Marhaban sadiqi
I am begging you to watch this tournament. It is the best tournament I have seen maybe in my entire life with amazing performances, breakout stars, plenty of upsets and phenomenal football being played every day.
Group stages of big tournaments go past in a haze of highlight reels, half snatched games over breakfast and morning tea, podcast recap episodes that you forget before the closing ad copy has finished being read and endless permutation calculations as you try to remember which Nordic nation needs a win to stay in and which upstart underdog could go through with just a 0-0 draw unless the other game finishes in a 2-3 double-tie and who has the best ‘FIFA fair play’ record again? Well, put down your calculator because the flow of time has once again revealed the past to us in our new present. Let’s visit these groups one final time before previewing the Round of 16…
Group A
New Zealand 0 – 0 Switzerland (Q)
Oh New Zealand. They didn’t do much wrong here – if Norway won by more than a goal, the Kiwis needed a win themselves; and Norway were scoring goals for fun so New Zealand knew early on what they had to do. And they bloody well tried. Jacqui Hand tore down the left half-space to volley a cross over the Swiss keeper but it just flew out off the post. Switzerland, knowing a draw would let them top the group, basically dug in, threw up sandbags and emplacements and womanned the parapets and New Zealand didn’t get another chance until deep in the second half with caution thrown to the wind. Malia Steinmetz got a shot on target that lacked any venom, Claudia Bunge sent a header straight into the keeper’s breadbasket and finally, New Zealand keeper Victoria Esson came up for a free kick and won the header but sent it wide. Full time and the Football Ferns are out but they frankly exceeded expectations in beating Norway and can hold their heads very high indeed.
Norway (Q) 6 – 0 Philippines
Norway don’t deserve this but they have it. The Philippines were coming off the high of their first ever World Cup win and were clearly somewhat hungover and Norway were stung by internal discordancy and external criticism. It was a recipe for a bloodbath and a bloodbath we got. 17 minutes in, Sophie Haug had a brace of lobs – one from her foot and one from her head. They did not relent as Caroline Graham Hansen walloped the third in from outside the box into the bottom corner. 3-0 at half time and they doubled it in the second half – an own goal, a penalty and finally, deep into injury time, Haug completed her hattrick. Norway are through in second place but have answered none of the serious doubts about their credentials.
Group C
Japan (Q) 4 – 0 Spain (Q)
What a result! Spain came into this match with a heavily burnished aura, strutting about having registered two 5-0 wins to seal qualification for the next round. Unfortunately for them, Japan were cooking as well and had developed a cunning plan to counter the Spanish possession play: to counter them. Spain started the game by playing lovely little passes in the middle of the pitch, patiently waiting for Japan to open up; Japan started the game by bashing Spain over the head with a baseball bat, rifling through their wallet and making off with the cash. After only 12 minutes, Japan nicked the ball and with the entire Spanish team basically in the Japanese half, Hinata Miyazawa had space to race into the box and slide her shot past the keeper. Fifteen minutes later, Japan attack from deep again and Miyazawa turns provider for Riko Ueki. Another ten minutes and it was Ueki’s turn to send Miyazawa through and rifle her shot over the keeper and in. 20% possession, 27 seconds in the attacking third, three touches in the box, three shots, three goals. Utterly ruthless. Spain didn’t have a clean chance all game and Mina Tanaka nailed the coffin shut with a glorious solo goal at the death.
Costa Rica 1 – 3 Zambia
A dead rubber with both teams already out but playing for pride and Zambia roared into this one, scoring after only three minutes when Lushomo Mweemba lobbed the keeper from a corner. The second may have been a pretty dicey penalty but Barbra Banda knocked it in to claim the 1,000th goal in WWC history – Zambia have had a pretty rubbish tournament but their star striker has this landmark for herself forever. Costa Rica got one back scrappily and should have had an equaliser – Melissa Herrera scored the first and put the ball in the net for another but that one was ruled out for offside. Then, as Costa Rica pressed forward, Zambia hit em with the old sucker punch – Banda crossing in to set up Racheal Kundananji. The Copper Queens go home from their first ever World Cup with a win; Costa Rica just go home.
Round of 16 preview
Switzerland v Spain will be another clash of styles – Spain will win the possession stats by something like 80%-20% but as we’ve seen, that’s not always a recipe for winning the actual game. Switzerland have proven defensively robust but with little threat going forward and will need to muster some to go through. Spain on the other hand, clearly have the defensive fortitude of a sad souffle – cutting off incisive counter-attacks will be critical if they are to go deeper in this competition.
