Group D has two powerhouses with England and Japan and two unknowns with Argentina and Scotland. Unsure how this group will truly unfold will make for some exciting matchups and help settle the debate of experience vs youth.
Click on the country names below to see all the players on each team
Argentina, England, Japan, Scotland
ARGENTINA
Overview
At their first World Cup since 2007 Argentina comes into the tournament ranked 37th, one of the lower ranked teams. They’ve had a lackluster start to 2019 with a 1-3 record beating Uruguay who just so happened to be the one team they faced who isn’t at the World Cup this year. Argentina is on the rise as a program, but many of their players are still not full time professionals meaning they don’t have the same support or ability to train like the top countries do. Argentina has never made it past group play and unless they can get more support this year may not be their year either.
Key Players
The captain and playmaker for Argentina, Estefania Banini, is the best player on Argentina’s team. She has performed well at all the clubs she has played on including Chilean team Colo-Colo, United States NWSL team the Washington Spirit, and now Levante in the Spain. Argentina plays a lot less games then a lot of other national teams so Banini’s nine goals for her team may not seem impressive, but when she has only played 33 matches she becomes more impressive. Eliana Stabile played well for Argentina in the campaign to qualify for the World Cup. She scored two goals and had one assist in their playoffs against Panama. Not to mention she is a defender who you can tell likes to get forward and be a two way player for her team.
Prediction
Argentina does not have the experience as a team that many others have in the tournament. No one on the team has more than 37 caps showing how little Argentina plays together. Argentina will look to build from this World Cup and be able to see what their program could be one day. They will have a very hard time getting out of the group stage.
ENGLAND
Overview
The third place finishers of the 2015 World Cup are hoping to get one step further and play for the World Cup final. Their recent play seems to suggest it is very possible. They are currently ranked 3rd in the world and 2019 has seen them amass a 5-1-1 record so far. They won the SheBelieves Cup which had the United States, Brazil, and group D foes Japan. They beat both Brazil and Japan and tied the United States. England is rising and peaking at what seems to be just the right time.
Key Players
England is a stacked team and picking a few key players is difficult. Do you want hardnose defenders who can also score goals? Well England has Steph Houghton and Lucy Bronze. Or do you value veteran midfielders with a flare for the creative? Insert Karen Carney and Jill Scott, two of the most capped players on the squad. Perhaps you like forwards who excel at the club and country level picking up accolades? Then you would have Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris who both have 12 international goals in under 35 matches and two of the top scorers in the FAWSL. Quite frankly England is stacked and will be tough to beat this summer.
Prediction
Saying England gets the top spot out of Group D would not be a stretch. Their toughest opponent will be Japan who they beat 3-0 earlier this year and was the team who beat them in the semifinals in the 2015 World Cup so they’ll look for payback this year. Depending on how things shakeout in other groups England could face New Zealand who they lost 1-0 this year, but they’ll better tuned up for the knockout round and beat New Zealand. The quarterfinals could mean playing Norway, but all of England's weapons will be too much for Norway. That could setup a France vs England matchup, a rivalry match with final implications. France being at home could prove too much for England or they could be in their first World Cup final. Either way England will be at the World Cup till the very end.
To see the schedule of the World Cup click: Matches
JAPAN
Overview
The 2011 World Cup Champions and the 2015 runner up, Japan has a nice resume. However, recent play and the label of a young rebuild may cause this resume to become outdated. They are the 7th best team in the world so they are no slouch but in 2019 they have posted a 1-2-3 record. Every team they’ve played are at the World Cup this year which is a tough schedule, but that record is not of a team who you would think would make it far in the tournament. Japan is a question mark no doubt, but they also weren't supposed to make the 2011 World Cup Final and certainly not win the whole thing. Underestimating Japan might just be what propels them this summer.
Key Players
Japan still has players on their team who helped them win the 2011 World Cup and they might not be as old as you think. Two important players from 2011 are Mana Iwabuchi and Saki Kumagai. Iwabuchi is just 26 years old with 61 caps and 20 goals. She was named the MVP of the 2018 Asian Cup that Japan won. Iwabuchi is able to perform well in high pressure situations and there may be a few this year. Kumagai is the captain and anchor in the back for Japan. She famously made the winning penalty in 2011 in the World Cup final. When she isn't playing for Japan she is playing for the European powerhouse Olympique Lyon and has won three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
Prediction
Japan has typically done well with teams they are supposed to beat on paper, they do not succumb to the upset. However, their play against top teams like England has been questionable. They will most likely lose to England in group play and have the two spot. Unfortunately, second place means playing either the Netherlands or Canada in the first game of the knockout round. Both high level teams ranked above Japan will be able to beat them.
SCOTLAND
Overview
Scotland’s first trip to the World Cup will be this year. A big feat considering Europe is the most complete continent top to bottom of national teams. Scotland is ranked 20th and has a 2019 record of 4-3-1 that doesn’t really tell how well Scotland will do in the tournament. They started the year with the three losses to Norway, Iceland, and Canada but have not lost since beating Chile, Brazil, and Jamaica. If anything Scotland falls in the middle ground between the top teams and the teams closer to the bottom. This uncertainty makes Scotland very dangerous and an uncertainty.
Key Players
Kim Little is considered one of the top players in the world earning MVP in the NWSL in the United States in 2014, BBC footballer of the year in 2016. She scored crucial goals for Scotland en route to qualifying. She is an attacking midfielder who finds holes in defenses. She has 53 goals in 133 caps. Little will be the most important player for Scotland this World Cup and beyond. Jenny Beattie will try and help Little out since she has 22 goals in 124 appearances. She scores even though she is mainly used as a defender but can also play as a midfielder and if need be a forward. Beattie has played for top clubs Manchester City and Arsenal and excelled with both. Beattie is efficient at both sides of the pitch.
Prediction
Scotland will have first match jitters especially since their first game is against England. Japan and England will be able to outplay them, but if Scotland can keep it close and beat Argentina they could get the third spot in the group and make the knockout round. The best chance for a debutante team to advance is Scotland. But their third place finish could mean playing and probably losing to France in the round of 16.