2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Contenders

The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup comes at us from Canada in June, and qualified teams have begun preparing for the big tournament through the Algarve Cup and friendlies. It'll be the first World Cup broadcast by FOX in the US, who will be devoting more time on the main broadcast channel than any World Cup (Men's or Women's) previously has. Besides the 16 matches on FOX, every match will also be on FOX Sports 1 & FOX Sports 2. Time to break down the Twenty Four teams that will be featured at the Cup.

Favorites:

Japan - The defending World Cup champs are just as technically sound as they were when they won in 2011. The main difference this time is nobody will be caught off guard by them. Everyone knows its hard to repeat a championship, but Japan have the team to pull it off. There is a question if Homare Sawa (Japan's version of Mia Hamm in popularity) will be in Canada. She famously scored the tying goal against the United States in the 2011 Final before winning FIFA World Player of the Year in 2011. The 36-year-old was not taken to the Algarve Cup. A veteran presence could be a boost coming off the bench, which is something they'll have to decide.

United States - USA are looking to capture their first World Cup since the famous 1999 Title won on Brandi Chastain's penalty kick against China in the Rose Bowl. They also won in 1991. Its been an up-and-down year for the squad with losses to Brazil, France, Denmark, & Sweden as well as ties with China, Canada, Brazil & Iceland. However, they finished the Algarve Cup strong by beating France. They were drawn into the Group of Death with Sweden, Australia and Nigeria. Winning the group would be ideal, as the 2nd place team would likely face Brazil in the Round of 16. As long as Alex Morgan stays healthy, this team should be just fine. This will most likely be the final World Cup for Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and Christie Rampone (the only remaining player from 1999).

Germany - The 2003 & 2007 champs were probably the #1 favorite a few weeks ago, but they just lost their best player and 2014 Player of the Year, Nadine Keßler, to a knee injury that required surgery. As one of the best teams in the world they have the depth to get through injuries, but you never want to lose a star player. They were also beaten by Sweden & France recently, showing they are mortal.

Sweden - They are the best and most consistent country to never win the World Cup, losing the final in 2003 to Germany and finishing 3rd in 2011. They're coached by Pia Sundhage, who coached the US to Olympic Gold Medals in 2008 & 2012, as well as 2nd place at the 2011 Cup.

Brazil - Marta and Co have become more of a team as of late, which could be scary for the rest of the field. However, they still lack the all around aspect that they always have due to not playing together as often as the other top squads. The Brazilian federation have given them much more support in the lead up to this World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympics though, so they could easily mesh well enough to win one of the two tournaments. The lost the 2007 final to Germany and will be looking to get back.

France - France has taken the world by storm as of late with some big wins against top teams, finally beating Germany in October after years of losses. They've risen to an all-time high of 3rd in the FIFA Women's Rankings. They can do everything well on the field. However, they have yet to win a major tournament, though this could be their year.

Dark Horses:

Norway - The 1995 Women's World Cup champs have fallen behind the pack since being eliminated in the Group Stage in 2011. However, they are still a force, and gave the US some tough competition at the Algarve Cup by playing well defensively and countering. They do lack the fitness of the top teams which could hurt them in the knockout round later in games.

England - While its unlikely they can do enough to win it all, they have a good squad that could make a deep run to the Semifinals and possible upset there. They lost in the Quarterfinals in 2011 by typical English fashion - a Penalty Shootout, which they were leading before some botched shots did them in. In friendlies against Germany they went on the attack too much, and against the US they played too much defense, so they'll need a better balance in Canada.

Canada - Their outstanding & controversial Olympic semifinal game against the USA lifted hopes for Canadian soccer glory after they nearly made it to the Olympic Final, losing in the final seconds of overtime. If Christine Sinclair is in top form they will be a tough team to beat on home soil.

