2019 Women’s World Cup draw: USWNT find their path to the title

The 2019 Women’s World Cup draw is complete. Where do the USWNT stand, and what other groups stand out?

With the Women’s World Cup just under six months away, the world’s attention was drawn to Paris on Saturday to find out exactly who each country would face off against. The hosts France, along with Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan and the United States all topped their groups coming from pot A. As the countries continued to be placed, the path forward for these top countries became clearer. Let’s take a deeper look at all six groups and the teams vying for a spot in the knockout rounds.

Group A: France, South Korea, Norway, Nigeria

This group has been labeled the Group of Death, and rightly so. The teams are ranked third, 14th, 13th, and 39th in the world, respectively. Even though Norway will be without their top player and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg, they still pose a threat in the group. France should be able to finish top, but they definitely have their work cut out for them. It’s very important they’re on the top of their game from the beginning.

Group B: Germany, China, Spain, South Africa

The two-time World Champions Germany have an easier group than their neighbors, but not by much. In this group, there are three top 15 teams in the world rankings. South Africa will be making their debut in the World Cup after finishing second in Africa Women’s Cup of Nations. Then there’s Spain, whose U-17 team just won the U-17 World Cup. It will be interesting to see how that success carries over to the senior team.

Group C: Australia, Brazil, Italy, Jamaica

Jamaica are also making their debut in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. The Reggae Girlz finished third in CONCACAF qualifying. They’ll have a tough path to advance with Australia and Brazil in their group, the sixth and 10th-ranked teams in the world respectively. Australia had an interesting year, going 8-4-5 in 2018. If star striker Sam Kerr can get hot and Lydia Williams and the defense hold their own, Australia could be very dangerous in this tournament.

Group D: Japan, England, Scotland, Argentina

This is definitely the weakest group of all six, but it presents some interesting story lines. Scotland are making their debut at the World Cup, while Argentina are back for the first time since 2007. Those are the biggest reasons this group is considered the easiest of them all. However, don’t underestimate these squads, especially Scotland. They finished first in their group in qualifying and have some star power. Japan and England will be a rematch of the thrilling semifinal from the 2015 World Cup. Both teams are expected to make it out of their group with ease.

Group E: Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Cameroon

While Group A is considered the Group of Death, this one comes pretty darn close. Depending on which New Zealand team shows up, this group could be very difficult. Canada and the Netherlands, fifth and seventh in the world, will definitely have to be on top of their games from the jump if they want a chance at finishing top. After not placing on home soil in 2015, an improved Canada team will be looking to establish themselves in the group stage. The Dutch will be carrying the weight of their nation after their male counterparts failed to make the 2018 Men’s World Cup in Russia.

Group F: United States, Sweden, Thailand, Chile

There you have it. The defending champs have a fairly easy path to the knockout stage. However, that comes at a price. If they’re to win their group, they’ll have to face off against the runners-up in Group E. That’s most likely going to mean arch-rival Canada or the champions of Europe, the Netherlands. But first, they have to take care of business in their group.

First up is a match against Thailand on June 11 in Reims. This will be Thailand’s second appearance in the World Cup. They finished 17th in Canada at the 2015 tournament. In one previous game, the United States defeated Thailand 9-0 in September of 2016.

In the second game, the United States will face off against Chile on June 16 in Paris. The U.S. have played two games against Chile, both coming in 2018. They won both games by a combined score of 7-0. Chile will be making their World Cup debut and will have a tough test for their first go around.

The final game of group play will be against long-time rival Sweden. In 38 games played, the U.S. are 21-6-11. Sweden were in the same group as the U.S. in the 2015 World Cup and knocked them out of the Olympics in 2016. In the world rankings, Sweden are ninth. This will be the toughest game for the defending champions, but with it being the final game of the group stage, it could be an opportunity to rotate some players.

The 2019 Women’s World Cup kicks off on June 7 in Paris, when hosts France take on South Korea.