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Women’s World Cup draw: U.S. to play Thailand, Chile and Sweden in France in 2019

The U.S. will open the group against Thailand in Reims on June 11, play Chile in Paris, then clash with perennial rival Sweden in the group stage finale.

Delran native Carli Lloyd brought the women's World Cup trophy on stage before the United States women's national soccer team found out which opponents they'll face at next year's tournament in France.
Delran native Carli Lloyd brought the women's World Cup trophy on stage before the United States women's national soccer team found out which opponents they'll face at next year's tournament in France.Read moreChristophe Ena / AP (custom credit) / AP

The U.S. women’s soccer team was drawn in to Group F for next year’s World Cup in France, and will play Thailand, Chile, and Sweden in the group stage.

The Americans will kick things off against Thailand in Reims on June 11. Their only previous meeting was a 9-0 U.S. rout in Columbus, Ohio, in 2016. The Thais have improved considerably since then. Last April, they played powerhouse Australia to a 2-2 draw in the women’s Asian Cup semifinals before losing on penalty kicks.

After that, the U.S. will bask in the glamour of Paris, facing Chile at the famed Parc de Princes on June 16. That’s a Sunday, which will make the game a huge attraction for U.S. fans planning vacations in France that month.

The U.S. and Chile met last August and September in the first-ever games between the teams, with the U.S. winning 4-0 and 3-0.

Last up will be perennial rival Sweden on June 20 in Le Havre. The U.S. and Sweden have met in every women’s World Cup since 2003, plus the 1999 World Cup and the 1996 and 2016 Olympics.

The last of those games was, of course, the one in which Sweden infamously knocked the U.S. out in the quarterfinals. And the Americans haven’t beaten Sweden in a World Cup since 2003.

It’s an easy group overall. Thailand, Chile, and Sweden are ranked Nos. 29, 38 and 9, respectively, in FIFA’s global standings. And with Reims and Le Havre both close to Paris, the Americans will have good time to rest between games.

“It’s very helpful,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “Although our players are very experienced at dealing with travel, at a tournament like this, you want every possible advantage you can get.”

Her team is not planning to have a base camp, though - as happens at men’s World Cups - because, as of now, FIFA won’t allow it.

“They entertained the idea,” she said, “and I think they moved away from that.”

Here are all the groups:

Group A: A1. France, A2. South Korea, A3. Norway, A4. Nigeria

Group B: B1. Germany, B2. China, B3. Spain, B4. South Africa

Group C: C1. Australia, C2. Italy, C3. Brazil, C4. Jamaica

Group D: D1. England, D2. Scotland, D3. Argentina, D4. Japan

Group E: E1. Canada, E2. Cameroon, E3. New Zealand, E4. Netherlands

Group F: F1. United States, F2. Thailand, F3. Chile, F4. Sweden

The most intriguing group is Group D. England and Scotland will kick it off - in Scotland’s first-ever women’s World Cup game, no less - with 2011 champion and 2015 runner-up Japan to come thereafter.

In Group C, Australia-Brazil will be a clash of powers - and by the way, those teams will play each other at Talen Energy Stadium in the SheBelieves Cup on Feb. 27. In Group E, Canada’s finale against the reigning European champion Netherlands is another marquee matchup.

The knockout stages have the potential for lots of drama. If the U.S. wins its group, it’ll return to Reims on June 24 for the round of 16 to play the second-place team from Group B, probably China.

Then could come an epic showdown with host France in the quarterfinals in Paris on June 28. It’s a matchup that could easily have been the championship game in other circumstances. The U.S. and France will meet in a friendly next month in Le Havre, and if that game wasn’t big enough already, it’s even bigger now.

If the U.S. finishes second in the group, it would play the second-place team from Group E in Paris on June 24, probably rival Canada or the reigning European champion Netherlands. Then the Americans would go to Rennes on July 3 to play either the second-place team from Group A (probably Norway or Nigeria) or the second-place from Group C (probably Brazil).

Lyon will host the semifinals on July 2 and 3, and the final on July 7. Nice will host the third place game on July 6.

Here’s the full game schedule for the tournament:

Group Stage

Friday, June 7

3 p.m.: A1. France vs. A2. South Korea at Paris (Parc des Princes)

Saturday, June 8

9 a.m.: B1. Germany vs. B2. China at Rennes (Roazhon Park)

12 p.m.: B3. Spain vs. B4. South Africa at Le Havre (Stade Océane)

3 p.m.: A3. Norway vs. A4. Nigeria at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune)

Sunday, June 9

7 a.m.: C1. Australia vs. C2. Italy at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut)

9:30 a.m.: C3. Brazil vs. C4. Jamaica at Grenoble (Stade des Alpes)

12 p.m.: D1. England vs. D2. Scotland at Nice (Stade de Nice)

Monday, June 10

12 p.m.: D3. Argentina vs. D4. Japan at Paris (Parc des Princes)

