A devastating outbreak of the SARS disease forced FIFA to switch the venue the 2003 Women's World Cup from China to the USA in what was a desperate attempt to keep the event on schedule. Luckily, everything came off without a hitch and World Cup debutantes France, Korea Republic and Argentina were introduced into the finals.
The same format as the previous tournament was adopted with eight out of the 16 teams progressing through to the quarter-finals. The first semi-final surprised the watching world as Germany pulled off a 3-0 win against strong favorites and reigning champions the USA, they progressed to the finals were they met Sweden who had clinched a 2-1 win over Canada.