U.S. women’s soccer team to compete in World Cup

Alex Morgan scored five goals and registered two assists as the US beat Thailand 13-0.

Jack Shover

The U.S. Women’s soccer team will be competing with the opportunity to repeat as champions at the World Cup in France.

USA won the World Cup in 2015, but the Eagles will be competing against 23 other teams through group stages to the tournament rounds which begins this Friday.

In 2015, the U.S. took down Japan 5-2 in the Cup final for the USA’s third ever World Cup, with the other two occuring in 1991 and 1999.

Team USA is returning 12 players from their 2015 team and is on a six-game win streak, where they have outscored opponents 23-3. The Eagles will face tough competition, making a repeat as Cup Champions far from a breeze.

Japan, England, Germany and host-country France will all be able to contend with the U.S. for the Cup title.

In the 2015 World Cup, France lost to Germany in the quarterfinals, but did beat the US in an international friendly 3-1 on January 19.

England finished third after beating Germany in the third-place game 1-0.

At the group stage, the US is in Group F with Thailand, Sweden and Chile.

Thailand and Chile will be the two weakest competitors in the stage as the 2015 World Cup was Thailand’s first appearance and they failed to make it past the group stage. Chile failed to even make the World Cup in 2015.

Meanwhile, Sweden could cause trouble for the US as the Swedes were in Group C with the Eagles in 2015 and finished third in the group behind Norway, but above Nigeria. When they played, Sweden and the US drew nil all.

Sweden was able to advance to the Round of 16, but fell to the German team 4-1.

As per World Cup tradition, the first game will kickoff on Friday at 2 p.m. with home-country France taking on South Korea on FS1.

The US doesn’t first play until Tuesday at 2 p.m. when the US takes on Thailand.

Listed below are all six World Cup Groups:

Group A:

France

Norway

South Korea

Nigeria

Group B:

Germany

Spain

China

South Africa

Group C:

Italy

Brazil

Australia

Jamaica

Group D:

England

Scotland

Japan

Argentina

Group E:

Netherlands

Canada

Cameroon

New Zealand

Group F:

USA

Thailand

Sweden

Chile