Women's World Football

The second round of group-stage fixtures will get under way at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on Wednesday when tournament hosts France will seek to build on their winning start.

Les Bleues face Norway in their second Group A fixture, and the matchup is almost certain to decide who comes out on top of the pool. European favourites Germany and Spain will also collide in Group B.

England, Canada and the Netherlands each squeezed by their opening group opponents by one-goal margins, while Italy surprised No. 6-ranked Australia 2-1 in Group C to take a valuable joint-lead with Brazil.

The United States, meanwhile, face Chile on Matchday 2 looking to advance their tremendous start to the competition after they demolished Thailand 13-0 to boost their goal advantage early on.

Fox will provide live-stream action for viewers in the United States via Fox Sports Go. Audiences in the United Kingdom can stream matches using BBC iPlayer or via the BBC Sport website.

      

Remaining First-Round Fixtures (Group)

Wednesday, June 12

Nigeria vs. South Korea (A), 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Germany vs. Spain (B), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), Fox (U.S.)

France vs. Norway (A), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), Fox (U.S.)

              

Thursday, June 13

Australia vs. Brazil (C), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Two (UK), Fox (U.S.)

South Africa vs. China (B), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), Fox (U.S.)

              

Friday, June 14

Japan vs. Scotland (D), 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, BBC One (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Jamaica vs. Italy (C), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), Fox (U.S.)

England vs. Argentina (D), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC One (UK), Fox (U.S.)

              

Saturday, June 15

Netherlands vs. Cameroon (E), 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, BBC One (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Canada vs. New Zealand (E), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS2 (U.S.)

           

Sunday, June 16

Sweden vs. Thailand (F), 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

United States vs. Chile (F), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Two (UK), Fox (U.S.)

          

Monday, June 17

China vs. Spain (B), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, FS1 (U.S.)

South Africa vs. Germany (B), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), Fox (U.S.)

Nigeria vs. France (A), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), Fox (U.S.)

South Korea vs. Norway (A), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

             

Tuesday, June 18

Jamaica vs. Australia (C), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS2 (U.S.)

Italy vs. Brazil (C), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

       

Wednesday, June 19

Japan vs. England (D), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC One (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Scotland vs. Argentina (D), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), FS2 (U.S.)

            

Thursday, June 20

Cameroon vs. New Zealand (E), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Netherlands vs. Canada (E), 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, Fox (U.S.)

Sweden vs. United States (F), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), Fox (U.S.)

Thailand vs. Chile (F), 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

             

Hosts France, United States and Brazil Impress on Matchday 1

France opened the floodgates on South Korea in their tournament opener, going 3-0 up at the break and eventually winning 4-0.

Lyon forward and France captain Eugenie Le Sommer fittingly got the first goal of the tournament:

—@ELS_9_FRANCE with the first goal of the World Cup
—@WRenard with two goals from CB
—@amandinehenry6 hits a wondergoal#FRA off to the perfect start ✨ pic.twitter.com/D0atzN8Bcg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 7, 2019

Centre-back Wendie Renard stands at 6'2" and used every bit of that height to her advantage by netting two headed goals.

Sportswriter Kelly Welles highlighted how her scoring threat is no new thing:

Amazing stat from @larssivertsen on FW this week. Wendie Renard has scored 84 (EIGHTY-FOUR!) goals in eight seasons for Lyon. Not on free kicks or pens. Also, she's a centre back. pic.twitter.com/BPWxg8ot7S

— Kelly Welles (@kelly_welles) June 11, 2019

Coach Corinne Diacre could hardly have hoped for a better beginning to her first World Cup in a senior role, having previously held the assistant role during the 2011 Women's World Cup.

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated pointed to the competition's positive exposure:

French women’s team draws its biggest-ever TV audience in France of 9.8 million on TF1 for 4-0 win vs #KOR. For perspective, USWNT drew 3.3 million in USA for 1st game of 2015 World Cup.

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) June 8, 2019

Sao Paulo forward Cristiane, 34, is less known than team-mate Marta, Brazil's all-time record scorer on 117 goals, but it was the former who shone with a decisive hat-trick to put Jamaica away in their curtain-raiser.

Marta, 33, was an unused substitute as Brazil snapped a miserable nine-match losing streak in style, and Cristiane crowned her treble with an arcing free-kick from just outside the box:

🎩🇧🇷

Today's Moment of the Day comes courtesy of @CBF_Futebol's Cristiane!

