Group A Prediction

Written by: Helena Wang

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Other than Group D, Group A will be the toughest group to advance out of for all four countries involved. All four nations – Canada (#8), the Netherlands (#12), China (#16) and New Zealand (#17) – are ranked pretty close to each other, make competition extremely stiff. Canada is the heavy favorite to come out on top in Group A, due to their high ranking and their home field advantage. Anything less than a quarter final appearance for the Canada team would be considered a disappointment. For the second spot, the Netherlands should be able to edge out China and New Zealand. The Dutch seemed to have recently found its groove, with veteran striker Manon Melis and young star Vivianne Miedema deemed to help lead this team to a strong tournament. For third place, it will be a toss up between China and New Zealand. Both teams play an aggressive style that has proven to be tough for better ranked teams. However, I believe China will edge out the Kiwis with a stellar performance from rising star Yang Li. Their speed and ball control could cause problems for opponents, particularly New Zealand.

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FiveThirtyEight’s 2014 prediction on who will make it out of the group stage (Source: FiveThirtyEight)

If you had to watch any game between the teams in Group A, I would highly recommend Canada vs. Netherlands. It will be between two dynamic teams that both have a lot to play for – it should be a fun game to watch!

Below are my predictions for the games:

Canada 2-1 China PR

New Zealand 0-2 Netherlands

China PR 2-2 Netherlands

Canada 1-0 New Zealand

Netherlands 2-3 Canada

China 2-2 New Zealand

Standing after the games:

1. Canada                          9 points

2. Netherlands                 4 points

3. China                             2 points

4. New Zealand                1 point

It’ll be an exciting group to watch and I can not wait to see who advances to the knockout stage!

How to cite this page: “Group A Prediction” Written by Helena Wang (2015), World Cup 2015, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University. http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/world-cup-guides/world-cup-2015-guide/players-to-watch-at-the-2015-womens-world-cup/group-a-prediction/

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