FIFA Women’s World Cup Group A Preview: Host New Zealand headlines interesting mix
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is being collectively hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with a mixture of girls’s soccer giants and late bloomers drawn into Group A alongside the Football Ferns of New Zealand, who take a look at their very own problem of creating it out of the group stage for the primary time ever, however have the additional advantage of enjoying in entrance of a house crowd.
Norway will look to make up for his or her less-than-ideal Euro 2022 marketing campaign, whereas the Philippines can be making their first-ever look at a World Cup, and Switzerland can be making simply their second. But what these groups lack in appearances on the worldwide stage, they make up for in star energy, with many gamers who compete for main golf equipment and can look to make an affect for his or her nation.
GROUP A SCHEDULE
July 20: New Zealand vs. Norway (3:00 a.m. ET)
July 21: Philippines vs. Switzerland (1:00 a.m. ET)
July 25: New Zealand vs. Philippines (1:30 a.m. ET)
July 25: Switzerland vs. Norway (4:00 a.m. ET)
July 30: Switzerland vs. New Zealand (3:00 a.m. ET)
July 30: Norway vs. Philippines (3:00 a.m. ET)
THE TEAMS
NEW ZEALAND
FIFA world rating: 26
Odds to win the World Cup: +19,800 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +527 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: Five
Best exhibiting: Germany 2011 (tallied first ever World Cup level)
2019 World Cup: Failed to qualify out of group (0-0-3)
Manager: Jitka Klimkova
Probable formation: 4-4-2
Probable beginning XI: Vic Esson (Rangers) — Katie Bowen (Melbourne City), CJ Bott (Leicester City), Ali Riley (Angel City FC), Rebekah Stott (Brighton & Hove Albion) — Betsy Hassett (Wellington Phoenix), Grace Jale (Canberra United), Olivia Chance (Celtic), Malia Steinmetz (Western Sydney Wanderers) — Jacqui Hand (Åland United), Hannah Wilkinson (Melbourne City).
THE BIG QUESTION: Can New Zealand benefit from a gaggle containing groups with little World Cup expertise and at last progress previous the group stage?
THE PULSE: Head coach Jitka Klimkova introduced her squad after a seven-week coaching camp, the longest within the New Zealand workforce’s historical past. The workforce has one thing to show this time round after going winless in 2019, and their FIFA world rating has slipped to the bottom it has ever been at 26.
Much of it’s as a result of since Klimkova took the workforce over in 2021, New Zealand has solely scored 11 occasions in 24 video games and went on a six-game run with no targets that simply ended this previous April. Many dominant gamers like co-captain Ria Percival are getting back from harm and can nonetheless look to be a key half in making it out of the group stage.
Scoring targets and getting wins towards the groups with much less World Cup expertise like Switzerland and the Philippines can be key for New Zealand to have their greatest end but at a World Cup.
THE X-FACTOR: Hannah Wilkinson helped New Zealand tally their first-ever World Cup factors with an equalizer towards Mexico in 2011 and is who the Football Ferns can be counting on most to provide in entrance of the web. She is the workforce’s energetic chief in targets with 28 and has proven up within the massive moments for the Football Ferns like scoring one other equalizer towards China PR in 2015. When massive moments come up for New Zealand, massive targets are anticipated out of Wilkinson.
NORWAY
FIFA world rating: 12
Odds to win the World Cup: +4,438 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: -300 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: Eight
Best exhibiting: Sweden 1995 (Champions)
2019 World Cup: Lost 3-0 to England in quarter-finals
Manager: Hege Riise
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable beginning XI: Aurora Mikalsen (Brann) — Tuva Hansen (Bayern Munich), Maren Mjelde (Chelsea), Mathilde Hauge Harviken (Rosenborg BK), Marit Bratberg Lund (SK Brann) — Vilde Boe Risa (Manchester United), Ingrid Syrsta Engen (Barcelona), Emilie Bosshard Haavi (Roma) — Frida Maanum (Arsenal), Guro Reiten (Chelsea), Ada Hegerberg (Lyon).
THE BIG QUESTION: Will Norway bounce again from their catastrophe within the Euro 2022 group stage beneath new head coach Hege Riise?
THE PULSE: Norway is anticipated to win Group A and make it to the final 16 as they’re essentially the most skilled workforce within the group and likewise loaded with expertise. Graham Hansen simply lifted the Champions League trophy with Barcelona alongside Syrstad Engen and purpose to raise one other trophy this summer time.
Reiten and captain Mjelde each helped Chelsea win their fourth-consecutive Women’s Super League title and Mjelde can be a pillar on the backline as Norway appears to be like to play their pesky fashion that different groups get flustered towards.
