FWM 2019--Group E Preview

Introduction—“Die Todesgruppe”

 

(Canada, Netherlands, Cameroon, N. Zealand)

        

Welcome to our anointed “Group of Death”. Sorry to disappoint those looking forward to another ghoulish rant, but we won’t be discussing the Macabre this time. Bookie’s just not in a grisly mood…for some reason.

If anything, I’m excited as hell about this group. Two giants, one very solid team, and Ali Riley. To express that somewhat differently: Two world class female footballing programs, one highly intriguing female football program, and a one-woman-team that could shake things up.  

Why don’t we paraphrase some more for those who only read the opening summary: Two of the top-five rated teams on the planet, one really well built team, and a girl that your friendly bookie has held an unhealthy obsession with for the past twelve years. There were are. You’re now free to scroll down for the odds. 

Expecting big things from this group. This comes from a man who rarely has lofty expectations for life. It seems we can’t go wrong here. It’s the footballing equivalent of that new Werner Herzog documentary in which he sits down with Mikhail Gorbachev. I’ve not yet seen it, but it has to be epic. How can it not be? It’s fucking Werner Herzog and Mikhail Gorbachev. That couldn’t be disappointing if they discussed Urdu poetry and prawns!

Here we get to witness Lieke Martens, Christine Sinclair, Danielle van de Donk, Vivianne Miedema, Ninon Abena, Desiree Scott, Jordyn Huitema, Christine Manie, Sherida Spitse, and ALI RILEY? Did I mention ALI RILEY? 

Yes, there’s no macabre news to report here. If you insist on hearing something gruesome, the best I can do is inform you that famed Dutch dame Anouk Hoogendijk retired. That should at least make Syndicate Member 53-M along with a few others positively sullen. Got that, gentlemen? No more Anouk Hoogendijk. She called it quits two years ago.

Sorry, brothers. It's over. Wave goodbye to the girl who pioneered the pink hairband...and somehow made female chin clefts sexy. 

Canada—“The Canucks”

Interesting how this program has evolved over the past eight years. From an absolute passive ball watching embarrassment back in 2011 to a global powerhouse today. Hosting the tournament in 2015 abetted their development quite a bit. John Herdman’s steadfast side punched through all the way to the Quarters even though they weren’t the biggest attacking threat. 

After leading the girls to a bronze medal finish in the 2016 Rio Olympics and a top-ten FIFA ranking in 2017, Herdman actually got promoted to lead the Canadian men’s team in early 2018. In no other country would this take place, but what the hell? Enter Danish veteran Kenneth Heiner-Møller, who led the Danish women for years back when they weren’t getting repeatedly thumped by the Dutch.

The old Dane didn’t have to work all that hard to make adjustments to the program. Youth prodigies were flowering up beneath his feet before he could even get his management wingtips on. The only real challenges he’s faced in building this roster was picking which whiz-kids to leave off.  

Scouting the provisional roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Continental Championship, the bookie recalls seeing at least a dozen 17-19-year-olds who looked as if they could be the next big thing. Given a chance in a soft tournament, just about any one of them might have been a sensation. 

In the end it appears he made all the right calls. The only veterans who had to be forced out before they were fully ready to retire were 35-year-old midfielder Dianna Matheson and 36-year-old goalkeeper Erin McLeod. Jonelle Filligno, Kaylin Kyle, and Melissa Tancredi all called it quits on their own accord. 

Desiree Scott, Christine Sinclair, and new keeper Stephanie Labbe are the only players on the roster over thirty-one-years-of-age. Dirty-thirties like Sophie Schmidt and Allysha Chapman are hardly lumbering seniors. Everyone else looks like they could be in the cast of Glee.

Inexperience doesn’t stand in the way if youngsters are already heavily capped.   

 Projecting the Canadian Lineup (4-3-1-2) 

Jordyn Huitema   Nichelle Prince

Christine Sinclair

Janine Beckie  Adrianna Leon  Deanne Rose

Allysha Chapman                      Ashley Lawrence

Rebecca Quinn  Kadeisha Buchanan

Stephanie Labbe

 The Talisman—Christine Sinclair 

You simply cannot kill her. 2015’s talisman returns, still scoring prolifically at the age of 35! The female footballing legend resolutely declares that she has no plans to retire soon. Her statistics make evident that she has no plans of slowing down either.

