After a week and change of action in New Zealand and Australia, the FIFA Women’s World Cup has delivered quite a bit of excitement. Let’s roll through the groups and talk about the happenings thus far.
Group A
Norway were the favorites to advance from Group A before suffering a shocking defeat against the hosts in New Zealand. The Kiwis earned themselves a real shot to advance with the win but suffered a crushing defeat against The Philippines yesterday. Now the group is wide open. With just one match remaining for each team, Switzerland sits in the driver’s seat. However, no team finds themselves secure or eliminated. The conclusion sets up as a thriller.
Group B
After falling behind 1-0 in the first half against Ireland, Canada stormed back to take a 2-1 victory and the lead of the group. However, Australia and Nigeria’s meeting on Thursday could change that. The Matildas beat Ireland in their first match, a second win would secure their ticket to the next round. Nigeria’s draw against Canada keeps them alive regardless of the result, but a win or a draw would be massive ahead of a finale against Ireland.
Group C
While the other groups still have matches left to sort, the two teams advancing from Group C have already been decided. Spain and Japan looked dominant with both teams scoring victories over Zambia and Costa Rica. Now, the two will meet to determine who wins Group C at the Women’s World Cup. Meanwhile, Zambia and Costa Rica may not advance – but the pride at stake provides motivation in their final meeting.
Group D
Denmark and England each won their first match of the World Cup and now face each other with the opportunity to cement their place atop Group D. Their opponents in Haiti and China will hope to stay alive when they face each other Friday. With only one set of matches down, much remains to be decided.
Group E
Much like in Group D, the favorites of Group E won their opening contests. The United States won 3-0 against Vietnam while the Netherlands handed Portugal a 1-0 defeat. The two teams will meet later tonight for an opportunity to claim the top spot in the group. Meanwhile, Portugal and Vietnam hope to stay alive in the race to advance.
Group F
Brazil took care of business in Group F against Panama while the favorites in France were held to a draw by Jamaica. France and Brazil meet next with the French looking to bounce back from a disappointing first result. Meanwhile, Jamaica will hope to build off their draw against France by securing another positive result against Panama. Saturday’s action for this group in the World Cup should be fun to watch.
Group G
Sweden and Italy face each other for Group G’s top spot after both securing wins in their first matches. The other two teams in the group meet on Thursday, with South Africa and Argentina looking to bounce back from defeats. Once again, while Sweden and Italy look the part of the favorites, there’s a lot of soccer left to be played.
Group H
Germany opened the World Cup with a massive 6-0 victory over Morocco, the most dominant performance in the tournament thus far. Colombia also looked impressive with their 2-0 win against South Korea. While South Korea and Morocco each look to bounce back in their Saturday meeting, Germany and Colombia both hope to continue their winning ways on Sunday.
Stay tuned to Pokatok for more World Cup action as the tournament continues.