3 p.m.: E1. Canada vs. E2. Cameroon at Montpellier (Stade de la Mosson)

Tuesday, June 11

9 a.m.: E3. New Zealand vs. E4. Netherlands at Le Havre (Stade Océane)

12 p.m.: F3. Chile vs. F4. Sweden at Rennes (Roazhon Park)

3 p.m.: F1. United States vs. F2. Thailand at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune)

Wednesday, June 12

9 a.m.: A4. Nigeria vs. A2. South Korea at Grenoble (Stade des Alpes)

12 p.m.: B1. Germany vs. B3. Spain at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut)

3 p.m.: A1. France vs. A3. Norway at Nice (Stade de Nice)

Thursday, June 13

12 p.m.: C1. Australia vs. C3. Brazil at Montpellier (Stade de la Mosson)

3 p.m.: B4. South Africa vs. B2. China at Paris (Parc des Princes)

Friday, June 14

9 a.m.: D4. Japan vs. D2. Scotland at Rennes (Roazhon Park)

12 p.m.: C4. Jamaica vs. C2. Italy at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune)

3 p.m.: D1. England vs. D3. Argentina at Le Havre (Stade Océane)

Saturday, June 15

12 p.m.: E4. Netherlands vs. E2. Cameroon at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut)

3 p.m.: E1. Canada vs. E3. New Zealand at Grenoble (Stade des Alpes)

Sunday, June 16

9 a.m.: F4. Sweden vs. F2. Thailand at Nice (Stade de Nice)

12 p.m.: F1. United States vs. F3. Chile at Paris (Parc des Princes)

Monday, June 17

12 p.m.: B2. China vs. B3. Spain at Le Havre (Stade Océane)

12 p.m.: B4. South Africa vs B1. Germany at Montpellier (Stade de la Mosson)

3 p.m.: A4. Nigeria vs. A1. France at Rennes (Roazhon Park)

3 p.m.: A2. South Korea vs. A3. Norway at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune)

Tuesday, June 18

3 p.m.: C4. Jamaica vs. C1. Australia at Grenoble (Stade des Alpes)

3 p.m.: C2. Italy vs. C3. Brazil at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut)

Wednesday, June 19

3 p.m.: D4. Japan vs. D1. England at Nice (Stade de Nice)

3 p.m.: D2. Scotland vs. D3. Argentina at Paris (Parc des Princes)

Thursday, June 20

12 p.m.: E2. Cameroon vs. E3. New Zealand at Montpellier (Stade de la Mosson)

12 p.m.: E4. Netherlands vs. E1. Canada at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune)

3 p.m.: F4. Sweden vs. F1. United States at Le Havre (Stade Océane)

3 p.m.: F2. Thailand vs. F3. Chile at Rennes (Roazhon Park)

Knockout Stages

From here on, group designations refer to order of finish, not the draw.

Round of 16

Saturday, June 22

11:30 a.m.: 1B. vs. 3A., 3C. or 3D. at Grenoble (Stade des Alpes) (Game 38)

3 p.m.: 2A. vs. 2C. at Nice (Stade de Nice) (Game 37)

(Yes, games 38 and 37 are out of order. FIFA has a knack for that.)

Sunday, June 23

11:30 a.m.: 1D. vs. 3B., 3E. or 3F. at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut) (Game 39)

3 p.m.: 1A. vs. 3C., 3D. or 3E. at Le Havre (Stade Océane) (Game 40)

Monday, June 24

12 p.m.: 1F. vs. 2B. at Reims (Stade Auguste-Delaune) (Game 41)

3 p.m.: 2F vs. 2E. at Paris (Parc des Princes) (Game 42)

Tuesday, June 25

12 p.m.: 1C. vs. 3A., 3B. or 3F. at Montpellier (Stade de la Mosson) (Game 43)

3 p.m.: 1E. vs. 2D. at Rennes (Roazhon Park) (Game 44)

Quarterfinals

Thursday, June 27

3 p.m.: Game 37 winner vs. Game 39 winner at Le Havre (Stade Océane) (Game 45)

Friday, June 28

3 p.m.: Game 40 winner vs. Game 41 winner at Paris (Parc des Princes) (Game 46)

Saturday, June 29

9 a.m.: Game 43 winner vs. Game 44 winner at Valenciennes (Stade du Hainaut) (Game 47)

12:30 p.m.: Game 38 winner vs. Game 42 winner at Rennes (Roazhon Park) (Game 48)

Semifinals

Tuesday, July 2

3 p.m.: Game 45 winner vs. Game 46 winner at Lyon (Stade de Lyon)

Wednesday, July 3

3 p.m.: Game 47 winner vs. Game 48 winner at Lyon (Stade de Lyon)

Third place game

Saturday, July 6

11 a.m.: Semifinal 1 loser vs. Semifinal 2 loser at Nice (Stade de Nice)

Final

Sunday, July 7

11 a.m.: Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner at Lyon (Stade de Lyon)