Maanum could also be simply 23 years outdated, however she scored 16 targets and tallied 9 assists for Arsenal serving to them attain the Champions League semifinal and end third within the Women’s Super League, and can be anticipated to have that manufacturing for Norway.
THE X-FACTOR: Five years on the worldwide sidelines to protest the inequality between women and men in soccer, but Hegerberg stays one of many key gamers for Norway’s success as the primary feminine Ballon d’Or winner and six-time Champions League winner with Lyon.
Despite simply three targets throughout three main worldwide tournaments for Norway, Hegerberg has the extra Champions League targets than every other girl with 58, and is making her first World Cup look since 2015. She nonetheless has 43 targets in 76 video games since making her senior debut for Norway in 2011, and goals so as to add on to that quantity.
PHILIPPINES
FIFA world rating: 46
Odds to win the World Cup: +50,000 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +33,700 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: None
Best exhibiting: N/A
2019 World Cup: N/A
Manager: Alen Stajcic
Probable formation: 3-5-2
Probable beginning XI: Olivia McDaniel (Milwaukee Panthers), Alicia Barker (Pacific Northwest), Jessika Cowart (IFK Kalmar), Sofia Harrison (Werder Bremen), Tahnai Annis (Por/KA), Sara Eggesvik (Norway KIL/Hemne), Jaclyn Sawicki (Western United), Katrina Guillou (Pitea IF), Sarina Bolden (Western Sydney Wanderers), Quinley Quezada (Red Star Belgrade), Meryll Serrano (Stabaek)
THE BIG QUESTION: Will the Philippines shock the world and make it out of the group stage at their first-ever World Cup?
THE PULSE: It could also be their first exhibiting at a World Cup however it’s definitely a deserving one. The Philippines earned their berth by reaching the semifinals of the Asia Cup in January 2022, and that summer time went on to win the ASEAN Football Federation Cup for the primary time ever as hosts by defeating Thailand within the last.
Much of this Philippines squad are American-born, however have purchased into this system led by former Australia supervisor Stajcic, and the progress has been evident. The Philippines has scored 15 targets in 5 matches this 12 months and reached their highest-ever FIFA rating.
While simply making the World Cup is historic for the Philippines, they broke a 37-year medal drought by profitable the bronze-medal match towards Myanmar within the Vietnam SEA Games in May 2022 and adopted it up with gold two months later. The underdogs of Group A definitely are greater than meets the attention.
THE X-FACTOR: Bolden has 22 targets in 37 senior appearances for the Philippines, together with the shootout penalty that secured World Cup qualification for her nation. Despite being U.S.-born, Bolden has expertise enjoying in Sweden, Taiwan and Japan.
In her debut for the Philippines towards hosts Jordan within the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a 76th-minute strike from Bolden secured the comeback 2-1 win, and proved that Bolden is all the time prepared for giant moments.
SWITZERLAND
FIFA world rating: 20
Odds to win the World Cup: +23,500 (through Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +511 (through Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: One
Best exhibiting: Canada 2015 (Round of 16)
2019 World Cup: N/A
Manager: Inka Grings
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable beginning XI: Gaëlle Thalmann (Real Betis) — Julia Stierli (FC Zürich Frauen), Géraldine Reuteler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nadine Riesen (FC Zürich Frauen), Luana Bühler (Tottenham Hotspur) — Coumba Sow (Servette FC), Lia Wälti (Arsenal), Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (Barcelona) — Eseosa Aigbogun (Paris FC), Fabienne Humm (FC Zürich Frauen), Alisha Lehmann (Aston Villa).
THE BIG QUESTION: Can Switzerland have their best-ever exhibiting at a World Cup regardless of their struggles to win in 2023?
THE PULSE: Switzerland almost missed their likelihood on the World Cup as they trailed Wales within the last UEFA spot, however a aim from Bachmann levelled the rating and an extra-time winner from Humm sealed their destiny to push them to only their second look after failing to qualify for France 2019.
Humm made historical past with the quickest World Cup hat trick in 2015, and can look so as to add to scoring abilities of Bachmann and Wälti, who’re coming off harm, in addition to Alisha Lehmann. Seraina Piubel is one other title trying to make a splash as she scored some spectacular targets with FC Zürich whereas efficiently defending their league title.
THE X-FACTOR: Even after struggling an ankle harm in May, Wälti will captain the Switzerland squad and hope to make it previous the quarter-finals this time round as she takes on a brand new function as their chief, being given the honour in 2019.
After her transfer to Arsenal in 2018, the workforce gained the Women’s Super League, and this previous season the Gunners gained the League Cup. Wälti is an all-action midfielder who places within the defensive work and maintains ball safety, which is able to set the tone for the remainder of Switzerland as she controls the midfield.
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