Highlights 👉 https://t.co/M5OavEMORs
TV listings 👉 https://t.co/t64sDOmQGs#FIFAWWC https://t.co/gu3FiK3BPV

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 9, 2019

Brazil's women aren't as renowned as their male national team equivalents and even have a bit of a reputation for failing to live up to their potential at World Cup tournaments. They've never won a world title and have finished in the top three in only two of the previous seven tournaments.

Incredibly, 41-year-old anchor Formiga has participated in all but one of those:

Brazil legend Formiga plays in her SEVENTH World Cup 😱👏🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/gyxNkVBaDS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 9, 2019

Beating Jamaica will boost morale, but Australia and Italy will each pose bigger threats in the fixtures to come, especially after the latter surprised the former 2-1 in their first showdown.

The United States recorded the biggest win in Women's World Cup finals history on Tuesday, with Alex Morgan scoring five as they annihilated Thailand 13-0 to take the lead in Group F.

Anticipation is building towards the United States' clash against Sweden on June 20, their first true test of this tournament.

Australia will look to get their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign back on track when they meet Brazil in Group C at Montpellier's Stade de la Mosson on Thursday.

Italy caused an upset by beating the Matildas 2-1 in their tournament opener, and Australia now need a win against Brazil to avoid putting their World Cup hopes in serious jeopardy.

The Selecao, meanwhile, won their opener 3-0 against Jamaica thanks to Cristiane's record-breaking hat-trick:

34 - Oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick:

Women's WC - Cristiane (34y 25d)
Men's WC - Cristiano Ronaldo (33y 130d).

Record.#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/edAbkyOwAY

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 9, 2019

Australia are favourites to claim all three points, but they are now under huge pressure following their opening defeat.

                     

Date: Thursday, June 13

Time: 6 p.m. local, 5 p.m. BST, midday ET 

TV Info: Fox Network (U.S.), BBC Two (UK)

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go, BBC iPlayer

Match Odds (via Oddschecker): Australia 15-13, Brazil 12-5, Draw 27-10

               

Australia are the sixth-ranked side in the world, and they boast one of the biggest stars of the women’s game in Sam Kerr.

On Sunday against Italy, though, they looked lost. Kerr put the Matildas ahead in the 22nd minute when she pounced on the rebound after seeing her penalty saved.

But Barbara Bonansea equalised shortly before the hour and provided the knockout blow deep into stoppage time:

94:39 - Barbara Bonansea's match-winning goal for Italy against Australia was timed at 94:39 & was the latest winning goal scored in normal time of a FIFA Women's World Cup match in the history of the competition. Drama. #FIFAWWC19 pic.twitter.com/5sGbuWRmvu

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 9, 2019

Australia go into Thursday's clash with Brazil on the back of three consecutive defeats after they lost their last two World Cup warm-up matches against the United States and the Netherlands.

That is hardly confidence-making form, and the South Americans will likely be smelling blood ahead of the Montpellier clash.

They looked good against Jamaica and could welcome back star player Marta to face the Matildas:

Marta (thigh) is back on the training pitches and could be in contention for #BRA second Group C game against Australia on Thursday. #FIFAWWC #WWCFantasy

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) June 11, 2019

Brazil have their own problems, though. They are the 10th-ranked side in the world, but before the start of France 2019, they had lost nine games in a row—and 10 in 11 since their 2018 Copa America Femenina triumph last April.

On paper, however, Australia are the better side and should get a win on Thursday to get their campaign back on course.

They must get the Italy defeat out of their minds, though, or risk another poor result against a Brazil side with plenty of quality. 

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup group stage continues on Tuesday in France, where defending champions the United States get their tournament under way against Thailand in Group F.

Fellow pool opponents Chile and Sweden meet at Roazhon Park in Rennes after New Zealand and the Netherlands open proceedings in what has the makings of a tight encounter in Group E.

The United States won the 2015 Women's World Cup after a 16-year wait between titles, and they'll be adamant about making a good start in Thailand as they seek to avoid another similar hiatus.

Sweden are the other favourites to do well in Group F and don't appear likely to be troubled by Chile, who will make their Women's World Cup debut in Rennes.

       

Tuesday's Fixtures

New Zealand vs. the Netherlands, 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

Chile vs. Sweden, 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC Red Button (UK), FS1 (U.S.)

