Canada is ready to welcome the world for the 2015 Women’s World Cup, but which invited nation should be considered the guest of honour? Catch up with our primer below and learn which nations are forces to be reckoned with as Canada looks for a historic finish and the top prize in women’s soccer is handed out. Russell Bodine Bills Jersey . Homare Sawa - Age: 36 - Previous WC: 5 The Defending Champs: Japan Any discussion of the top competitors has to start with the title-holders. Japan didn’t come into the 2011 tournament as world-beaters, but they got better with every match and walked off with the top prize. The Nadeshiko qualified as Asia’s third-place nation and were drawn in with Mexico and England. They rebounded from a group stage-finale loss to England that forced them to second and proceeded to stun Germany (in extra time), Sweden and the United States (in penalties) to claim the nation’s first World title. They were edged 2-1 by the Americans at the Olympic tournament and suffered a crucial loss to South Korea that handed the 2013 East Asian Cup to the North Koreans. They came into the Asian Cup with a point to prove and did not look back after a tournament-opening draw with Australia. They blanked Vietnam and Jordan before an extra-time victory over China and a shut out of the Aussies to claim the Continental crown. They enter the 2015 tournament as the third-ranked team in the world and have lost just twice in 2014, going 14-3-2 in three competitions and a quartet of friendlies. They boast a pair of dangerous weapons with Asian Cup MVP Aya Miyama and 2011 World Cup Best Player and Golden Boot Homare Sawa anchoring the attack with 30 years’ experience and 116 goals between them. Alex Morgan - Age: 25 - Previous WC: 1 The Golden Girls: United States Believe it or not, the U.S. women’s team is on a pretty serious losing streak when it comes to the World Cup. That sounds a bit funny, since the nation has lost just five games in the six World Cup tournaments and has never walked away without a medal. Added to that is the fact that the four times they’ve lost in the knockout stage it was always to the eventual champions. Here’s the problem. Three of those four crucial losses have come in the last three tournaments. The U.S. watched Germany claim titles from afar in both 2003 and 2007 before Japan’s triumph in 2011. The last time the United States won the top women’s prize was 1999 when Brandi Chastain created one of the most indelible images in the recent history of sport. The Americans got a measure of revenge by taking out Japan at the 2012 Olympics after a controversial semifinal victory over Canada, but they’ve dominated that tournament of late, taking the last three gold medals and four of five in the event’s history. Qualification was no trouble whatsoever as the Americans rolled through the CONCACAF Championship with a 5-0 record outscoring opponents 21-0. The Americans are 15-3-2 in 2014 with their only hiccups coming in a disastrous Algarve Cup campaign. The last time the team conceded a goal was an Aug. 20 friendly against Switzerland. They are currently riding a 650-minute shutout streak. With over 500 caps between them Abby Wambach (34) and Christie Rampone (39) provide the U.S. with experienced and hungry leadership. Rampone was a member of the 1999 squad but watched the entire knockout round as an unused sub. Wambach has never won a World Cup. Is it “now-or-never” time for the pair? Anja Mittag - Age: 29 - Previous WC: 2 The Unsatisfied: Germany Heading into the 2011 World Cup, there was little reason to believe Germany would not once again prove to be the world’s best. The nation had won back-to-back World Cup titles and was hosting the event for the very first time. The club must simply have been salivating at the thought of a third title being theirs to take on the Frankfurt pitch. And then, the unthinkable. After getting through a strong Group that featured Canada, France and Nigeria, the Germans drew the Japanese, who stumbled in the opening round and had never won a medal at the tournament. Karina Maruyama had different ideas, her marker in the second extra-time session bounced the Germans before they could even have a shot at a medal. Germany’s record is remarkable similar to the Americans’, only without the trio of bronze medals. They’ve lost four knockout games, all to the eventual champs and have only been beaten once in group play, posting a 14-3-1 combined record. While they did not qualify for the 2012 Olympics (qualification was based on the 2011 World Cup, where France and Sweden fared better), they were crowned European Champs in 2013 after a trio of 1-0 knockout victories over Italy, Sweden and Norway. They rolled through qualifying with a perfect 30 points through 10 qualifiers with a ridiculous plus-58 goal-differential. Anja Mittag, Celia Sasic and Dzsenifer Marozsan finished one-two-three in qualification scoring, compiling 28 goals on their own. The Germans have lost only once this year, in an October friendly with France. Cristiane - Age: 29 - Previous WC: 2 The Breakthroughs?: Brazil Brazil has qualified for every Women’s World Cup. Brazil has lost just two games in the history of the South American Women’s Championship, claiming six of seven titles. The all-time women’s World Cup goal-scoring leader is a Brazilian. However, Brazil has never won a Women’s World Cup. The closest they came was 2007, when they were handled 2-0 in the Final by Germany. However, that loss marks their only trip to the Final match. The country holds a modest 15-4-7 all-time record bowing out before the semis in four of six trips. So, why the optimism? With Marta – the aforementioned all-time co-leader – and the dynamic Christiane, who won the Copa Femenina Golden Boot, the Brazilians boast what could very easily be the only one-two punch at the tournament capable of going round for round with the Americans’ Wambach and Alex Morgan. However, entering the tournament ranked sixth in the World, the Brazilians will likely find themselves in the second seeding pot, meaning a tough opening-round match against the likes of Germany, Japan, Sweden, France, the U.S. or (in a best-case scenario for Germany) the host Canadians is likely in the cards. Gaetane Thiney - Age: 29 - Previous WC: 1 The Rising Stars: France Steadily rising since the summer of 2013, the French could be peaking at the right time. They have lost just once in 2014 (on the road, to the Americans) and have stood their ground, earning draws against Brazil and the U.S. A perfect 10-0 in qualifying, outscoring opposition by 51 goals, the French offence is led by 29-year-old Gatane Thiney who topped the qualification scorers’ list with 14 goals. The pairing of Marie-Laure Delie and Eugenie Le Sommer chipped in a combined 16, giving Les Bleues a balanced and lethal attack. The team is something of a new power in the women’s game. They first qualified for the World Cup in 2003 and made their Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, but they are the reigning fourth-place finishers at both events. A penalty-kick loss to Denmark sent them home from the Women’s Euro in 2013, but the early exit could well stand to make the team even hungrier for a historic result on Canadian soil. Lotta Schelin - Age: 30 - Previous WC: 2 Not to be forgotten: Sweden They took a chunk out of the Americans at the 2011 tournament, earning a 2-1 group-stage victory over the U.S. and forcing them to a tougher route through the knockout stage, beginning with a quarter-final against Brazil. While they fell in the semis to Japan, the Swedes took home the bronze as a consolation prize. The team posted a perfect 10-0 qualifying run, allowing just one goal (on a penalty kick). Captain Lotta Schelin is a force to be reckoned with, and she could easily add to her career total of 73 goals in the tournament proper. The Swedes come into the draw as one of the five top seeds and are one of many teams that will challenge the five contenders listed above. Also to be watched: Former Asian powerhouse China, 1995 Champs Norway, three-time quarter-finalists England, African champs Nigeria. Marshall Newhouse Bills Jersey . His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. 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