The fate of Group F could be decided in its very first game. Group favorites France and England kick off their respective 2015 Women’s World Cup campaigns against one another, with the winner one giant step closer to becoming group winners.
The French are one of the tournament favorites at +800 to win the cup. Can Les Bleues prove their worth by passing their first test against the Three Lionesses? Read on for our preview of this Group F opener.
Find more of Tuesday’s Women’s World Cup action with our preview of the Brazil vs. South Korea Group E matchup.
France has been on the cusp of greatness for the last few tournaments. The Les Bleues reached the semifinals of the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 Olympics, as well as the quarterfinals of Euro 2013, but they came up short on all three occasions.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]This year, not only will France – the No. 3-ranked nation in the world – boast one of the most talented and complete teams around, but it will also be armed with the experience from those disappointments. Most of their starters are veterans of those unsuccessful campaigns, and they also come primarily from just two clubs, which give them the familiarity and cohesion uncommon to most international teams.
Lyon teammates Eugenie Le Sommer and Louisa Necib – widely considered one of the most talented female players today – are a perfect example of that cohesion. Their terrific interplay helped power the French frontline to 54 goals during qualifying, second only to Germany. Necib assisted on 13 of those goals.
That tremendous attack also features Gaëtane Thiney, who finished tied for second in qualifying with 13 goals, and Marie-Laure Delie, who had nine.
Towering 6-2 defender Wendie Renard is the rock of the French defense, which conceded just three goals during qualifying. Not only will Renard’s defensive prowess help keep the English strikers silent, but her height also makes her a major threat in set pieces. She has 16 goals in 65 international appearances, a remarkable return for a defender.
Renard, Le Sommer and Necib all scored in France’s 3-0 demolition of England in the group stage of Euro 2013.
Much like their male counterparts, the Three Lionesses have a reputation for coming up short in the big tournaments. They have fallen in the quarterfinals in each of their previous three World Cup appearances in 1995, 2007 and 2011.
But this year’s team possesses the talent to potentially make the leap to the semifinals of the tournament. Most of that talent is found up front, which head coach Mark Sampson has utilized very well.
Sampson has the sixth-ranked team in the world playing with more dynamism and power, which saw it score 52 goals en route to a perfect qualifying campaign. The prolific pairing of Eniola Aluko and Toni Duggan combined for 23 of those goals. Lianne Sanderson, who ended her self-imposed exile from the national team after Sampson’s appointment, should also provide some much-needed firepower. She has 15 goals in 47 career caps.
England’s backline will be under threat from France’s own talented attackers, but the English have the experience of defender Alex Scott and midfielder Fara Williams to cope. The two, who have both garnered over 120 caps for their country, guided the English defense through qualifying with just one goal conceded.
Williams, the most capped player in English football history, will also be a legitimate attacking threat with her ability to produce some terrific set pieces. She has 37 career goals in 140 caps.
Writer’s Prediction
France (-147) has too much firepower and cruises to a 2-0 win over England.