United States vs. Thailand, 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, BBC Four (UK), Fox (U.S.)

Viewers in the United States can live-stream matches via Fox Sports or NBC Sports Live Extra. Audiences based in the United Kingdom can tune in via BBC iPlayer or the BBC Sport website.

     

United States vs. Thailand

Few will expect the United States to suffer any slips in what should be a routine World Cup opener against Thailand, the lowest-seeded Asian nation at the tournament (34th).

Thailand have lost 11 of their last 12 games and have failed to get a goal in five of those. However, Nancy Armour highlighted the fixture could have value in providing the U.S. a foundation for the rest of the competition, via USA Today:

On paper, the Women's World Cup opener for the #USWNT seems to be a mismatch. But @nrarmour points out what the Americans can take away from their match against Thailand. Presented by @FoxSports. pic.twitter.com/W7kgrvUVwL

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) June 10, 2019

The fixture will be the first of Carli Lloyd's World Cup farewell tour. It was in the 36-year-old's last tournament appearance that she scored probably the most memorable goal of her career:

The Women’s World Cup begins on Friday.

Throwback to @CarliLloyd’s ridiculous 54-yard goal in the 2015 World Cup final 😳🇺🇸 https://t.co/rwxG5ZWtOU

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 3, 2019

She and Jill Ellis' other household-name stars will be stunned if they don't beat Thailand and possibly build a big goal-difference advantage.

        

New Zealand vs. the Netherlands

New Zealand enter their fifth Women's World Cup hoping to navigate their way past the group stage for the first time. The Netherlands are eighth in the FIFA rankings, 11 places ahead of the Football Ferns, and they won their last three friendly fixtures against Mexico, Chile and Australia by an aggregate score of 12-0.

Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema is the only player to have scored in each of those warm-up fixtures. Journalist Kevin Beirne backed her to be De Oranje's top finisher should they find their rhythm in France:

https://twitter.com/KevBeirne/status/1137058479842189313

The player herself issued a rallying call before the opening match against New Zealand, who lost their final warm-up fixture 1-0 to Wales:

We are ready, are you? #NZLNED 🦁🇳🇱 #firstgame #WWC pic.twitter.com/wrRIqG2udd

— Vivianne Miedema (@VivianneMiedema) June 10, 2019

The Netherlands made it to the round of 16 four years ago at the last World Cup, and their current form suggests they could be capable of beating Canada to first place in Group E.

    

Chile vs. Sweden

Sweden have had a difficult time getting away from the United States in recent World Cups. However, they've still managed to make it past the group stage in all but one of their seven World Cup appearances, via Fox (U.S. only):

For the 5th straight FIFA Women's World Cup, Sweden landed in the USWNT's group. 👀

Here's everything you need to know about the Swedes. 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/CSQrZGzAxW

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 3, 2019

They open against Chile, ranked 30 places below them at 39th and the likely contenders for third place along with Thailand.

The South Americans beat Australia 3-2 in November but have since gone on a nine-match winless run. Sweden have won their last two games in friendlies against Austria (2-0) and South Korea (1-0) in April and May, respectively, and have an outside chance of beating the U.S. to the Group F summit.

After wins in each of their opening FIFA Women's World Cup matches, host nation France and Norway will meet in their second Group A fixture on Wednesday at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice.

France had no issues in their first game against South Korea, as they were totally dominant in a 4-0 win at the Parc des Princes in Paris. It was a reminder that with the quality they have and a huge crowd behind them, Les Bleues will be hard to beat at this World Cup.

Norway may be without star striker Aga Hederberg, but they proved they have strength in depth when they coasted to a 3-0 win over Nigeria on Saturday.

Read on for the latest odds for the match, the viewing information and a preview of what's to come in this key encounter.

    

Match Odds

France win (4-11)

Draw (22-5)

Norway win (9-1)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker

      

Date: Wednesday, June 12

Time: 8 p.m. (BST), 3 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: BBC Four (UK), Fox (U.S.)

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), Fox Sports (U.S.)

        

Preview

Friday's win over South Korea was the perfect beginning to the competition for France, as they flexed their muscles with a dominant display.

The match was always going to be a challenging one for South Korea given the chasm in quality between the two outfits. Even so, the hosts were able to settle any early nerves in the ninth minute, when Eugenie Le Sommer struck to give her side an early lead.

