Fansided

Women’s World Cup 2019 Team of the Tournament

By Kevin Parvizi

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 28: Kadidiatou DIani of France in action during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Quarter Final match between France and USA at Parc des Princes on June 28, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 28: Kadidiatou DIani of France in action during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Quarter Final match between France and USA at Parc des Princes on June 28, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Jackie Groenen (FFC Frankfurt) of Netherlands controls the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Semi Final match between Netherlands and Sweden at Stade de Lyon on July 3, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jackie Groenen (FFC Frankfurt) of Netherlands controls the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Semi Final match between Netherlands and Sweden at Stade de Lyon on July 3, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /

LM Megan Rapinoe, United States

Most of Megan Rapinoe’s goals (four of six) were from set pieces or penalties, but the United States left winger was still one of the best players at this year’s tournament, winning the Golden Boot with six goals and three assists. Nobody averaged more goals and assists per 90 minutes, per FBref.com, than Rapinoe (1.68). She remains one of the world’s best crossers, and the ice in her veins on set pieces helped carry the United States through two difficult matchups against Spain and France.

Honorable Mentions: Janine Beckie (Canada), Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene (Cameroon), Estefania Banini (Argentina), Beth Mead (England), Debinha (Brazil)

CM Kosovare Asllani, Sweden

Kosovare Asllani led all players in this year’s tournament in fouls committed, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she also led all players in fouls drawn. These statistics are indication of how hard Asllani fought in the midfield for Sweden, because while she’s listed as an attacking midfielder, the truth is she was absolutely everywhere. Asllani scored three goals and assisted twice as one of the World Cup’s most productive players, but she also did so much dirty work as a defender, constantly harrying opposition forwards or defenders to win back possession for her team.

No single player put more on the line every game than Asllani, who was carted off in the semifinals in extra time after constantly putting her body on the line throughout the nail-biting battle against the Netherlands. The damage inflicted in that game forced her to be subbed off early in the third-place game, as she nervously watched Sweden secure third place.

Nobody who watched Asllani this year will ever forget what she did for Sweden, as this was a special World Cup performance from a special player.

CM Jackie Groenen

It feels wrong leaving Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis, Amandine Henry, Jill Scott, and any of the other wonderful center midfielders in this tournament off the first team, but Jackie Groenen absolutely has to find her way on here. The Netherlands came into the tournament full of praise for the attacking trio of Lieke Martens, Vivianne Miedema, and Shanice van de Sanden. But Martens struggled with a toe injury, van de Sanden played worse than Lineth Beerensteyn, and Miedema *only* scored three goals in 657 minutes of action.

So what led the Netherlands to be a finalist and one of the most consistent teams in the tournament? Their industrious midfield. And nobody provided more industry in that talented midfield than Jackie Groenen. She had a whopping 15 tackles, 14 interceptions, and 14 fouls drawn in an all-action World Cup.

Groenen also did the spectacular in the semifinals, pulling off a wonder-strike from outside the box to lift the Netherlands to a gutsy extra time victory over a hard-nosed Sweden. She showed technical prowess and grit in the center of the park for the Netherlands, and fans all over the world should be excited to watch Groenen take her talents to Manchester United this season.

Honorable Mentions: Rose Lavelle (US), Sam Mewis (US), Danielle van de Donk (Netherlands), Amandine Henry (France), Jill Scott (England), Lina Magull (Germany), Aurora Galli (Italy), Julie Ertz (US), Sherida Spitse (Netherlands), Sara Däbritz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden)

RM Kadidiatou Diani, France

Somehow, some way, Delphine Cascarino wasn’t the best right midfielder for the French national team, and that has everything to do with Kadidiatou Diani’s brilliance. Diani only received a reprieve from the full 90 (or 120) minutes in France’s final group stage game against Nigeria when her team already had the top spot in the group well covered.

Fans were spellbound by Diani’s dazzling dribbling skills, intelligent movement off the ball, and ability to play just about any position under the sun. Diani caused Brazil a whole host of problems in one of the best single-game performances by a winger on the international stage in recent memory, and she nearly had a similar game against the United States. If she were going up against any left back other than Crystal Dunn, Diani may have had a hat-trick’s worth of combined goals and assists.

A superstar forward at PSG, Diani is on the precipice of becoming the world’s absolute best at the age of 24. All she needs is the goal-scoring touch at the international level to go with all of her other qualities as an attacking player.

Honorable Mentions: Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden), Lucia Garcia (Spain), Nikita Parris (England), Ajara Nchout (Cameroon)