We keep the ball rolling with our Women’s World Cup group previews. Let’s focus on Group C, which has one of the biggest enigmas in the tournament in team Spain. We also have Japan, Costa Rica, and Zambia filling out the rest of the group, each one looking to make it to the Round of 16. Here’s who we like with our Women’s World Cup Group C prediction.
World Cup group predictions: Group A I Group B I Group D I Group E I Group F I Group G I Group H
Group C Preview
In Group C, Spain is the top team, although some uncertainty surrounds them due to the recent player revolt against their head coach. Although despite this, Spain has a lot of young talent to draw upon, and they’ll also have the advantage of having superstar midfielder Alexia Putellas back in the lineup after recovering from an ACL injury.
Meanwhile, Japan is another strong team in the group, having won the 2011 World Cup and making it to the finals in 2016. However, they’ve transitioned to a younger team, and although they have the talent, they’ve struggled in recent tournaments and have yet to rekindle their championship form.
Lastly, Zambia is making its World Cup debut and is the lowest-ranked nation at this year’s World Cup. Their head coach is currently under investigation for sexual misconduct, which could impact the team’s focus and performance.
Finally, Costa Rica, who is making their second World Cup appearance, is coming in with little momentum, having lost 14 of their last 15 matches. They will face tough challenges in their first two games against Spain and Japan.
Women’s World Cup Group C Prediction
Zambia and Costa Rica are not expected to pose much of a challenge, so it should be a straightforward path for Spain and Japan to move on to the next round. Spain has a deep roster of talented players who play a patient possession game, and they have been on a winning streak (7 wins in 8 games) leading into this World Cup. Japan has a young team with many players who won the 2018 U20 World Cup, and they have recently beaten some strong opponents like Canada.
We believe Spain and Japan will easily advance from this group.
Prediction: Spain, Japan
Game Schedule
July 21: Spain vs. Costa Rica (3:30 a.m. ET)
July 22: Zambia vs. Japan (3 a.m. ET)
July 26: Japan vs. Costa Rica (1 a.m. ET)
July 26: Spain vs. Zambia (3:30 a.m. ET)
July 31: Japan vs. Spain (3 a.m. ET)
July 31: Costa Rica vs. Zambia (3 a.m. ET)