From there it was plain sailing, with a Wendie Renard brace and a late strike from Amandine Henry completing the rout.

Per football writer Zito Madu, there was little the South Korea defence could do against Renard's aerial prowess:

France has Renard on set-pieces looking like Goliath. What is South Korea supposed to do about that? Might need to have a a player standing on the shoulder of another to defend her.

— Zito (@_Zeets) June 7, 2019

Meanwhile, Le Sommer took another step towards a landmark number of goals for her country with her opener:

Eugénie Le Sommer has now scored 75 goals for France, Marinette Pichon (81) is the only player with more.

Closing in on the record. pic.twitter.com/i2AwusOqbS

— Coral (@Coral) June 7, 2019

Henry was the player who stood out the most for France, though. While she will undoubtedly have tougher days in this tournament, the skipper controlled the contest from her midfield berth and showcased her potency from distance with her goal.

Facing Norway will be a bigger test of Les Bleues' credentials, though, especially given the confidence they have accrued from their win over Nigeria.

They flew out of the traps, scoring three first-half goals to effectively end the contest. Guro Reiten was the key player for Norway, as she scored one and made another in a comprehensive win. 

Commentator Jacqui Oatley thinks the focus on Hegerberg's absence ahead of the tournament may bring the Norway squad together:

I bet the Norway 🇳🇴 players are sick to death of everybody talking non-stop about their “star player” who hasn’t kicked a ball for them for two years. They qualified without her. It’s a legitimate talking point but can imagine this squad are desperate to prove a point. #FIFAWWC

— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) June 8, 2019

There's no reason why they shouldn't be hopeful of springing an upset going into the game with Les Bleues, either. Their fine form started long before they arrived at the World Cup, and the victory over Nigeria was their fifth win in six matches in all competitions.

Even so, the hosts will represent a big step up in quality. With that in mind, Norway will need to adopt a different game plan from the attacking one they deployed against Nigeria, as the quality in the France setup will exploit any spaces left in defensive positions.

The French will have to be patient against a more robust opponent, but they will do enough to get the job done in the end.

Prediction: France 2-0 Norway

Germany prepare to face Spain in the second game of Group B at the 2019 Women's World Cup, with the winner sure to be big favourites to top the group.

Germany and Spain collide as joint-leaders of their pool after beating respective Matchday 1 opponents China and South Africa. However, favourites Germany didn't impress as expected in a slim 1-0 win over China and will be wary of the team that always looked to be their greatest threat to finishing first in the group.

Spain converted two penalties as they eased South Africa aside 3-1 in Le Havre, but they know they must win on Matchday 2 to stand a realistic chance of top of the order.

Germany are clear favourites to live up to their billing as one of the top tournament contenders, while La Roja go in search of an early upset in just their second World Cup finals appearance.  

       

Date: Wednesday, June 12

Time: 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET

Venue: Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)

TV Info: BBC red button (UK), Fox (U.S.)

      

Odds

Germany: 4-5

Draw: 13-5

Spain: 3-1

Via Oddschecker.com.

       

Preview

There's little comparing these two teams in terms of World Cup pedigree considering Spain made their finals debut in Canada four years ago, while Die Nationalelf have competed in each of the seven previous contests.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's Germany looked rather rusty in their opening win over China, who came to France ranked 16th in the world. Spain sit three positions higher, and they've assembled a four-match unbeaten run in preparation to take on the world No. 2.

Germany haven't lost a match since March 2018, winning 11 times and drawing twice since then. They've been dominant in that time, though Giulia Gwinn's strike from outside the box was all that separated them from China, via Fox (U.S. only):

All they do is Gwinn Gwinn Gwinn!

Germany held on to take all 3 points against China thanks to Giulia Gwinn's beautiful winner. Our 90 in 90 ⬇️ #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/FKNr0EVg7X

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 8, 2019

Voss-Tecklenburg didn't sound convinced by the performance in her post-match comments:

💬 Martina Voss-Tecklenburg: "That was hard work. We started well but the goal didn't come. We were more stable after the break and we got the reward for our efforts in the end."

WIR #IMTEAM #FIFAWWC #GERCHN 1-0 pic.twitter.com/0Yv5Nt5OJ7

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 8, 2019

These two teams met in November and played out a scoreless draw. However, it could be a key factor that Germany have played five matches to date since then, while Spain have played 11 times in the same window.

