Australia
For most of you who happen to be reading this (and thank you by the way), you want to know one thing: can the Matildas win this tournament? The answer? Yes, they can. However, whilst any of the 24 teams could win this tournament, the Matildas have to consider this their greatest ever chance of bringing the big gold trophy home. The confidence of the nation is high off the back of another excellent W-league season full of excellent performances from exciting young Aussies, as well as world class performances from more experienced superstars.
Whilst the Matildas might not be the most conventional team at the tournament, they most certainly have the firepower to beat every single team in the world right now. A recent hiccup against the USA will not blunt the enthusiasm of the Aussies, as a superb and dominant performance at their own tournament of nations early this year demonstrated what the Green and Gold are truly capable of.
If the Matildas can overcome strong rivals Brazil as well as old enemies Italy and underdogs Jamaica, they may come out of their group with a great run into what could be their first ever semi-finals. From there, whilst this writer may not be predicting glory, he sure will have many late nights hoping and dreaming that the Matildas can go all the way.
PREDICTION: Group: 1st Overall: Semi-Final, 3rd place
Fact: At the 2015 World Cup, the Matildas became the first Australian football team to win a knockout game at an international tournament, after a monumental 1-0 victory over one of the tournament favourites Brazil. With the ground-breaking performances that have been witnessed in the past few years, it is easy to forget how meteoric the rise of Australian women’s football has been. Of course, the Matildas will hope to add to their tally of knockout stage victories at the World Cup in France.
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