Tag: 2023 Women’s World Cup

‘She’s from another planet’ – This World Cup already belongs to Linda Caicedo

The teenager has been one of, if not the biggest star or the World Cup so far

In the world of women’s soccer, Linda Caicedo hasn’t exactly been a secret.

Caicedo marked herself as a rising star well before the World Cup, making her pro debut at 14, being named player of the tournament at the Copa America at 17, and moving to Real Madrid at 18.

But in terms of getting the world’s attention, it’s safe to say all those feats have paled in comparison to the electric start Caicedo has made at the World Cup. Hailed as a rising star before the tournament, the 18-year-old may be the star of the World Cup so far as the group stage enters its final round of matches.

Caicedo has scored in each of Colombia’s first two games, netting her first against South Korea after a tremendous run followed by a goalkeeping error on her shot from distance.

But it was Caicedo’s second goal, and Colombia’s second game, that changed the tenor of the whole conversation around the teenager and her team.

The way Caicedo jackknifed through two Germany defenders with outrageous close control would’ve been good enough on its own, but she then rifled an unstoppable shot into the far corner for one of the goals of the tournament.

Colombia would go on to secure one of the biggest shocks of the tournament so far, getting a last-second goal to beat Germany 2-1 and make it two wins from two.

In addition to her on-field exploits, Caicedo’s health issues have also garnered her some notoriety both before and during the tournament. The teenager was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 15, undergoing surgery and six months of chemotherapy before returning to the field six months later.

Now cancer-free, Caicedo has suffered a pair of different health scares at the World Cup. She first collapsed at training ahead of the Germany match, and then went down to ground clutching her chest late in the game itself.

On both occasions Colombia officials have said the teenager is fine, merely attributing the issues to stress and fatigue.

“We know that Linda had some problems in the past, but nothing to be worried about,” assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia said after the Germany game. “She was very tired of course. She had a bit of acceleration in her heart, but this wasn’t a problem.”

Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP

As long as Caicedo can maintain her health, she has every chance to lead Colombia on a deep run through this tournament. As Marsiglia said after the South Korea game, the teenager appears to be born for this stage.

“She has been growing extraordinarily and has a very mature level,” Marsiglia said.

“She brings joy to everyone. She makes the difference, and that brings joy to the team. She’s an extraordinary player. She is one of the leaders. She asks for the ball, she never hides, she’s always pushing harder.

“She’s from another planet — a different type of player; entirely unique. And she’s a very humble person, despite everything she’s going through.”

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2023 Women’s World Cup Day 12 Recap: Australia sends Canada packing

The Matildas got the performance they needed to reach the knockout stage at Canada’s expense

Day 12 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup came with plenty of drama as the knockout stages are starting to fill up. There were four games on Day 12: Costa Rica played Zambia, Japan took on Spain, the Republic of Ireland battled it out against Nigeria, and Canada faced off against Australia.

But before we dive into the action, here’s your daily reminder that you can follow the entirety of the World Cup right here on Pro Soccer Wire! Make sure to check out the full TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and the rankings in this year’s race for the Golden Boot.

Now, let’s get into the games.

Sam Kerr was never going to play against Canada — and she didn’t need to

The superstar forward has been given an extra week to rest ahead of the knockout round

There were plenty of mind games ahead of Australia’s Group B finale against Canada but after the Matildas hammered the Canadians 4-0, head coach Tony Gustavsson revealed the truth.

In a post-game press conference, Gustavsson said the star striker’s message to her teammates before the game was: “Win without me so I can get another week to train and recover.”

Gustavsson added: “And the team responded and said, ‘Yes we will, you sit on the bench tonight and we will win for you.’”

Kerr missed Australia’s first two matches of a home World Cup, suffering a calf injury in training the day before the opener against Ireland.

After an unconvincing 1-0 win over the Irish was followed by a shock defeat to Nigeria, the Matildas had their backs against the wall for their group finale against Canada.

Australia sent Kerr to face a pre-match press conference, with the 29-year-old declaring herself fit for the Canada match.

There were always going to be questions around Kerr’s actual fitness, however, with Australia incentivized to keep Canada guessing by at least giving the appearance that one of the world’s best strikers would play.

Gustavsson’s words made it clear that Kerr was likely never going to be ready to face the defending Olympic champions. Luckily for the Matildas, she wasn’t needed.

It was an imperious performance from Australia at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, with a first-half double from Hayley Raso setting the tone and second-half goals from Mary Fowler and Steph Catley adding the gloss to a dominant display.

