Group E has two World Cup giants and two countries making their debut. The United States is ranked as the #1 team in this year’s tournament, but closely behind them is the #9 ranked Netherlands, who are no strangers to the Americans. Vietnam and Portugal round out the group and are hoping to shock the world. Will they?
Find out in our Women’s World Cup Group E prediction.
World Cup group predictions: Group A I Group B I Group C I Group D I Group F I Group G I Group H
Group E Preview
The team to beat at the tournament is the Americans, who are aiming for their third consecutive World Cup victory. They have a wealth of experience, talent, and a deep squad of seasoned veterans and promising young stars. Despite a few key players being absent, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith are expected to fill those gaps nicely, ensuring the team has no weaknesses.
Unfortunately, the Netherlands will miss their top striker Vivianne Miedema, which will be a significant blow as they aim to replicate their performance from the 2019 World Cup, where they lost to the USA in the finals 2-0. However, the OranjeLeeuwinnen will look to Jill Roord to step up and find the back of the net.
Vietnam will be eager to prove themselves to be a formidable opponent, with Huỳnh Như expected to be their main goal scorer. On the other hand, Portugal will be seeking revenge against the Netherlands for their defeat in the 2022 Euros.
Women’s World Cup Group E Prediction
On paper, this seems to be a fairly simple prediction. The US will finish first in the group; we expect the Netherlands to follow. But will they? Portugal is on the rise, and the Netherlands barely beat them at the Euros. Not having Miedema is a big loss for the Dutch, and they are coming into this tournament with a new Manager.
Don’t sleep on Portugal; they are a tough team to play against and have some great players like Tatiana Pinto. They have a 0-0 friendly draw against England and just recently beat the USA. They’ve certainly progressed from the Euros and look like a much better team, more organized in their attack, and they leak fewer goals.
After losing some veterans and relying on inexperienced younger players, The Netherlands appears to be a team going through a transition and still trying to find its way. We wouldn’t be surprised if Portugal pulls out an upset. So why not, let’s go off the board here.
Prediction: USA, Portugal
Game Schedule
July 22: United States vs. Vietnam (9 p.m. ET)
July 23: Netherlands vs. Portugal (3:30 a.m. ET)
July 27: United States vs. Netherlands (9 p.m. ET)
July 27: Portugal vs. Vietnam (3:30 a.m. ET)
Aug 1: Portugal vs. United States (3 a.m. ET)
Aug. 1: Vietnam vs. Netherlands (3 a.m. ET)
