GROUP E
UNITED STATES
Previous World Cup Appearances: 8
World Cup Record: 40-6-4
Best Finish: Champion in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019
Coach: Vlatko Andonovski
Key Players: Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith. Crystal Dunn
WHAT TO KNOW: The United States lost one of its best players, forward Mallory Swanson, to injury in an exhibition match against Ireland earlier this year. Swanson was the team’s top scorer this year with seven goals. The team has options to replace her, including Lynn Williams, Trinity Rodman and possibly Megan Rapinoe. Alex Morgan and Rapinoe lead the United States among active players with nine goals each. The United States beat the Netherlands 2-0 to win the 2019 World Cup. The team’s most memorable World Cup final came in 1999 at the Rose Bowl, when the United States prevailed over China on penalties. In the 2015 final, Carli Lloyd scored three goals in the first 16 minutes. Overall, the U.S. is 8-1-1 against the Dutch. It will be the first meeting with Vietnam. The Americans have won all 10 matches they’ve played against Portugal.
VIETNAM
Previous World Cup Appearances: 0
World Cup Record: 0-0
Best Finish: N/A
Coach: Mai Duc Chung
Key Players: Huynh Nhu, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung
WHAT TO KNOW: Vietnam made team history just by qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Vietnam had never qualified for a World Cup, men’s or women’s, in the country’s history. After losing to China in the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Vietnam was placed in a three-team, round robin playoff among quarterfinal losers for a World Cup spot. Vietnam defeated both Thailand and Taiwan to qualify. Midfielder Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung is the player with the most international appearances with 76. She has scored 54 goals. Captain Huynh Nhu has scored 67 times in 72 international appearances. Vietnam has never played any of the countries in its group.
NETHERLANDS
Previous World Cup Appearances: 2
World Cup Record: 7-3-1
Best Finish: Runner-up in 2019
Coach: Andries Jonker
Key Players: Jill Roord, Lieke Martens, Daniëlle van de Donk
WHAT TO KNOW: The team lost its all-time leading scorer, forward Vivianne Miedema, to an ACL injury in 2022. Miedema confirmed earlier this year that she won’t be playing at the World Cup. Without her, the Dutch will rely on scoring punch from players such as Jill Roord and Lieke Martens. The Netherlands has a 1-8-1 record against the United States, though only one of those matches was in a World Cup: the 2019 World Cup final, which the Americans won 2-0. The team’s game against the Americans at the Tokyo Olympics ended in a 2-2 draw. The Netherlands' only loss to Portugal was in a 2003 World Cup qualifier in 2001. This will be the first meeting with World Cup newcomer Vietnam.
PORTUGAL
Previous World Cup Appearances: 0
World Cup Record: 0-0
Best Finish: N/A
Coach: Francisco Neto
Key Players: Jessica Silva, Diana Silva, Kika Nazareth
WHAT TO KNOW: Portugal will make its first World Cup appearance after qualifying through the playoff tournament. Its second-most experienced player, Carole Costa with 151 national team appearances, scored a stoppage-time penalty against Cameroon to win the final playoff match, 2-1. Portugal made its second appearance in the European Championship last year, exiting in the group stage. Portugal has lost and been shutout in all 10 of its matches against the United States, losing by a combined 39-0. In three meetings, it has never beaten the Netherlands, losing 3-2 twice (2022, 2014) and 7-0 (2013). Portugal has never played Vietnam.
GROUP F
FRANCE
Previous World Cup Appearances: 4
World Cup Record: 10-3-6
Best Finish: Semifinals in 2011
Coach: Hervé Renard
Key Players: Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer, Grace Geyoro
WHAT TO KNOW: After Wendie Renard announced she would no longer play for the national team, the French soccer federation replaced coach Corinne Diacre with Hervé Renard this year. Renard recently managed the Saudi Arabia men’s team during the 2022 World Cup. Wendie Renard has since returned to the team. With 88 goals and counting, Eugenie Le Sommer is France’s all-time leading scorer. Renard is one of the most decorated center backs in French soccer, with 14 French League titles and eight European Cups to her name. France will be without Delphine Cascarino, who recently suffered an ACL injury while playing for her club team, Lyon. France has never lost to Brazil, with six wins and five draws in 11 matches. It won its only match against Jamaica and has never faced Panama.
