggest impact on the tournament. Part three looks at groups E and F…
Women’s World Cup preview part one: Group A and B
Women’s World Cup preview part two: Groups C and D
GROUP E
Netherlands
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Netherlands will be without star player Vivianne Miedema but nonetheless will remain confident of a good tournament. The 2017 European champions and runners-up at the last World Cup lost out to France in the quarter-finals of the last Euros so are hoping to bounce back under head coach Andries Jonker.
Currently ranked ninth in the world, the Oranje will be looking to midfielder Jill Roord to lead the way in the absence of Miedema following an excellent season at Wolfsburg.
And while Miedema will undoubtedly be a miss, the Netherlands should hold very real hopes of reaching the latter stages of the tournament having impressed in recent friendlies, though face a tough group.
Portugal
It was a long road to qualification for Portugal, winning in the last minute of their intercontinental play-off with Cameroon to reach the tournament.
Reaching the World Cup is so far the pinnacle of women’s football in Portugal, and a well-fought goalless draw with England followed by a win over Ukraine heading into the tournament has generated some optimism for a group of players which has been together for a long time.
Levante’s Tatiana Pinto goes into the tournament off the back of a strong season with the Spanish club and boss Francisco Neto will be hoping the Netherlands or USA are not at their best so they can capitalise.
USA
Embed from Getty ImagesThe number one ranked team in the world go into the competition as favourites to lift the trophy. The USWNT have won the last two World Cups but have had some difficult moments under boss Vlatko Andonovski during his reign, and this new look team still has plenty to prove on the international stage.
Like England, injuries have also impacted the squad with captain Becky Sauerbrunn and forward Mallory Swanson among those to miss the tournament. Youngsters youngsters Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson will instead be the focus for the US as they look to win their third World Cup in a row.
They have never finished below third in the tournament, so a run to the final is the minimum expectation for this talented young team.
Vietnam
Vietnam will make their World Cup debut having only formed as a team in 1990. But they have been on the up in recent years, climbing to 32nd in the world rankings and have won the South East Asian Games four times in a row.
It will be a big test for the Vietnamese women and will hope their only player playing her football abroad, Huynh Nhu, will score the goals to help them cause an upset along the way. The striker has impressed in Portuguese football with Länk and will face some familiar opponents in the group stage.
Head coach Mai Duc Chung will be hoping to go out on a high in his last tournament but the draw has not done them any favours. Vietnam will look to compete as well as they can and hope to avoid any heavy defeats.
GROUP F
Brazil
Embed from Getty ImagesBrazillian legend Marta will go into her sixth World Cup hoping to give Brazil their first ever world title. The six-time winner of the Best Fifa Women’s Player award will play in her last World Cup so will be hoping to go out on the ultimate high before her career comes to an end.
The Brazillian’s have only managed to reach the round of 16 in the last two tournaments, but under former USA coach Pia Sundhage they won the 2022 Copa América and are currently ranked as the eighth best team in the world.
Reaching the latter stages of the competition should be the aim for a Brazil side packed with talent and one of the all-time legends of the game in Marta.
France
Embed from Getty ImagesSuccessful coach Corinne Diacre was sacked ahead of the tournament after falling out with several of the players and was replaced by Hervé Renard, who takes the world’s fifth ranked team into the tournament with a renewed sense of optimism following a difficult end to Diacre’s spell in charge.
But the new boss has injuries to contend with, notably to forwards Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Wendie Renard and experienced forward Eugénie Le Sommer are the players to look out for and will hope to spearhead a run to the latter stages of the tournament.
Having reached the quarter-finals of the last two World Cups, this should be the minimum aim once again, but they are certainly equipped to go even further despite their injuries.
Jamaica
The Reggae Girlz squad won all but two of their qualifying games and ended up finishing third in the Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico.
With one of the best strikers in the world in Man City’s Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Jamaica will be hoping they can pull off an upset. Shaw scored 31 goals in 30 games for City last season and is Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer with 56 goals.
The world number 44 side failed to make it out of the group last time and while it will no doubt be tricky, the second spot should be the aim for Jamaica and Shaw.
Panama
Panama unexpectedly reached the World Cup by beating Paraguay 1-0 in the final of their intercontinental play-off.
The world number 52 side will have their work cut out trying to qualify but will be hoping they can avoid heavy defeats and give a good account of themselves on the world stage.
