By: Reid Kamhi

The USWNT celebrates on the podium after winning the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. The US defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to clinch their second straight, and fourth ever, world cup crown. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

The men's FIFA World Cup wrapped up just seven months ago, and now we're just days away from the women's tournament. The United States enter as the favorites to win their third World Cup in a row, but the task will be tougher than ever before. Here we have a look at the teams best suited to spoil the three-peat. We'll look at these teams in the order in which the USWNT would have to face them. 

Netherlands 

The locals will be guaranteed a treat of a match, as the 2019 finalists will meet for their second of three matches each in Group E. The Oranje seemed to be unstoppable going into the World Cup Final four years ago, having reached that stage with an undefeated record in the tournament and doing the same thing en route to winning Euro 2017. Since then, their squad has experienced heavy turnover, with some of the key players from 2017 and 2019 retiring or in decline. Their manager Andries Jonker has been through many different teams in his 35+ years of experience.

The Dutch won't be the threat they were from years past, but this match will be good for both them and the USWNT considering both should be beating their other group opponents, Vietnam and Portugal, quite comfortably. 

Sweden 

This is, unbelievably, the first World Cup since 1999 in which the United States and Sweden are not in the same group. Indeed, that wasn't possible this time around because the two teams were in the same pot for the draw. Group E – which contains the US – crosses over with Sweden's Group G for the Round of 16, so the teams could meet there or in the semifinal.

Sweden is always dangerous, and the defensive trio of Jonna Anderson, Linda Sembrant, and Magdalena Eriksson is arguably the best out there. The attackers and midfielders may need to be extra involved in the defensive efforts, but they're more than capable of this.  

Spain 

Spain may well be the most exciting team to watch this summer. They've gone from a quiet name to a serious contender since I first saw them in person at the 2015 World Cup. The growth of their domestic league has shown; every player on the squad but one plays in Spain's Liga F, and 16 play either for Barcelona or Real Madrid. 

The player I'm most excited to watch by far is Alexia Putellas. Having missed Euro 2022 and much of last season due to a cruciate ligament injury, she is a fantastic player who is eager to make an impact. 

Germany 

Now we're into the teams the United States could face in the Final.  When Martina Voss-Tecklenburg took over, she put a lot of trust in the younger German names. While they would have hoped for better than the quarterfinal exit in 2019, Voss-Tecklenburg has largely stuck with this group and it's paid off.  They have dependable options on all sides of the ball. All but four players in the squad play for Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt, or VfL Wolfsburg.  Alexandra Popp and Svenja Huth both play for the latter of those three teams and will be dangerous in attack.  

Canada 

The United States and Canada never fail to disappoint when they face each other. The teams know each other very well not just because of their many past encounters, or even because the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship Final was between the two North American nations, but many players from both countries play in the NWSL. 

The Canadian players in this squad have lots of international experience.  They'll be tough to crack defensively, and those players are key to getting their side up the field too. On the attacking side, Christine Sinclair has 190 goals with Canada. Crossing into 200 in this tournament is a tall order, but she'll nonetheless try to move towards that incredible milestone.  

England 

The defending European champions are one of the favorites not named the United States. Since Euro 2022 wrapped up less than a year ago, this squad is very similar to that one. Of course, the same can be said about the other European teams in this tournament, but that circumstance benefits England the most. 

Any player on this team can step up and shine, and we saw that last year. I'm most interested to see how three of their best players in Georgia Stanway, Lucy Bronze, and Keira Walsh, all of whom play with clubs abroad, gel in attack with other players on the squad.  

Australia 

Finally, we have one of the co-hosts in Australia.  They'll have a strong backing at home, and the goalscoring threat Sam Kerr brings cannot be ignored.  She's gotten better and better over time at Chelsea.  She'll have players like Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso in support, which will be crucial. 

The Matildas' defensive depth was a concern in 2019, and while it looks somewhat better four years on, there could be some high-scoring matches when the Aussies are on the pitch.  

Final Words

Coming into each of the last two World Cups, I thought someone would overcome the force that is the US women. Both times I was wrong. The twice-defending world champions have been through plenty of change since their last triumph, with a new manager in charge and lots of evolution in the team. There's due to be more of that after the competition as well. I write this just days after Megan Rapinoe announced she would retire after the 2023 season. 

This FIFA Women's World Cup will test the US women like never before. It will also test the viewers from home, with many matches taking place through the night here thanks to the time difference between the Americas and the host countries of Australia and New Zealand. The competitiveness is good for the game, though, and it's good for the women's game.  I cannot wait for it to get started in just a handful of days!