Australia - They've reached the Quarterfinals of the past two tournaments, and have the talent to possibly make it one step further. They do have the challenge of being in a group with the US and Sweden. The top four 3rd place teams move onto the Round of 16 though, so that gives them a shot. The bad thing is that also means they'd have to face a group winner right away in the knockout stage.

China - One of the women's soccer powers of the 1990s (along with USA & Norway), they've struggled more in recent years. However they seem to be working their way back. They recently tied Brazil, USA & Japan. They play good defense, but scoring it an issue when they face top opponents due to a young and inexperienced team, which has made wins tough to come by. They can make it out of the group, but draws obviously won't be enough in the knockout round. I'll still keep them here, they may have a small chance to figure it all out enough to pull an upset, though it's unlikely they can make it too far in the knockout round.

New Zealand - They can hang with top teams, but like some others just lack the experience to be able to string together enough wins against them to make it to the final. But they have talent, and if everything fell into place they could cause an upset in the knockout round even if they don't make the final.

Spain - They upset England at the 2013 EURO's and qualified for their first Women's World Cup by finishing ahead of Italy last year. Vero Boquete, who plays for Portland Thorns in the NWSL, will be one of the more exciting players to watch. One thing is for sure, they should have a better finish then the men did in the 2014 World Cup.

Netherlands - The Oranje will also be making their debut at the Women's World Cup as they continue their rise in the women's game. However, 2015 may be too soon for them to make it to the final four, especially in a pretty tough group with Canada, China and New Zealand. Every team in Group A is capable, without a weak link in the bunch.

Good, But Unlikely To Go Far: 

Switzerland, South Korea, Nigeria, Mexico, Colombia

Switzerland and South Korea have a good shot to make it to the knockout round due to their groups giving them an opening to pick up points. South Korea will be contending with Spain for a guaranteed 2nd place spot, but whoever finishes 3rd has a chance to pick up the needed points and goal differential. Nigeria is talented enough to go to the knockout round, but being in the Group of Death their only chance would be to beat Australia. Mexico should finish 3rd in their group behind France & England, but Colombia could pose a challenge. Mexico also struggled in Qualifying, finishing behind Costa Rica in their group and needing overtime to beat Trinidad & Tobago.

Happy To Be There:

Thailand, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Ivory Coast

All of these teams are making their debuts and will just be looking to improve their play by facing the world's best. Thailand is actually appearing in its first ever major FIFA tournament, men or women. They benefited from traditional power North Korea being banned for PED use in 2011. Ecuador defeated Trinidad & Tobago in a playoff that saw both teams fill big stadiums. Costa Rica may be the most talented of the bunch, but still have lots of work to do.

The Avengers Get New Members

Comic Version of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver

The Avengers 2 is slated for release on May 1, 2015, and the group will have at least two new members. The brother/sister duo of Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch will be in the film, most likely as new members of The Avengers. Although they could play around with the material and make them villains, but that seems unlikely.

Joss Whedon was at a premiere for Iron Man 3 when he said that his draft of the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster movie contained a "brother/sister act", which has turned out to be Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Those two characters were also used in the X-Men universe, so it has many wondering if there could at some point be a crossover between the X-Men films and The Avengers films. There would be some hurdles, since the X-Men films are produced by FOX and The Avengers is produced by Disney. However, a ton of money would obviously be made, so its certainly possible those hurdles could be cleared in the future.

New Fall Shows 2012

As always with the fall, we see the return of football and premieres of brand new television shows. There are a bunch of interesting ones that you may want to keep an eye on this season. And as always, some will succeed and some will fail. I'm already expecting Animal Practice to fail...though people do love to see animals, so it could oddly work.

Revolution (NBC) - Revolution just premiered on NBC, and could become the next Lost, or possibly do for NBC what Heroes originally did before it went off track. NBC is looking for a new hit scripted show, especially with The Office & 30 Rock in their final seasons. I enjoyed it and thought the one hour premiere moved by very quickly. There is more action than I expected, which was fun to watch in prime time TV. I'm thinking the show might strive to be like The Walking Dead, with a good mix of action and character development. And just enjoy the show, don't wonder why people aren't harvesting solar or wind power. Maybe they'll answer that in a future episode.

