The draw for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup will unfold in Ottawa this Saturday and the U.S. rights-holders to the tourney will provide extensive coverage of the group selections.
Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo and its cable cousin mun 2 will simulcast the draw on Dec. 6 at noon (ET), while Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 are also in the game. Distaff futbol fans can also keep abreast of the picks on Deportes Telemundo En Vivo Extra App and via the authenticated Fox Sports GO platform.
During the ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History, the 24 teams will be selected into six groups of four sides. Host nation Canada, the U.S., FIFA's top-ranked team, No. 2 Germany and defending champion Japan, which currently holds down the third position, are expected to head four of the groupings.
In addition to Canada and the U.S., CONCACAF has two other representatives: Mexico and Costa Rica, while South America’s CONMEBOL has Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador. Europe has seven other sides besides the Germans: Norway, Sweden, England, France, Switzerland, Spain and Holland. Africa has three entries, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, while Australia and New Zealand emerged from Oceania. Japan, along with China, Korea Republic and Thailand, comprise the Asian contingent.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 will play out across six host cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton, kicking off Saturday, June 6 and ending with the championship match on July 5.
Telemundo’s coverage will be led by legendary sportscaster Andrés Cantor, in concert with Jessi Losada, three-time top Mexican scorer Carlos Hermosillo, and former Chivas de Guadalajara player Manuel Sol. Veteran commentator Sammy Sadovnik and Ritmo Deportivo host Leti Coo will report from Canada.
Deportes Telemundo’s coverage will include profiles on top women’s players from around the globe, as well as interviews with Hispanic players and coaches from some of the leading Latin American teams, including Leonardo Cuéllar, a recent inductee into the World Soccer Hall of Fame, and the coach, with his son, of the Mexican national women’s team.
Rob Stone is the face on the Fox flank from Los Angeles, anchoring FS1’s hour-long show, which will mark the first time since the tourney was held Stateside in 1999 that the women’s draw will be televised in this nation in English.
Sky Sports correspondent Kate Abdo will be on the scene north of the border, where she will work with three-time Olympic gold medalist and retired U.S. team defender Heather Mitts; Ariane Hingst, a two-time World Cup champ with Germany; Kelly Smith, England’s all time national team goal-scorer; and Tony DiCicco, the head coach of the 1999 U.S. World Cup champions.
Fox Sports soccer insider and Sports Illustrated senior columnist Grant Wahl will provide analysis and get the post-draw reaction from current U.S. head coach Jill Ellis in Canada.