Jennifer Hermoso scored twice from the spot to nudge Spain past South Africa, clinching a World Cup first for her country in the process, per Squawka:

#ESP have scored a second-half goal at the #FIFAWWC for the first time ever.

Jennifer Hermoso tucks away from the spot. #ESPRSA pic.twitter.com/9jljfg1obK

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 8, 2019

That result also happened to be Spain's first victory at a Women's World Cup finals after they drew once and lost twice in 2015.

Germany started their last World Cup with a win before drawing against Norway in their second group game, and Spain will hope for a repeat or better when they clash.

Canada took an early lead in Group C at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup after opening their tournament with a 1-0 win over Cameroon at the Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier, France.  

The No. 5-ranked favourites got the better of Cameroon—making their second World Cup appearance—after Kadeisha Buchanan headed in the only goal of the game.

Group E opponents New Zealand and the Netherlands will meet on Tuesday to find out whether either of those contenders can keep up with the early pace-setters.   

Canada came into their opening fixture as major favourites and didn't pull any surprises by building an early grip on possession. They had more than two-thirds of the ball at the end of the first half, as well as twice the number of attempts on goal as Cameroon, per Flaschscore.com.

Cameroon had won two of their three previous games coming into this match but have rarely faced opposition of Canada's quality—they lost 4-0 to Spain in May and 6-0 to France in October.

Christine Cinclair made her 283rd international appearance and was looking to build on an already imperious World Cup record, per Fox: 

Canada legend Christine Sinclair has BY FAR the most international goals of anyone at this #FIFAWWC

Will she get any closer to @AbbyWambach's record of 184 today? pic.twitter.com/F14NFW7doq

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 10, 2019

The 35-year-old started up front alongside Jessie Fleming, 14 years her junior, but the pair struggled to fashion many opportunities against a regimented Cameroon defence.

Coach Alain Djeumfa fielded five at the back and almost managed to make it to the break with a clean sheet intact, but not before Buchanan could strike a hammer blow to their chances of making it out unscathed.

Janine Beckie's cross to the back post found the Lyon defender in plenty of space for her fourth international goal, via Fox (U.S. only):

CANADA TAKE THE LEAD!

Kadeisha Buchanan is wide open at the far post to head in the opening goal right before halftime. #FIFAWWC #CAN pic.twitter.com/APmKfPTAvY

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 10, 2019

Journalist Laura Armstrong gushed over the scoring manoeuvre:

Huge opening goal for #canWNT, a minute before halftime. Nichelle Prince did a great job to earn that corner kick, Janine Beckie's delivery to the back post was perfect, I could watch Kadeisha Buchanan's run every day. Just as they drew it up.

— Laura Armstrong (@lauraarmy) June 10, 2019

Canada's goal proved timely as Cameroon's frustration tactics still yielded dividends in the second period, though they were unable to mount much of an attacking threat of their own.

The African representatives managed to test goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe only once, per Flashscores.com, and allow Canada to seal their eighth clean sheet from their past nine matches.

Nigeria were the only team to score past coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller's side in that time, when they lost 2-1 to Canada in April. Cameroon couldn't replicate the feat and will look to improve against the Netherlands on Matchday 2.

      

What's Next?

Canada will next be in action against the Football Ferns on Saturday, while Cameroon will face the Dutch.

    

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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England got their 2019 Women's World Cup off on the right foot, bagging a 2-1 win over rivals Scotland in their Group D opener. 

Nikita Parris got the opener from the penalty spot after 14 minutes, and Ellen White doubled the lead before half-time. Scotland improved in the second half, and Claire Emslie pulled a goal back after 79 minutes to set up a nervy finale. There would be no comeback, however.

The Lionesses and Scotland will face Argentina and Japan in Group D.

England started with plenty of possession, while Scotland tried to counter with a press that left a lot of gaps in between their lines. It led to quite a few openings for the Lionesses early, but England lacked a little sharpness in the attacking third.

The VAR gifted them a golden opportunity after 14 minutes, however, as the new handball rule reared its ugly head yet again this tournament.

A cross from close range made contact with Nicola Docherty's arm, and while there was nothing the defender could do about it and England never appealed for a penalty, the ball still went on the spot. The decision was similar to penalties awarded to Brazil and Spain earlier this tournament.

