#FIFAWWC looks ahead to six FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ matches, one for each of the six Official Host Cities, which all take place in the first week of the final competition.
Group A – Canada v China
Saturday 6 June in Edmonton, AB
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ will kick off with hosts Canada facing China, a familiar foe since their first meeting in 1988. The two sides have met once before in a World Cup finals match, with Canada winning the USA 2003 quarter-final in Portland. They also had a memorable meeting at the Beijing 2008 Olympics when China served as host, a 1-1 draw in front of 52,600 fans in Tianjin. Canada will have the home support and the confidence after competing well against the world’s toughest opponents in 2014; China have a quiet confidence after posting 14 wins in 2014, tied for second most in the world with Japan behind leaders USA (16 wins). Incidentally, the two sides will meet each other in somewhat of a preview on 15 January at a Four Nations Tournament in Shenzhen, China.
KICK-OFF TIMES (LOCAL HOUR) : 16.00 CAN v CHN & 19.00 NZL v NED
tgsphoto.co.uk
Group B – Germany v Norway
Thursday 11 June in Ottawa, ON
Germany and Norway – the winners and runners up at EURO 2013 – will meet each other in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa on 11 June 2015. The two nations are familiar foes, in fact splitting decisions in the two head-to-head encounters at the continental championship in 2013 (Norway won 1-0 in the group stage, then Germany won 1-0 in the EURO final). Germany won the most recent encounter at the 2014 Algarve Cup, while the two sides could always meet again in March 2015 at this year’s edition (they are in different groups, but could meet on the final day on 11 March). Both nations are expected to be well prepared come June 2015, with both head coaches former FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winners (Even Pellerud as coach of Norway at Sweden 1995 and Silvia Neid as coach of Germany at China 2007).
KICK-OFF TIMES (LOCAL HOUR): 16.00 GER v NOR & 19.00 CIV v THA
Group C – Japan v Cameroon
Friday 12 June in Vancouver, BC
The reigning World Cup champions Japan will face three debutants at Canada 2015, albeit one of which that reached the world stage at London 2012 – Cameroon. The Central African nation will have the third-longest serving coach at the Canada 2015 finals, with Enow Ngachu having led Cameroon to second-place finishes at the 2004 and 2014 African Championships. In Japan, they meet the world champions and 2014 Asian Cup winners. Japan has a host of stars, including Asian Cup MVP Aya Miyama and star Nahomi Kawasumi, who played club football in nearby Seattle. On defence, Cameroon will need to counter with the African Championship’s top goalkeeper, Annette Ngo Ndom.
KICK-OFF TIMES (LOCAL HOUR) : 16.00 SUI v ECU & 19.00 JPN v CMR
Photo: Catherine Etoe
Group D – USA v Sweden
Friday 12 June in Winnipeg, MB
USA won two Olympic gold medals with coach Pia Sundhage, but now face their former mentor who has been in charge of Sweden since after the London 2012 Olympics. USA’s new boss is Jill Ellis, who served as Sundhage’s assistant at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Since taking over in May 2014, Ellis led USA to their 10th CONCACAF title, winning the 2014 CONCACAF Championship on home soil. Ellis was in charge for 11 of USA’s world-leading 16 wins in 2014, with Carli Lloyd winning the Golden Ball at the CONCACAF Finals and Lauren Holiday winning 2014 US Athlete of the Year honours. With Sweden, coach Sundhage – a 1984 UEFA champion as a player – has the likes of one of the world’s best in Lotta Schelin up front, a five-time Swedish Player of the Year. Sundhage will also rely on all-stars Caroline Seger and Nilla Fischer, amongst others.
KICK-OFF TIMES (LOCAL HOUR) : 16.00 AUG v NGA & 19.00 USA v SWE
Group E – Brazil v South Korea
Tuesday 9 June in Montréal, QC
More than 35,000 fans watched these two countries collide at the (men’s) FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 in Montréal, a memorable encounter for the Olympic Stadium crowd that ended 3-2 in Brazil’s favour. Fast forward to 2015, the Montréal partisans will be treated to these countries’ best female footballers, with Marta the star of the Brazilian team and Ji Soyun the star of the Korean team. In 2014, Brazil won their sixth Copa América, with Cristiane the tournament’s top scorer. Marta missed the continental qualifiers while winning a Swedish League title with FC Rosengård, but recently helped her country win a Four Nations Tournament in Brasilia (Marta scored a hat-trick against USA). South Korea, meanwhile, placed fourth in Asia before finishing the year with a national record 12 wins. Ji Soyun was named Korean Footballer of the Year (fourth time in five years) and FA WSL Players’ Player of the Year with Chelsea.
KICK-OFF TIMES (LOCAL HOUR) : 16.00 ESP v CRC & 19.00 BRA v KOR
Group F – France v England
Tuesday 9 June in Moncton, NB
France came close to the podium in back-to-back global tournaments at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ and London 2012 Olympics. After a quarter-final exit at EURO 2013, however, France rebooted their program with new head coach Philippe Bergerôo, ensuring a perfect record in the 2013-14 UEFA qualification matches for Canada 2015. France won 13 matches in 2014, including a 2-0 victory over England in the 2014 Cyprus Cup final. France also posted a 2-2 draw with USA and a 2-0 victory over Germany in friendly matches. As for England, they were equally perfect in their 2013-14 UEFA qualification matches, also undgeroing somewhat of a reboot after relieving their coach and bringing on Mark Sampson in December 2013. England won 10 matches in 2014, with their only losses to France and Germany.
KICK OFF (LOCAL TIMES) : 14.00 FRA v ENG & 17.00 COL v MEX
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