After Australia and New Zealand, the co-hosts of the Women’s World Cup, kicked off the tournament with victories, the focus now shifts to the next games of group play, and to three top contenders taking the field: Canada, Spain and the United States.
Spain and the United States are no strangers to the final rounds of the Women’s World Cup, and they will have to withstand the pressure of having a target on their backs. Canada faces a different sort of pressure: its so-far-unrealized expectations on the World Cup stage. It played Nigeria to a draw, 0-0, on Friday.
After these games, there will be a clearer indication of which of these contenders are poised to make a championship run, and which have problems to address.
Philippines vs. Switzerland
The Philippines, in its first Women’s World Cup, features a roster with 18 American-born players. It will face Switzerland, a team with only one previous Women’s World Cup appearance, in 2015. The two countries have never played each other; neither is expected to advance far in this tournament.
Spain vs. Costa Rica
Spain, whose roster contains several players from the powerhouse European club Barcelona,…
