The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup got under way June 6th in Edmonton, Canada, and has quickly gotten to the half waypoint of the tournament. The group stage came to a close Wednesday afternoon with countries still fighting it out for a berth in the round of 16. There were a few surprises, some disappointments, and some great individual performances that caught the eyes of millions of people worldwide. Questions were fielded, and eight VAVEL USA editors and writers came together to give their thoughts and opinions on what occurred in the group stage.
1. Heading into the knockout stages, who do you see going the distance and winning the Women's World Cup?
Bassil Thayabeh: Has to be Germany, for me. They were my pick before the tournament started and I am sticking to them. There is just so much to like about this team, everything they do is impressive. 15 goals scored in the group stage and one conceded, that is a pretty impressive record. Their group obviously wasn’t the strongest of them all, but they stamped their mark early in the tournament with a 10-0 win over Cote D’Ivoire. Similar to the men’s German team, the women are a well-balanced team. Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag on the attack, Melanie Behringer in the midfield, and Annike Krahn in defence, they have what it takes to go the distance.
Chris Blakely: For this writer, there are really only three to four, maybe five teams out of the 16 that can win it. The main three to four are Germany, France, USA and Japan. The fifth team that could win it would be Brail. As you can see, there is no mention of Canada. This writer finds it hard for them to get past the Swiss and if they do, they will be knocked out in the next round by the winner between Norway and England.
Elijah Ackerman: Norway. I might be crazy (in fact I’m pretty sure I am), but this team is playing with purpose and confidence. They had a phenomenal draw against Germany, and forwards Isabell Herlovsen and Ada Hegerberg have been nothing short of fantastic. The Grasshoppers are strong and physical, but they are great passers and crossers as well. They won the World Cup in 1995, and they are super hungry for another one. I think they could pull it off!
Emily Helle: In an epic battle between tournament favorites: USA, SWE, FRA, and GER on the left side of the table versus a relatively tame left side bracket situation featuring powerhouse BRA and defending World Champions JPN, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Germany- Brazil or even Germany-JPN for the Championship match. Considering the heightened level of competition on the left side I would have to predict Brazil or Japan winning the World Cup this year. Back in 2011 the U.S took the hard road to the final. After defeating Brazil in penalty kicks thanks to Abby Wambach’s 122’ goal in OT and then beating France 3-1 in Mönchengladbach, we didn’t see the usual dominant U.S side; instead, we saw a team that looked a bit tired—and for good reason. The team on the left side of the bracket that can recover most efficiently will advance, but from a fitness standpoint, the right side of the bracket will have an edge. If the U.S wants a chance at the World Cup they must get their act together in the attacking 1/3rd, otherwise they will have stiff competition.
Jordan Wohl: My heart wants to say the USA, but, it is hard to not say Germany looks like the team to beat. They did what good teams are supposed to do against clearly inferior opponents: dominate. They scored 10 goals on Ivory Coast as well as 4 on Thailand. Yes, they tied the only opponent they had in the top 12 ranked teams but I think Germany has still impressed overall.
Max O'Neill: The team that will go all the way and win the World Cup is the Germans. They have looked like the most dangerous team throughout the group stage and the most complete team. They dominated the Ivory Coast in their first game and Thailand in their 3rd game, but played against a very good Norwegian team in the 2nd game. They are very well coached and their roster is filled with some of the greatest players in the world.
Noel Alberto: The team I see going the distance to win it all is the United States. The USA has a couple of favorable draws in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals should they get there. With their semifinal opponents likely going to be one of the Big 3 European teams in their half (unless Korea shocks the world like the 02 World Cup), those players from those teams might be a little fatigued heading into a semifinal showdown with the USA because of the quality of their opponent. With 2011 still on their minds, the USA will be hungry to make sure they win the final this time around.
Talar Kahwajian: There are two teams that could go the distance and win it all, and they’re at the top of the FIFA rankings. Both the USA and Germany have what it takes to win this World Cup, and the way Germany has performed it would be no surprise. USA will ultimately take it, their depth will win out in the end and if Alex Morgan starts playing a full 90 minutes, that makes things much harder for opponents.
