It's Day 3 of the Women's World Cup, and that means we get to enjoy four matches, including the first game for the U.S. Women's National Team. At 1 p.m. PT, Sweden faces Nigeria on FOX. This will be an important match to keep an eye on, as both teams are in the Group of Death (D) with the U.S.
Women's World Cup Viewing Party
Women's World Cup Viewing Party
At 4 p.m., Cameroon take on an Ecuador team led by 26-year-old coach Vanessa Arauz. The U.S. match up against Australia at 4:30 p.m. PT, although we'll have a separate gamethread for that match. Rounding out Day 3 is a match between Japan and Switzerland.
Players to Watch
Sweden v. Nigeria: Lotta Schelin is Sweden's captain and all-time goal scorer, with 81 goals (and 129 goals with club team Lyon since 2008). Schelin is a lethal combination of height (5' 10") and speed. We'd be remiss if we didn't also mention coach Pia Sundhage, who led the USWNT to two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup final in 2011. Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala recently beat out Kim Little for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year Award. The 20-year-old was named the best player in the 2014 U20 Women's World Cup, scoring seven goals to propel Nigeria to a second-place finish.
Cameroon v. Ecuador: While both teams aren't expected to go far, this matchup has the potential to be the most exciting today. For Cameroon, goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom has UEFA Champions League experience with Slovakian club Nove Zamky, and was a big reason Cameroon earned clean sheets against South Africa and Algeria in qualifiers. Born in Italy, Ecuador's Giannina Lattanzio should be Ecuador's primary goal-scoring threat. The forward led her team in qualifiers and is a highly skilled, technical player (thanks to some time playing in Serie A).
Japan v. Switzerland: Japan has plenty of great talent, but I'm here for the one and only Naho Kawasumi, who enjoyed a great season with the Seattle Reign last year, scoring eight goals in 20 games. For Switzerland, 24-year-old Ramona Bachman can do some amazing things with the ball. She gets to play with Marta at FC Rosengard and has 33 goals in 61 caps for Switzerland.
How to Watch
Match #1: Sweden (#5 FIFA Ranking) v. Nigeria (#33)
Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 1 p.m. PT
TV: FOX, NBC Deportes (Spanish)
Online: FOX Sports Go. There's also FOX Soccer 2 Go, a paid service that requires no TV subscription. NBC Deportes En Vivo also offers a Spanish-language streaming service.
Match #2: Cameroon (#53) v. Ecuador (#48)
Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 4 p.m. PT
TV: Fox Sports 2, NBC Deportes (Spanish)
Online: FOX Sports Go, FOX Soccer 2 Go (paid service), and NBC Deportes En Vivo
Match #3: USA (#2) v. Australia (#10)
Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 4:30 p.m. PT
We will have a separate gamethread for this match.
Match #4: Japan (#4) v. Switzerland (#19)
Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 7 p.m. PT
TV: Fox Sports 1, NBC Deportes (Spanish)
Online: FOX Sports Go, FOX Soccer 2 Go (paid service), and NBC Deportes En Vivo
This is your Day 3 Women's World Cup gamethread.