The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on Thursday. The ninth edition of the tournament travels to Australia and New Zealand from July 20-Aug. 20 and promises to be the most widely watched one to date. The defending champions, the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) will open their campaign against Vietnam on Saturday, July 22.
There are eight groups consisting of four nations, each country will play every team in their group once. The top two teams in each group will then move on to the knockout stages of the tournament.
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2023 Women’s World Cup: Group E
United States
- Nickname: N/A
- FIFA Rank: 1st
- World Cup appearances: 9th
- Best finish: Champions (2019)
The defending champions are attempting a historical three-peat this summer. Their combination of exciting young talent and vastly experienced stalwarts make them favorites once again at a WWC. Opening their campaign against Vietnam on July 22, anything but a tournament win would be a disappointment for Team USA. This will be the first World Cup in charge for Vlatko Andonovski, whose focus has been on playing “attractive, attacking, and aggressive” soccer. Key players from 2019 such as Megan Rapinoe, Kelley O’Hara, Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz, and Crystal Dunn remain at the forefront. There have also been some new youngsters added to the team sheet, Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman, Portland Thorns’ Sophia Smith, and Angel City’s Alyssa Thompson are all under the age of 23.
Vietnam
- Nickname: Golden Star Warriors
- FIFA Rank: 32nd
- World Cup appearances: 1st
- Best finish: N/A
As Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy fired home Vietnam’s second goal against Chinese Taipei, she qualified her country for its first-ever WWC. For Mai Duc Chung’s side, it would be a momentous achievement to escape the group stages considering they are ranked 32nd in a powerhouse group. Vietnamese players reached new heights in 2022 with Huynh Nhu signing a deal with Portuguese side Lank Vilaverdense, the first Vietnamese player to do so in Europe. Despite their underdog status in this group, Mai Duc Chung’s tactical expertise will give them some confidence for their opener against the world’s top team.
Netherlands
- Nickname: Orange Lionesses
- FIFA Rank: 9th
- World Cup appearances: 3rd
- Best finish: 2nd (2019)
The 2019 finalists had a disappointing Euros campaign last year, falling to France in the quarterfinals. Andries Jonker has been in charge for less than a year, his first task, to make sure the Dutch qualified for the WWC was completed successfully. They were ranked as high as No. 3 in the world in 2019 but have struggled to find form in recent years. The addition of Esmee Brugts should add a dangerous attacking threat to the panel. Jill Roord, who just signed a record-breaking deal with Manchester City, was on the Euro 2017 winning squad and will be a focal point of the midfield for the Dutch. The Netherlands will face 21st-ranked Portugal on July 23.
Portugal
- Nickname: A Seleção (The National Team)
- FIFA Rank: 21st
- World Cup appearances: 1st
- Best finish: N/A
It was a hard-earned qualification for the Portuguese National team, a successful 13-match qualifier means they’re heading to their first WWC in history. They bring good form to the competition after a 10-game win streak last year, which will be necessary if they want to stand a chance in the group. The strenuous road to Down Under has allowed the team to be exposed to quality opposition says 9-year coach Francisco Neto. The goal for Portugal this summer: To simply compete with the world’s best.
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