JAMAICA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 1
World Cup Record: 0-0-3
Best Finish: Group stage in 2019
Coach: Lorne Donaldson
Key Players: Khadija Shaw, Trudi Carter, Jody Brown
WHAT TO KNOW: Jamaica will be making its second World Cup appearance after becoming the first Caribbean team to qualify for the tournament in 2019. Jamaica lost all three group stage games in 2019 — 3-0 to Brazil, 5-0 to Italy and 4-1 to Australia. Havana Solaun scored the team’s only goal of the tournament. Khadija “Bunny” Shaw is the team’s captain and all-time leader with 38 goals in 56 appearances. The Manchester City striker was the second-leading scorer in the Women’s Super League this season. Jamaica has defeated Panama twice, including a victory in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. Jamaica’s all-time record against Brazil is 0-2. It lost its only match against France.
BRAZIL
Previous World Cup Appearances: 8
World Cup Record: 20-10-4
Best Finish: Runner-up in 2007
Coach: Pia Sundhage
Key Players: Marta, Debinha, Rafaelle Souza, Gabi Nunes
WHAT TO KNOW: Brazil will be making its ninth World Cup appearance this year. The team is led by six-time FIFA player of the year Marta, who is playing in her sixth — and possibly last — World Cup. The team’s most memorable World Cup finish came in 2007 when it lost in the final to Germany 2-0. Brazil has dominated South American women’s soccer, winning eight of the nine Copa America Femenina tournaments that have been played. Brazil lost to England following a penalty shootout on April 6. Five days later, the team rebounded to defeat Germany 2-1. Brazil is winless against France in 11 matches, with five draws and six losses. Brazil and Jamaica have met twice, with Brazil winning both matches, including a 3-0 victory in the 2019 World Cup. Brazil and Panama have never played.
PANAMA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 0
World Cup Record: 0-0
Best Finish: N/A
Coach: Ignacio Quintana
Key Players: Marta Cox, Riley Tanner, Lineth Cedeño, Yenith Bailey
WHAT TO KNOW: Known as Las Canaleras, Panama will make its debut in the World Cup this year. Panama came close to qualifying for the 2019 tournament, but was defeated by Argentina in the CONMEBOL-CONCACAF playoff. This year, Panama was the final team to qualify, defeating Papua New Guinea and Paraguay in the inter-confederation playoffs in February. Panama has faced Jamaica twice in its history, losing both matches. Panama’s upcoming matches against Brazil and France will be its first-ever encounters with those teams.
GROUP G
SWEDEN
Previous World Cup Appearances: 8
World Cup Record: 23-5-12
Best Finish: Runner-up in 2003
Coach: Peter Gerhardsson
Key Players: Stina Blackstenius, Kosovare Asllani, Caroline Seger
WHAT TO KNOW: Sweden is a highly experienced team, led by team captain Caroline Seger with 233 appearances. Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius are the primary scorers for Sweden. Asllani has 44 goals in 170 international appearances, while Blackstenius has 28 goals in 88 appearances. Sweden won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, falling in the final to Canada. Sweden has never lost to South Africa in the four games between the two countries, with three wins and a draw. Against Italy, the Swedes are 3-2-1. Sweden has only played Argentina once, which resulted in a 1-0 victory in 2008.
SOUTH AFRICA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 1
World Cup Record: 0-3-0
Best Finish: Group Stage in 2019
Coach: Desiree Ellis
Key Players: Hildah Magaia, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Thembi Kgatlana
WHAT TO KNOW: South Africa won the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-1 victory over Morocco. But the team has won only three of its subsequent nine matches. The South Africans have only participated in only one other World Cup, in 2019, and are still searching for their first win at the tournament. They are led by longtime coach Desiree Ellis, a former national team player who led the team to the World Cup four years ago and several Cup of Nations finals. This will be the first meeting for South Africa with Sweden, Argentina and Italy.
ITALY
Previous World Cup Appearances: 3
World Cup Record: 6-5-1
Best Finish: Quarterfinals in 1991 and 2019.
Coach: Milena Bertolini
Key Players: Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea, Arianna Caruso
WHAT TO KNOW: Italy made a run to the quarterfinals at the 2019 World Cup, but Le Azzurre has since faltered. The Italian women went winless at Euro 2022 and lost two of three in the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup. Italy must strike a balance between prominent names from the 2019 World Cup run and younger talents. Cristiana Girelli scored a hat trick in the group stage in 2019 against Jamaica. Arianna Caruso, 23, became the youngest woman to reach 100 appearances with Juventus and debuted with Le Azzurre immediately following the last World Cup. Italy has a 1-2-1 all-time record against Sweden. It will face South Africa and Argentina for the first time.
