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Women’s World Cup 2019: 11 players to watch beyond the United States

There are many reasons to watch the Women’s World Cup beyond just the United States’ attempt to repeat as champion. Here are players from the rest of the world you should know about.

Vivianne Miedema helped the Netherlands win the European Championship on home soil two years ago.
Vivianne Miedema helped the Netherlands win the European Championship on home soil two years ago.Read morePatrick Post / AP

There are many reasons to watch the Women’s World Cup beyond just the United States’ attempt to repeat as champion.

Here are 11 players from the rest of the world you should know about:

Sam Kerr, Australia

Position: Forward

Age: 25

Club: Chicago Red Stars

Is there a better striker anywhere in the world right now? Plenty of people will say there isn’t. She’s scored 72 goals for her clubs and 24 for the Matildas since the start of 2016, including 19 across the board this year.

Marta, Brazil

Position: Midfielder

Age: 33

Club: Orlando Pride

One of the true greats of all time, and perhaps the best non-American player in women’s soccer history. As local fans saw when she came to Chester earlier this year, she still has all the skills and tricks that have earned her worldwide admiration. This might be her last World Cup. Treasure every minute she’s on the field.

Lucy Bronze, England

Position: Defender

Age: 29

Club: Lyon (France)

England coach Phil Neville boasted in March that Bronze is “the best player in the world.” We’ll see about that, but there’s no doubt that Bronze is really good — and one of many reasons the Lionesses are contenders to win it all this summer.

Rumi Utsugi, Japan

Position: Midfielder

Age: 30

Club: Reign FC

After winning the title in 2011 and finishing runner-up in 2015, Japan has brought a young squad as the Nadeshiko prepare to host next year’s Olympics. Utsugi is one of the veterans, and one of two players on the squad who play outside Japan. The other, defender Saki Kumagai, is a stalwart for French powerhouse Lyon.

Dzsenifer Marozsán, Germany

Position: Midfielder

Age: 27

Club: Lyon (France)

This German team isn’t the all-conquering force that the 2003 and 2007 World Cup winners were, and it isn’t as attention-grabbing as other European squads. But it’s ranked No. 2 in FIFA’s global standings, and Marozsán’s ability to score and create is a big reason.

Wendie Renard, France

Position: Centerback

Age: 28

Club: Lyon (France)

The World Cup hosts have a dazzling attacking corps that has Les Bleues among the favorites to win it all. But if they’re to do it, they’ll need their defense to come through. Renard is a towering force, standing 6-foot-2, and has a big personality, too.

Vivianne Miedema, Netherlands

Position: Forward

Age: 22

Club: Arsenal (England)

A star of the Dutch squad that won the 2017 European Championship, she just helped Arsenal win England’s Women’s Super League for the first time since 2012. The trio of Miedema, Daniëlle van de Donk (also at Arsenal) and Lieke Martens (Barcelona) forms one of the world’s most dynamic attacks.

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Jamaica

Position: Forward

Age: 22

Club: None

She stole headlines at Concacaf’s World Cup qualifying tournament by leading the Reggae Girlz to their first World Cup while still a collegian at Tennessee. Shaw grew up in an impoverished neighborhood of Spanish Town, Jamaica, losing three brothers to gun violence and a fourth to a car accident. After stepping onto the graduation stage in Knoxville a few weeks ago, she’s set to step onto the world stage.

Kim Little, Scotland

Position: Midfielder

Age: 28

Club: Arsenal (England)

Still a cult hero in Seattle three years after leaving the NWSL, she led Scotland to its first women’s World Cup with three goals in six World Cup qualifying games. Its inaugural game is against archrival England, followed by a winnable contest against Argentina. A victory could propel Scotland into the knockout rounds.

Christine Sinclair, Canada

Position: Forward

Age: 35

Club: Portland Thorns

Unquestionably the greatest Canadian women’s soccer player ever; perhaps the country’s greatest player of either gender. She’s four goals away from breaking Abby Wambach’s all-time international record of 184, and the world’s biggest stage beckons for her to do the honors.

Caroline Seger, Sweden

Position: Midfielder

Age: 34

Club: FC Rosengård (Sweden)

Nine years after she called Philadelphia home with the former Independence, Seger could face the U.S. for the 16th time in her 193-cap career when the two teams meet in the group stage finale. The Americans haven’t beaten Sweden in a major tournament since 2007, and have had an especially deep grudge since the infamous meeting in the 2016 Olympics.

NWSL players from around the world at the World Cup

35 players from the NWSL will play for teams other than the United States at the World Cup. Here’s the full list.

Australia (12): GK Lydia Williams (Reign FC), D Ellie Carpenter (Portland Thorns), D Steph Catley (Reign FC), D Elise Kellond-Knight (Reign FC), D Alanna Kennedy (Orlando Pride), D Clare Polkinghorne (Houston Dash), D Emily van Egmond (Orlando Pride), M Amy Harrison (Washington Spirit), M Chloe Logarzo (Washington Spirit), F Caitlin Foord (Portland Thorns), F Sam Kerr (Chicago Red Stars), F Hayley Raso (Portland Thorns)

Brazil (4): D Camila (Orlando Pride), F Debinha (North Carolina Courage), M Andressinha (Portland Thorns), M Marta (Orlando Pride),

Canada (9): GK Stephanie Labbé (North Carolina Courage, GK Kailen Sheridan (Sky Blue FC), D Lindsay Agnew (Houston Dash), D Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash), D Shelina Zadorsky (Orlando Pride), M Sophie Schmidt (Houston Dash), M Desiree Scott (Utah Royals), F Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), F Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns)

Cameroon (1): D Estelle Johnson (Sky Blue FC)

England (2): D Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), F Jodie Taylor (Reign FC)

Jamaica (2): F Cheyna Matthews (Washington Spirit), F Kayla McCoy (Houston Dash)

Japan (1): D Rumi Utsugi (Japan)

New Zealand (2): D Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage), M Katie Bowen (Utah Royals)

Scotland (1): D Rachel Corsie (Utah Royals)

Spain (1): F Celia Jimenez Delgado (Reign FC)