Becky Sauerbrunn and her teammates will try to deny the French from reaching a Women’s World Cup milestone in the quarterfinals. (Michael Chow – USA TODAY Sports)

By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

PARIS — Since the Women’s World Cup began in 1991, the United States has set many standards.

The Americans are the only side to win the championship three times — in 1991, 1999 and 2015.

They also are the only country to win on their home soil, which they accomplished in 1999. In fact, the USA is the only team to reach the semifinals, which it did in 2003 as the third-place team.

No other host country has moved past the quarterfinals in any of the other competitions. All host nations reach that stage but were eliminated.

France will try to make history by defeating the USA in the quarterfinals and giving the red, white and blue the boot, at Parc des Princes Friday.

If that occurs, the French would be on the path to its their world title while the Americans would have failed to reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time.

If the USA wins, it will be on course to win the crown on European soil for the first time. It finished third in Sweden in 1995 and second In Germany in 2011.

 

World Cup Year Host Nation Host Finish
1991 China PR Quarterfinals
1995 Sweden Quarterfinals
1999 United States Champions
2003 United States Third Place
2007 China PR Quarterfinal
2011 Germany Quarterfinal
2015 Canada Quarterfinal
2019 France

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.