The 2023 Women’s World Cup group stage is already over. If you blinked, you probably missed it! Now it’s time to get stuck into the business end of the tournament as the knockouts begin.
This has been the first 32-team version of the Women’s World Cup and concerns about a possible increase in the number of heavily one-sided games that have been seen in previous editions have not become a reality. If anything, the opposite is true.
Jamaica, South Africa and Morocco are into the knockouts for the very first time, joining some much more established nations like the United States, England, Sweden, France and Australia. Even many of those, Japan excluded, flattered to deceive at some point during the group stage. Some others didn’t make it out at all, however, with Germany, Canada and Brazil surprisingly crashing out early.
Each country that has reached this stage of the competition now has a visible path to the final.
The top two teams from each of the eight groups have progressed to the last 16. Group winners are seeded and will face the runners-up from a corresponding other group – Group A winners vs Group C runners-up, and Group C winners vs Group A runners-up, for example.
The group stage was evenly split between the co-hosts, but only two of the eight, but only two of the last 16 ties will be played in New Zealand. The rest are in Australia, with the larger of the two now taking over the lion’s share of hosting duties for the remainder of the tournament.
With their wings clipped through circumstances of the national federation’s own doing, Spain breezed through their opening two group games against Costa Rica and Zambia. But things then got a lot tricker when they played another high-ranking team in Japan, convincingly beaten 4-0.
Switzerland had things relatively easy in the group stage and are yet to be properly tested. Although there are talented players in the squad, they aren’t at the same level as a team like Japan and the Spanish should return to winning ways for this round at least.
Prediction: Switzerland 1-2 Spain
Japan are the team to beat at this point in the competition as the only side that put together three consistently good performances across the entire group stage. A number of rotational changes in those early games has also highlighted the depth that exists in this particular squad.
Conversely, Norway were at huge risk of not getting into the knockout rounds at all until they finally put together a polished performance to beat Philippines 6-0 in their final group game. But the problems and lack of cohesion that have plagued them since Euro 2022 aren’t fully resolved.
Predictions: Japan 4-1 Norway
Every neutral watching this game will be a South Africa after seeing the way that the Banyana Banyana defied all odds to get out of the group stage, having never previously taken a World Cup point. They shocked Italy and gave Sweden a run for their money too.
This is a more polished Netherlands team than we saw at Euro 2022, free of the setbacks that affected then them. They are without Vivianne Miedema but that was known for months in advance and others like Esmee Brugts and Jill Roord have upped their level in her absence.
Prediction: Netherlands 2-1 South Africa
*Saturday 5 August
For the sixth consecutive World Cup there will be a meeting between Sweden and the United States – the last time they weren’t thrown together at some stage was last century. But this has a very different make-up amid the unexpected struggles that the Americans have been through.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski has been criticised for his selection choices and in-game management, with his team looking a shadow of their true potential. Sweden haven’t been perfect, yet this is arguably their best chance to get one over on their perennial rivals. But it will be super close.
Prediction: Sweden 1-1 United States (Sweden to win on penalties)
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Things would have looked very different had England put in another lacklustre performance against China to finish their group campaign, particularly after losing key midfielder Keira Walsh to injury. But a new formation built around Lauren James has suddenly got the Lionesses singing again.
Nigeria cannot be underestimated, having beaten Australia and effectively knocking out Canada. Up front, Asisat Oshoala is as good as they come. But they now meet an England side that have re-proven they are capable of scoring goals at will and from all over.
Prediction: England 3-1 Nigeria
Australia will hope to have Sam Kerr back in the team their opening knockout clash. The captain and face of this World Cup was declared fit from a calf injury before the final group game but was afforded more time to build up her match sharpness in the hope of the Matildas getting through without her.
As for Denmark, they would always have hoped to make it through the group stage. It was close though, with only a 90th minute winner against China in their first game the real difference come the end of the first phase. They will find it tough to derail an improving Australia.
Prediction: Australia 2-0 Denmark
Both Colombia and Jamaica will see this game as an incredible opportunity to reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup. It is also tremendously difficult to judge because you can make a credible case for either team progressing given their respective strengths.
Jamaica are yet to concede, a feat more impressive given that they shutdown both Brazil and France in the group stage. Goals could be a problem and Khadija Shaw is yet to get into her stride. Colombia, have shown they can beat the big guns, yet they surprisingly fell to a defensively resolute Morocco.
Prediction: Colombia 0-1 Jamaica (after extra time)
Unlike at Euro 2022 last summer, France started slowly and have found a groove as the World Cup has progressed. The 0-0 stalemate against Jamaica now feels like a distant memory and Les Bleues flexed their goalscoring muscles by putting six past Panama in their most recent outing.
Morocco have exceeded all expectations just by getting this far, with most first-time qualifiers failing to win a game, never mind racking up six points. The key here is how much they learned from their 6-0 defeat to Germany in their first game, as it showed defensive weakness that could be exploited.
Prediction: France 4-1 Morocco
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