ARGENTINA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 4
World Cup Record: 0-7-2
Best Finish: Group Stage in 2003, 2007 and 2019
Coach: Germán Portanova
Key Players: Estefania Banini, Vaina Correa, Yamila Rodriguez
WHAT TO KNOW: The appointment of Germán Portanova as coach in 2021 allowed for the return of Estefania Banini, who was among the players who declined call-ups under the previous coach, Carlos Borrello. Banini and Yamila Rodriguez guided their team to a third-place finish at the 2022 Copa America. Rodriguez finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals. Argentina’s best World Cup showing was in 2019 when it held former champion Japan to a 0-0 draw and clinched a 3-3 draw against Scotland with a 94th-minute equalizer. Goalkeeper Vanina Correa ,39, will be among the oldest players at the World Cup. In their only meeting, Sweden beat Argentina 1-0 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This will be its first match against South Africa and first time playing Italy.
GROUP H
GERMANY
Previous World Cup Appearances: 8
World Cup Record: 30-9-5
Best Finish: Champion in 2003 and 2007
Coach: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg
Key Players: Alexandra Popp, Lena Oberdorf, Kathrin Hendrich
WHAT TO KNOW: The German national team comes into the tournament ranked No. 2 in the world. The Germans are the only team besides the United States to win more than one World Cup title. Germany won the 2016 Olympic gold medal, defeating Sweden in the final. Germany lost in extra time, 2-1, to England in the Euro 2022 final and was knocked out of the 2019 World Cup quarterfinals by Sweden. Alexandra Popp missed the Euro 2022 final after a muscle injury in the warm-ups. Germany has not faced Colombia, Morocco or South Korea before.
MOROCCO
Previous World Cup Appearances: 0
World Cup Record: 0-0
Best Finish: N/A
Coach: Reynald Pedros
Key Players: Ghizlane Chebbak, Rosella Ayane, Fatima Tagnaout
WHAT TO KNOW: Morocco became the first Arab nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup last year by beating three-time defending Women’s African Cup of Nations champion Nigeria in the WAFCON semifinals. Morocco hosted the tournament, defeating Nigeria in a penalty shootout in front of 45,562 spectators. Captain Ghizlane Chebbak was the 2022 WAFCON Player of the Tournament and has scored 21 goals in 56 appearances. Forward Rosella Ayane, with nine goals in 19 matches, is the team's only player in the Women’s Super League. Morocco has never before played any of its group opponents.
COLOMBIA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 2
World Cup Record: 1-4-2
Best Finish: Round of 16 in 2015
Coach: Nelson Abadía
Key Players: Catalina Usme, Daniela Montoya, Linda Caicedo
WHAT TO KNOW: Colombia is often overlooked in favor of neighbors Brazil and Argentina. But in the 2022 Copa América Femenina, Colombia went 4-0-0 in the group stage and finished with a plus-10 goal differential. Colombia beat the Argentines 1-0 in the semifinals before losing to Brazil 1-0. Caicedo, only 17 at the time, won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player. In 2015, Colombia beat France 2-0 in the group stage, making it the first Spanish-speaking country to win a match at a Women’s World Cup. Colombia has never played any of its group-stage opponents in a World Cup match.
SOUTH KOREA
Previous World Cup Appearances: 3
World Cup Record: 1-8-1
Best Finish: Round of 16 in 2015
Coach: Collin Bell
Key Players: Ji So-yun, Lee Geum-min, Cho So-hyun
WHAT TO KNOW: South Korea has struggled in its three World Cup appearances, with its only victory a 2-1 win over Spain in 2015. In 2019, South Korea was outscored 8-1 in the group stage, with the lone goal coming from Yeo Min-ji. Ji So-yun is first all-time on South Korea's scoring list, with 66 goals during her 17-year tenure. The first South Korean to play in the Women’s Super League, she helped Chelsea win five WSL titles. Collin Bell, the team’s first foreign coach, took over in 2019 and led South Korea to a best-ever, runner-up finish at the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup. This will be South Korea’s first time playing Colombia, Germany and Morocco on any stage.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