She’s scored eleven goals in eighteen caps for the national team over the past two years, bringing the total goals scored for her country to an unfathomable 180!

Obviously a pithy write-up such as this cannot begin to do a giant like her justice. All the bookie can do is emphasize what an amazingly gifted technical player she is. Her field vision and reads qualify as immaculate. After years of dogged work, she appears to have an automatic sense of where her teammates lie and how exactly to link up with them. In terms of battles, 50-50s might as well be redefined and 80-20s when she engages.

Still juking, jiving, and deking like a 20-year-old, few stand a chance against her in a one-on-one. Aerial prowess seems as sharp as ever. Set-piece range and perception are….look…enough already. Just watch the woman and keep her age in mind. You’ll scarcely believe your eyes. 

  The Pillars

 Sophie Schmidt 

The 30-year-old veteran mainstay has always been among the bookie’s favorite players. Through gritted teeth I’ll admit I actually watched that blasphemous magicJack team back in the WPS days just to watch her play some more. Now in semi-retirement in the NWSL after three prolific years at FFC Frankfurt, she’s not projected to start. Still a relevant midfield insert should Heiner-Møller wish to shake things up. 

 Allysha Chapman 

Likely still the best left-back option, even if she’ll receive some competition from Zardosky, Agnew, and Hellstrom. Møller should resist the temptation to place a converted forward on the rearward flank as the 30-year-old remains effective at her natural position. Injuries and frequent transfers have stalled her game a tad, but she’s strong enough to start in this bookie’s estimation. 

 Janine Beckie  

The 24-year-old Texas Tech alumna broke into the side in a big way during the last tournament. Now has 25 goals in 56 caps for the national side. She’s further honed her skills since transferring to Man City Ladies in 2018 and just completed an eight-goal-campaign. Born and raised in the states, she actually came up through the U.S. System and played for the American U18 and U20 sides. As stacked as the USWNT is, it would be fair to say the program messed up in not snatching her up.

 Desiree Scott 

A prototypical defensive midfielder with thirteen years of experience in North American professional leagues. Over the course of 141 caps she’s built a reputation as a real hustler and defensive leader. Kind of a female Benedict Höwedes. Others compare her to Edgar Davis. A good pick to start against the Dutch in the final group stage match.

 Kadeisha Buchanan 

Only 23-years-of-age, the 88-times capped forward/centerback didn’t develop quite as the bookie expected. Her tenure at Olympique Lyon has been somewhat lackluster. Once compared to Jozy Altidore by the bookie. The tournament affords her a splendid chance to break out of her underachieving funk. 

  The Phenoms

 Jordyn Huitema  

Just wait until you see her. A huge hulking amazon girl who already towers over most women at a solid six feet. She’s probably still growing at the age of 18. Already has six goals in 24 caps for the national side. The youngster won’t be attending college after PSG just snatched her up with a lucrative contract. Perhaps one of the game’s all-time-greats developing before our very eyes. 

 Shelina Zardosky 

Just wait until you see HER. Good lord that is one smoking hot Pollack. Plays pretty good football too. The 26-year-old was something of a late-bloomer, debuting for the senior side only four years ago. Since then she’s been capped 52 times in central defense and midfield. Will give Adrianna Leon and Ashley Lawrence strong competition for a starting place. 

 Nichelle Prince  

The Ohio State alumna is a silky smooth dribbling forward set to enter the prime of her career. Three international goals in 2018 for the Houston Dash striker, including two in the most recent CONCACAF Women’s Championship. Bookie places her all the way up top next to Huitema for the maximum tenacious attack.

 Jessie Flemming  

A 21-year-old UCLA Bruin who made her debut for the senior in 2013 aged just 15. Some might remember her from the 2015 tourney, where she started the final group stage match against the Dutch. The exceptionally gifted midfielder now has eight national team goals in 65 caps. Quite the creative spark in midfield. Capable of igniting the attack off the bench.

