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Now that it has secured a World Cup berth, what’s next for US women’s soccer team?

FRISCO, Texas - The U.S. women's national soccer team did not officially punch a ticket to France for next summer's World Cup until Sunday night, but for all intents and purposes, planning and preparations for the French adventure began after the Olympics two years ago.

United States women’s national soccer team head coach Jill Ellis.
United States women’s national soccer team head coach Jill Ellis.Read moreTed S. Warren/AP

FRISCO, Texas - The U.S. women's national soccer team did not officially punch a ticket to France for next summer's World Cup until Sunday night, but for all intents and purposes, planning and preparations for the French adventure began after the Olympics two years ago.

There was never any doubt the top-ranked Americans would qualify. Even if they had stumbled in the semifinals of the Concacaf tournament, which rewarded automatic berths to the two winners, a third-place match and an international playoff provide additional passage.

The United States clinched its spot with a 6-0 victory over Jamaica, its fourth consecutive one-sided shutout.

Coach Jill Ellis has spent the past year narrowing her roster, from a pool of 60 players. The squad of 20 at this regional qualifying tournament will grow to 23 for the World Cup: one additional goalkeeper and two others.

Asked if the roster is pretty much settled, Ellis said she would need a "big-ass crystal ball" to make such a prediction. However, she added, "The players in this group are players that have gone through the gauntlet in terms of being challenged and showing their quality" this year.

Over the next eight months, there are bound to be injuries and players who fall out of form with the U.S. team or in the National Women's Soccer League. For the most part, though, most slots are lock-solid.

Two players who have been very much in Ellis's plans missed the qualifying tournament with injuries: center back Tierna Davidson and midfielder McCall Zerboni. (Davidson's roster spot was filled by a college player, UCLA's Hailie Mace.)

Two others trained with the team this month, though they weren't on the official list: goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and defender Merritt Mathias. Ellis has not ruled out summoning others to future camps.

She is blessed with so much depth, 10 players have scored in this regional event and everyone started at least once. The U.S. second unit would've finished first or second in this tournament.

Granted, the level of competition here was not very good, but the manner in which the Americans performed certainly was. They were cohesive and ruthless in the attack - a three-midfielder, three-forward system implemented last year - and snuffed out the few opposing threats.

The reigning world champions, who are unbeaten in 25 matches since summer 2017, will receive their first test of the Concacaf tournament Wednesday against fifth-ranked Canada at Toyota Stadium. Bragging rights and FIFA rankings, which are applied toward seedings at the World Cup draw Dec. 8 in Paris, are at stake, though, given their place in the sport, the Americans are certain of receiving one of the six top seeds.

Next month, the United States will play two friendlies in Europe. Opponents are close to being finalized. The U.S. Soccer Federation had planned for visits to Netherlands and Switzerland, but UEFA qualifying playoffs for those teams muddled the situation. (The Dutch and Swiss will face one another Nov. 9 and 13.)

The Americans will probably return to Europe in early 2019, in place of the annual winter camp in the Los Angeles area.

The SheBelieves Cup will return early in the spring, with World Cup-bound England, Brazil and Japan tentatively slated to come to the United States.

The U.S. squad will gather for World Cup training camp on the West Coast in early May, then play three send-off matches before flying to France. The games will be played from West to East, with the second game taking place somewhere in the Midwest.

The World Cup, expanded to 24 teams from 16, will take place June 7 to July 7, culminating with the semifinals and final in Lyon.