World champions USA, Euro 2022 winners England and Asian Cup holders China all start their World Cup campaigns on Saturday.
Who will end day three on the high of Group D with Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses enjoying debutants Haiti earlier than Denmark faces China?
The USA and Vietnam kick off the primary Group E sport and 2011 World Cup winners Japan tackle Zambia with the hope of changing Spain on the high of Group C.
USA v Vietnam
Group E | Auckland | 02:00 BST
The USA are again on the world stage as they begin their title defence and bid for a 3rd consecutive World Cup trophy towards Vietnam in Auckland.
4 years in the past, the USA thrashed Thailand 13-0 of their opening World Cup sport and they’re anticipated to get an easy win towards Vietnam.
Nonetheless, the Golden Star Warriors have been described as a “wildcard” by US ahead Lynn Williams, whereas US supervisor Vlatko Andonovski mentioned it was “one of the best Vietnam workforce that has ever been on the sphere”.
“We’ve got a really robust opponent forward of us,” Andonovski added.
“We’re definitely going to come back out with a workforce that may give us one of the best likelihood to win each sport.”
Rachel Brown-Finnis’ prediction: Realistically, there may be solely going to be one winner right here, and it’s only a case of what number of targets the USA will get. 3-0.
Key stat: That is the primary encounter between the USA and Vietnam, and the USA have by no means misplaced within the 15 World Cup video games they’ve performed towards groups from Asia.
Zambia v Japan
Group C | Hamilton | 08:00 BST | BBC
Zambia could also be making their World Cup debut and ranked because the event’s lowest workforce, however current outcomes present they’re a facet to not be underestimated.
The Copper Queens defeated Germany, the second ranked workforce on the planet, 3-2 in a warm-up match earlier this month, and held Switzerland to a draw a few weeks earlier.
“So far as I am involved, we can’t contemplate ourselves as underdogs,” Zambia supervisor Bruce Mwape mentioned.
“We regard ourselves as an epic workforce that may problem some other workforce on the planet.”
In the meantime, Japan boss Futoshi Ikeda says the sport towards Zambia is a must-win fixture to get their event off to a optimistic begin within the hope of repeating their 2011 success.
“It is a event so now we have to win one sport after the opposite. That is necessary. We wish to get off on the correct foot so now we have to win,” he added.
Rachel Brown-Finnis’ prediction: This must be a extremely good sport, between two groups with such completely different enjoying kinds, and I’m going to go for a high-scoring draw. 2-2
Key stat: Zambia will turn out to be the primary landlocked African nation to play at a males’s or girls’s World Cup.
England v Haiti
Group D | Brisbane | 10:30 BST | ITV
European champions England are fourth on the planet rating, 49 locations higher off than Haiti, who will likely be enjoying of their first ever Ladies’s World Cup match.
Haiti supervisor Nicolas Delepine mentioned: “It’ll be a troublesome sport, for certain. If I’ve to speak concerning the strengths of England, I will be right here all day.
“In huge competitions England are robust opponents. They performed effectively within the European Championship.
“We’re anticipating a excessive depth sport. They’re a troublesome workforce to play towards, they’re attacking with threats all over the place.”
Regardless of being sturdy favourites to win the sport, England boss Sarina Wiegman mentioned they’d not be underestimating their opponents.
“The strain is at all times one thing, everybody expects England to win anyway, in order that’s not completely different,” mentioned Wiegman.
“What we’re making an attempt to do is play our sport and concentrate on what now we have to do and the way we are able to win.”
Rachel Brown-Finnis’ prediction: England ought to get the job performed and beat a Haiti workforce enjoying at their first World Cup, but it surely may not be an particularly convincing efficiency. I simply hope it provides England some confidence to take ahead for his or her video games to come back. 2-0.
Key stat: This would be the first ever encounter between England and Haiti, who’re making their debut look on the Ladies’s World Cup.
Denmark v China
Group D | Perth | 13:00 BST | BBC
Denmark are again within the World Cup for the primary time since 2007 and cruised by means of qualifying, successful all eight matches, scoring 40 instances and solely conceding twice.
Their squad consists of seven gamers from the Ladies’s Tremendous League – Everton quartet Katrine Veje, Rikke Sevecke, Nicoline Sorensen and Karen Holmgaard, Studying’s Sanne Troelsgaard, West Ham’s Emma Snerle and Arsenal’s Kathrine Kuhl.
They’re captained by ahead Pernille Tougher, who gained the WSL title 3 times with Chelsea earlier than transferring to Bayern Munich earlier this summer time.
China have certified for the World Cup on eight of the 9 events it has been held, ending as runners-up in 1999 after dropping to the USA within the closing.
Final 12 months China gained the Asian Cup and their squad for 2023 consists of uncapped Celtic midfielder Shen Mengyu.
Denmark play England on Friday, 28 July with China dealing with the Lionesses of their final group match on 1 August.
Rachel Brown-Finnis’ prediction: China are just one place under Denmark, who’re thirteenth, on the planet rankings so they’re fairly equal. I simply assume the Danes could have extra attacking spark. 2-0.
Key stat: Denmark have confronted China greater than some other workforce on the Ladies’s World Cup, however they’re but to win towards the Asian facet.