WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup - Group A Preview: Six teams seek ticket to Finals in fierce competition
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<p>The 15th edition of the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/organisation/wbsc-events/u-18-womens-softball-world-cup">WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup</a> (formerly Junior Women's Softball World Championship) is set to open on Tuesday, with six teams participating in <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/home">Group A</a> for the two available spots in next year's Finals: World No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 9 Czechia, No. 13 Great Britain, No. 22 Brazil, No. 33 Colombia and No. 33 New Zealand. </p>
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<p>Only one of the six teams have won a medal in the past 14 editions of this tournament - Chinese Taipei, with one silver and two bronze medals, being the most decorated team in Group A. </p>
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<p>As the eyes of the softball world move from the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup in Castions di Strada, Italy to the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil here's an historic preview of all the participants in Group A.</p>
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<h3>Brazil</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>7</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>7th</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>11</strong><strong>, 20</strong><strong>13</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>N/A</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>2</strong><strong>2</strong></li></ul>
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<p>Brazil return to the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup after missing the 2021 edition in Lima, Peru, a tournament affected by the pandemic. Before that competition, Brazil had participated in the previous five World Cups, finishing in the top 10 three times.</p>
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<p>Their best performance was in South Africa 2011 and Canada 2013, when they finished in seventh place. </p>
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<p>The Brazilian squad qualified for this event as hosts but finished fourth in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/canada-colombia-mexico-peru-puerto-rico-earn-tickets-to-wbsc-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-puerto-rico-claim-first-ever-pan-american-title">Americas Qualifier earlier this year</a>, finishing with a 5-4 record. </p>
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<p>This is the first time Brazil is hosting a WBSC World Cup, and the second time in a row that this tournament visits South America. </p>
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<h3>Colombia</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>2</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>8</strong><strong>th</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>2</strong><strong>1</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>8th</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>33</strong></li></ul>
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<p>This will be Colombia's third participation in the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup, after playing in 2015 and 2021. The South Americans received a wild card to participate in this competition, after finishing sixth in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/canada-colombia-mexico-peru-puerto-rico-earn-tickets-to-wbsc-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-puerto-rico-claim-first-ever-pan-american-title">Americas Qualifier</a> with a 2-5 record.</p>
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<p>In their previous two participations, Colombia finished in last place: 15th in 2015 with an overall 0-7 record; and 8th in 2021 posting a 1-6 mark. Their only win in a WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup was against Peru, <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-womens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/86316">2-0</a>, on 8 December 2021.</p>
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<h3>Czechia</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>9</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>5</strong><strong>th</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>21</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>5th</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>9</strong></li></ul>
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<p>The two-time European champions land in Sao Paulo as one of the candidates to clinch their spot in the Finals. They are coming off their best result in the tournament, a fifth place finish in 2021 in the pandemic-affected competition in Lima, Peru. </p>
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<p>Czechia defeated Italy in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/czechia-italy-ireland-qualify-for-wbsc-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-czechia-clinch-second-consecutive-european-championship">European Championship Final</a>, 9-1, last year to claim their second consecutive title in Europe and qualify for the World Cup. They posted a 10-1 record, losing only to Italy, 2-1, in the Super Round. </p>
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<p>Czechia have participated in eight of the last nine WBSC U-18 Softball World Cups, including the last six in a row. They have finished in the top-10 in the last three editions. In 2021, they finished fifth in the Opening Round and were eliminated from the medal games with a 3-1 loss against Mexico costing the Europeans a ticket to the bronze medal game.</p>
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<h3>Great Britain</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>3</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>9</strong><strong>th</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>13</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>N/A</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>1</strong><strong>3</strong></li></ul>
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<p>After playing three consecutive World Cups between 2013 and 2017, Great Britain failed to qualify for the last two editions, returning to the tournament after seven years. They have a historic 7-13 win-loss record in their three appearances.</p>
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<p>After a fifth place finish in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/czechia-italy-ireland-qualify-for-wbsc-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-czechia-clinch-second-consecutive-european-championship">European Qualifier</a>, where they posted a 5-5 record, they received a wild card for the World Cup. In the continental championship, Great Britain lost all three games in the Super Round against Netherlands, Ireland and Italy and were eliminated from the medal games.</p>
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<p>Their first goal in Sao Paulo will be finishing in the top four in the Opening Round and advance to the Playoffs on Saturday. </p>
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<h3>New Zealand</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>11</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>4</strong><strong>th</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>13</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>N/A</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>3</strong><strong>3</strong></li></ul>
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<p>New Zealand have participated in 11 of the 14 editions of the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup. After missing the first two tournaments, the Junior White Sox made their debut in 1987 and played 11 consecutive editions before missing the 2021 tournament, affected by the pandemic.</p>
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<p>The Kiwis have finished nine times inside the top-10 sides in the world however, they have failed to win a medal in this competition. They finished fourth in 2013 in Brampton, Canada, going 5-2 in the Opening Round and 1-2 in the play-offs to finish one step away from the podium. </p>
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<p>New Zealand went undefeated to win the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/new-zealand-and-australia-qualify-for-wbsc-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-stage">Oceania Qualifier</a> in 2023, beating Australia (4-3, 5-3) and American Samoa (18-3, 5-4) in the three-team event.</p>
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<h3>Chinese Taipei</h3>
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<ul><li><strong>U18 W</strong><strong>SWC Appearances: </strong><strong>1</strong><strong>3</strong></li><li><strong>Highest finish: </strong><strong>Silver medal</strong><strong> (20</strong><strong>21</strong><strong>)</strong></li><li><strong>202</strong><strong>1</strong><strong> finish: </strong><strong>Silver medal</strong></li><li><strong>World Ranking:</strong><strong> No. </strong><strong>4</strong></li></ul>
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<p>Chinese Taipei might be the team to beat in the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup Group A. With 13 appearances in the competition, the Asians have only missed the World Cup once, in Brampton 2013. </p>
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<p>They qualified in second place in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ii-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/japan-beat-chinese-taipei-for-u-18-womens-softball-asian-title-both-qualify-for-world-cup-along-with-china">Asian Qualifier</a> last year, losing the final against Japan, 1-0, in a very tight game. </p>
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<p>In Lima 2021, Chinese Taipei earned the silver medal, their third medal in the competition after two bronze medals in South Africa 2011 and Taipei City 1999. They went 6-1 in the Opening Round, and advanced to the World Championship Game, where the were beaten by USA in a thrilling final <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-womens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/86341">1-0</a> .</p>
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