The U.S. women’s national team is well aware the rest of the world is catching up. Long dominant on the international stage, the No. 1-ranked Americans are heading to France for the Women’s World Cup with any number of teams potentially in position to topple the defending champions. Among the challengers are host France, upstart England, the surprise third-place finisher at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, and even the Canadians themselves, who would love to get an upper hand in a longstanding rivalry with their North American neighbors. “I do not think that the U.S. is as strong as they have always been, the same with Germany, while not underestimating teams like Italy and Spain that may be inferior,” said Sweden midfielder Kosovar Asllani. “We will of course do everything to be at the top. It is open for any national team, really.” Top Sports Photos: War of Will Wins Preakness Stakes Steve Helber/AP Jill Ellis is leading the U.S. team into her second World Cup as coach. She selected a roster that emphasized experience, but the lineup will look vastly different from four years ago. Stalwarts Abby Wambach and Lauren Holiday have retired, and Carli Lloyd — who…