New Zealand wants to build on ‘Fern Fever.’ Norway needs a comeback.
New Zealand, the World Cup’s co-host, has an opportunity to take one other large step ahead on Tuesday.
Days after it earned the primary World Cup victory within the staff’s historical past, New Zealand is aware of a win over the Philippines in Wellington would successfully guarantee that the Football Ferns, because the staff is thought, will attain the knockout rounds for the primary time.
In Tuesday’s different video games, Colombia and South Korea will change into the final of the 32 groups to take the sector, and Norway — overwhelmed by New Zealand in its opener — will attempt to proper itself towards Switzerland.
Colombia vs. South Korea
Colombia is coming off a robust efficiency within the Copa América Championship, the place it beat Argentina within the semifinals and fell to Brazil within the last, 1-0. Those outcomes counsel a readiness to contend on the world stage.
But that competitiveness might have gone too far in a current exhibition towards Ireland: That match was referred to as off after 20 minutes for what the Irish labeled “overly physical” play from the Colombians. Colombia rejected that characterization and defended its type; it stated the Irish merely “preferred not to continue playing.”
Colombia will face South Korea, the runner-up to China within the 2022 Asian Cup, on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia, (10 p.m. Monday Eastern time). The South Koreans have made it to the knockout phases as soon as in three earlier World Cup appearances, in 2015. Four years in the past, the Koreans misplaced all three of their video games.
New Zealand vs. Philippines
New Zealand’s gamers shocked many individuals — together with themselves — by upsetting Norway, 1-0, within the opening match of the World Cup.
Now, the Ferns discover themselves in new territory: in a positive place for a path past the group stage, a checkpoint not reached in 5 earlier journeys to the event.
The greatest impediment to advancing, in truth, could also be behind them. Norway entered the event twelfth in FIFA rankings, whereas the Philippines is forty sixth. New Zealand is twenty sixth, however now driving a wave of so-called Fern Fever, and searching ahead to a different evening in entrance of a pleasant crowd.
The Philippines misplaced, 2-0, to Switzerland in its World Cup debut. Its staff attracts closely from the United States — 18 gamers on the squad’s 23-women roster, in truth, have been born in America — and makes no excuses about that.
“I don’t really care where they’re born,” the staff’s Australian coach, Alen Stajcic, stated. “If they have Philippines in their heart and in their blood, and they’re good at football, then they’re eligible for our team.
“They all play for their flag, they all play for their country, they all play for the people in the Philippines, wherever they reside.”
Switzerland vs. Norway
Norway is trying to bounce again from its opening loss and doubtless wants a win towards Switzerland, after which one other towards the Philippines, to make sure it goes by means of to the knockouts.
The Norwegians are led by Ada Hegerberg, the 28-year-old striker — and former world participant of the yr — who sat out the 2019 World Cup in protest of her federation’s therapy of ladies’s soccer. Hegerberg, probably the greatest gamers within the recreation, was absent from the nationwide staff for 5 years earlier than returning for the European Championship final summer time. But she was surprisingly ineffective towards New Zealand, and that gained’t do towards the Swiss.
Switzerland dominated the Philippines of their opener, outshooting their opponents by 17-3. They are unlikely to have the identical benefit over the Norwegians. Ramona Bachmann, who performs her membership soccer for Paris St.-Germain, was the standout participant in her staff’s opening win. She will want an identical efficiency as we speak to maintain Switzerland transferring ahead.