The Mindy Project (FOX) - Mindy Kaling from The Office has scored her own sitcom, which will be airing with New Girl on FOX. Kaling wrote some of the most memorable episodes of The Office, so her own series is well deserved. Its generating some good buzz with critics, so I expect this to be a hit for FOX. Her character's basis is that she always wonders why her life isn't like the romantic comedies she loves so much.

The Neighbors (ABC) - This is the oddball of the season. Its about a family who moves to a new neighborhood in New Jersey, one in which everyone is an alien...from outer space. I think its interesting since there hasn't really been a good sitcom with this fantastical theme probably since 3rd Rock From the Sun. We'll see how this one does, airing in a block with hit Modern Family. Jami Gertz is the main star and could carry the show. She's been consistent since her career started 30 years ago, so she can pretty much handle any role.

666 Park Avenue (ABC) - ABC's latest Sunday Night series is about an upscale apartment building in New York City, which is possessed by some supernatural beings. When you sign your lease, you are signing your soul away. Sign me up for this one.

American Horror Story: Asylum (FX) - Okay, this isn't technically a new series, but the second season will be an entirely new arc, which was the plan from the beginning. Jessica Lange will be returning in a new role, playing an evil nun. Wouldn't have it any other way, Lange was the standout character from the first season. We'll see if they can top the previous season.

NBC's 'The Office' is Shutting Down

NBC sitcom 'The Office' is getting ready for its upcoming 9th season, which has been confirmed to be the final one. Angela Kinsey took to her twitter to address the rumors and confirmed them, saying, "It is true. This is our last season. We hope to give a real end to these characters we love to play. Thx for watching." Producer Greg Daniels, who is back for the final season after doing seasons 1-5, also confirmed it. He stated, “This will be the last season of The Office. And we’re planning a very big exciting last season. We’re going to have a lot of faces coming back. There are a lot of things that I’ve personally been wanting to do since season two. All questions will be answered this year. We’re going to see who’s behind the documentary. Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively.”

There is no confirmation that Steve Carell will return as Michael Scott, but one can assume he will be back for the final few episodes of the series that he led from 2005 to 2011, continuing on with it years after he became a box office draw. What better way to end the show than have Michael & Holly get married and return to Scranton? Mindy Kaling will return as Kelly Kapoor for a few episodes even though she has her own sitcom, 'The Mindy Project', debuting on FOX.

Word is John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer (Jim & Pam) will be getting some kind of big storyline for the final season. We'll have to wait and see what it is, just don't break them up! Read more from Greg Daniels about the final season of 'The Office' over on Entertainment Weekly. It may be sad to say goodbye to the characters of Dunder Mifflin, but at least everyone can prepare for the show to go out in the best way possible. Many questions will be answered, including who the "Scranton Strangler" actually is! The season premieres on September 20.

Mariah Carey: New American Idol Judge

Mariah Carey is confirmed to be one of the new judges on FOX hit American Idol. The show recently lost Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, so look for one more new judge to be added.

I personally think there are too many of these singing competition shows, and no matter what they do, ratings are not going to improve. They'll reach a certain audience now and stay that way. Same goes for Britney Spears over on The X Factor, no matter how nutty she acts. Ratings might increase slightly, but they will never reach the heights that American Idol had in the beginning. Plus, the shows have become more about the judges than they have about the singers.

Howard Stern joining NBC's America's Got Talent helped, but America's Got Talent is unlike all the others because you can literally go on stage and do any type of act you want. Speak of AGT, Carey's husband Nick Cannon is the host. Nick & Mariah have a grip on the top two reality competition shows now. As for Howard Stern, he is the best judge on television. He's not afraid to give funny & blunt criticism, but he also gives constructive criticism to try to help acts improve in the eyes of the viewer. Stern wants to have dinner with Nick & Mariah (asking Nick about her almost every week much to my amusement), though now it may be on hold with Mariah's new gig over on American Idol.

