A resurgent Germany returns to World Cup action on the heels of a closely contested loss to England in last summer’s Euro 2022 final and with some promising friendly showings, including a win over the USWNT in November. After dominating the early aughts, nabbing back-to-back World Cups in ’03 and ’07, Germany hasn’t advanced past the semifinals. In ’19 the team was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Sweden, but its young players have continued to find their footing while veterans, like 32-year-old captain Alexandra Popp, have refined their roles. While Germany doesn’t have an ironclad defense as it had in years past, it does have a productive and dominant midfield, featuring FC Bayern’s Lina Magull, 28, and wunderkind Lena Oberdorf, who, at age 21, will be making her second World Cup appearance.
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Any result other than winning Group H would spell disappointment for Germany, but that’s not to discredit the challengers. South Korea has tasted World Cup success, charging to the round of 16 in 2015, and has a decent shot at advancing this year after playing in the Group of Death in ’19. The team has an experienced core but lacks the youthful exuberance typically needed to make a deep run. Colombia showed it can be a pesky opponent, holding Brazil to one goal in its Copa América final loss, while first-timer Morocco downed a substantial Nigeria team in the WAFCON semifinals last July.
Projected Group Finish
- Germany
- South Korea
- Colombia
- Morocco
Breakout Star
Linda Caicedo, ColombiaWorld cups are nothing new for the 18-year-old: Caicedo is competing in her third one in a year. Last August, she represented Colombia in the U-20 World Cup and, two months later, she led her team to the final in the U-17 event. The forward also used her speed, on-the-ball trickery and coldhearted finishing to score two goals and earn Copa América’s Golden Ball award last July. She then signed with Real Madrid in February.
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Wild Card
After a victory over Botswana in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last July, Morocco punched a ticket to its first Women’s World Cup—and became the first Arab team in history to qualify.
If it can contain South Korea in its opener, Colombia has a real shot at nabbing second place and advancing to the knockout stage for the second time.