Japan v Norway is a great tie – two former champions going head to head. But on form, there can only be one winner. Japan have been the only really complete side so far (so far!) with a solid defensive structure, great attacking interplay and ruthless finishing. Norway have stunk the place out for two games before ragdolling a significant underdog. They have defended decently but struggled to create any truly good chances against the decent defences they have faced. Japan going through this tie is the most confident I am of any of the results in the rest of this round.
Group B
Australia (Q) 4 – 0 Canada
Have some of that! No Kerr? Current Olympic champions? Must win? No worries mate. She’ll be right. The Matildas fully exploded out of the blocks, going at the shell-shocked Canadians with direct running, strong interchanges and their patented never say die attitude. I hate to say it but credit to Arsenal as their Australian duo Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord have obvious chemistry and repeatedly combined to tear into Canada’s left flank like a pair of hungry dingos bringing down a moose. They drew first blood after less than 10 minutes, Foord sending Catley free down the wing where she crossed low and through the box. Hayley Raso picked it up and took two touches and this was when it became obvious that something was rotten in the state of Canada. In their gold medal winning pomp, if a striker took two touches in the Canadian box, they’d find defenders converging on them like sharks on a stricken seal. Here, Raso still had more than enough time to steady herself and fire low and firmly into the net. The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (yes, what of it?) went mad but the party was just getting started.
Mary Fowler first had a goal ruled out for the most ridiculous offside decision potentially ever but only minutes later, Kyra Cooney-Cross’s corner wasn’t cleared by the absolute mizzle pretending to be the Canadian defence and Raso hooked home the ricocheting ball. 2 – 0 is the most dangerous score in football – but not for the Matildas. Fowler got her goal after half time, deceiving her marker with a lovely change of pace to get on the end of Foord’s cut-back, and if she slightly fluffed the connection causing the ball to appear to somehow deflect off her uhhh lower back shall we say, it still bounced in off the post. The Canadian goose was cooked – the stats say they had five shots on target, I genuinely can only remember one and there was no sense of jeopardy – Catley putting the gloss on the performance with a late penalty. Australia have reignited their campaign in style to send home one of the favourites.
Nigeria (Q) 0 – 0 Ireland
Not much to say here. Nigeria needed only a draw to go through and Ireland were already out. As soon as news filtered through from Melbourne that Australia were not so much winning as absolutely clowning on Canada, the incentive for either team to exert any effort at all went down the drain. A game of football did threaten to break out at times – you can’t just switch off the competitive instinct in elite athletes – but not much of any sort resulted and Nigeria sealed their progression into the round of 16. For Ireland, leaving their first World Cup with a goal and a point is a decent effort and they can be proud that they made Australia and Canada really sweat on beating them.
Group D
England (Q) 6 – 1 China
Where did this come from?! England had spent two games labouring to 1-0 wins against limited opposition and the usual English pessimism was in full bloom. Now they went into this match needing to draw to be certain of progression against a Chinese team that had put in two very strong defensive performances against Denmark and Haiti. The forecast was tension. Then, four minutes after kick-off, Lauren James’ header dropped to Alessia Russo who lashed a low shot into the bottom corner. Suddenly it was flashbacks to last year and the effervescent displays of the Euro winning team. Millie Bright snapped into a midfield challenge, winning the ball for James, who slid in Lauren Hemp for a one-on-one with the keeper which she was never going to miss.
Having set up two, James decided it was her turn now. Her first was a glorious outswinger from a free kick routine that curled teasingly away from the diving keeper and into the side netting. Her second should have been the same in reverse, the inswinger into the top corner but a nonsense offside call on a previous play ruled it out. So she instead ran onto a deep cross from Jess Carter and side-foot volleyed the ball back across goal and into the net. Finally she turned provider again slightly fortuitously – keeper Zhu Yu tried to chest away James’ long ball forwards and just… missed? She threw herself at the ball and got nothing but air, Chloe Kelly following through got nothing but net. China had scored a penalty to make it 3-1 earlier and Rachel Daly added a sixth at the end with a thunderous volley. The European Champions have arrived and, in Lauren James, have possibly the superstar of the tournament.
Denmark (Q) 2 – 0 Haiti
Haiti could have progressed here with a two goal win but Denmark never gave them a sniff. For the third game in a row, Haiti gave away a penalty. This one was one of those deeply unsatisfying ones where a Danish player, kicking the ball away from the goal, managed to hit the arm of Dayana Pierre-Louis at pretty close range. Legally, it’s a pen. Morally, it’s an outrage. Pernille Harder stepped up for the spot-kick and keeper Kerly Theus blinked first – jumping to her right before Harder had committed and the Dane rolled it into the opposite corner. The rest of the match followed a simple pattern – Haiti threw everyone forward to try to get a goal, Denmark waited patiently to pick them off on the counter. After two false starts, Sanne Troelsgaard slid home the second. Denmark are through to the knockouts for the first time since 1995. Haiti go home with no goals and no points but they have done themselves incredibly proud and were utterly robbed by poor officiating against China. Fingers crossed this is just the start for them.
