AUCKLAND, New Zealand — There are six completely different languages, 4 completely different continents and 7 true contenders remaining on the 2023 Girls’s World Cup. There’s a charming underdog and a co-host whose workforce has enchanted its nation. There may be one luxurious, stylistic conflict and numerous world-class gamers among the many eight quarterfinalists who’ll kick off the latter phases of the event Friday right here in New Zealand (Thursday night time stateside).
In different phrases, there may be absolutely anything you can ask for in a World Cup’s quarterfinals — besides, after all, the USA.
The Sunday, and .
However their demise, and now their absence, has helped produce a splendidly wide-open area of potential successors to their throne.
The next is a primer on these challengers, and a preview of the quarterfinals, which start in a U.S.-friendly time slot — .
Spain vs. Netherlands — Thursday, 9 p.m. ET, Fox (Friday, 1 p.m. in Wellington)
The Dutch are one in all many causes the USWNT isn’t right here. They , then received Group E. However they haven’t fairly hit high gear at this World Cup — and it’s unclear whether or not they actually have a high gear. So the favourite within the first quarterfinal, and a favourite to succeed in the ultimate, is Spain.
La Roja is a paradoxical workforce, an excellent assortment of expertise that has by no means been previous this stage at a Twenty first-century main event. Expertise has additionally been thinned by a cussed, male-dominated federation that went to battle with greater than a dozen of its gamers final yr. Fifteen of them resigned from the workforce, with help from just a few others. Solely three of the 15 have returned for the World Cup, with some voluntarily skipping it.
However one of many three, happily, is Aitana Bonmatí, the Ballon d’Or favourite, a stealer of souls.
Bonmatí is emblematic of Spain’s magnificence. It is going to monopolize possession, morphing from one triangle to the subsequent, seemingly controlling video games and probing for openings in an opponent’s protection. The query, as ever, is leading edge. Spain performed fairly soccer towards Japan … however misplaced 4-0. The Netherlands hasn’t conceded a purpose from open play all event. This recreation’s equilibrium will tilt towards the Dutch defensive half, however their rock-solid again three are able to stymieing the whole lot Spain throws at them.
Japan vs. Sweden — Friday, 3:30 a.m. ET, Fox (7:30 p.m. in Auckland)
New Zealand’s second quarterfinal is why we love the World Cup. It’s timber towards technicians. It’s Sweden, a workforce that doesn’t want the ball to dominate, versus Japan, a workforce that makes use of the ball to drag opponents aside.
The Japanese have wowed at this World Cup with their passing and motion. They’ve dazzled with in-sync patterns of play and rhythmic runs. All of them got here by way of a youth system constructed on aesthetic rules. And a few of them have performed beneath head coach Futoshi Ikeda ever since he led the Underneath-20 workforce they usually had been teenagers. 5 of their 10 outfield starters received the 2018 U-20 World Cup collectively. 5 years later, they’ve been essentially the most spectacular workforce at a senior World Cup.
Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, who performs for Barcelona, referred to as them “the strongest workforce I’ve ever seen.”
They’ve just one weak spot: They’re comparatively quick and slight, bodily. And Sweden is gigantic.
The Swedes will concede possession. They’ll eschew clockwork assaults for hopeful, vertical balls. They most likely received’t create too many possibilities. However each time they win a nook, or a free kick within the attacking half, they’ll strike worry into Japan. They’ll pack the field with 4 gamers who tower over Japan’s complete beginning 11. Seven of their 9 targets at this World Cup have stemmed from crosses or set items, they usually’ll arrive at Eden Park eyeing an eighth.
It is a conflict of opposites for the ages, and possibly essentially the most interesting recreation of the spherical — although Australia and France would possibly dispute that.
Australia vs. France — Saturday, 3 a.m. ET, Fox (5 p.m. in Brisbane)
France seems to be rising into the event. Australia, alternatively, is producing scenes comparable solely to 1999 and that transformative World Cup in the USA. Stadiums are filling. Residence crowds are roaring, and propelling Australia to new heights, even with out star ahead Sam Kerr.
Kerr lastly returned from an ill-timed calf damage to play 10-plus minutes in a 2-0 Spherical of 16 win over Denmark. And extra importantly, the Matildas, as a workforce, appear to have overcome the general public’s toxic obsession together with her damage. They’ve received the previous two video games convincingly with Kerr on the bench.
However now comes the stage the place they may want her. France is a brand new caliber of opposition. Kadi Diani and Eugenie Le Sommer are firing. Australia may need to win a shootout.
England vs. Colombia — Saturday, 6:30 a.m. ET, Fox (8:30 p.m. in Sydney)
On paper, the fourth of 4 quarterfinals is essentially the most lopsided. England is now the title favourite (). Colombia is the one true outsider (). However it might be becoming if this Girls’s World Cup, with extra upsets and fallen giants than ever earlier than, produced yet one more stunner. And Las Cafeteras are succesful.
They’ve one of many breakout stars of the event, . They’ve one of the passionate followings, with Australian stadiums filled with yellow and astounding viewership figures again dwelling.
England, in the meantime, is with out Lauren James after her pink card within the Spherical of 16. It’s wobbling a bit, and wanted penalties to outlive a scare from Nigeria after 120 scoreless minutes. Head coach Sarina Wiegman had inserted James into the lineup mid-group stage to spark a sputtering assault. Now she’ll have to regulate once more to see England by way of to the semis.
They’ll seemingly get there, and the final of a number of Cinderella tales will seemingly finish. However now, this World Cup is poised as finely as ever. 4 years in the past, it was seven European nations and the U.S. Now, there may be unprecedented range and unpredictability.