As the sport of soccer continues to gain popularity in the United States, this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup represents a prime opportunity to peak your ACTIVEkid's interest in the Beautiful Game. Like last year's World Cup in Brazil, the women's tournament takes place every four years.
As witnessed in the Men's World Cup in 2014, with increased fanfare comes increased participation at the youth level of the sport. After following the games, kids across the country start trying to emulate their favorite players on the pitch. But this year's competition has the potential to inspire even more young Americans for one glaring reason; Team USA could win it all.
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While the U.S. Men's National Team is still fighting to establish itself as a top-10 competitor, the Women's National Team is a perennial powerhouse on the world stage. The Americans won two of the first three Women's World Cups and advanced to the championship in 2011 before falling to Japan in penalty kicks.
According to sports statistics site FiveThirtyEight, the U.S. is a slight favorite over Germany — the only other team to have won two Women's World Cups.
International tournaments like this one sometimes take place on other continents, which can lead to kickoff times in the middle of the night for viewers in the States. But Canada is hosting the event this time around, which means primetime viewing in the U.S. for you and your children. And every match will be televised on FOX Sports.
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The tournament kicks off Saturday, June 6 — just in time to captivate kids across the country as their summer break begins — and wraps up with the championship match Sunday, July 5.
| The U.S. Women's National Team's Group Round Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Date | Time |
| Australia | Monday, June 8 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sweden | Friday, June 12 | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Nigeria | Tuesday, June 16 | 8:00 p.m. ET |
Will the USA or Germany make history as the first team to win three Women's World Cups? Can defending champion Japan win back-to-back titles? Or could France or Canada win it all for the first time?
No matter which team lifts the trophy in the end, this Women's World Cup is sure to inspire countless kids to lace up their cleats and get active.
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