Norway vs. France
Site: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Time: Noon
How they got there: Norway, the gold-medal winner at the 2000 Olympics, won the European title. France, after finishing second in its qualifying group to Norway, came back to defeat Denmark and England to qualify.
Players to watch: Norway's Hege Riise sees the game develop and reacts to it so quicky that she is one of the world's top midfielders. Striker Anita Rapp is a veteran of the team, making her first World Cup appearance during Norway's disappointing fourth-place finish in 1999. Dagny Mellgren scored the winning goal against the U.S. in the 2000 Olympics. For the French, winger Marinette Pichon has 48 career international goals. She scored 14 goals in 18 games for the Philadelphia Charge in the 2002 WUSA season. Defender Corinne Diacre scored the winning goal against England that put France into the World Cup.
Previous appearances: Norway won the World Cup in 1995, then finished fourth to the U.S. in 1999, but gained some revenge by beating the Americans for the last Olympic gold medal. France is making its first appearance after narrowly missing the 1999 tournament.
Quick look: Norway should be the class of this group, though the French have improved markedly over the past three years. It's a tough first game for both teams, especially for Norwegian coach Age Steen, who had a rough start taking over for Olympic coach Per Mathias Hogmo. Norway considers itself above the rest of the field and on a par with the U.S. team as a gold-medal contender.
Nigeria vs. North Korea
Site: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Time: 2:45 p.m.
How they got there: North Korea won the Asian championship by defeating China, 2-1, in sudden-death overtime in the title game. The North Koreans outscored their tournament opponents, 60-3. Nigeria won its fifth African title after surviving an early-round loss to Ghana, the Nigerians' first-ever loss to another African nation.
Players to watch: Nigeria's "Marvelous" Mercy Akide scored three goals during the 1999 World Cup. Akide was the star of the San Diego entry in the WUSA. Team captain Florence Omagbemi, who's playing in her farewell tournament, was a nominee for African's Woman Football of the Year.
Previous appearances: This is North Korea's second appearance in a World Cup. The nation also qualified for USA '99, going 1-2-0. But it gave the U.S. squad fits in a scoreless first half before falling, 3-0. Nigeria has competed in every women's World Cup (four, including this one), but 1999 was the year it made noise, taking Brazil to overtime before losing, 4-3, in the quarterfinals. The Super Falcons are 2-7-1 in all-time World Cup play.
Quick look: Nigerian coach Sam Okdupa, a national hero as a player, was almost drummed out of the country following the 1-0 loss to Ghana, but his team rebounded to win the African title. North Korea is looking to prove it can produce goals at a world level the way it did in the Asian championships. The North Koreans rarely play outside of Asian competition, but are noted for tough defense and vicious tackling. Both teams can give anyone a good fight, but are in the A Pool with Sweden and the defending World Cup-champion United States.
Germany vs. Canada
Site: Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Time: 5:45 p.m.
How they got there: Germany outscored opponents 30-1 while sweeping six games in Union of European Football Association qualifying play. Canada was 4-1 in qualifiers and lost only to the United States, the world's top-ranked team, in last November's CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup final.
Players to watch: Germany's Birgit Prinz, one of the world's best strikers, who had a team-high 11 goals with WUSA's Carolina Courage before returning to her national team. Goalie Silke Rottenberg had five shutouts in World Cup qualifying. Former German captain Maren Meinert came out of retirement last month. Canada's Charmaine Hooper is a three-time World Cup veteran and all-time national team scoring leader with 58 goals.
Previous appearances: Germany (9-5-2) was fourth in 1991, second in 1995 and eighth in 1999. Canada (0-4-2) was 10th in 1995 and 12th in 1999.
Quick look: The winner should get a leg up in this four-team group. Powerhouse Germany is ranked third in the FIFA world rankings and is favored. Canada, ranked 12th, has an intriguing mix of veterans and youth.
Argentina vs. Japan
Site: Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Time: 8:30 p.m.
How they got there: Argentina swept two pre-qualifying tourney games, then earned a berth with a second-place finish (1-1-1) in the Confederation of South American Football tournament. Japan went 4-2 in the 2003 Asian championships, including shutout losses to South Korea and North Korea. The Japanese then qualified after earning a tie and a victory in a two-game playoff series with Mexico.
Previous appearances: The Argentine men have a rich World Cup tradition, but this will be the first tournament appearance for the women. Japan has qualified for all four Women's World Cups, but is 1-8-1 overall.
Players to watch: Argentina midfielder Marisa Gerez and forward Marisol Medina demonstrated clutch scoring ability in qualifiers. Gerez scored a game winner vs. Colombia, while Medina struck in the 88th minute against Peru to force a 1-1 tie and give Argentina a World Cup berth. Japan's Homare Sawa is among the world's top attacking midfielders.
Quick look: Facing a strong German team and up-and-coming Canadians, it will be a challenge for Argentina and Japan to advance. Argentina, ranked 34th in the world, will meet Canada on Wednesday, while Germany takes on the Japanese, ranked 12, the same day.
- Gary Blockus, Allentown Morning Call, Jack McCarthy, Chicago Tribune