2. Which nation has exceeded your expectations and impressed you the most?
Bassil: The Colombians without a shadow of a doubt. The South Americans came in as the third last placed team in the FIFA Women’s rankings amongst the participates in this tournament. They had no business in finishing third in their group, yet they overcame a difficult group and have qualified for the knockout stages. Some thought they had done well to open the tournament with a draw against Mexico, but they upped that the next game. No one, and I mean no one, had them upsetting the No. 3 world ranked French in the group, and they did. Lady Andrade has done well to lead her side with two goals thus far; Carolina Arias has been a standout on the defensive end.
Chris: The nation that has surprised me the most is Cameroon to be perfectly honest. Scoring six goals in your debut game and then holding serve against the World Champions in Japan, only losing by one goal and then to beat the Swiss to advance to the knockout rounds. It’s a shame they are possibly going to meet the U.S. in the quarterfinals, they are a fun team to watch.
Elijah: Cameroon. In a Group with defending champs Japan and three World Cup debutants, I was expecting full on domination by the Japanese. But, Cameroon surprised me. Not only did they crush Ecuador and beat Switzerland (who aren’t so bad themselves), but they really played well against Japan, fighting until the very end and almost coming back from two goals down to beat the 2011 World Cup winners. They have a lot of heart, and their six points in the Group Stage has gotten my attention.
Emily: There have been a few games in-group play that have spoken to the advances in international women’s soccer. While this tournament with an expanded pool of 24 teams is the most competitive FIFA Women’s World Cup to date, many fans were still surprised to see teams like Australia tie Sweden, Nigeria tie Sweden, Norway tie Germany or Colombia upset France 2-0. The talk of group D play has been on Nigeria. Admittedly I had very low expectations for the Super Falcons. I knew that Nigeria had previous success at last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup but I had no idea the speed and technical ability this team possessed. Every game the Super Falcons came out with nothing to lose and everything to prove. Their speed up top and creativity in the midfield put the defensive lines of Australia, Sweden, and the United States to the test. Even though Nigeria will be exiting the World Cup with a fourth place finish in group D, I am optimistic their performance will lead to increased funding and support for their women’s program. With the proper development with specific attention to their attacking build up I would not be surprised to see Nigeria stronger than ever before in 2019.
Jordan: My nation that has overachieved has to be Colombia. For a team nobody expected to do much in this tournament, the Colombians beat one of the major contenders, France, in group play and played well against another good team in their group in England. I am not sure they have much of a chance against the US but if they can keep it close then anything can happen.
Max: Far and away the biggest surprise of the tournament is the Norwegians. They came into the tournament with not much expected of them and now they got out of the group stage. They were in the group with the Germans and were the only team in the group to give the Germans a run for their money. They dominated Thailand in their first game, played a great game vs. Germany drawing 1-1 and then beating the Ivory Coast 3-1.
Noel: The nation that has exceeded my expectations so far this World Cup is Colombia. They were truly written off before play even began with everyone thinking France and England were going to run away with the group and that group not going down as a three-team group. However, some sensational defense and saves by Sandra Sepulveda as well as some luck and poor French offense led the Power Puff Girls to the biggest shock of the tournament, winning 2-0 against France. Who knows if they played that way against Mexico, we could be talking right now with England as the third team coming out of the group, a true shocker. They have a hefty test against the USA in their round of 16 matchup, but they should not be taken lightly at all.
Talar: China. They played Canada in the tournament opener, and it was expected the Canadians would get an easy win. However, China came out very organized and tough on the defensive end. Now they find themselves in the knockout stage with a chance to advance to the Round of 16.
3. Which country do you think disappointed the most and could have done better?
Bassil: Sweden have surely been the disappointment of the group stages. Ranked No. 5 in the world, the Swedes will have to be disappointed with how they went about their games. Boosted by a strong attacking duo in Lotta Schelin and Sofia Jakobsson, many, including myself, expected the European nation to dispatch Nigeria and Australia easily. Now, credit to those countries for some great performances, but Sweden should have done better in their group. Led by former United States Women’s National team head coach Pia Sundhage, luckily for them they just made it into the knockout stages as one of the best third place finishers and still have at least another game to redeem themselves. But as a result of their bad seeding, they’re up against a tough test in the Germans.
