Podcast: Are the U.S. women ready to win a third straight World Cup?

Alyssa Naeher (Stratford, Conn.) is a goalkeeper for Team USA at the World Cup. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Can the United States women win their third straight World Cup?

That’s the topic on the latest edition of “The Goal” podcast, with host Matt Langone joined by longtime New England soccer writer Frank Dell’Apa.

No team — in the men’s or women’s tournaments — has ever won three straight World Cups. So the Americans are bidding to become the first team to accomplish that. The last U.S. loss in the World Cup came in the 2011 final, when Japan beat the Americans on penalty kicks.

The U.S. team includes goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher of Stratford, Conn., and Kristie Mewis of Hanson, Mass. Mewis’ sister, Samantha, was on the 2019 U.S. World Cup roster.

Listen as Langone and Dell’Apa explore what to expect from Team USA and its New England natives.

Highlights

On what to expect from the U.S. team:

Dell’Apa: “The U.S. has it pretty easy, even though they’re saying that they’re in a really tough group. But, it’s kind of a relative thing. Right? I don’t think it’s that tough a group for the U.S. They’ll get one or two tests along the way, which is what they’re gonna need. They need to get tested, before they get into the elimination rounds when they do play a couple teams that are pretty good. It’s a 32-team field. So, if you do the math, you can figure out that there’s some teams that probably don’t belong. The U.S. opened up last (World Cup) against Thailand in kind of an infamous 13-0 win, right? So, this year they open against Vietnam. So, you’re thinking, well, it could be something like that. But from what I’m seeing, Vietnam’s is actually better than Thailand. So it could be a closer game.”

Who can challenge the U.S.?

Dell’Apa: Well, England’s No. 1. They’re the favorite to be (the second-best team). The U.S. odds are really good, twice as good as England’s odds. So that’s really the only challenger that I see. But realistically, all the western European teams can give the U.S. a battle. Nobody else can, maybe Australia playing at home, but that wouldn’t happen until probably the final or so. So it’s the U.S. against western Europe, basically.

On the pressure facing the Americans pursuing a third straight World Cup title:

Dell’Apa: “It’s the way the U.S. has always been; I think they’re OK with it. Look, they haven’t lost a game in the World Cup since 2011. So they’re used to winning. They’re used to having the target on their backs. The U.S. basically jump-started women’s soccer in the ‘80s. And a lot of it happened here in Boston, actually. So, ’91 (World Cup), they win it. And they’ve always been ranked No. 1 or No. 2, at the lowest. They haven’t won every (World Cup), but they’ve won four of the eight. They’re expected to win the threepeat here. That would be a first. I think they’re OK with it. But look, it’s a bit of a new team, so there’s some transition there. I don’t think they lack for confidence, but you know, they do still have something to prove.”

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