The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. After months of friendly matches, training camps and Send-Off Series games the World Cup favorites are back in action to defend their title.
The U.S. women’s national team enters the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a solid 7-1-2 record thus far this year. Out of the 10 matches the U.S. has played in, eight of them have been against fellow World Cup participants in France. After preparing for the World Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre in London, the USWNT's time to shine has finally arrived.
On Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and Telemundo, the U.S. will meet Thailand at Auguste-Delaune Stadium in Reims, France.
Prior to this match the U.S. and Thailand have only had one other matchup, where the U.S. won 9-0 on September 15, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio, when U.S. legend Heather O’Reilly played in her last cap. Additionally, 18 of the 23 rostered USWNT players that played in that match are going to face Thailand in France. Although Thailand is considered the weakest of the U.S.’s three group-stage opponents, the U.S. still has to bring its A-game and manage the pressure of bringing home its fourth World Cup title.
HAPPY WORLD CUP GAME EVE#OneNationOneTeam pic.twitter.com/0ewIPKI8IC
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 10, 2019
The 2015 World Cup champions have never lost a World Cup opener, but they haven’t won them all either. In the previous seven Women’s World Cups, the U.S. has won five openers and tied two. Hopefully they will continue their undefeated streak when they face Thailand.
With the increased exposure of women’s football and the USWNT for this 2019 Women’s World Cup the spotlight is on these inspiring females. An expected sell-out of all three group-stage games for the USWNT in France adds to the pressure for the red, white and blue and we will see if they can get the job done starting with their first opponent Thailand.