Chris: Sweden has been the most disappointing team so far. Yes, they were in the group of death, but to only get a draw against Nigeria after being up 2-0 shows they aren’t that good. No disrespect to Nigeria at all, but Sweden is the fifth ranked team in the world. Pia Sundhage needs to figure out what is wrong with her team or Germany will destroy them.
Elijah: Spain. Ranked 14th in the world, I expected Spain to at least be in contention for a spot in the Round of 16, but I was disappointed. After a draw with Costa Rica, the fourth place finishers in Group E fell to Brazil and South Korea by a goal each, and they never quite looked like a World Class team. They were visibly upset after failing to qualify for the Knockout Stage, and they definitely expected more of themselves, so now they’ll have to wait another four long years for another shot.
Emily: Every World Cup the attention is on the host nation. There are many teams in each group so far that have struggled but Canada is one country in particular that I thought could have done much better in their group matches. They came out against China in the opening game of the tournament and played 90 minutes without a goal. Their goal in this match came from a converted penalty kick from star forward Christine Sinclair in the 90+ minutes. They played to a 0-0 draw with New Zealand and in their final Group A match, Ashley Lawrence scored in the 10th minute for Canada and fought off a barrage of attack from the Netherlands until forward Kirsten Van De Ven for the Oranje found an equalizer in the 87th minute. Yes Canada finished at the top of their group, but with only one win and two draws they enter the Round of 16 with a dismal two goals for and one against. Canada could have done better to put away their chances and it will be interesting to see how they fair against Switzerland this Sunday June 21st.
Jordan: It is hard to say a team that gave up only one goal and won their group has underachieved but in my mind the US has done so. Despite accomplishing everything above, they have not looked like the clear better team, besides maybe the Nigeria game, in their group play matches. In my mind, while their defense has been top in the tournament, there midfield and offense has been anemic. One has to wonder if Carli Lloyd or Lauren Holiday are actually in Canada and didn’t miss the flight because both have been missing in action and have been well below their standards of play. For a team with the striking core and talent they are supposed to have, scoring only 4 goals in the group is unacceptable even against the tough teams they played.
Max: The biggest disappointment of the tournament is the United States. They are supposed to be the favorites and take on any and all comers, but thus far this tournament they have looked beatable. They didn't look dominant like a team like the Germans did in the group stage when yours truly would've predicted they would've been dominant at the start of the World Cup. The defense, including Hope Solo is there but the offensive weapons that need to step up like Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach haven't blown up, yet. They are through and the group of death champions but they looked beatable in all three of their games.
Noel: The two teams I chose for co-disappointments are Canada and Sweden. I have chosen Canada because with the team they fielded plus the group they were in, they were supposed to run away with the group. However topping the group with five points over shadowed a controversial call against China and getting outplayed by New Zealand and the Netherlands. They are going to need to perform much better if they want to make it to the finals. Sweden is also the most disappointing team in my book because of finishing third in the Group of Death. Three draws from Pia Sundhage’s side is not what they wanted given the weight of expectations coming in. The draw against Nigeria was dreadful given they were up two goals twice and Sundhage could have made some defensive changes at the back to prevent the Nigerians from attacking with their pace. The Swedes are a tad lucky to be in the Round of 16 just like Canada but with Germany looming, it looks like the end of the road is near for Sweden.
Talar: Mexico, definitely. Talk about how much they had improved and how hungry they were for that first World Cup win followed them since the start of the tournament. Mexico was never able to get that elusive first win, and quickly found themselves falling to the bottom of the group. After losing 4-0 to France on Wednesday night, it’s clear that the Mexico team has a lot more work to do.
