Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama

Group F saw the clash of two World Cup heavyweights on matchday two, as France ultimately got the better of Brazil in a closely-fought encounter. The French went on to top the group, while Brazil would ultimately miss out on qualification after a 0-0 with surprise packages Jamaica in their final game. The Reggae Girlz' stout defence stood them in good stead as they upset the odds to finish second without conceding a goal in their three matches.

Gemma Grainger: France have displayed excellent technical qualities both in possession and out of possession. In all three group games, they spent more time in the final third than any other area of the pitch, scoring 8 goals in total.  

They have technically excellent attacking players who play at speed to travel with the ball, and can combine quickly with each other with limited touches. This was complemented by their physical speed and their ability to defend in 1v1 situations, particularly in the full-back positions. They competed hard and used an aggressive counter-press to win the ball and sustain attacks. This was an important factor in France spending such a high amount of time in the attacking transition phase of the game. 

Nadine Angerer: In build-up play, Jamaica used a 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3 formation. 
From restarts and from open play, Jamaica started the majority of their moves from the goalkeeper, Rebecca Spencer (13), or from the centre-back positions, with long-range passes.  The target of the long passes was the centre-forward Khadija Shaw (11), who gave them the opportunity to win the first or second ball and get into the box 1v1. Jamaica also tried to pass the ball behind the back line for Shaw to chase. In these situations, she was often isolated and had no or minimal support from midfield. Jamaica struggled to maintain possession in general, and especially in the final third.

Out of possession: Jamaica were mostly very compact, narrow and disciplined. They were aggressive in their defending and shifted very well together as a team unit. It is worth highlighting that Jamaica did not concede a goal, which shows how well they were organised. They were ruthless in dealing with crosses into the box and won a lot of aerial duels. Jamaica also showed good game management and knew when to disrupt their opponents' momentum. 

They looked very strong as a team, but I want to highlight Drew Spence (8), Shaw (even though she missed a game) and goalkeeper Spencer, who have been excellent so far in this tournament.

Aline Pellegrino: Brazil were aggresive in possession, looking to build up with their attacking players as close to their opponent's goal as possible and their full-backs pushed up high. This Brazil side also proved dangerous in attacking transitions and counter-attacks by taking advantage of the speed and talent of their midfielders and forwards.

Brazil also used the speed of their attacking players when they were without the ball. The team's forward players would pressure the opposition's defensive line and look to recover the ball quickly in dangerous areas, close to the opposition's goal. However, this attacking approach meant that spaces were created in behind Brazil for the opposition to exploit during counter-attacks.

In their final group game, Brazil were unable to overcome Jamaica's stable and solid defensive strategy, which put an end to their World Cup campaign. It was also a farewell for one of the greatest players to ever grace the game, with Queen Martha playing her last match.

Anja Mittag: Panama qualified for the World Cup for the first time. They usually started their build-up in 4-2-3-1. They faced a tough group, but still managed to impress me. Against Jamaica, I witnessed a brave team performance, and a side that had a strategy for building up from a goal kick against a team that pressed high.

Against Brazil and France, they started most of their moves with long goal kicks. They tried to pick up second balls and get behind the opponent’s defensive midfielder or around their defence. Marta Cox (10) was a key player for Panama, and she impressed with technical skills and her power to drive attacking transitions and recover the ball.

Out of possession, they defended mostly in a low or mid-block in a 4-5-1 or 4-1-4-1, and looked to create opportunities on the counter-attack.  Against France, Panama were able to score their first ever goals in a World Cup. All three were from set-pieces, including a stunning free-kick from Cox.