 Deanne Rose 

Another obscenely young collegiate player who has already made her national team presence felt at the age of 20. An unstoppable force currently finishing up her studies at the University of Florida. Bookie sees her starting a little farther back, but don’t let that positioning fool you. She’ll drive forward and score in this tournament. 

 Gabrielle Carle 

It gets even more ridiculous. As if this team didn’t have enough phenoms, there’s also this 20-year-old Florida State striker with twelve caps and one national team goal. Together with Julia Grosso and Jayde Riverie, she’ll form the backbone of this country’s forthcoming golden generation. The future is blindingly bright for the Canuck chicks.

The Netherlands—“Clockwork Leeuwinnen”

So difficult to pick a winner in this group. The Canadians barely get the edge, based on their better class of youth squad graduates. One should also note that the reigning European champions struggled in their qualifying group, ultimately finishing second behind a less-than-average Norwegian side. The Round Three showdown between these two powerhouses on June 20^th can’t get here soon enough. 

Sarina Wiegman looks to be the manager the Oranje have been waiting for all this time. Perhaps she should coach the men’s team.

Roger Reijners and Arjan van der Laan were as bad as Bert van Marwijk, Marco van Basten, AND Danny Blind. This proud country needs to stop with the atrocious homegerown managers. Seriously. Bring in a foreigner. It’s not as if you can convince Louis van Gaal, Guus Hiddink, or Dick Advocaat to come back for what feels like the 12,531^st time!

Back to Sarina. She isn’t the first female to lead the women’s team. That honor belongs to the highly eminent Vera Pauw. The fiery redhead is, however, conceivably one of the best choices the KNVB ever made. I’ll give the association credit for that. 

She had been the assistant coach for several years, quietly hanging around and keeping the team tactically organized in much that same way that Jogi Löw did whilst Klinsi was flying back and forth from sunny L.A. After the disappointing 2015 performance and the failure to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, they finally gave her the gig ahead of the high-pressure hosting of the 2017 European Championships. 

She built an epic 4-3-3 spearheaded by Martens, Miedema, and van de Sanden. Spitse, van de Donk and 22-year-old phenom Jackie Groenen consistently handled the buttressing of the attack, but it proven amazing to watch how their axis expanded, contracted, and split up with just a twitch of Sarina’s eyebrow.

She never really tweaked the lineup. It somehow felt as if she did, though. Each match had a separate feel to it. The players were constantly switching fields, trading spaces, and fluidly shifting their axes. One of the best women’s footballing teams ever cruised through the group and bashed all their opponents in the knockouts. The same eleven every time; just with different tactics. 

The level of talent on this squad can lead these girls to take off in an instant. They will rise to favorites if they look to be clicking early. In both recent competitive friendlies and the qualifying playoffs, they’ve shown just how brutally murderous they can be. 

Dutch syndicate members get to cheer for a good team for the first time in nine years!

 Projecting the Dutch Lineup (4-3-3) 

Lieke Martens   Vivianne Miedema   Lineth Beerensteyn

Sherida Spitse                     Shanice van de Sanden

Danielle van de Donk

Kika van Es                                     Desiree van Lunteren

Stephanie van der Gragt  Anouk Dekker

Sari van Veenendal

 The Talisman—Lieke Martens

Meet the female Lionel Messi. Our returning champion! Your friendly bookie always knew there was something special about this girl. That’s why he devoted a rather metaphysical “Storia della Belleza” chapter to her profound and sonorous beauty. The 2017 MVP of FEM 2017 and FIFA Women’s player of the year casts a spell on anyone observing her. So elegant. So graceful. So easy to fall in love.  

Since leading the Dutch Women to the European crown two years ago, she’s scored thirteen more international goals and racked up 20 in 49 appearances for her new club FC Barca. An absolute dynamo on the left, she dexterously strides past all markers with the adroitness of a ballerina hooped up on dex. Too damn good. Man do I ever love this girl. 

If the Dutch do defy predictions and top this group, the decisive touch will come from her. She owns her space and finishes with refined class. Have I mentioned that I REALLY love this girl?