4. Who is your player of the tournament thus far?
Bassil: It’s a shame some defenders don’t get enough recognition as they should, but my player of the tournament thus far has to be Canadian 19-year-old centre back Kadeisha Buchanan. It is remarkable that someone at her age already has 38 international caps. The teenager is just one of six Canada players to have played every minute of the group stages, and the way she has been performing, I expect her to play every other minute her team remains in the knockout stages. Excluding Buchanan, the average age of the Canadian backline is 30-years-old. With the amount of experience at the hands of head coach John Herdman, it just goes to show how well she has done and the amount of potential Buchanan holds to her name. The host nation’s defence isn’t the strongest in the tournament, and it goes to show the amount of work she has put in when Canada conceded just one goal in the group stages, coming in the final three minutes of their last game. The youngster has a very bright future ahead of her and this won’t be the last time we hear her name.
Chris: After three games it is really tough to pick one player over another as player of the tournament so far. Anja Mittag of Germany has been outstanding for her team as well as Celia Sasic. Granted Costa Rica didn’t advance, but if not for Dinnia Diaz’s outstanding work as goalkeeper they would have given up more goals than the four they gave up in three games.
Elijah: Gaelle Enganamouit. The Cameroonian midfielder has been phenomenal in this World Cup. She scored a hat trick against Ecuador for her three goals of the tournament, but Enganamouit has been the glue keeping the Cameroon train together. She’s the center of their offense, creating chance after chance for her team with long balls and short balls alike. If she keeps it up Enganamouit could bring big things to Cameroon, whether it be in this World Cup or the ones to come.
Emily: The United States Women’s national team are always favorites for the World Cup. They might not be firing on all cylinders just yet but there is no question that the U.S has one of the deepest benches in the women’s game. The USWNT have run into an odd problem—they can’t score. Despite the arsenal of attacking options for the No. 2 team in the world the U.S attack has not been able to see much success. If I could pick four players of the tournament thus far it would be the entire U.S defensive line: Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston, and Meghan Klingenberg. There have been too many goal-line saves and crazy recovery runs forced upon the United States back line but each time they have stepped up to the challenge. Defense wins championships. For me the player of the tournament thus far would be U.S center back, Julie Johnston. Originally Johnston’s status for the World Cup roster had been questionable but she has been the talk of the town. It will be interesting to see if the U.S attack can get their act together as they advance to the Round of 16 against Columbia on Monday June 22. And with Colombia’s starting goalkeeper, Sandra Sepulveda facing a one game suspension after yellow card accumulation this is the perfect chance for the United States attack to get back on track.
Jordan: Julie Johnston. JJ has been the USWNT's best player this tournament and has, at times, saved the US from counterattacks. While it is easy to go offense, Julie Johnston's tackling and marking has covered up for the USWNT's inability to score goals. However, in this tournament, it is difficult to say there has been one player who is head and shoulders above everyone else in line for the Golden Ball in my opinion.
Max: The player of the group stage is probably Anja Mittag of Germany, who has scored 4 goals in the three group stage games leading Germany to the top of Group B. She has helped Germany become the best team in the tournament thus far, who have scored 15 goals, in-group play. In Germany's opening 10-0 win vs. the Ivory Coast. In the group stage she took 12 shots, which is good for 7th in the tournament. She also has 2 assists in the tournament thus far. She has a 33% conversion rate with 12 shots and 4 goals in the tourney thus far.
Noel: The most impressive player of this tournament so far in my opinion is Sandra Sepulveda. The Colombian shot-stopper has been nothing short of extraordinary in her efforts to keep the clean sheet against France and to keep her country in the game against England. In both games she was down for a while as she looked injured, but she willed herself on with some Woman of the Match efforts in both games to send Colombia through. The only downside to her was she picked up two yellows, the second on an unnecessary challenge to take out an England player when she was well out of her box, so she will be out for their game against the USA.
Talar: I’m going to put aside my USA bias for a second and look at the big picture. Marta from Brazil is absolutely stunning when she’s on the field, and can carry the Brazil team all by herself. Something she nearly did in the 2011 World Cup. Her footwork is unbelievable, and she has a killer instinct that never seems to fade.
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