Now Kerr will be given an entire week to rest, with Australia’s last-16 game set for next Monday in Sydney.

Gustavsson said that although Kerr was cleared to play at least some part against Canada, he had a feeling his side may produce a performance that would ensure she wasn’t needed.

“It felt like before the game the players were so convinced they could do it without her,” he said. “We kind of just said, ‘Let’s just focus on that first.’

He added: “You could almost see that conviction and commitment from the players. And having that belief as well as a team without, in my opinion, the best striker in the world, and to still go out and play the fluent football we did and score four goals against the Olympic champions, I think it’s very impressive.”

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Andonovski ignoring critics ahead of massive Portugal match

“I’m pretty sure that if I knew everything outside of our bubble, I wouldn’t be smiling right now”

U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski knows there is probably a lot of criticism of his coaching at this World Cup — he’s just trying to ignore all of it.

The USWNT is off to a stuttering start at the tournament, beating Vietnam 3-0 in a game it was expected to win by more and then only managing a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.

Most concerning for Andonovski’s critics was his decision to use only one of his five available subs in the Netherlands match.

The two results have left the USWNT facing a vital Group E finale against Portugal on Tuesday. A loss would almost certainly see the two-time defending champions eliminated at the group stage, while a draw would likely only be good enough for second place and a more difficult path in the knockout round.

With the U.S. level on points with the Netherlands and carrying a two-goal advantage on goal difference, even a narrow win over Portugal may not be enough for first place if the Dutch beat Vietnam by enough goals.

With more pressure on the group-stage finale than he was likely hoping for, Andonovski told a pre-match press conference he’s taking everything in stride.

“I don’t know how it is with the other coaches and the other national teams, but the moment I sat in this chair in 2019 is when the pressure started,” Andonovski said. “It’s not like this is something new. I knew this was how it was going to be and I know what the expectations are.

“The only thing that changed from 2019 to now is I just learned how to turn the pressure into excitement. I came into this World Cup not thinking, ‘Oh my gosh’ — it’s actually, ‘We’re having a chance to compete for a title.'”

Andonovski said that he’s managed to form a bubble during the World Cup, trying to cordon himself off from any outside noise.

“One thing that I do is I don’t have any social media, I don’t read anything,” Andonovski said.

“Our press officer is my main source of information. … He has been very good to me in selecting the things that I need to know and selecting things that I don’t need to know. Because I’m pretty sure that if I knew everything outside of our bubble, I wouldn’t be smiling right now.”

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Sinclair: Canada crashing out of World Cup ‘a wake-up call to our federation’

“If this isn’t a warning sign, I don’t know what it is”

Canada captain Christine Sinclair has said her team’s surprise early exit from the World Cup should serve as a “wake-up call” to Canada Soccer, amid a year of fierce conflict between the federation and the women’s national team.

Australia hammered Canada 4-0 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Monday, vaulting the host nation to a first-place finish in Group B, with Nigeria earning second place after drawing Ireland 0-0.

Those results left Canada, the defending Olympic champions, in third place on four points and heading home early.

The early exit comes amid a difficult year that has seen Canada’s women’s and men’s national teams in open conflict with their federation over alleged financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency, among other issues.

The Canadian government has taken up an interest in the situation, holding public hearings earlier this year after Canada’s women’s team moved to strike during February’s SheBelieves Cup.

Canada’s women’s national team has charged that they were not adequately prepared for the 2023 World Cup, with a lack of funds shortening the pre-tournament training camp.

“We have been forced to choose between compensation and the funding required to hold necessary training camps,” a statement from the women’s national team players read upon agreement of an interim compensation deal last week.

Speaking to reporters after her team crashed out of the World Cup, Sinclair said that although the result was on the players, it should nevertheless serve as a call to action for Canada Soccer.

“As a team, we’ve moved on from the SheBelieves [Cup] and obviously the battles with the federation, but I think what you’re seeing in women’s football is teams are catching up,” the 40-year-old said. “This for me is a wake-up call for back home, a wake-up call to our federation: the lack of a professional league, the lack of resources for the national teams, a lack of resources for the youth national teams, similar to the men’s side.

“If the resources aren’t there, we’re going to fall behind. I think if this isn’t a warning sign, I don’t know what is.”

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Morocco’s Benzina becomes first player to wear hijab at World Cup

The defender made history when she played the full match in a win over South Korea

Morocco made history in more ways than one in its 1-0 win over South Korea at the Women’s World Cup.

