The USA are in this tournament for the win. They do not plan on giving mercy to any of their opponents - especially being in the “Deadliest Group” - and their first opposing team is Australia.
USA have been ranked 2nd in the World, and Coach Jill Ellis – who took the job last year – knows how the American team work, what their strengths are and she too is going for gold. If they win this year, it will be their first Women's World Cup title since their last one in 1999.
Australia only just make it as one of the top 10 ranked teams in the World, but they have a great mixture of young talent and are known for being a very athletic team. Sadly for the team, they seem to have been graced with a series of unfortunate injuries amongst the players and so there is a possibility of them not being at the top of their game.
The Matilda's goalkeeper Lydia Williams suffered from a torn ACL last summer, and is hoping to make her comeback this tournament.
The American team's forward - Abby Wambach - appears to be as strong as ever and on very good form, and will definitely be a player to look out for throughout the match. Alongside Abby, breakout player and fellow forward Christen Press is a name to remember. This is her first Women's World Cup, but she has recently proved she has serious talent and will be a privilege to watch her talents blossom.
Another player to keep an eye out for is goalkeeper, Hope Solo. She has been a part of the USWNT since 2000 with 170 international caps and is a two time Olympic gold medalist. She is a very experienced player and will definitely be working her hardest throughout.
Led by a range of very talented players – including Caitlin Foord who was named 2011's Best Young Player – Australia have been able to prove their worth, although ranked lower than their opponents, they do have a chance of surprising us and bringing a fight to their battle against the USA.
The match kicks off tonight (June 8th) at 16:00 local time. We wish all the girls the best of luck!
Our prediction for the match is 3-1 to the USA. Let us know what you think on our twitter page, using our dedicated hashtag #wwc15df.
If you haven't already, check out our Resource Centre where you can download and print your very own Group Stage and Knockout charts to keep up with all the teams!
