July 19 () –
Group E of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will once again bring together the current champions and runners-up, the favorites the United States and the Netherlands, favorites to win tickets to the round of 16 against two rookies such as Portugal and Vietnam.
The American team seeks to maintain its world hegemony and win its fifth trophy, the third in a row after its victories in 2015 and 2019, something unprecedented so far in the ‘short’ history of the championship. Germany, champions in 2003 and 2007, is the other team that had that option, but without success in 2011, where they were hosts and where they lost in the quarterfinals to Japan, the later winner.
The current champion, who also reigned in 1991 and 1999 and who has played in the last three finals, is a clear candidate to fight for a new success since no team can boast not only of so many titles but also of having stood up in all editions at least in the semifinals, it shows the potential of women’s football in this country, where it clearly surpasses men’s.
However, it seems that Australia and New Zealand are not as scary as before, both because their level does not seem the same due to the growth of other rivals, especially Europeans. In fact, the team led by Vlatko Andonovski, taking over from the laureate Jill Ellis, has had an irregular preparation with winter defeats in Europe against England, Spain and Germany, although they have won everything in 2023.
The US team, number one in the FIFA ranking, will defend the title with a good part of the squad with which it renewed its throne in 2019, with figures such as the charismatic Megan Rapinoe, in her last international appearance, Alex Morgan or Rose Lavelle, the The sensitive loss of the veteran defense Becky Sauerbrunn and a squad where only the midfielder Lindsey Horan plays outside the country, in the powerful Olympique de Lyon.
The main rival for the United States in this World Cup start will be the Netherlands, a team with a good level and that will seek revenge for the final four years ago, when they lost 2-0 in the fight for the title.
The current runner-up has lost one of her great supporters, the coach Sarina Wiegman, with whom she was also proclaimed European champion in 2017 and who now successfully leads England. His position is now occupied by Andries Jonker, who will try to put the Dutch back among the best after their weak performance in the last Euro Cup where they passed the quarterfinals.
The Netherlands will face the third World Cup in its history, all of them since its premiere in 2015, with a squad that includes top-level footballers such as midfielder Jill Roord, winger Lieke Martens, who has not had her best year, or the Spanish Damaris Egurrola, but that will have the significant loss of striker Vivianne Miedema, another footballer who has suffered a serious knee injury.
The Dutch team, ninth in the world ranking, also shared a group in the last Euro Cup with Portugal, which created many problems for them although they ended up falling 3-2. Now, a year later, the Portuguese want to take advantage of their greater experience in what will be their debut in a World Cup.
Francisco Neto’s team, second in their qualifying group after Germany, needed to subsequently eliminate Belgium, Iceland and Cameroon, the latter with a penalty in the 94th minute to seal their presence in this World Cup, where they will seek to surprise to fight to revive their dream. Many of his options will go through Jessica Silva’s boots.
Finally, the group is completed with the presence of another rookie in these competitions such as the Vietnam team, number 32 in the FIFA ranking, which qualified through the Asian play-off by beating Chinese Taipei. Huynh Nhu, the first player from her country to play in Europe, is the benchmark for the team coached by Mai Duc Chung and which Spain thrashed 9-0 in a training match prior to this World Cup, but who did stand up in another friendly against Germany (2-1).