Playing at their first Women’s World Cup, the Atlas Lionesses scored their first goal and won their first game at the tournament in Adelaide. The win over South Korea came after they fell 6-0 to Germany in their opener.

Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina, who didn’t play against Germany, also made some history of her own, becoming the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior-level World Cup.

FIFA allowed religious head coverings to be worn in sanctioned matches for the first time in 2014, which led to Benzina making history when she started and went the full match in Morocco’s vital win.

Morocco, the first team from an Arab country to play at a Women’s World Cup, got a goal in the sixth minute from Ibtissam Jraïdi and held on to keep its hopes alive in Group H.

The Atlas Lionesses are in third place, level with Germany on three points but well behind on goal differential after their heavy defeat to the European power to kick off the tournament. They’ll need at least a draw, and most likely a win, in their finale against Colombia to advance to the knockout round.

“We are just so pleased our efforts have paid off. This victory is for Morocco and Arabs — it’s the fruit of our hard work,” Jraïdi said after the game.

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Rapinoe: I could’ve helped versus Netherlands — but so could others

The veteran has made one substitute appearance in the USWNT’s first two games

Megan Rapinoe has said she could have helped the U.S. women’s national team in its 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, but added that any of her teammates could have as well.

The USWNT could only draw the Dutch in their second World Cup match, leaving them with work to do against Portugal in their finale to assure a place in the knockout round and a first-place finish in Group E.

One of the major talking points surrounding the game was head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s decision to only use one of his five available substitutions — a halftime swap with Rose Lavelle entering for Savannah DeMelo.

Rapinoe was one of several bench options Andonovski declined to use, and spoke at a press conference Sunday about her thoughts during the second half against the Netherlands.

“I think I could have helped,” Rapinoe said. “But I think Lynn [Williams] could have helped, and I think Trinity [Rodman] was helping and I think [Sophia Smith] was helping, and we had chances. It was right there for us. I don’t think that it was like all the players on the field didn’t do their job. I think that they were giving everything and still creating chances up till the very end and just wasn’t able to get that last goal.”

“[Andonovski] knows every single sub wants to go in the game,” Rapinoe added. “He explained to [the media] that he felt like we had the momentum. Ultimately, that’s his decision. I feel like the players that were off the field felt like players on field were going to score.”

Rapinoe played a starring role at the 2019 World Cup but was expected to be used more sparingly at this World Cup. That has played out in the first two games, with the veteran playing 27 minutes in the opener against Vietnam before not seeing the field against the Netherlands.

As the 38-year-old takes in her final World Cup ahead of her impending retirement, she said she can still contribute plenty to the USWNT cause on and off the field.

“You can still play at an extremely high level. You can still keep a really high standard. You still have a lot to offer, both on the field and off the field,” she said.

“Maybe you’re not going to be a starter playing 90 minutes or playing the bulk of the games. But you know, sometimes the veteran players, that’s not what you need. You need the 20 minutes in two games that wins the team the tournament, or wins the game and gets to the next round.”

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2023 Women’s World Cup Day 11 Recap: Colombia stuns Germany

Colombia scored a 97th-minute winner to produce one of the shocks of the tournament so far

There was plenty of action on Day 11 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as the first group completed its matches and another was shaken up by a huge upset. There were four games on Day 11: South Korea took on Morocco, Norway faced off against the Philippines, Switzerland played New Zealand, and Germany battled against Colombia.

But before we get into the games, here’s your daily reminder that you can keep up with the entire World Cup right here at Pro Soccer Wire! You can get the full TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and the rankings in this year’s race for the Golden Boot.

Now, let’s see how the games played out.

Keira Walsh avoids ACL tear, but England linchpin’s World Cup status unclear

No ACL damage, but Walsh will miss at least one game

England got some good news on Keira Walsh’s status, but it might not be enough to help their World Cup chances.

The Barcelona midfielder fell awkwardly in what became a 1-0 win over Denmark, and there was some fear that she had picked up a severe knee injury.

However, England posted a brief statement to social media on Saturday that scans had shown no ACL damage, allaying the worst fears for the Lionesses.

“Following a scan late on Saturday afternoon, we can confirm Keira Walsh has not suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury,” read England’s statement. “Walsh has been ruled out of Tuesday’s final Group D match and will remain at our Terrigal base to continue her recovery.”