  The Pillars 

 Vivianne Miedema  

Another returning force, this one’s essentially conquered the world at the age of…22?! That’s right. After making her national side debut at the age of 16, she’s compiled stats almost too absurd to report. Fifty-seven goals in 74 caps for the Leeuwinnen. Are you fucking kidding me? Thirteen goals in 2017 alone, including a brace against the Danes that proved the difference in the final. Four goals in 2019. Sixty-one tallies for Bayern and Arsenal since she landed her first big league contract. We’ll know in a few years whether she’ll be labelled the best ever. For now, to call her the female Robin van Persie would be unfair…to her. She’s much better. 

 Shanice van de Sanden 

Huge burst of power from the Olympique Lyon forward recently. She’s netted five in the last calendar year. It appears as if the anchoring midfielder from Utrecht grows into a more offensive role. She seems to have matured a great deal in her Merseyside stint. Another offensive threat.

 Sherida Spitse 

A vitally important part of this squad. The 28-year-old has scored 30 of her own goals in 161 international caps, including ten of them over the last eighteen months. She’ll nevertheless will mostly serve as an “assist-meister” for the hungry trio of gifted strikers. 

 Danielle van de Donk 

Another one of the bookie’s all-time favorites. She got some space in the “Storia della Belleza" saga as well. Regulates the tempo and controls much of the traffic from her place in midfield. An exceptionally creative player who has only gotten more inventive since moving to Arsenal Ladies.

 Annouk Dekker 

Fortress Dekker has been testing out her scoring mettle since transferring to Montpelier in 2016. While her club team invites her to join the rush, Wiegman will need her to mostly remain on the back line. A tireless worker, she logged massive minutes in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments. Fatigue still doesn’t appear much an issue for the now 32-year-old.

 Sari van Veenendaal 

A Lehmann-Kahn transition at keeper took place over the course of the 2017 FEM.  Loes Gurts has not been given the #1 jersey. The top spot—and according to some reports the captain’s armband—goes instead to the Arsenal backstop. Scintiliating recent form for her rising club. 

  The Phenoms 

 Lineth Beerensteyn 

Her three goals in the qualifying playoff against the Danes ensured the Dutch a place in this tournament. The 22-year-old budding superstar initially looked a little uncomfortable on the Dutch right, but has now officially found her stride. Plays professionally for FC Bayern. 

 Jill Roord 

Beerensteyn’s Bayern teammate, recently snatched up by Arsenal after netting thirteen goals in thirty-six appearances. A big-time phenom alert who served as a backup on the 2015 and 2017 squads. Strong as an ox, but can’t seem to plough into the starting eleven. Bookie projects her beginning the tournament on the bench...if only barely 

 Jackie Groenen 

Another recent FA WSL signing out of the Frauenbundesliga. This one’s been snatched up by Manchester United after years starring for FFC Frankfurt. A breakout player from FEM 2017, where she did excellent work in right-central midfield. Could possibly displace van de Sanden, Beernesteyn or van de Donk for a starting spot. It’s a tough call. For now, I see her as a Schürlle-like substitute.

 Dominique Bloodworth 

An additional tough call. Would be a starting centerback on any other team. For now, I’ll stick with van de Gragt, but keep an eye out for the newly-signed VfL She-Wolf.

Cameroon—“The Lady Indomitables”

Bookie was somewhat surprised that Jaquette Ada, Easther Mayi Kith, and Christiane Mpeh Bissong didn’t make the final roster, three players the bookie had in his lineup projection when working with the 27-player provisional team. It did give me a moment’s pause. Alain Djeumfa is, after all, no Hugo Broos. To be honest I’m not sure who the hell he was in the first place. Prior to January he was the team’s strength and conditioning coach. 

After some tinkering I think I can make it work. Akaba up front opposite Nchout. Abam pairs with Onguene. Meffometou slides in to share rank defense with Manie while Abena takes right back. It’ll work. One shouldn’t underestimate a strong African side with loads of top tournament experience. 