The Office Season 9

The Office will be entering its 9th season on NBC and some more familiar faces may be gone. Steve Carell left after season 7 and some more changes are in place for the long running sitcom. Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly Kapoor and has been a writer and director on the show since the beginning, has left to star in her own promising sitcom on FOX, The Mindy Project. Why didn't NBC pick that up? Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby, is also leaving as executive producer. He may still be playing Toby though.

Now its been announced that BJ Novak will be leaving as a full time member of the show. He'll still apparently make some appearances on it though. It does make sense there would be less of Ryan without on-again off-again love interest Kelly. I wonder if they'll make any note in the season premiere of their absence?

Season 8 episodes were hit or miss, and it was the weakest season of the bunch. Towards the end it did improve though, and the addition of Catherine Tate full time in season 9 should help. She developed a stronger character during the final few episodes. The show also looks to be returning to more episodes inside the Dunder Mifflin office. They were taken out of it too often in season 8. I do see the show ending in the near future, but I have doubts it will be with the 9th season. It definitely has the staying power to make it to a 10th season.

The Simpsons Reach 500 Episodes

Tonight at 8pm on FOX, The Simpsons will celebrate their 500th episode, titled "At Long Last Leave." The family realizes the rest of Springfield wants them gone, so they move away into the wilderness. Similar to The Simpsons Movie, but this episode will recall the entire history of the show that premiered in December 1989.

Even after all these years and criticisms that the show is not as good as it was in the 90s, it still delivers laughs and occasionally outstanding episodes capable of standing with those 90s episodes. Especially during the last few seasons, it seems like they have given us the best material we've seen in years. Early reviews say this episode is solid as well, especially the opening couch gag. This episode is a can't miss for fans of The Simpsons, including ones who haven't watched it in years. My favorite episodes from the past 5 years:
2007: "24 Minutes"
2008: "MyPods and Broomsticks"
2009: "Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh"
2010: "Boy Meets Curl" & "The Squirt and the Whale". Both are amazing episodes, hard to pick just one.
2011: "Holidays of Future Passed"

Also, The Celebrity Apprentice returns for a new season tonight at 9pm on NBC. Donald Trump brings in a new cast capable of bringing the drama and high tempers. Teresa Giudice and Victoria Gotti, anyone? They reportedly did not get along too well. Sure to bring the laughs are Howard Stern Show favorites and Comedy Central roasters, comedienne Lisa Lampanelli and Star Trek alum George Takei.

Iran Bans The Simpsons

Iran has banned dolls of The Simpsons. They say it will "morally corrupt" the young people in the country. Censorship at its finest folks! They really need to kick that dictator out of there, depriving people of The Simpsons must be the last straw. Eat My Shorts, Ahmadinejad.

The Simpsons have been around since 1989 on FOX (actually even before that, when they were a short on The Tracy Ullman Show in 1987) and they still cause controversy. Life without The Simpsons would suck ,that's for sure, so thank you for continuing strong!

Speaking of The Simpsons, the episodes the past few seasons have been going strong. People say the episodes have not reached the quality of the first ten seasons in the 90s, but lately they have been getting better. People that haven't seen the show in years may want to check out some of the new episodes. You can also now download The Simpsons Arcade game from 1991 on Xbox Live and PSN. I remember dropping a bunch of quarters on that game, and you can still find it in some arcades that are still around.

The landmark 500th episode of The Simpsons airs February 19th on FOX. I'm sure they have something special planned. The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is actually guest starring on the episode. Here is the official episode synopsis: "The Simpson family discovers that everyone in Springfield has grown tired of them and are secretly planning to have them thrown out of the city. The family moves out of Springfield to a rugged place where Julian Assange becomes their new neighbor."