Round of 16 preview
Australia v Denmark is intriguing – Denmark have played a lot like Canada in larger matches, relying on a deep defensive structure to keep them in games and individual quality up front to nick a few goals. Australia, at their best, are a relentless attacking force and they defend on the front foot. Clashes of styles in football do not always lend themselves to great entertainment but this one should be good – particularly if Sam Kerr is fit for more than just bench warming.
England v Nigeria is a little less balanced… probably. The Lionesses have, like the Matildas, finally clicked into gear after a slightly dodgy start and should have way too much firepower to overcome the Super Falcons. But Nigeria aren’t here to make up the numbers and have the talent in Oshoala and Ajibade to flip this script. This is possibly my tie of the round – if you can only watch one, watch this. Unless…
Group E
USA (Q) 0 – 0 Portugal
Oh so close! Portugal were millimetres away from obliterating the USA’s fine record of never finishing worse than third at a World Cup. They had gone toe-to-toe with the World Champions for 90 odd minutes, certainly underdogs and defending strongly, but disrupting the USA’s approach, breaking their tempo and offering serious threat going forward. Then, with the clock deep in stoppage time, Ana Capeta ran free and struck a low shot past the despairing dive of Alyssa Naeher but instead of hitting the inside netting and setting up the greatest upset of World Cup history, the ball slammed into the post and deflected wide. Portugal deserved more but, having taken four points from the group and held the USA to a draw, they can be confident that they can do even better next time. The USA need to sort themselves out and quick-smart.
Netherlands (Q) 7 – 0 Vietnam
Well, I said in my preview that avoiding losing to the USA and the Netherlands by better than a 10-0 aggregate would basically be a win for Vietnam, and after they only lost 3-0 to the USA, they looked like they were well on track. Unfortunately for them, the Netherlands were on a mission. If they won here by two more goals than the USA beat Portugal by, they’d top the group and avoid a likely encounter with a very good Sweden side. 25 minutes in, they were 4-0 up and hungry for more. 7-0 was almost underwhelming given the ferocity with which they started but it was more than enough. The Orange Lionesses are moving and have risen rapidly up the ranks of teams I think could win this whole shebang.
Group G
Argentina 0 – 2 Sweden (Q)
Pretty simple this one. Sweden make a habit of winning games like this – allowing very few chances and scoring theirs through organisation, athleticism and an eye for detail. Argentina needed a win to have any hope but even with a rotated side, Sweden didn’t give them a sniff. It did take them over an hour but eventually Rebecka Blomqvist broke the deadlock the Swedish way – header from a cross. A late penalty gave them a buffer they didn’t need and the Swedes are through with a perfect record.
South Africa (Q) 3 – 2 Italy
Football! Football! Football! Oh yes. This game had everything. The math was simple going into it – win or draw for Italy and they go through, South Africa had to win and hope Argentina couldn’t beat Sweden. It looked like it was only going one way when Chiara Beccari was clumsily brought down in the box early on and Arianna Caruso scored the penalty; but with only a half-hour gone, Benedetta Orsi took the ball in her backline and, under mild pressure from the South African press, played a no-look pass back to her goalkeeper. Or rather, where she assumed her goalkeeper was. Her goalkeeper, busy assuming she wasn’t going to get a back pass, could only watch in horror as the ball rolled past her and into their own net.
1-1 at half-time was not a disaster for Italy but it was about to get worse – Thembi Kgatlana has shone at this WWC and when the captain picked up the ball on the wing, the Italian defence wanted none of her smoke. They backed off, and backed off and were so busy freaking out they failed to see Hildah Magaia ghosting into the box. Kgatlana saw her, then found her with a delectable orthogonal pass which Magaia promptly slammed home – an emphatic finish that put South Africa on the brink of going through. But South Africa have been 1-0 up against Sweden and 2-0 up against Argentina this tournament without winning a game so far and of course, it wasn’t going to be that simple.
Only minutes after Francesca Durante had made an outstanding reaction save to stop Italy going two goals behind, Caruso scored again, this time hip-bumping a corner home to put Italy back in second place in the group. South Africa, with 15 minutes plus stoppage time to go, attacked, attacked and attacked but were almost undone when Sofia Cantore found Cristiane Girelli free, on the penalty spot, with no defenders in sight – but Kaylin Swart got a foot in the way and somehow South Africa survived.
