The United States is the defending Women’s World Cup champion and the No. 1-ranked team in the world. But it is not guaranteed a place in next year’s Cup, and though the scenario is unlikely, it could theoretically be eliminated from the tournament months before it begins if things go badly in a regional qualifying tournament over the next two weeks.

Three spots in the 2019 World Cup in France will be on the line when the Concacaf championship tournament begins Thursday in North Carolina and Texas, and the United States — the region’s best team for more than a generation — is almost certain to claim one of them. But after the American men lost to Trinidad and Tobago last year and missed out on the World Cup in Russia, the women’s team will be taking no chances.

In the group stage, the United States is in a four-team group based in Cary, N.C., joined by Mexico, Panama and (gulp) Trinidad and Tobago. (The Americans opened with a 6-0 victory over Mexico on Thursday night, with two goals each from Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.) The top two teams from that group and from another group headlined by favored Canada in the Texas border city of Edinburg, will advance to the semifinals. The third- and fourth-place teams are eliminated.

All nerves aside, winning the group would seem to be a straightforward task for the Americans: The other teams are currently ranked 24th, 52nd and 66th in the world. The United States cruised against Mexico on Thursday, following up 4-1 and 6-2 victories in April, and its last two games against Trinidad in 2015 and 2016 were 5-0 and 6-0 wins. The United States is 11-0-2 against all opponents in 2018, and has not lost since July 2017.