Walsh went down awkwardly in the first half against Denmark, signaling to the bench immediately that she had a knee injury and needed to be substituted. Walsh’s emotions were clear while receiving treatment, and she was eventually carried off on a stretcher. She later returned to the England bench on crutches.

Her replacement, Laura Coombs, wasn’t like-for-like. Instead, manager Sarina Wiegman asked Georgia Stanway to drop deeper into Walsh’s spot, and while England worked their way through the rest of the match confidently enough, it did invite some tactical changes from Denmark.

“We didn’t have the focus on the defensive midfielder,” Denmark boss Lars Søndergaard told a press conference after the match. “We decided at halftime we could play with two strikers that could have different roles and go on pressing on Georgia Stanway.”

Walsh is the latest huge name to find herself potentially missing major time at the worst moment. In Group A, Ada Hegerberg has been ruled out of Norway’s crucial group finale against the Philippines.

After missing two games with a calf injury, Sam Kerr declared herself available for Australia, but her actual ability to step on the field against Canada remains in question. The Matildas initially presented her as having no issues whatsoever until announcing her injury just before lineups were announced for a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.

England’s options without Walsh

Walsh, a year after a world-record transfer from Manchester City to the star-studded Barcelona squad, was arguably England’s best player heading into the tournament.

Losing a player of her caliber would impact any team’s hopes, and England came into the World Cup without several other big names, including Fran Kirby and Leah Williamson (both of whom have at times played as England’s No. 6).

England does have some significant midfield depth. Manchester United captain Katie Zelem is the natural fit, but has just eight caps at the senior level. Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs is another strong candidate, but like Coombs is more of a No. 8 who could step in with Stanway dropping back.

It is also possible for Wiegman to shift into a 4-2-3-1 formation, moving Ella Toone further forward. That would make some degree of sense given the attack-first mentality of fullbacks Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly, though it may be a more cautious look than England will need to get by against China in their third match in Group D.

From there, though, Walsh’s fitness and Wiegman’s reaction to her status may go a long way towards keeping the Lionesses in the mix as a World Cup favorite.

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Hegerberg out for Norway’s must-win World Cup clash with the Philippines

This World Cup is not going well for Norway

Norway just cannot catch a break at this World Cup.

The Group A favorites, after stumbling to a dispiriting loss to New Zealand and only managing a scoreless draw versus Switzerland, will play a must-win game against the Philippines without injured star Ada Hegerberg.

The Lyon striker did not play against the Swiss, withdrawing from the match just seconds before kickoff with what Norway said was a groin injury.

The 28-year-old has not recovered in time to play any part against the Malditas, who have surprised observers by picking up a win and staying in the mix to go through with the right result on Sunday.

“There was too little time to make it to the match against the Philippines,” said Hegerberg in a statement published by Reuters. “I have faith in the team and will continue to work to be ready for a possible round of 16 game.”

“[Hegerberg] is not ready for this game, it came too early after her injury,” Norway manager Hege Riise told reporters at a pre-match press conference. “The medical staff have worked to see if [her return] was possible. It turned out today that it was not.”

Riise added that Norway’s medical team will keep working with Hegerberg with the aim of getting her ready in time for a knockout round match, acknowledging that her side must also clinch a place in the round of 16 to hold up its end of the bargain.

Problems mounting for Norway

With a roster stacked with midfielders and forwards playing at some of Europe’s best clubs, Norway was a very popular pick to win a weaker Group A, and to potentially advance beyond the round of 16 as well.

However, a shocking performance in the tournament’s opening game saw them outplayed and beaten by New Zealand in what was the Football Ferns’ first-ever World Cup win.

Despite a better result against Switzerland, things only got worse: Hegerberg picked up her injury doing one last short sprint — the kind of run players do before any professional game — moments from kickoff.

After that 0-0 draw, Riise drew public criticism from Caroline Graham Hansen after the star winger — along with Barcelona teammate Ingrid Engen — was surprisingly dropped to the bench for what the Norway boss said were tactical reasons.

Graham Hansen issued a public apology in the days that followed, though that statement was less about the content of her disagreements and more about making them public at the wrong time.

All of this comes as Norway faces a very difficult path out of Group A. They must beat the Philippines. They’ll also need the right result between New Zealand and Switzerland, which will be played simultaneously.

If the Football Ferns get a second win, Norway would need the scorelines of their victory and the Swiss loss to allow them to make up a goal difference deficit of three to squeak into second place. If Switzerland can beat the hosts, Norway’s path is more clear: they would finish second on four points, with New Zealand in third on three.

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