FRANCE 2019

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: What you need to know

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: What you need to know
FOX Sports will carry English broadcasts of matches in the United States.

The eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off on Friday with host nation France facing South Korea. Similar to the men's edition, the women's is played every four years to determine which nation reigns supreme in international soccer.


The basics

Who: 24 nations played their way in through qualifiers. Teams are divided into groups of four with the top two from each group and four third place teams advancing to the knockout stage. During the group stage, a win is worth three points, a tie is worth one and a loss is worth zero.

The knockout round consists of single elimination matches until one team is left.

What: A new FIFA Women's champion will be decided

When: June 7 to July 7

Where: Matches will take place across nine French cities - Lyon, Paris, Nice, Montpellier, Rennes, Le Havre, Valenciennes, Reims and Grenoble.

How to watch

Matches will be broadcast in the United States in English on FOX, FS1 or FS2 and in Spanish on Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes and NBC Universo.

A list of TV listings can be found here: https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/

Which team is favored to win

Depending on where you look, the United States and France are the main favorites to win followed by Germany. England, Netherlands, Australia Japan and Canada round out the list of teams with a chance to surprise.

The United States are the defending champions after winning at Canada 2015 and are looking to become the second nation to win back-to-back Women's World Cups after Germany (2003, 2007). France are favored due to their quality of players and the fact that they are playing at home. It is expected, if both win their groups, that the U.S. and France face off in the quarterfinals.

Players to keep and eye on

Alex Morgan (USA), Sam Kerr (Australia), Eugenie Le Sommer (France), Kim Little (Scotland), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Tobin Heath (USA)


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The Orioles beat the Astros, 12-0. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jordan Westburg hit a three-run homer among four hits with a career-best five RBIs and Dean Kremer pitched seven sharp innings to give the Baltimore Orioles a 12-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Kremer (9-9) allowed just three singles and struck out seven. Grant Wolfram and Corbin Martin finished the six-hitter.

The Astros were shut out for the second time this series after Brandon Young came within four outs of a perfect game in Baltimore’s 7-0 win Friday night.

Westburg hit an opposite-field shot to right-center off Shawn Dubin in the fifth to make it 5-0. He added RBI singles in the seventh and eighth. His four hits matched a career high.

Houston starter Cristian Javier (1-1) left with an illness after allowing one run in three innings. The Astros used five relievers before outfielder Chas McCormick threw a scoreless ninth in his second pitching appearance this week.

The bases were loaded in the third when Jesús Sánchez robbed Gunnar Henderson of a grand slam with a leaping catch into the seats in right field. Jeremiah Jackson scored on the sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Sánchez robbed another homer in the seventh with two on when he reached into the seats to snag a fly ball hit by Samuel Basallo, who was making his major league debut. Basallo, the Orioles’ top prospect, drove in two runs with a single in Baltimore’s five-run eighth.

Key moment

There was a brief delay in the top of the eighth when a fan jumped onto the field and ran around before being tackled by security, handcuffed and escorted off the field.

Key stat

Dubin has allowed 11 hits and 11 runs over 2 2/3 innings in his last three appearances.

Up next

Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (5-2, 1.43 ERA) opposes Red Sox RHP Dustin May (7-8, 4.67) Monday night in the opener of a two-game series at Boston.

Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (1-3, 6.38) faces Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (6-12, 4.76) as the Astros visit the Tigers Monday night.

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