![]() ![]() Panama, the Philippines, and South Korea have done something similar with the U.S. Nigeria and Jamaica have boosted their own domestic programs with players who were once part of the English youth system. For others, that development has occurred domestically-it is notable that Colombia, which topped Group H, has a fully professional league system, while Germany, which finished third, does not. That has begun to change as the globalization of the women’s game has allowed players who might have been overlooked before to instead develop in some of the world’s best environments for women’s soccer.įor some players, that has meant being scouted by prominent foreign leagues to be a part of the most advanced setups within the club game. For decades, nations that invested significantly in women’s soccer earlier in its history had a huge first-mover advantage. These tactical ploys have shown that being rich is no longer good enough when it comes to the women’s game. Japan’s three first-half goals were scored from only three touches in the box. Japan happily let Spain have huge amounts of possession and then swiftly hit them on the counter. ![]() This was especially evident in Japan’s 4-0 win over Spain, probably the most impressive display of the group stage. Teams like Nigeria and South Africa have excelled at using long balls or high turnovers to create goal-scoring opportunities for their forwards. Like David against Goliath, less established sides have used fast breaks to catch their opponents off guard. Teams like Morocco and Jamaica relied on wins over nations like South Korea and Panama to clinch their knockout spots.Įffective counterattacking has been a big part of that parity. This summer, only four of eight groups had the same outcome. At the 2019 World Cup, five of the six groups finished with a team on zero points. Every team at the tournament likely felt there was at least one winnable game in their group. Why has this happened? The expansion to 32 teams has surely helped some of the “smaller” nations. Expect the unexpected when it comes to the women’s World Cup. Meanwhile, reigning back-to-back champions USA were just a wood chip of a post away from being knocked out by Portugal. For the first time at a women’s World Cup, three African teams, including tournament debutants Morocco, progressed to the knockout rounds. Shock exits have abounded, with Olympic gold medalists Canada, European Championship finalists Germany, and 2007 World Cup finalists Brazil all heading home after the group stage. The expansion of the tournament from 24 teams to 32 looked like it would reveal the gap between the haves and the have-nots, with the tournament easily stratifying into a top 16 who would go through to the knockouts. The main thing this World Cup has shown us is that you shouldn’t predict any results-you will be made to look foolish. Key takeaways from the groups? Play on the counter, and don’t underestimate anyone. Ahead of the round of 16, here are the key takeaways and story lines in the 2023 World Cup so far. Along the way, breakout stars have made a name for themselves, and stunning goals have been scored. Nations have been underestimated and overestimated, and some players have even put a finger up to their own federation with their performances-both good and bad. No World Cup group stage has ever seen so many tournament favorites sent home packing in the first round. The group stages of the biggest-ever women’s World Cup have wrapped up after a breathtaking fortnight in Australia and New Zealand. ![]()
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