The African continental championship indisputably belongs to the Nigerians. The lady Lions always seem to be the bridesmaids, finishing second no fewer than four times. Occasionally they’ll slip to third or fourth depending on whether or not South Africa or Equatorial Guinea has a strong side. Either way they’ve only failed once to get out of the group.

In the most recent edition they again couldn’t get past their West African rivals the Super Falcons, falling short in a semi-final penalty shootout after an incredibly disciplined 120 minutes. A thrilling victory over Mali in the Third Place Playoff saw them through to their second Women’s World Cup. If they can play anywhere near as well as they did in that match, they could even contest for second in this group. A draw against either one of the top teams is all it will take.   

Bookie acts on a bit of a quixotic hunch here, but he believes the core group of players who upset the Swiss, completely blew the Ecuadorians out of the water, and nearly drew the Japanese four years ago has something in store for us here. Many of them have had bad luck in their club careers during the interval, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been in awful form. 

As you’ll see below, bookie’s biggest leap of faith concerns Gaelle Enganamouit. We’re anticipating a Lukas Podolski 2010 WM sort of comeback here. I know it's a stretch. Something tells me she can pull it off.

 Projecting the Cameroonian Lineup (4-4-2) 

Ajara Nchout  Henriette Akaba

Michela Abam           Gabrielle Onguene

Jeanette Yango   Raissa Feudijo

Yvonne Leuko                   Ninon Abena

C. Meffometou  C. Manie

Annette Ngo Ndom

 The Talisman—Ninon Abena 

Only certain Germans will know of her and her domestic team. Yes, we kraut footballing enthusiasts keep an eye on sporting occurrences in the former colony. How do you think you friendly bookie always knew so much about the men’s team, giving them prominent placement in all the WM and AFCON Chapters? 

I swear there’s no imperialist bones in my body. It’s simply that German remains an official state language in Cameroon and many Cameroonians study in Germany.

That happens to be where I met Syndicate Members 24, 66, and 189-M. Those three are merely the Ms who, by virtue of having checked in over the past three years, count as “active members”. There have been others whose numerical designations I’ve long since forgotten.

But I digress. This girl plays for one of those clubs that can’t decide whether its French, German, or Equatorial Bantu. In that order, it’s called “Louves MiniProff de Yaounde”. French, German, and Fula in that order. She’s evidently quite the star for the capital team. She a grabbed a nifty brace in the 2018 Third Place match of the Women’s CAN. Those goals directly ensured qualification to this tournament. 

If memory serves correctly, bookie believes a brief appearance in the 2015 FWM as a Zeitgewinn sub. 

  The Pillars—

 Annette Ngo Ndom 

The 34-year-old keeper who played professionally in Eastern Europe for a time, is probably best remembered for her embarrassing performance at the 2012 Olympics. Bookie prefers the clean sheet against Ecuador and some heroic saves against the Swiss. She was also good against China in the knockouts. In any event, she’s back and will need every ounce of her accumulated wisdom to face the bombardment headed her way in the group of Death. 

 Gabrielle Onguene 

The Russian professional returns. Scorer of two goals in the 2015 tournament, the 30-striker continues to puts up great numbers since transferring to CSKA Moscow Ladies in 2017. She’s now scored over 30 goals for the Lady Indomitables too. Has been on a hot streak as of late, tallying in several pre-tournament friendlies. 

 Christine Manie 

The hero of the 2015 qualifying campaign returns, though it’s doubtful we’ll see her deployed at forward. The 35-year-old’s days at striker appear to be over. She’s re-invented herself as a stationary centerback in the Romanian league. It’s largely worked, netting her a new contract in the French second division. 

 Claudine Meffometou 

The starting right back from the 2015 incarnation now moves inside to make way for Abena…or so the bookie foresees. Following a serviceable career in Russia and Serbia, she’s moved west to EAG Saint-Brieuc and largely done well at every defensive position.

 Ajara Nchout 

Er…Gesundheit. Great to have her back. Hope she gets as much of the ball as possible so the play-by-play call sounds like one of those perpetual sneezing bouts that simply won’t go away. The 26-year-old striker didn’t last too long in her stint with the NWSL, but continues to play a critical role on this team. She scored twice in the 2018 Women’s CAN and has amassed solid stats playing in Norway and Sweden for much of the past four years. 

