(Photo credit score: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Previewing the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Group D
England, Haiti, Denmark, China
The favourite: Top seed England gained the 2022 Euro championship and got here in third on the 2015 Women’s World Cup and fourth on the 2019 Women’s World Cup. However, a pace bump is clear of their latest type, having not gained an official match in regulation since February, albeit whereas testing themselves towards different powers reminiscent of Brazil, Australia and Canada, which was an unofficial match performed behind closed doorways.
Best matchup: Denmark and China are ranked thirteenth and 14th by FIFA, respectively, and meet on Matchday 1 in Perth in what may very well be a winner-take-all scenario. With England additionally within the group, it is seemingly there is not room for each the Danes and the Chinese within the subsequent spherical, so the winner shall be at a significant benefit. Should the perimeters draw, it may come all the way down to who can beat debutants Haiti by a bigger purpose distinction.
History lesson: China stands out as the most completed girls’s soccer nation by no means to win a World Cup. The Steel Roses are nine-time champions of Asia, together with final 12 months after topping Japan on penalties within the semifinals and beating South Korea within the remaining. Similar to their regional rivals Japan, in addition they have fallen quick twice towards the United States in a remaining — on the 1996 Olympic Games after which the 1999 World Cup.
Players to look at: England’s Rachel Daly is arguably in the very best type of anybody in a crowded battle for time at striker, having scored a record-tying 22 objectives within the WSL for Aston Villa to win the Golden Boot within the English prime flight. Denmark all-time main scorer Pernille Harder had eight league objectives and three extra within the UEFA Champions League earlier than making a summer season transfer from Chelsea to Bayern Munich. China’s Wang Shenshan is the uncommon prolific worldwide striker who at occasions doubles as a defender.
Up subsequent: If England transfer on as group winners, their more than likely opponent within the spherical of 16 is likely to be co-hosts Australia. However, Canada and the Republic of Ireland are additionally strong potentialities.
–Field Level Media