Viewers were not happy:

https://twitter.com/grahamruthven/status/1137754456324542464

VAR is good but the handball rule is not

— JJ Bull (@jj_bull) June 9, 2019

Parris made no mistake, giving the Lionesses the lead.

The Scots didn't alter their plans after the early setback, and more chances arrived for England. White and Fran Kirby both had good looks on goal, with the latter only just missing the target.

Goalkeeper Lee Alexander made a strong intervention to deny White, and the forward continued to cause trouble, having a goal ruled out for offside.

England's dominance was evidenced by the possession stats:

Posession stats currently reading England 73%-27% Scotland... #ENGSCO

— Ameé Ruszkai (@ameeruszkai) June 9, 2019

She got her deserved goal five minutes before half-time, beating Alexander with a superb drive. Her contribution to this rivalry match was inevitable:

3 - Ellen White has scored a goal in each of her last three international appearances for England against Scotland. Foe. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/7lLaQhbCTu

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 9, 2019

A shoulder injury for Millie Bright gave the Scots the advantage in numbers early in the second half, but they could create little danger from it.

Emslie put goalkeeper Karen Bardsley to work with a weak shot, and she also had to intervene on a dangerous cross into Erin Cuthbert, who proved a handful for the English defence.

Rachel Corsie had a shot blocked, as Scotland increased the pressure as the second half wore on. The Lionesses were comfortable just sitting back, but a poor giveaway from Steph Houghton gave Emslie the chance to pull one back after 79 minutes, setting up a tense finale.

BBC 5 Live's Pat Nevin thought they deserved that goal:

GOAL! #Lionesses 2-1 #SWNT

Emslie scores Scotland's first World Cup goal!

"Scotland have punched their weight in this half and deserve their goal" - @PatNevin

LISTEN LIVE 📲 https://t.co/mvg7daw9uU#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/qRer450dzp

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) June 9, 2019

But England regained their focus and saw out the match with maturity, giving away few looks in the final minutes.

   

What's Next?

Both teams will be in action again Friday when Scotland take on Japan and England face Argentina.

Brazil took care of business in their Women's World Cup opener on Sunday, beating Jamaica 3-0 thanks to Cristiane Rozeira's hat-trick. 

The Selecao were in control from start to finish, dominating possession and opening the scoring after just 15 minutes. They also missed a penalty before half-time, but Cristiane added two more goals after the break.

It was Brazil's first win of 2019, putting their horrendous preparations for the World Cup in the rearview mirror.

The South American side face a tricky task of qualifying from Group C, where Italy beat Australia 2-1 earlier on Sunday.

The Selecao piled on the pressure early, earning themselves a series of corners and barely letting the Jamaican side out of their own half.

The relentless pressure didn't lead to early chances, however, and the first shot on goal fell to Khadija Shaw, who put goalkeeper Barbara to work.

Brazil were by far the better team, however, and their work paid off after 15 minutes, as Cristiane's header broke the deadlock.

She's been one of the Selecao's best performers for a long time:

https://twitter.com/lgbtqfc/status/1137718060389998592

Brazil didn't let up and went looking for a second goal, with Andressa and Debinha looking particularly threatening. Sydney Schneider was kept busy in goal, claiming cross after cross.

Barbara also impressed in the other net, making a key stop to deny a stinging drive from Shaw.

Cristiane wasted a great chance to double her team's lead by spending too much time on the ball, and Barbara nearly made a costly error on a cross, spilling it before recovering.

The Selecao were gifted a penalty after 37 minutes for an Allyson Swaby handball, as the Jamaican player was unable to pull her arm back in time after the ball was fired at it from close range.

The new handball rule isn't proving popular:

https://twitter.com/lgbtqfc/status/1137723633743384577

Schneider continued her superb half by saving Andressa's weak effort, however, ensuring her team were only down a single goal at half-time.

Cristiane doubled the lead early in the second half, calmly slotting home a cross. Schneider misjudged the ball, and the goal was wide-open for the 34-year-old forward. 

Trudi Carter somehow missed a wide-open net before Cristiane completed her hat-trick, all but ending the contest. She struck with a great free-kick, becoming the third Brazilian woman to net a hat-trick in a World Cup:

Cristiane is the third Brazilian player to score a hat-trick at the #FIFAWWC:

1999: Sissi vs. Mexico
1999: Pretinha vs. Mexico
2019: Cristiane vs. Jamaica

The first hat-trick of the 2019 tournament.🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/B2tUyvDUOG

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 9, 2019

There were chances for more goals, but the 19-year-old Schneider dealt with efforts from Geyse, preventing further damage.

