Women's World Cup storylines to keep an eye on

Summer is the time for international soccer competitions. Last year, the men had their World Cup, which France won by taking down Croatia in the finals. Speaking of France, that’s where the 2019 Women’s World Cup is being held. If you are wondering what to pay attention to in the competition, here are some storylines to follow.

Will the United States repeat?

The American men weren’t able to qualify for the World Cup, but their female counterparts have been a dominant force in women’s soccer for decades at this point. The United States women are the defending champs, having won the 2015 World Cup by besting Japan in the final. Only the Germans have ever been able to repeat. Can the U.S. team, which dominated qualifying, pull it off?

Can Marta finally lead Brazil to the title?

This will likely be the Brazilian star’s last World Cup. She’s 33, and she needs little to boost her resume. Marta’s 15 career goals in the World Cup are the most all time, and nobody is running the risk of beating that record anytime soon. Alas, despite Brazil’s soccer success by and large, the women’s team has never finished better than runner-up in this tournament.

Can France make the best of home-country advantage?

The French have never finished better than fourth in this tournament. So why are a lot of soccer writers picking them to win it all? Well, for starters, France is the host nation, which doesn't hurt. Second, the team is replete with players from the dynastic Lyon team. They’ve won the Women’s Champion’s League four years in a row and six times overall. If France is ever going to win a Women’s World Cup, this might be the year. The men just did it. Is it the women’s turn?

The Jamaican Cinderellas

Want an underdog to root for? Then jump on Jamaica’s bandwagon. Not only is the country sending a team to the World Cup for the first time, but on two separate occasions Jamaica actually disbanded the team. There was over three years of inactivity before Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, rallied to get the team funded. Now here it is in the World Cup. Oh, and did we mention its nickname is the “Reggae Girlz?”

The other first-time teams

Women’s soccer is still growing, which is why it’s always exciting when a team gets to make its debut appearance at the World Cup. In addition to Jamaica, three more teams are appearing at their first World Cup tournament: Scotland, Chile, and South Africa. While Chile and South Africa, along with Jamaica, are way down the rankings, the Scots actually come in at No. 20. They are also in a group with England. A win there would likely feel like winning the Cup.

The VAR experience

If you follow soccer, you’ve gotten used to the video assistant referee, or VAR. It’s still controversial, but VAR isn’t going anywhere. The review experience debuted at the Men’s World Cup in 2018, and this will be the first time it will be used at the women's tournament. Expect at least one instance of controversy that leads to a ton of handwringing and hot-take writing.

Will there be a first-time winner?

Only four teams ever have won a Women’s World Cup. The United States has three, Germany has two, Norway has one and Japan has one. That means there are a lot of potential first-time winners out there. Brazil and Sweden have both been in finals, and both still rank in the top 10. We already mentioned France, and then there are the other teams in the top six of the FIFA women’s rankings that don’t have a title: England, Canada and Australia.

Who are the next stars of women’s soccer?

Abby Wambach is retired. As mentioned, Marta won’t be around much longer. So who are the fresh faces who could become household names at the Women’s World Cup? A lot of people are already buzzing about Australia’s Sam Kerr. The 25-year-old team captain has 31 goals at the international level already. Plus, since she plays professionally in the United States, it will be easier for American fans to follow her after this tournament. Speaking of American fans, they are well-acquainted with Alex Morgan, who at 29 isn’t going to disappear just yet. However, there is a new talented striker who could become “the next Alex Morgan” in France this summer. Keep the name Mallory Pugh in mind. She has played 50 games and scored 15 goals for the United States. Oh, and she’s only 21.