Six months before the start of the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup, Canada鈥檚 national team now knows what awaits. And soccer fans, if you鈥檙e not planning your viewing parties and making ticket purchase, I鈥檇 encourage you to get on that. Canada is not guaranteed to play in Vancouver, but B.C. Place hosts a quarter-final and, the most coveted of them all, the final on July 5. That鈥檚 the game to see Canada play, and they want it as much as we do. But I鈥檓 a reporter, so I鈥檓 impartial.
As tournament hosts, Canada is in Group A. Ranked eighth in the world, they will compete against No. 14 China, No. 15 the Netherlands and No. 19 New Zealand.
Head coach John Herdman said the draw was 鈥減ositive.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the easiest but it鈥檚 certainly doable,鈥� he said.
Their first test is against China in Edmonton on June 6, which will be the first match of the 24-team tournament. Canada then next plays New Zealand on June 11 in Edmonton and on June 15, they play the Netherlands in Montreal.
China finished second in the 1999 World Cup China 1999 when they lost in a shootout to the U.S. The qualified for this tournament by finishing third at the Asian Cup earlier this year. Against China, Canada has won the last four meetings, but each has been a close game. Three were decided by a single goal.
New Zealand, the current Oceania champions, were coached by Herdman from 2006-11 before he took over for Canada. The teams last met in 2012. Canada won 2-0.
Canada has never lost to the Netherlands, which were one of the last teams to qualify for the World Cup after they beat Italy in a playoff match. Herdman has called the Dutch 鈥渄ark horses.鈥�
The tournament draw was held Dec. 6 in Ottawa but many of the national team players were at Hillcrest community centre, watching their fate among a large crowd.
B.C. Place hosts games in groups C and D.
On June 8, Cameroon plays Ecuador, and the defending 2011 champions from Japan play Switzerland.
On June 12, Switzerland plays Ecuador and Japan plays Cameroon.
On June 16, Group D comes to Vancouver. Nigeria plays the USA.
In the Round of 16, B.C. Place host games June 21 and 23. A quarter-final will be held at B.C. Place June 27 and the World Cup final is also in 麻豆传媒映画on July 5.
The Draw
Group A: Canada, China, New聽Zealand, the Netherlands
Group B: Germany, Ivory Coast, Norway, Thailand
Group C: Japan, Switzerland, Cameroon, Ecuador
Group D: U.S.A., Australia, Sweden, Nigeria
Group E: Brazil, South Korea, Spain, Costa Rica
Group F: France, England, Colombia, Mexico