Then 2 minutes into stoppage time. Magaia hoofs the ball forward from halfway. Jermaine Seoposenwe collects on the wing. Pauses. Hammers a cross-field pass. Italian defenders all converge. Magaia, full sprint for 40 metres. Gets the first touch. Empty grass ahead in the box. Same position as her previous goal. Shoot? No. Keeper closing the angle. Cut-back to the centre of the box. Keeper can’t reach it. Italian defender too far back to intercept. Kgetlana in an island of space. Right foot. Side foot. Net bulging. Kgatlana posing to celebrate for a heartbeat before disappearing under an avalanche of teammates. Banyana Banyana’s inspirational captain had put them through over a very favoured Italian side and they’ll be dancing all the way to the round of 16.
Round of 16 preview
The Netherlands v South Africa should be great fun. I’ve already changed my mind about tie of the round – watch this one. The Netherlands are a great team – clever on the ball and full of inspirational talent like Esmee Brugts – and are clear favourites to progress having had the better of their draw with the USA. But South Africa went toe-to-toe with Sweden and nearly got a draw and overpowered Italy to get through. They have the attacking talent to threaten the Dutch – but they probably lack the defensive stability to really feel comfortable even if they do take the lead. Baynana Banyana have scored 6 and conceded 6 in their 3 games so far, so expect entertainment.
USA v Sweden is a grudge match. These two have been having at each other at the pointy end of competitive football for the last decade and Sweden finally got the better of the Yanks in the Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals. This time, the Swedes are outright favourites. They are one of a growing number of teams who can match the USA for size, strength and athleticism, who have a clear tactical plan to win games and who relentlessly do the basics right. The USA on the other hand look a shadow of the dynasty who conquered all from 2012 or so onwards. Their defensive press is erratic, their midfield is hiding from the ball and their strikers currently can barely hit a cow’s rear with a banjo. But… it’s the USA. It’s the World Cup. We’ve had nine of these things and they’ve won four of them and never finished worse than 3rd. Surely they can’t go out here. Right?
Group F
France (Q) 6 – 3 Panama
Ridiculous sport. Panama’s first ever World Cup and they’d lost to Brazil and Jamaica without scoring a goal. So, of course, literally 69 seconds (nice) into this game, Marta Cox took a free kick 45 yards from goal and utterly pulverised the ball into the top corner. Outrageous behaviour that will be a contender for goal of the tournament. For a glorious 20 minutes, Brazil and Jamaica were going through instead of France but it would not last. Maelle Lakrar started the rout and Kadiditou Diani plundered a hattrick for France to go 5-1 up just after half-time. Easy right? Not so fast. Riley Tanner was bundled over clumsily by a French defender and Yomira Pinzón fired home the penalty buuuuut she was too keen! The ref hadn’t even blown the whistle. Now the French keeper knew which way she wanted to shoot but that didn’t help – Pinzón nailed her retake into the corner and it was 5-2. Then, at 87 minutes, they lob in a deep free kick, the keeper completely misreads the bounce and Lineth Cedeño had the freest of headers to make it 5-3. The Panamanians went ballistic but the flag was up. Until it wasn’t – VAR overruled it and they went just as ballistic all over again. Joyous stuff and more to come: French starlet Vicki Bècho volleyed in the final goal and at the end, Panama celebrated more exuberantly than France – they came to their first ever World Cup and scored three goals. Bloody lovely stuff.
Brazil 0 – 0 Jamaica (Q)
I’m out of juice. Genuinely. If this game had involved goals I could have given it the full double barrel delivery but Brazil struggled to put a decent chance together and Jamaica were basically committed to defence. How did it even come to this? Jamaica scored a single goal in three games and are through because they didn’t concede once. Brazil scored 5 times and conceded twice and are gone. An aside then, for Marta – one of the true colossi of the world game. I don’t know if anyone will ever break her mark of 17 World Cup goals scored and honestly, I hope they don’t. It’s a sad way for a glittering career to end but let’s not get too sad because Jamaica – oh my gosh. The Reggae Girlz are on the march and less than a decade on from their reformation as a team, they’ve knocked out the champions of South America.
Group H
I’m doing these two together. Mein gott.
