The narrative that keeps getting talked about is once again the United States and Sweden are in the same group. The two heavyweights are getting plenty of attention, but Chile and Thailand will also try and make their mark in Group F.
Click on the country names below to see all the players on each team
Chile, Sweden, Thailand, United States
CHILE
Overview
Chile is excited to be at their first World Cup in program history. They are ranked 39th and hoping to change their luck in 2019. They have not won a game yet this year and have a 0-6-2 record, but they have played stiff competition over the course of those games. They have played Garmany and the Netherlands which can only help Chile improve. There aren’t overwhelming high expectations for this team, but undoubtedly these 23 players will relish the chance to represent their country on the world stage.
Key Players
The captain of Chile, Claudia Endler, currently plays for the French club, Paris Saint-Germain. She splits time in goal with another keeper, but for her to play at an elite club is tremendous for Chile. Their home country does not currently have a full professional league so many players on the squad do not have the luxury of Endler’s club experience. Chile will definitely rely on her skill sets to keep games close. In order for Chile to do well not only will they need to stop goals but they will need to produce some of their own. They will look to Maria Jose Rojas. She is one of the more experienced players having played 43 matches and been able to score 11 times for her country. Rojas was the one who scored in Chile’s game against Uruguay that kept them alive and able to still play in France this summer. Chile will need her to score plenty more.
Prediction
Chile getting to the World Cup is great for their federation and a step forward for them to get a full professional league. They will use this as momentum for the future but what about right now? They will compete and make teams earn every goal against them. Chile could get the third spot but it will most likely not be the third spot that goes on to the knockout round.
SWEDEN
Overview
Coming off of winning the 2016 Olympic silver medal, Sweden looked to be rising, yet they have fallen in the rankings. They are now ranked 9th in the world and have a pretty average record this year of 3-3-1. Two of those losses were one to Canada and one to Germany which are by all accounts formidable opponents. However, their wins were against opponents not of Germany or Canada’s caliber. Sweden has a mix of players with quite a bit of experience and then field players who have less than 10 caps. Whether they can all gel together will tell how Sweden does this summer.
Key Players
One of their best players of all time Lotta Schelin has retired with 88 goals forcing Sweden to look for goals elsewhere. One of those players could be Stina Blackstenius, who was a key member of why Sweden qualified. She scored three goals in just seven games. Her youth is evident in her quickness and power that is matched with a strong shot. A player that balances the play of Blackstenius is Caroline Seger. She has 193 caps 27 goals to her name. She is their captain and veteran the youngsters will turn to when times get rocky.
Prediction
Sweden will be able to get out of the group. They may have knocked the United States out of the 2016 Olympics but the US has seemed to makes steps forward when Sweden has seemed stagnant. Sweden will get the two spot in the group which means playing Canada or the Netherlands in the first round of knockout play. Either will be too much for Sweden to handle and they will exit in the round of 16.
To see the schedule of the World Cup click: Matches
THAILAND
Overview
Four years ago Thailand was at the World Cup for the first time and got a third place finish in their group and even earned their first World Cup victory. The 34th ranked team will look to build upon what they did last World Cup. They will need to do a lot better than they have in recent fixtures having a 1-5-0 record for 2019. Thailand is susceptible to letting in goals having conceded 22 goals in their six games. But they are fast and efficient enough to score off of counter attacks. However, they may have a hard time scoring enough goals that the teams in their group also score.
Key Players
Thailand will need to score plenty of goals if they want to advance to the knockout round. They will look to Kanjana Sungngeon. She was key to both times Thailand has qualified for the World Cup. In 2015 she scored twice against Vietnam and then was Thailand's leading goal scorer enroute to 2019 qualification. In total she has scored 16 goals in 56 matches. Another key player for Thailand is Orathai Srimanee. She is the midfielder that scored twice in Thailand’s first World Cup win. She has proven she can score when it matters most and can play on the outside or in the middle making her dangerous for opponents.
Prediction
Thailand will battle with Chile to earn the third place. Whether the third place team in Group F could move onto to the round of 16 will come down to goal differential. If Thailand can limit the damage and makes sure to score goals off of counters than Thailand has a chance.
UNITED STATES
Overview
The number one country in the world and the defending World Cup champions has understandably high expectations this summer. They have had an impressive 2019 campaign with a 7-1-2 record. Their lone loss was to France by a score of 3-1. Many people thought this was cause for concern and that the United States was not prepared for the World Cup. They have been critiqued for their lackluster of a defense and injuries that have caused an ever changing starting 11. But at the end of the day they are the top team in the world with arguably the best players in the world on their team. Their biggest struggle will be if they can use all of the players correctly.
Key Players
While the United State’s defense has been called into question their three starting forwards are the best in the world and playing high level soccer coming into the tournament. Tobin Heath is the creative forward who has no problem taking the ball endline nutmegging a defender and then setting up another player for a goal. Her desire to take defenders on has gotten her in trouble in the past but lately she has been serving up balls left and right to teammates. The person who is on the end of many of Heath’s passes is Alex Morgan. She has speed and a knack for getting behind defenses. Her 101 goals in 163 matches speak for themselves. Not to be outdone by her counterparts is Megan Rapinoe. She is a key distributor especially on set pieces. Rapinoe is the mix of Heath and Morgan, some skill of Heath and ability to get behind defenses like Morgan. Expect plenty of goals and assists from this frontline.
Prediction
The United States winning this group will be slightly challenging with Sweden but they should be able to earn the top spot at the end of group play. Their first opponent in the knockout stage will most likely be China PR who the United States will be able to overpower and wear out. Their quarterfinal matchup will be more of a challenge since it would be a matchup with hosts, France. The two squared off earlier in the year with France winning on US soil. France broke down the United State’s defense and created the perfect storm to wreak havoc. The United States also has historically taken a while to get going and their slow build up to playing their best soccer will not be beneficial against France so early in the tournament. France will most likely knock the United States out in the quarterfinals if the US does not make changes.