Women’s World Cup: Australia Faces Its Injuries, While Newcomers Face Off
Despite being a bunch nation and profitable its first match, Australia has thus far been “pure unlucky” at this Women’s World Cup, in accordance with its coach. It misplaced its greatest star, Sam Kerr, earlier than play commenced. It misplaced two extra gamers forward of its second match on Thursday, in opposition to a plucky Nigerian workforce. Australia should depend on its depth to see it by means of to the spherical of 16, and hope for its fortunes to vary — maybe with the return of Kerr.
Thursday’s World Cup matches function unlikely upstarts who confronted high contenders of their opening video games and fared higher than most expectations. The most profitable of these groups thus far is Nigeria, which held Canada scoreless in a draw and has a chance to use Australia’s accidents.
Portugal vs. Vietnam
Portugal narrowly misplaced to the Netherlands, 1-0, in its opening match, and struggled to seek out pictures. Vietnam held the United States to a few targets in its opening loss behind a heroic efficiency from goalie Thi Kim Thanh Tran, together with a blocked penalty shot from the American ahead Alex Morgan.
Portugal and Vietnam, each World Cup debutantes, will likely be vying on Thursday for his or her first-ever wins. Both have powerful opponents forward of them of their third video games, with Portugal set to face the United States and Vietnam headed for a matchup with the Netherlands. Simply put, that is one of the best likelihood for both aspect to earn 3 factors.
Australia vs. Nigeria
Australia will likely be with out star striker Sam Kerr for a second straight recreation. It was unclear when Kerr, who suffered a calf harm in coaching forward of the opening recreation, may return. Adding insult to harm, ahead Mary Fowler, who had changed Kerr within the lineup, and defender Aivi Luik are each out with concussions, additionally sustained in apply. Coach Tony Gustavsson described the state of affairs as “pure unlucky” and mentioned that whereas Fowler and Luik have recovered, they’ve to finish the method of the concussion protocols, which is able to hold them out of Thursday’s recreation in opposition to Nigeria.
That leaves Australia to depend on its depth in a matchup with a workforce that held Canada scoreless final week. In its opening win over Ireland, Australia struggled to create scoring alternatives, with its lone purpose coming off a penalty. Nigeria is rising as a menace after its efficiency in opposition to Canada, however can be no stranger to the World Cup stage — the Nigerians superior to the spherical of 16 in 2019 and have certified for all 9 World Cup tournaments.
Argentina vs. South Africa
South Africa shocked Sweden in its opening match of this World Cup, scoring within the forty eighth minute to take the lead over a workforce that’s hoping to contend for the title. While the Swedes ultimately eked out a win, 2-1, South Africa proved its pluckiness and will likely be searching for its first World Cup win when it takes on Argentina on Friday in Dunedin, New Zealand (Thursday evening Eastern time).
Argentina is going through a fast turnaround from its 1-0 loss to Italy on Monday. Playing in its fourth World Cup, Argentina continues to be attempting to find its first-ever win. The Argentines have arguably their finest shot at 3 factors in opposition to South Africa, with top-ranked Sweden up subsequent.
They pushed they usually shoved. They gave in addition to they bought. They traded pictures after which they traded targets. But by means of 90 supremely bodily — and at occasions thrilling — minutes on Thursday, the United States and the Netherlands couldn’t separate themselves on the Women’s World Cup.
And in order that they walked off after essentially the most eagerly anticipated recreation of the group stage with a 1-1 draw that should be adequate.
The Netherlands, which scored first, might remorse that it didn’t come away with a win. But not an excessive amount of. “I think we’re definitely not unhappy,” Jill Roord, who scored her workforce’s purpose, mentioned of the temper within the dressing room.
The United States, which produced much more scoring possibilities, might really feel it deserved one. Its purpose, from Lindsey Horan, got here after a number of good alternatives and was adopted by a half-dozen extra. “At that point it was our game,” Coach Vlatko Andonovski mentioned. “And I’m just disappointed that we didn’t score more than one.”
The United States and the Netherlands know one another nicely, in fact. This recreation was a rematch of the 2019 World Cup last, but additionally of a second assembly, a 12 months later, within the Netherlands, and a 3rd on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The United States received all of these video games. But even its playmaker, Rose Lavelle, admitted that these had been totally different groups, with totally different coaches and totally different types. So maybe it was not a shock that the end result was totally different, too.
The recreation at Sky Stadium was a bruising affair, a frigid day marked by powerful tackles {and professional} fouls that at occasions felt it was solely a second or two away from boiling over. In the tip, although, it was determined by two small moments.
The first was a slip by U.S. defender Crystal Dunn within the seventeenth minute that set off a scramble completed by a tough, low shot by Roord that sneaked previous U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
The second second, the United States’ response, got here after one more arduous foul within the 62nd minute. Dropped by a deal with in entrance of her workforce’s bench, Horan, the U.S. co-captain, dusted herself off, strode straight to the center of the penalty space for a nook kick by Lavelle, after which threw herself at it to ship the header that tied the rating.
The United States pressed relentlessly for a winner from there, however the Netherlands — seasoned by historical past, improved by its previous encounters in opposition to the Americans — hunkered down and fought off each considered one of them.
The end result left the groups tied atop Group E with 4 factors from a win and a draw, and crunching the mathematics that it’s going to take to win the group and attain the knockout rounds. For now, that edge goes to the Americans on purpose distinction, plus-3 to plus-1, however that would change over the ultimate group video games.
The United States will face Portugal on Tuesday, a recreation that will likely be performed concurrently with the Netherlands’ recreation in opposition to Vietnam. The Americans and the Dutch is not going to see one another once more until they each attain the ultimate. Gritty performances like Thursday’s recommend that each groups might have the mettle to hold round for some time.
