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Where EAST meets the Northwest

WORLD CUP WATCHING. Australia forward Sam Kerr, left, who plays for Chelsea, shoots on goal during a Women’s Super League soccer match in Kingsmeadow, London, in this May 3, 2023 file photo. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the quadrennial tournament for international soccer’s most coveted trophy, kicks off July 20. Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the tournament features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24. There are 64 total matches during the tournament. (John Walton/PA via AP, File)

Emily van Egmond of Australia (left) and Sarina Bolden of the Philippines (center, #19) vie for the soccer ball during an AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 match between Australia and Philippines in Mumbai, India, in this January 24, 2022 file photo. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)

Lee Geum-min of South Korea (left, #13) dribbles the ball during an AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 match between South Korea and Philippines in Pune, India, in this February 3, 2022 file photo. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)

Wang Shuang of China (center) controls the ball during an AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 match between China and Vietnam in Mumbai, India, in this January 30, 2022 file photo. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)

From The Asian Reporter, V33, #7 (July 3, 2023), page 11.

FIFA Women’s World Cup Guide: How to watch, schedule, and betting favorites

By The Associated Press

The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at the Women’s World Cup this summer. It won’t be easy for the world’s No. 1 team.

Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the quadrennial tournament for international soccer’s most coveted trophy kicks off July 20 and features an expanded field of 32 teams, up from 24. There are 64 total matches during the tournament.

That means more competition for the two-time defending World Cup champion U.S., which won the 2015 event in Canada and the 2019 tournament in France. The Americans have won four titles overall, the most of any nation.

How to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Fox holds the English-language media rights in the United States for the Women’s World Cup. Telemundo holds the Spanish-language rights.

Fox will broadcast a record 29 matches over the air on its main network and the rest of the games will air on FS1. All matches will be streamed on the Fox app.

What’s the schedule?

The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams each. Each team plays a three-game, round-robin group stage, running from July 20 to August 3.

The top finishers advance to the Round of 16 held August 5 to 8. The quarterfinals are set for August 11 and 12 and the two semifinal matches will be played August 15 and 16. A third-place game is set for August 19 in Brisbane ahead of the final, which will air at 3:00am (west coast time) on Sunday, August 20 in the United States.

The broadcast schedule is complicated by the time difference. The United States is playing in Group E with Vietnam, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The opening match is against Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland, which, because of the time difference, will air in the U.S. on July 21 at 6:00pm (west coast time).

A rematch of the 2019 final against the Netherlands is set for July 27 in Wellington, airing at 6:00pm (west coast time) on July 26 in the U.S. The last group game against Portugal is set for August 1, airing at midnight (west coast time), that same day.

Players to watch

There are two distinct groups of players to watch at this World Cup: Veteran superstars and talented youngsters.

Canada’s Christine Sinclair leads a group of veterans that includes Brazil’s Marta, Australia’s Sam Kerr, France’s Wendie Renard, and American Alex Morgan.

Sinclair, who is 38 and likely playing in her final World Cup, is international soccer’s all-time leading scorer, among women or men, with 190 career goals.

Young stars include 22-year-old U.S. forward Sophia Smith, 21-year-old Jody Brown of Jamaica, and 19-year-old Melchie Dumornay of Haiti.

Smith doubled up last year as both the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Most Valuable Player.

Betting guide

The United States is a +240 favorite to win the World Cup, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. England is next at +410, followed by Spain at +650.

There’s also a big group of teams the oddsmakers say have little chance of lifting the trophy, including Jamaica, Vietnam, Argentina, Zambia, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Morocco, the Philippines, South Africa, Haiti, and Panama. All are at +43,000 — but if one of those happens to emerge as a Cinderella winner, the payoff would be sweet.

To view the tournament schedule, visit <www.fifa.com>.

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