Tag: Women’s World Cup 2023

Women’s World Cup 2023 Golden Boot standings

Tracking all of the top scorers in Australia and New Zealand

The World Cup is obviously the biggest prize on offer in Australia and New Zealand this summer, but it isn’t the only one either.

The Golden Ball will be awarded to the tournament’s best player, the Golden Glove to its best goalkeeper, the FIFA Young Player Award to the best player under 21 at the start of 2023, and there is also an All-Star Team comprising the best players of the tournament.

One of the biggest individual awards available will be the Golden Boot, which will go to the World Cup’s top goalscorer. In 2019, U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe won the Golden Boot as well as the Golden Ball.

If players are tied, then assists will be the first tiebreaker. If they are still tied after that, then it goes to the player with the fewest minutes played.

2023 World Cup Golden Boot final standings

Player Country Goals
Hinata Miyazawa Japan 5
Alexandra Popp Germany 4
Jill Roord Netherlands 4
Kadidiatou Diani France 4
Amanda Ilestedt Sweden 4
Eugénie Le Sommer
 France 3
Aitana Bonmatí Spain 3
Fridolina Rolfö Sweden 3
Sophie Román Haug Norway 3
Ary Borges Brazil 3
Alba Redondo Spain 3
Rebecka Blomqvist
 Sweden 3
Jennifer Hermoso Spain 3
Hayley Raso Australia 3
Lauren James England 3
Alessia Russo England 3
Lauren Hemp England 3
Olga Carmona Spain 2
Sophia Smith USA 2
Lindsey Horan USA 2
Esmee Brugts Netherlands 2
Arianna Caruso Italy 2
Riko Ueki Japan 2
Mina Tanaka Japan 2
Stefanie van der Gragt
 Netherlands 2
Catalina Usme Colombia 2
Wang Shuang China 2
Linda Caicedo Colombia 2
Salma Paralluelo Spain 2
Hildah Magaia
 South Africa 2
Thembi Kgatlana
 South Africa 2
Guro Reiten
 Norway 2
Steph Catley Australia 2
Hannah Wilkinson New Zealand 1
Esther González Spain 1
Seraina Piubel Switzerland 1
Ramona Bachmann Switzerland 1
Georgia Stanway England 1
Jun Endo Japan 1
Amalie Vangsgaard Denmark 1
Stina Blackstenius
 Sweden 1
Cristiana Girelli Italy 1
Klara Bühl Germany 1
Lea Schüller
 Germany 1
Bia Zaneratto Brazil 1
Manuela Vanegas Colombia 1
Sarina Bolden Philippines 1
Hikaru Naomoto Japan 1
Aoba Fujino Japan 1
Teresa Abelleira
 Spain 1
Katie McCabe Ireland 1
Adriana Leon Canada 1
Uchenna Kanu Nigeria 1
Osinachi Ohale Nigeria 1
Asisat Oshoala Nigeria 1
Emily van Egmond Australia 1
Alanna Kennedy Australia 1
Telma Encarnação
 Portugal 1
Francisca Nazareth Portugal 1
Sophia Braun Argentina 1
Romina Núñez Argentina 1
Linda Motlhalo
 South Africa 1
Wendie Renard France 1
Caroline Graham Hansen
 Norway 1
Ibtissam Jraïdi Morocco 1
Debinha Brazil 1
Allyson Swaby
 Jamaica 1
Mary Fowler Australia 1
Lushomo Mweemba
 Zambia 1
Barbra Banda Zambia 1
Racheal Kundananji
 Zambia 1
Melissa Herrera Costa Rica 1
Daniëlle van de Donk
 Netherlands 1
Lieke Martens
 Netherlands 1
Katja Snoeijs
 Netherlands 1
Chloe Kelly England 1
Rachel Daly England 1
Pernille Harder
 Denmark 1
Sanne Troelsgaard Denmark 1
Maëlle Lakrar
 France 1
Léa Le Garrec
 France 1
Vicki Bècho
 France 1
Marta Cox Panama 1
Yomira Pinzón
 Panama 1
Lineth Cedeño
 Panama 1
Elin Rubensson
 Sweden 1
Cho So-hyun
 South Korea 1
Anissa Lahmari
 Morocco 1
Risa Shimizu Japan 1
Laia Codina
 Spain 1
Lineth Beerensteyn
 Netherlands 1
Caitlin Foord Australia 1
Kenza Dali France 1
Filippa Angeldal
 Sweden 1
Mariona Caldentey
 Spain 1
Honoka Hayashi
 Japan 1
Leicy Santos Colombia 1
Ella Toone England 1
Sam Kerr Australia 1
Kosovare Asllani
 Sweden 1

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The USWNT is through — but this team looks lost

The USNWT drew Portugal 0-0 in a horrible display that barely saw them advance

The U.S. women’s national team may have achieved the bare minimum in the World Cup group stage — advancement — but it doesn’t appear this team is capable of doing much more.

The USWNT went into Tuesday’s group stage finale against Portugal with a decent chance of finishing atop Group E. They ended the game thanking their lucky stars that Portugal’s Ana Capeta could only hit the post in stoppage time to avoid the biggest shock in women’s soccer history.

In one of the worst World Cup performances in recent U.S. history, Vlatko Andonovski’s team only managed a 0-0 draw that saw it reach the last 16 with a second-place finish in Group E.

While the U.S. was struggling against the Portuguese, the Netherlands hammered Vietnam 7-0 to lock down first place in the group.

