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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Women's World Cup power rankings: Germany lead the way from Matildas | Women's World Cup power rankings: Germany lead the way from Matildas |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 1) Germany | 1) Germany |
| Could there really be any other team in the No 1 spot? Germany came into this World Cup with a slew of injuries and questionable players, including 2014 Fifa world player of the year Nadine Kessler, who had knee surgery before the tournament. But No 1-ranked Germany have proven to be the most complete team in the tournament, looking utterly dominant whether they beat Ivory Coast 10-0 or beat Sweden 4-1. Their only blip of the tournament, a 1-1 draw to Norway, feels like a distant memory thanks to a roaring start in the knockout stage over the weekend. Buoyed by a stable of potent attacking weapons that includes Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag, if there’s anything that can hold Germany down, it may be their unfortunate quarter-final matchup against France. | |
| 2) Australia | 2) Australia |
| Could this small footballing nation become the Cinderella story of the Women’s World Cup? With the way the Matildas are playing, it’s certainly possible. The Aussies fought their way out of the Group of Death and followed it up by sending Brazil and the legendary Marta packing. New coach Alen Stajcic had just eight months to work with his squad after a player-led revolt of their previous coach earlier last year, but the team’s confidence in their new manager shows. Though the speedy Lisa De Vanna remains the notable focal point for her side, young players like Samantha Kerr and Kyah Simon are stepping up and playing important roles. The robust collective effort that helped the Matildas secure Australia’s first knockout win in a men’s or women’s World Cup may hold some more surprises. | Could this small footballing nation become the Cinderella story of the Women’s World Cup? With the way the Matildas are playing, it’s certainly possible. The Aussies fought their way out of the Group of Death and followed it up by sending Brazil and the legendary Marta packing. New coach Alen Stajcic had just eight months to work with his squad after a player-led revolt of their previous coach earlier last year, but the team’s confidence in their new manager shows. Though the speedy Lisa De Vanna remains the notable focal point for her side, young players like Samantha Kerr and Kyah Simon are stepping up and playing important roles. The robust collective effort that helped the Matildas secure Australia’s first knockout win in a men’s or women’s World Cup may hold some more surprises. |
| 3) Japan | 3) Japan |
| Sure, the Japanese haven’t won any of their games in this tournament by more than a goal, but does it really matter? The Japanese are extraordinarily efficient and play to the level that is necessary to get the win. They’ve won every match that way so far in this World Cup. Japan is not going to blow anyone away à la Germany, but their patience and ball movement is as much as a joy to watch as it is successful at picking apart midfields. Four years ago, the Japanese kept their proficiency quiet and no one really seemed to project Japan as the 2011 Women’s World Cup champions. Now, the secret is out, but Japan are still threading their way through matches with a calm ease. Despite their close-on-paper 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the round of 16, there was never a doubt Japan would prevail and they should go deep into the bracket. | Sure, the Japanese haven’t won any of their games in this tournament by more than a goal, but does it really matter? The Japanese are extraordinarily efficient and play to the level that is necessary to get the win. They’ve won every match that way so far in this World Cup. Japan is not going to blow anyone away à la Germany, but their patience and ball movement is as much as a joy to watch as it is successful at picking apart midfields. Four years ago, the Japanese kept their proficiency quiet and no one really seemed to project Japan as the 2011 Women’s World Cup champions. Now, the secret is out, but Japan are still threading their way through matches with a calm ease. Despite their close-on-paper 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the round of 16, there was never a doubt Japan would prevail and they should go deep into the bracket. |
| 4) USA | 4) USA |
| Can the USA win a World Cup while not playing their best football? The Americans may have gotten flak for pulling out some ugly wins in this tournament, but World Cups aren’t won on style points, and the Americans keep winning. They topped the Group of Death and fended off a much-improved Colombia, proving that the Americans find ways to win games that many teams can’t. While the midfield has looked disjointed and their shot-to-goal conversion has been low, the Americans do boast perhaps the best defense in the tournament with goalkeeper Hope Solo and a strong four in front of her. Add in the return of Alex Morgan as a 90-minute player, and all the pieces are there. The x-factor for the Americans has always been their mentality and never-say-die approach. When tactics fail, their relentless pursuit of winning may be enough to push them over the edge, especially with the lowest-ranked opponent of the quarterfinal stage. | Can the USA win a World Cup while not playing their best football? The Americans may have gotten flak for pulling out some ugly wins in this tournament, but World Cups aren’t won on style points, and the Americans keep winning. They topped the Group of Death and fended off a much-improved Colombia, proving that the Americans find ways to win games that many teams can’t. While the midfield has looked disjointed and their shot-to-goal conversion has been low, the Americans do boast perhaps the best defense in the tournament with goalkeeper Hope Solo and a strong four in front of her. Add in the return of Alex Morgan as a 90-minute player, and all the pieces are there. The x-factor for the Americans has always been their mentality and never-say-die approach. When tactics fail, their relentless pursuit of winning may be enough to push them over the edge, especially with the lowest-ranked opponent of the quarterfinal stage. |
