Group A: Canada | China | New Zealand | Netherlands
After missing the 2011 Women's World Cup, China is looking to rebound in Canada.
The journey
After failing to make the tournament for the first time in its history, China quickly set about redeeming itself. A new generation of players was brought in and battled to a third-place finish at last year's AFC Women's Asian Cup -- but the eight-time Asian champs had hoped for more. This squad will be looking to make an even bigger statement in its return to the world stage.
World Cup History
A look at how China has fared in past World Cup tournaments:
The rep
China's squad features exceptional stamina and a passing game that shows off its team cohesion. Coach Hao Wei was brought on after the 2011 disappointment and is known for fielding young players. But this squad (average age 23, the coach says) is two years older than four years ago, which speaks to Hao's valuing the fact that the players have been together for several years and understand one another's habits. China's careful defensive posture and quick counterstrikes will be tested by scorers such as Christine Sinclair of Canada and Vivianne Miedema of the Netherlands. The game plan can also hurt: The Steel Roses can focus so much on parking the bus against strong offenses that their own scoring chances become limited.
Projected Formation
China usually plays with a 4-4-2 lineup:
The question
With a lack of World Cup experience, can China handle the pressure of the world stage? Most of these players won't have the tournament savvy that often makes the difference. Hao will have to convince them to turn their inexperience into an advantage -- shaking off the pressure and playing without expectations. If this defense-focused team hopes to advance to the knockout rounds, 24-year-old striker Yang Li will have to mimic her showing from the Women's Asian Cup, where she scored six goals in five games.
Back Among The Elite?
China peaked at 13th overall in the FIFA World Rankings early in the year, but dropped three spots to 16th in March.
Group-stage schedule
First two matches will be played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta; China's third match will be at Winnipeg Stadium:
• June 6: Canada, 6 p.m. ET
• June 11: Netherlands, 6 p.m. ET
• June 15: New Zealand, 7:30 p.m. ET
Foudy's Take
China does not have the strength of its golden era with Sun Wen in the 1990s, but the team has been a bit more stable in the past three years. After failing to qualify for the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics (the first time China did not qualify for either event), the team has had the same coach, Hao Wei, for three years -- an eternity for that program -- and seems more organized.
Social Scene
STATS: The opening #FIFAWWC game is @CanadaSoccerEN v China. 25 previous games. Who leads H2H? http://t.co/HVNbQiqij3 pic.twitter.com/vQQXrCe10p
- FIFA Women'sWorldCup (@FIFAWWC) May 11, 2015
