The United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) will kick off its 2015 FIFA’s Women’s World Cup campaign on the second day of the tournament, June 8, against Australia in Winnipeg, Canada. The team finished as the runner-up in the 2011 World Cup, losing in penalty shots to Japan.
The United States won the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) women’s championship back in 2014. The team scored 21 goals and conceived zero in five matches. This gave them their seventh regional title and a spot in the 2015 World Cup.
The United States women’s national team has played in all six Women’s World Cups, which occur every four years. They are tied with Germany for most World Cups won with two titles each. USWNT won the first ever women’s World Cup in 1991, and then won it again in 1999. They have never placed lower than third in the World Cup.
“I don’t think that the team will finish as well as usual because they don’t seem to have a dominant goal scorer like they did in the previous World Cups,” said Travis Seese, head women’s varsity soccer coach.
This year, the prestigious event will consists of 24 teams, when in the past it has only had 12 teams competing. USA will be playing in Group D against Australia, Nigeria and Sweden.
Abby Wambach, forward, will be a returning player on team USA after having scored a total of 13 goals in the past three World Cups placing her in third for all time goals scored in World Cup competition.
“I love Abby Wambach because she is from Rochester, NY, and that is where my family is from. I am looking forward to watching her score more header goals,” said Nicole DeBruyne, junior and varsity soccer player.
Alongside of Wambach will be forward Alex Morgan, who will be making her second World Cup appearance. Morgan scored two goals in her first World Cup, scoring one in the semifinal game against France, and one in the championship game against Japan. She was the youngest player on the 2011 roster at age 22.
In goal will be Hope Solo and back-up keepers Ashlyn Harris and Alyssa Naeher. Playing on the back line will be Becky Sauerbrunn, Christie Rampone, Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston, Whitney Engen, Lori Chalupny and Kelly O’Hara.
“I definitely look up to both Hope Solo and Tim Howard [the U.S. men’s goalie] as role models both on and off the field,” said Jillian Bridges, junior and varsity goalkeeper at Athens.
Solo is a two-time gold medalist and has been the goal keeper for the U.S. women’s national team since 2000. Solo currently hold the US record for most career shutouts with 71.
“I am extremely excited to watch the women’s World Cup because I think that although our men did a decent job in their tournament, the women have more ambition given the final score from the tournament four years ago,” said Bridges.