| 5) France | 5) France |
| France looked like a real contender coming into this tournament, but is it all too much for them? France play a slick, fast style that many national teams would envy, but when they got to Canada, they seemed to forget how to execute it. A loss to Colombia, which it turns out wasn’t a brilliant strategy to avoid Germany in the bracket, rightly set off some alarm bells. France rebounded their reputation with a dominating 3-0 win over South Korea in the round of 16, but it certainly raised a question: when France face Germany in the quarter-final, which version of the team will show up? A lack of consistency may have been manageable in a weaker corner of the bracket, but an off performance against Germany will be punished. On a good day, and when star striker Louisa Necib is creating chances, Les Bleues can top Germany but no one, including France, seems to know which French team will show up. | France looked like a real contender coming into this tournament, but is it all too much for them? France play a slick, fast style that many national teams would envy, but when they got to Canada, they seemed to forget how to execute it. A loss to Colombia, which it turns out wasn’t a brilliant strategy to avoid Germany in the bracket, rightly set off some alarm bells. France rebounded their reputation with a dominating 3-0 win over South Korea in the round of 16, but it certainly raised a question: when France face Germany in the quarter-final, which version of the team will show up? A lack of consistency may have been manageable in a weaker corner of the bracket, but an off performance against Germany will be punished. On a good day, and when star striker Louisa Necib is creating chances, Les Bleues can top Germany but no one, including France, seems to know which French team will show up. |
| 6) England | 6) England |
| Have England finally found their rhythm? The group stage was a bit patchy for the English side, which has looked very good for stretches and quite lost for others. When it came to facing a strong Norway side – the only side to trouble Germany at all – the English looked like they deserved their first knockout round win in Women’s World Cup history. Manager Mark Sampson has taken an unorthodox approach of rotating his players so much that all his field players had gotten minutes before the knockouts, but now it appears there may be a method to his madness. Regardless of lineup, however, England’s problem seems to lie in that they struggle to set the tone of matches and impose themselves on the game. Reacting and following the lead of the opposition may only get them so far. | Have England finally found their rhythm? The group stage was a bit patchy for the English side, which has looked very good for stretches and quite lost for others. When it came to facing a strong Norway side – the only side to trouble Germany at all – the English looked like they deserved their first knockout round win in Women’s World Cup history. Manager Mark Sampson has taken an unorthodox approach of rotating his players so much that all his field players had gotten minutes before the knockouts, but now it appears there may be a method to his madness. Regardless of lineup, however, England’s problem seems to lie in that they struggle to set the tone of matches and impose themselves on the game. Reacting and following the lead of the opposition may only get them so far. |
| 7) Canada | 7) Canada |
| Canada have certainly captured the imaginations of their home country. The scenes from BC Place, where Canada squeezed past Switzerland, were perhaps the most celebratory of the tournament. The fans know this is a World Cup, but does the Canadian team? For a side led by legend Christine Sinclair and brimming with confidence at the start of the tournament, the Canadians have sure struggled to put on performances worthy of the 50,000-some crowds they’ve drawn. The Canadians have had their moments, but not nearly often enough. Perhaps the high stakes are only making matters worse. They are fortunate to be facing England in the quarter-final and not one of the stronger teams. | Canada have certainly captured the imaginations of their home country. The scenes from BC Place, where Canada squeezed past Switzerland, were perhaps the most celebratory of the tournament. The fans know this is a World Cup, but does the Canadian team? For a side led by legend Christine Sinclair and brimming with confidence at the start of the tournament, the Canadians have sure struggled to put on performances worthy of the 50,000-some crowds they’ve drawn. The Canadians have had their moments, but not nearly often enough. Perhaps the high stakes are only making matters worse. They are fortunate to be facing England in the quarter-final and not one of the stronger teams. |
| 8) China | 8) China |
| China had an easy road in the round of 16, and now they are up against a big brick wall. If China somehow beats the USA in the quarter-final, that will easily be the biggest upset of the tournament. But how exactly would China pull that off? China knows how to dig in their heels and pack themselves in on defense, which is probably what they will do against the USA. The problem with that is, the USA faces that sort of bunker constantly and should have the tools to get around it. If China wants to scrap by, they will need to make a real effort for goal, which they haven’t shown much capability for in this tournament | China had an easy road in the round of 16, and now they are up against a big brick wall. If China somehow beats the USA in the quarter-final, that will easily be the biggest upset of the tournament. But how exactly would China pull that off? China knows how to dig in their heels and pack themselves in on defense, which is probably what they will do against the USA. The problem with that is, the USA faces that sort of bunker constantly and should have the tools to get around it. If China wants to scrap by, they will need to make a real effort for goal, which they haven’t shown much capability for in this tournament |