Women’s World Cup – Group E preview

Holders United States are gunning for a third successive Women’s World Cup title and the question is, can anyone stop them? They have the team that they beat four years ago in the final in their pool but should have little trouble with the other two.

GROUP E FIXTURES (times are SAST)

22 July United States v Vietnam 03:00

23 July Netherlands v Portugal 09:30

27 July United States v Netherlands 03:00

27 July Portugal v Vietnam 09:30

1 August Portugal v United States 09:00

1 August Vietnam v Netherlands 09:00

Fifa WOMEN’S RANKINGS

1 – United States

9 – Netherlands

21 – Portugal

32 – Vietnam

GROUP SUMMARY

The United States have set the gold standard in women’s football for some years now and will be odds-on favourites to claim an unprecedented third World Cup victory in a row.

They had a wobble in October last year when they lost three matches in a row to England, Spain and Germany, but have won all of their other 22 games since February last year.

Remarkably they only conceded four goals in those 22 matches, showing how utterly dominant they are at both ends of the pitch.

The fact that they have played 25 games in total in the last 17 months also shows the distinct advantage they have over most teams. They play a lot of games, spend a lot of time together and are not that far off a club side in that regard.

The side is coached by Vlatko Andonovski, who believes the gap is closing between the big guns and emerging nations.

“The top 10 have always been there. The world that is catching up is Wales, is Vietnam, is Zambia, Portugal. These are these are the countries that are catching up. The 7-0, 8-0 games are gone. And we can see that Germany plays against Zambia, loses 3-2. Those games are going to happen,” Andonovski said.

“And that’s what we are preparing ourselves for, so we don’t run into a game like that with the mentality that it’s going to be easy. No game is going to be easy. It doesn’t matter who’s in front of us.”

Netherlands will hope to make up for the heartache of their 2-0 final loss to the United States four years ago but have struggled a bit since then and are not seen as the force they once were.

Coach Andries Jonker has selected the youngest ever Dutch squad to go to a world cup, including 17-year-old Wieke Kaptein, and are without all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema, who has a whopping 95 goals for her country.

Thumping wins over Poland and Belgium in their last two games have instilled some confidence in the team ahead of their opener against World Cup debutants Portugal.

The latter are led by coach Francisco Neto, who was just 32 when he took charge of the side, and nine years later has overseen a dramatic rise in their fortunes.

“This is a team with lots of ambition, with many players having an incredible journey with us,” Neto said. “We have in the squad 12 players who were at the 2017 European Championship and 19 who went to the last Euros. They are athletes who have grown up in adversity but show that they are capable of responding. That’s why we are where we are.”

Vietnam are also on the big stage for the first time and will be the minnows in the pool.

This is their first global championship of any kind and they have not finished better than sixth in their regional Asian continental finals, so not much is expected of them Down Under.

THE SQUADS

UNITED STATES

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O'Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)

Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville), Julie Ertz (Angel City), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham)

VIETNAM

Goalkeepers: Tran Th? Kim Thanh (Ho Chi Minh), Khong Th? Hang (Than KSVN), Dao Th? Kieu Oanh (Hanoi)

Defenders: Chuong Thi Kieu (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thi Thu Thao (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thi Thu (Ho Chi Minh), Hoang Thi Loan (Hanoi), Tran Thi Hai Linh (Hanoi), Le Thi Diem My (Than KSVN), Luong ThiThu Thuong (Than KSVN), Nguyen Thi My Anh (Thai Nguyen), Tran Thi Thuy Nga (Thai Nguyen)

Midfielders: Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (Ha Nam), Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thi Thuy Trang (Ho Chi Minh), Ngan Thi V?n Su (Hanoi), Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha (Hanoi), Thai Thi Thao (Hanoi), Duong Thi Van (Than KSVN)

Forwards: Ph?m Hai Yen (Hanoi), Vu Thi Hoa (Ho Chi Minh), Nguyen Th? Thuy Hang (Than KSVN), Huynh Nhu (Lank Vilaverdense)

NETHERLANDS

Goalkeepers:

Daphne van Domselaar (FC Twente), Lize Kop (Ajax), Jacintha Weimar (Feyenoord)

Defenders: Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Caitlin Dijkstra (Twente), Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid), Stefanie van der Gragt (Inter Milan), Dominique Janssen (Wolfsburg), Aniek Nouwen (AC Milan), Lynn Wilms (Wolfsburg)

Midfielders: Jill Baijings (Bayer Leverkusen), Danielle van de Donk (Lyon), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (PSG), Wieke Kaptein (FC Twente) Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg), Sherida Spitse (Ajax)

Forwards: Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus), Esmee Brugts (PSV), Renate Jansen (FC Twente), Lieke Martens (PSG), Katja Snoeijs (Everton).

PORTUGAL Goalkeepers: Rute Costa (Benfica), Ines Pereira (Servette), Patricia Morais (Braga)

Defenders: Ana Seica (Benfica), Carole da Silva Costa (Benfica), Catarina Amado (Benfica), Diana Gomes (Sevilla), Joana Marchao (Parma), Lucia Alves (Benfica), Silvia Rebelo (Benfica)

Midfielders: Ana Rute (Braga), Andreia Norton (Benfica), Andreia Jacinto (Real Sociedad), Dolores Silva (Braga), Fatima Pinto (Deportivo Alaves), Kika Nazareth (Benfica), Tatiana Pinto (Levante)

Forwards: Ana Borges (Sporting CP), Ana Capeta (Sporting CP), Carolina Mendes (Braga), Diana Silva (Sporting CP), Jessica Silva (Benfica), Telma Encarnacao (CS Maritimo)