 Madeline Ngono Mani 

Last tournament’s talisman didn’t disappoint. Loved that header against the Swiss in the final group stage match! It’s proven very difficult to keep track of her professionally as she’s been almost literally all over the Eastern European map in the past for years. Both her and Jeannette Yango still play virtually every match for the national team, yet don’t generate many goals or headlines. 

 Gaelle Enganamouit 

On the topic of players who quickly faded into obscurity, what happened to the fearsome blitzer who captured all of our hearts with that opening round hat trick back in 2015? In two words: ACL tear. Ugh. It happed in early 2016 with the ink barely dry on her fat new FC Rosengrad contract. After some years playing in China, Norway, and the Spanish Second Division she’s now an unsigned free agent fighting for her professional life. Bookie bets big that she can reclaim the magic just in time for her 27^th birthday. Stranger things have happened. She knows the stage. She knows the score. C’mon, girl. You can do it!

  The Phenoms

 Michaela Abam 

Most African clubs have their token American girl. In this sportsbook we call them the “Courtney Dikes”. This one’s a 21-year-old from Houston who attended college at West Virginia University. She’s already grabbed a brace for the national team and has started to wake up for Paris FC. Bookie has her starting on the left. 

 Charlene Meyong 

A Louvres MiniProff teammate of Ninon Abena. Tallies rather often. The 20-year-old may potentially be this generation’s Stephanie Mekongo or Marlyse Ngo. May beat out Raissa Feudijo, one of the phenoms from the previous tournament, for a start on the right flank.

 Alexandra Takounda 

Who? Apparently an 18-year-old phenom only recently called up after starring for the U17 squad a couple of years back. I can’t even tell you which club she plays for. All I know is that Feudjio, Akaba, Yango, and Enganamouit all burst out of relatively similar obscurity four years ago. 

New Zealand—“The Football Ferns”

Yes, they’re pretty. Of course they are. They’re lovely little football ferns. They’re the type of women who make you want to move to the Polynesian Pacific and farm…whatever one happens to farm on that desolate jagged island.

You want to steal a kiwi kiss. You want to retire with one of these ravishing maidens and live in a cottage in front of a majestic lake and…. It doesn’t matter what you want.

We’ve accorded far too much space to this country’s female footballing program over the years. This won’t be the year that they finally escape the group. 

The Queens of Oceania enter the tournament having recently won their fourth consecutive continental championship. That would mean something, if the vast majority of their “continent” wasn't underwater. Indeed, they did an admirable job fending off Tongo, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and New Caledonia by a combined 43-nil score in the latest tournament, but you don’t exactly have to do the haka to intimidate opponents whose previous footballing experience consisted of frustratingly kicking a coconut down the beach and immediately getting signed up for the team. 

Two talented players have retired. Amber Hearn and Kristi Yallop are gone. Remaining vets like Hannah Wilkinson, Betsy Hasset, Emma Kete, Annalie Longo, Katie Duncan, Katie Bowen, and Rebekah Stott have had their fair share of problems. Note what a long list that is!

The program’s been in a strange limbo since the departure of manager Tony Readings in 2017. One can generally tell that’s the case when Tom Sermanni takes the job. The former two-stint coach of the Australian woman also (briefly) coached the U.S. Women before they opted to give Ellis the position back. 

Bookie never trusted his squad selection and seriously dislikes what he’s done here. Promising young players like Emma Rolston and Katie Rood got left behind to in favor of the tanking group of vets elucidated above. All of Erceg’s shenanigans also serve as a distraction at a most unwelcome time.

Love the captain. Do not love this team’s chances. Think we’re about done here.

 Projecting the New Zealand Lineup (5-3-2) 

Sarah Gregorius  Rosie White

Katie Bowen                          Daisy Cleverly

Hannah Wilkinson

Ali Riley            Katie Bowen           CJ Bott

Abby Erceg Ria Percival

Erin Nayler

 The Talisman—Ali Riley 

Sheees back. It’s you friendly bookie’s first female footballing crush. Now capped 123 times, the buccaneering left back has held the captain’s armband since 2017. Oh, Smiley Riley. I’ll continue to love you with all of my heart even if you do play for Chelsea Ladies now. 

