 It was dubbed the tournament's "Group of death" at the time of the final draw, due to the presence of three continental champions and a runner-up.Nigeria were defeated 3–0 by North Korea in the opening match of the tournament, played in Philadelphia on 20 September, with two goals by Jin Pyol-hui and one by Ri Un-gyong during a dominating performance for most of the match.The United States began its title defense by winning 3–1 in its match against Sweden in Washington, D.C. at RFK Memorial Stadium, which was attended by 34,144 spectators.