South Korea 1 – 1 Germany
&
Morocco (Q) 1 – 0 Colombia (Q)
So, the final group games of this tournament. At the simultaneous kick-off, the table looked like this:
Colombia – 6 pts (+3 GD)
Germany – 3 pts (+5 GD)
Morocco – 3 pts (-5 GD)
South Korea – 0 pts (-3 GD)
The permutations were not simple! Colombia go through if they win, draw or lose by 5 goals or more; or if Germany don’t win. Germany go through if they win, or if they get an equal or better result than Morocco. Morocco go through if they win or draw and Germany get a worse result than them. South Korea can only go through if they win, Colombia win, and they get a net 9 goal swing compared to Germany. Germany, by the way, have never gone out in the group stage of a WWC. Never. Sure they had a shock against Colombia but that happens, good teams have off days. South Korea had been abject in their two losses so far and would surely fold against a Germany team out for… sorry, what’s that? So-Hyun Cho has scored you say?
Well then.
Ok, but there’s such a thing as scoring too early and even if Germany lose, as long as Colombia win, they’ll be fine. And they’ve got ALEXANDRA POPP who has just risen like a salmon to slam home an equalising header. It’s all under control and… hang on… penalty to Morocco you say?
Oh my.
Half-time and as it stands, Germany are going out unless either they score, or Colombia score. Both teams are going for it and it’s POPP AGAIN WITH THE HEADER see I told you it… wait… VAR? Offside? Well let’s flick over to the other game to see Linda Caicedo weaving her magic, free on the edge of the box, curls the ball towards the top corner to surely set things back on track but oh my days Khadija Er-Rmichi has exploded into frame to slap the ball to safety! Outrageous save!
Surely not.
The clock ticks on. South Korea camp deeper and deeper. Colombia slow down as they realise they’re going through no matter what. It’s all about whether Germany can get their goal. 90 minutes has ticked by but there’ll be 9 minutes of injury time. South Korea can barely keep the ball but Germany aren’t getting into dangerous positions. 90+2 Sydney Lohman shoots from the edge of the box and 90+4 Lohman shoots again but no dice. Popp keeps trying to get in for headers but Eun-Sun Park has taken it upon herself to wrestle one of the game’s greatest strikers into her pocket and is succeeding. 90+10 minutes of injury time played and Morocco Colombia is over, 1-0 to Morocco, they are going through and Germany are going out but their game is at 90+12 and still not over. South Korea are all in their own box, every time they get it (90+13 then 90+15) they kick it as far away as possible and it comes back again. Moroccan players are huddled entirely around a single phone in the centre of the pitch, watching on a 90 second delay. It’s 90+17 and South Korea win a free kick on the edge of their own box and the REF IS BLOWING THE WHISTLE AND IT’S ALL OVER and Germany are out – players drop to the ground, tears flow and Morocco are through but for the twenty three players plus coaching staff all peering at a single tiny phone screen it’s still yet to happen, they are still at 90+15 but a minute later they explode out of their huddle because they are through – players leap through the air, tears flow and why not.
Morocco lost their first game of their first ever World Cup 6-0 a week and a half ago. Today they go through to the knock-out stages and the team that hammered them then, Germany, two time World Cup champions, eight time European Champions, are out. Gone. Done.
Football.
Round of 16 preview
France v Morocco is probably a bridge too far for the Atlas Lionesses. After a hiccup against Jamaica, France have looked the real deal – though their defence might be a little suspect against very good teams. Morocco though have shown they can play at this level and will put up a proper fight – I suspect though that France will cruise through this game.
Jamaica v Colombia should be the South Americans to lose. Jamaica defend deep and rely on superstar Bunny Shaw up top but she’s been fairly isolated and the only goal Jamaica have scored this tournament came when she was suspended for her red card. Colombia are a more complete team with their own young megastar in Linda Caicedo and have the playstyle and teamwork to win this – but it’s no sure thing.
Conclusion
Good grief. What a group stage. This might represent a major milestone in the prominence of international women’s football because the gap between the best and the rest has evaporated in the space of four years. The Olympic champions, Asian champions, South American champions and European Championship runners-up are all out already, outshone by emerging talent from Africa, Central America and South America. But the fun never stops because we are already looking ahead to the Round of 16 and the start of the end.
This is it. No more safety nets. We’ve already had 48 games of World Cup football, only 15 (that matter – sit down third place playoff) remain. Win or go home. Do or die. Think originally or sink into a morass of cliche. The rest of this tournament will go past in a flash. Tune in while you can because it is four more years before we get to do this again (ok three years if you watch men’s football but, even for me, that’s a bit of a niche interest).
First-ever-World-Cup-Threepeat-ometer: 3 dilapidated highways surrounded by endless cornfields out of 10
But who’s this, coming out of the audience with a steel chair? Why it’s only:
The It’s-coming-home-ometer!: 6 hungover ladies in sunnies in Trafalgar Square out of 10