Today marks the beginning of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Day one of the tournament features two matches, where we’ll see the host nation, Canada, taking on China PR followed by New Zealand versus Netherlands.

Canada v. China PR
6PM ET- FOX Sports 1
Coverage begins at 5pm ET
Group A
Commonwealth Stadium – Edmonton

The host nation opens the tournament against former powerhouse China. China and Canada have faced off 26 times with the Steel Roses winning 14 of those contests. Most recently however Canada has seen progress under head coach John Herdman, winning the last three matches by one point each.

Look for Canada to open strong with the home field advantage, but the squad will need to stay focused in the early stages. They cannot let the stage or the pageantry of the day lead to mental lapses You can bet that China will be a ready and disciplined team.

New Zealand v. Netherlands
9PM ET- FOX Sports 2
Group A
Commonwealth Stadium – Edmonton

The Netherlands want nothing more than to open their first World Cup game with a win, but New Zealand is also fighting for their first victory on the world stage.

The largest struggle for the Ferns will be containing Netherlands’ top striker Vivianne Miedema. The New Zealand defense lacks pace and organization. An organized midfield by the Lionesses may be able to exploit those weaknesses.

New Zealand will need to take chances and get creative if they want to break through the Dutch defense.

Before, during or after today’s matches, join the conversation in the comments section below with fellow soccer fans from around the world.