Despite being a bunch nation and profitable its first match, Australia has to this point 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 group. Australia must depend on its depth to see it by way of to the spherical of 16, and hope for its fortunes to alter — maybe with the return of Kerr.
Thursday’s World Cup matches characteristic unlikely upstarts who confronted high contenders of their opening video games and fared higher than most expectations. The most profitable of these groups to this point is Nigeria, which held Canada scoreless in a draw and has a possibility to take advantage of Australia’s accidents.
Portugal vs. Vietnam
Portugal narrowly misplaced to the Netherlands, 1-0, in its opening match, and struggled to search out photographs. Vietnam held the United States to 3 objectives 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, can 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 the most effective probability for both aspect to earn 3 factors.
Australia vs. Nigeria
Australia can 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 follow. Coach Tony Gustavsson described the scenario as “pure unlucky” and stated 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 group 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 group that’s hoping to contend for the title. While the Swedes ultimately eked out a win, 2-1, South Africa proved its pluckiness and can be in search of its first World Cup win when it takes on Argentina on Friday in Dunedin, New Zealand (Thursday night time 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 remains to be looking for 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 and so they shoved. They gave in addition to they received. They traded photographs after which they traded objectives. But by way of 90 supremely bodily — and at instances thrilling — minutes on Thursday, the United States and the Netherlands couldn’t separate themselves on the Women’s World Cup.
And so that they walked off after essentially the most eagerly anticipated recreation of the group stage with a 1-1 draw that must be ok.
The Netherlands, which scored first, could 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 group’s purpose, stated of the temper within the dressing room.
The United States, which produced way more scoring probabilities, could 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 stated. “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 closing, but additionally of a second assembly, a yr 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 completely different groups, with completely different coaches and completely different kinds. So maybe it was not a shock that the outcome was completely different, too.
The recreation at Sky Stadium was a bruising affair, a frigid day marked by powerful tackles {and professional} fouls that at instances felt it was solely a second or two away from boiling over. In the top, 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 yet one more onerous foul within the 62nd minute. Dropped by a sort out in entrance of her group’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 one among them.
The outcome left the groups tied atop Group E with 4 factors from a win and a draw, and crunching the mathematics that it’ll 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 might change over the ultimate group video games.
The United States will face Portugal on Tuesday, a recreation that can be performed concurrently with the Netherlands’ recreation in opposition to Vietnam. The Americans and the Dutch won’t see one another once more until they each attain the ultimate. Gritty performances like Thursday’s counsel that each groups could have the mettle to hold round for some time.
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