It’s easy to get distracted and lose track of events and it just dawned on me that the Women’s World Cup starts tomorrow in Canada. My apologies for that.
I am a fan of the women’s game; a big fan. In 2011 I spent my lunch hour following games in wifi hotspots on my Ipad. It is much harder to follow, however, due to the collapse of the WPSL and the scarcity of games being broadcast in the new NWSL as well as the absence of coverage of women’s leagues outside the US. Consequently, my familiarity with individual players is very limited. Moreover, this year there are twenty-four countries participating and I know nothing about players from Thailand, Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Côte D’Ivoire, Cameroon and Switzerland, all of which are making their first appearances in the World Cup this year.
I will, nevertheless, attempt to make some predictions as to which teams will make it out of the groups based on history. Group A consists of Canada, China, New Zealand and the Netherlands; I believe Canada and China will advance. Group B consists of Germany, Côte D’Ivoire, Thailand and Norway; Germany and Norway advance. Group C consists of Japan, Switzerland, Cameroon and Ecuador. I predict Japan and perhaps Switzerland, as the three teams other than Japan are unknown to me. Group D consists of USA, Sweden, Australia and Nigeria; I believe Sweden and USA will advance. Group E is comprised of Brazil, South Korea, Spain and Costa Rica; I believe Brazil and South Korea will advance.Group F is made up of France, England, Colombia and Mexico; I believe France and England will advance.
I will post open threads for each game. For some background on some of the top players, click here. For a look at some of the issues raised about the state of the league in the US, I recommend this.
Goodbye Sepp Blatter! You will not be missed.
RobertDSC (Quad Intel Mac)
Good to see you, amigo.
Fred
What do you think about the controversy of FIFA having the women’s games on artificial turf whereas they’d never make the men play on anything but natural grass?
Valdivia
oh yay! you’re here. woot.
Any postings for Copa America? Or the Champions League game tomorrow for Barca? I know, very greedy for soccer threads.
David Koch
She’s a bad mama jama
Anne Laurie
Welcome back, Randinho!
Most sincerely!
Aleta
Etta James Take it to the Limit
Amir Khalid
You’re back!! We missed you!
It’s a pity women’s football doesn’t get taken seriously. I think only in tennis are the top-ranked women stars on a level with the top-ranked men.
With Sepp, I await the fruits of the FBI’s investigations. i suspect they’ll be pretty juicy.
Royston Vasey
Men’s Under-20s World Cup is already going on here in New Zealand.
USA beat NZ 4-0 the other day, but we beat Myanmar 5-1 last night in Wellington
Ukraine top the group and progress along with USA
Geeno
@Fred: Agreed – that’s terrible. Turf is awful for all kinds of football. It’s just not a good surface for the human body.
Pete Gaughan
FIFA women’s rankings are here.
I agree with your group predictions, except I think Spain will move on instead of Korea.
In Group C, Switzerland (world rank #19) should join Japan (#4), leaving behind Cameroon (#60) and Ecuador (#48). The Swiss were weak for many years but went 9-1-1 combined in 2013 & 2014. This year they’ve been losing again, but they’ve been playing tougher opponents to gear up for WC: they’ve lost to Brazil and Germany, both on the road, in the past couple of months; and they did beat Sweden.
Amir Khalid
@Pete Gaughan:
Interestingly, Malaysia’s women’s team (#89) is ranked considerably higher than the men’s team (#162). Yet there’s only ever men’s football on the telly here.
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie: Seconded.
I just with we had a rugby blogger. ::kicks rocks::
Randinho
Thanks to all for the kind words.
@Fred: I detest the artificial turf. I hope that whoever ends up being in control of FIFA does away with it for good.
@Valdivia: i hope to have a CL open thread and will probably do something for Copa America. Visca el Barça!
Cacti
Come on Rand.
Nothing about tomorrow’s Champions League final match?
You’re letting me down, rapaz (actually, I have no idea how old you are).
Randinho
@Omnes Omnibus: if it’s any consolation there will be rugby sevens in the Olympics next year.
Randinho
@Cacti: i’m 58.
You must have missed my open thread mention above for the CL. With Chiellini out it is going to be even tougher for Juventus.
Omnes Omnibus
@Randinho: It is some consolation, but when I played Sevens, they made me play hooker. The horrors….
Valdivia
@Randinho: thank you! Messi the Messiah as they call him.
magurakurin
@Omnes Omnibus: Rugby World Cup this year in England. Go Ireland. But the All Blacks are much loved in our living room as well, so, we are conflicted me and my wife. But I can tell you who we aren’t cheering for…..ENGLAND!
And Rugby Sevens just isn’t the same at all. And the Olympics are shit.
Omnes Omnibus
@magurakurin: I root for France (given that the US is not a contender). I saw J-P Rives play. Comparatively small, agile flanker was what I wanted to play. I only got to do it by playing B-side. On A, they wanted me at wing.
Anne Laurie
@Omnes Omnibus:
Somebody wants to volunteer, I suspect Cole could be talked into giving them a key to the front page…
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie: No, you know that no one wants me to be given the keys to anything. The ferrets and ocelots would run riot.
Armadillo
Deadspin has a fair amount of WWC coverage, as well as Sbnation.
Randinho
@magurakurin: Have to respectfully disagree regarding sevens. I love the pace of the game.
SRW1
Haven’t seen all that much ladies football, but from what I have seen I liked France. I think they gave Germany a bit of trouble recently and may turn out to be the Japan of this years tournament.
ALanM
A rugby contributor on BJ, truly my cup would overrun.
I look forward to Cole getting into it, and the 300+ posts discussing the refereeing of the breakdown…
burnspbesq
@Royston Vasey:
Given the calamitous collapses of Argentina and Mexico (a round of schadenfreude for the house, barkeep), your lot look a good bet to advance to the knockout rounds as one of the four best third-place teams.
burnspbesq
Are the any actual Mexican residents playing for Mexico, or is it still mostly San Diego Suburban FC?
Royston Vasey
Go the Football Ferns! (New Zealand’s WC team)
Group A
NZ vs Netherlands Edmonton
Canada vs NZ Edmonton
China vs NZ Winnipeg
First game in about 4.5 hrs
Royston Vasey
@Omnes Omnibus:
You may of heard of the untimely death of ex All Black Star Jerry Collins, 34, and his wife in a road accident in France (where they live). Their 2 month old daughter survived the crash.
Front page news here in NZ.
Taken far too early.
RV in NZ
Bitter Scribe
I’ve had a mad crush on Hope Solo since the first time I saw her.