   

What's Next?

Brazil face Australia on Thursday, while Jamaica play Italy on Friday.

Canada begin their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign against Cameroon in Group E on Monday.

The Canadians are ranked No. 5 in the world and are tipped to perform well in France.

Cameroon are rank outsiders and could struggle in the game at the Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier.

                  

Date: Monday, June 10

Time: 9 p.m. (local), 8 p.m. (BST), 3 p.m. (ET)

TV: FS1 (U.S.), BBC Red Button (UK), TSN (Canada)

Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra App, Fox, fuboTV (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (UK), TSN GO (Canada)

Odds: Canada 1-6, Cameroon 22-1, draw 13-2 (via Oddschecker)

                  

Preview

Canada will expect to cruise through the group stage with the objective of claiming top spot ahead of the Netherlands.

Veteran forward Christine Sinclair, who is in her 19th year as a full international, will skipper Kenneth Heiner-Moller's team in France.

According to Neil Davidson of CBC, Heiner-Moller believes his players are ready for action but are staying relaxed.

"This happens every four years so if you're not excited, there's something's wrong. But then also making sure that this is an energy we need to keep hopefully for a long period of time. And not coming into this match like tense, but definitely excited.

"And that's a balance we need to find. We have some players who have [done it] numerous times so they know and they speak to some of the less experienced players once in a while, so I am not doing a lot. The players are doing more than I am."

Heiner-Moller has experience at the finals, coaching Denmark at the 2007 World Cup.

Sinclair's presence and performance will be vital for Canada, and she is only three goals short of Abby Wambach's international scoring record. Wambach hit the back of the net 184 times for the United States, and this tournament could see Sinclair pass that total.

Cameroon are set to feature in their second World Cup and impressed in Canada in 2015, making it to the round of 16.

However, there's a gulf in class between the sides, and the African nation would likely be delighted with a point against a strong opponent.

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup continues on Sunday in France, with England set to face Scotland in Group D in the day's most anticipated clash.

Group C also begins, as Australia take on Italy and Brazil play Jamaica.

The English start the tournament as one of the favourites after winning the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. However, the Scots will be motivated to cause a shock against their British rivals on their World Cup debut.

                    

Sunday's TV Schedule and Predictions

Australia vs. Italy, 7 a.m. (ET)/ 12 p.m. (BST), Fox (U.S.)/BBC Red Button (UK)—2-1

Brazil vs. Jamaica, 9:30 a.m. (ET)/2:30 p.m. (BST), Fox (U.S.)/BBC Red Button (UK)—3-0

England vs. Scotland, 12 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (BST), Fox (U.S.)/BBC One (UK)—1-1

                           

Live-stream links: NBC Sports Live Extra App, Fox, fuboTV, BBC iPlayer

For the bracket predictor, visit the FIFA website.

                          

Group Draw

CONFIRMED:

Here are your groups for the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019! 🇫🇷#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/bz5ZghPZ1C

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) December 8, 2018

                       

Sunday Preview

The UK will be at a standstill when England and Scotland cross swords.

The natural enemies have provided many sporting showcases throughout history, and the pair are set to square off on the biggest stage in women's football for the first time.

Scotland's squad is packed with rising stars desperate to make a name for themselves.

Ideally, England would have liked to have avoided Scotland in their opener, but Phil Neville's team will attempt to stamp their authority on their opponents at the Allianz Riviera in Nice.

England provided footage of their training ahead of the match:

We've travelled, we've trained and now...it's time.#ENGSCO pic.twitter.com/LGu9VpcI7r

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 8, 2019

The English have formidable strength and depth, and in Lucy Bronze, they have one of the best players in the world.

However, Caroline Weir is one of Manchester City's most consistent performers and will provide quality for the Scots.

The action in Group C kicks off when Australia play Italy in the first match of the day.

Italy are featuring in their first women's World Cup since 1999 and face a stiff test against the Matildas, who are ranked No. 6 in the world.

Jamaica are set to make their debut in the tournament finals when they battle Brazil.

Despite their standing in the men's game, the Brazilians are not one of the favourites in France. They are ranked No. 10 in the world and could struggle to emerge from the group stage.