The bookie’s crush extends beyond an obsession with this girl’s devastatingly gorgeous looks (She’s one of the most beautiful women alive on the planet). I’ve always just loved the way she plays football. Scrappy and lionhearted, you’ll rarely see her trot. Always on the ball, but always with her head up looking for a colleague. 

She’s the ultimate team player. I knew it from the moment I first laid eyes on her in the 2007 FWM. It was only a matter of time before they made her captain. She leaves every ounce of energy on the field, giving it all up for her mates; always putting their prospects above her own. 

How can one have a talisman who’s only scored one single solitary international goal? Because Ali Riley plays football the way it meant to played, goddammit! She’s a REAL captain. She’s a TRUE leader. She’s….she’s…well she’s probably as gay as most of the other female footballers I’ve developed a crush on over the years…but I love her anyway.

  The Pillars

 Abby Erceg 

Sorry, Abby. Ali takes both the captain’s armband and the talisman title away from you. That isn’t to say that the 29-year-old centerback’s career has plummeted or anything. The Croatian/Maori girl continues to showcase excellent the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL. After a controversial hiatus one-year hiatus from the Ferns in 2017, she came out of international retirement to once again play for the national team. She then retired and un-retired a second time in 2018. For those keeping track…hell with it. She returns…again. No one is giving her that captain’s armband back.

 Ria Percival 

Likely the other centerback alongside Erceg, particularly in light the fact that Anna Green has been in semi-retirement whilst focusing on her day job as an accountant. The 29-year-old used to have the chops to make it as a fullback, but now works better in central defense as the years add up. Christ has she had a life; playing professionally in Canada, the States, England, Switzerland, and Germany.

 Sarah Gregorious 

Definitely not the little lightning rod who played for Bad Neuenjahr anymore, the slick striker’s career winds down a bit. She currently plays in the Japanese second division. Bookie still taps her to start as Hannah Wilkinson and Emma Kete are on even more of a downward trajectory. 

 Rosie White 

The last of a group of four promising strikers whose career hasn’t succumbed to injuries or contractual problems. The 25-year-old has had some modest success as a traditional number 9 in the NWSL. Has numbers on par with Wilkinson and Kete. Unlike them, still has promise. Bookie’s pick to start next to Gregorius. 

  The Phenoms

 CJ Bott 

A clever and resourceful 24-year-old left back sporadically called up since 2014. Secured her full time spot on the team only earlier this year when she scored a screamer in the match against Argentina. Long-distance prowess is always in demand. Her and Riley share a natural position, so one will have to switch fields. Bookie guesses it’ll be Bott.

 Daisy Cleverly 

Actually not a new face, she was on the 2015 roster. (So was Bott). Neither her nor Bott made an appearance. Now they’re both projected starters, placed on the same vertical axis by the bookie. Evidently plays decent college ball at the University of California.  

 Paige Satchell 

Doesn’t look as if the 21-year-old is quite ripe enough yet. Recently signed for SC Sand. She’ll get some great experience in the Ortenaukreis, but as of now she hasn’t had the benefit of that beautiful Baden-conditioning. Might push Katie Bowen for a place in defensive midfield.  

Vicey’s Fearless Group Prediction (2 to 1 Odds for bookie)

 1) Canada   

 2) The Netherlands 

 3) Cameroon

 4) New Zealand 

Overall Championship Odds

  Canada (Straight Up)

  The Netherlands (2 to 1)

  Cameroon (8 to 1)

  New Zealand (12 to 1)

Round of 16 Odds

  Canada (NO BETS)

  The Netherlands (NO BETS)

  Cameroon (Straight up)

  New Zealand (2 to 1)

Quarterfinal Odds

 Canada (NO BETS)

 The Netherlands (NO BETS)

 Cameroon (2 to 1)

 New Zealand (6 to 1)

Semifinal Odds

 Canada (Straight Up)

 The Netherlands (Straight Up)

 Cameroon (4 to 1)

 New Zealand (8 to 1)