For the USWNT, it was a limp, disconnected, uninspired display, which will likely now be rewarded with a matchup against old nemesis Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday.

As the U.S. started slowly against Portugal at Eden Park, news of Netherlands goals against Vietnam kept coming. And coming. And coming. Each goal made it less likely the USWNT would top the group, and each drove home the USWNT’s failure to run up the score on Vietnam.

But as the match wore on it became clear that whatever was going on in the group’s other game was the least of the USWNT’s concerns.

Portugal, like the Netherlands, dropped an extra attacker into midfield when the U.S. had possession, which completely stifled the team’s build-up. Even when they did bypass midfield, the U.S. seemed to have few options other than hoofing crosses into the box or praying for a moment of individual brilliance.

The USWNT had six shots on target but shockingly few real dangerous opportunities. Alex Morgan being played in by Lindsey Horan and rounding the goalkeeper early in the second half, only to see her shot blocked, may somehow qualify as the best scoring chance of the night.

There were very few positive individual performances but the USWNT fell stunningly short as a collective. That will result in some difficult questions for Andonovski.

In one of the more telling moments of a dismal evening, Andonovski subbed in defender Emily Sonnett for Horan in the 84th minute. In a game his team was expected to win handily, the coach opted to park the bus to scrape out a draw and progression to the last 16.

That move almost backfired spectacularly. Capeta was headed in behind the U.S. defense and her shot rang off the post, narrowly avoiding a true doomsday scenario for the USWNT.

Portugal nearly eliminated the U.S. on Tuesday but unless something changes drastically soon, this team will be exiting the World Cup sooner rather than later.

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USWNT lineup vs. Netherlands: Unchanged 11 sees Rose Lavelle start on bench

Fans hoping to see Lavelle will have to wait

The U.S. women’s national team has named an unchanged lineup for its attention-grabbing World Cup clash with the Netherlands.

The pairing, a rematch of the 2019 final, had been eagerly anticipated since the draw placed both sides in Group E, and Vlatko Andonovski has decided to make no alterations to a side that opened the 2023 edition with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

That means no starting role for Rose Lavelle, despite speculation ramping up that the star attacking midfielder would get the nod after she appeared in the team’s pre-game press conference. Lavelle scored a triumphant goal against the Dutch in the 2019 final, and has been working her way back from a knee injury for months. The OL Reign playmaker played 27 minutes in the USWNT’s opener.

Per U.S. Soccer, all 23 players in the squad remain available, meaning that the USWNT has not picked up any knocks in training or that may have materialized during a physical battle with Vietnam.  Striker and co-captain Alex Morgan acknowledged that the U.S. was not “always clicking” in that match, but Andonovski apparently saw enough positives to retain the exact same starting lineup to take on the Oranje.

USWNT lineup vs. Netherlands

(4-3-3): Naeher; Fox, Ertz, Girma, Dunn; DeMelo, Sullivan, Horan; Rodman, Morgan, Smith

Netherlands lineup (3-5-2): Daphne van Domselaar; Sherida Spitse, Stefanie van der Gragt, Dominique Janssen; Victoria Pelova, Daniëlle van de Donk, Jackie Groenen, Jill Roord, Esmee Brugts; Katja Snoeijs, Lieke Martens

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Morgan admits USWNT wasn’t ‘always clicking’ against Vietnam

The USWNT will have to improve ahead of its second game against the Netherlands

Alex Morgan admitted that the U.S. women’s national team was not at its best in its World Cup opener against Vietnam.

The USWNT defeated Vietnam 3-0 in a game it controlled from start to finish, but it squandered a number of chances — including a missed penalty by Morgan — in a match it could have easily won by many more goals.

The U.S. will have to be sharper in its second game, a World Cup final rematch against the Netherlands on Wednesday night U.S. time, which is Thursday afternoon in New Zealand.

Speaking at a press conference, Morgan said the USWNT needs to work out some of the kinks from the Vietnam match moving forward.

“I think we saw a lot of glimpses of our potential, but I feel like we weren’t always clicking on the field,” the USWNT co-captain said.

“I feel like some of the plays that we had were a little forced or rushed. So I think it’s having a little more patience, switching a little bit more, having our movements be a little more synchronized. And so I think we’re looking to apply that for this next game and moving forward.”

Several of the underdogs at this World Cup have performed admirably against strong opponents, including CONCACAF sides Jamaica and Haiti, who tied France and narrowly lost to England, respectively.

“We’re seeing that every game is really competitive,” U.S. defender Sofia Huerta said. “We’re glad to see the CONCACAF teams come here and perform so well and make a name for themselves, because every time we have to qualify [for the World Cup] and we’re in the CONCACAF tournament, it’s difficult. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to play some of those teams.”

Morgan added: “There haven’t been many games where teams are able to break through easily against opponents.

“So we knew that would be the case with Vietnam, but we were trying to be patient. I feel like at times we could have just stood on the ball a little more and kind of been a little more decisive with our play. So I think that’s something we could apply to the next game.”

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USWNT player ratings: Smith stands out as U.S. eases past Vietnam in World Cup opener

Smith was at the center of most of the USWNT’s best in their win

It may not have been the blowout some expected, but the U.S. women’s national team started the World Cup off with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith — one goal was clinical, the other needed a fairly hefty slice of luck — set the USWNT on their way. After some missed chances, including an Alex Morgan penalty kick that was saved by Vietnam’s Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Lindsey Horan added the third on an assist from Smith.

In the context of Vietnam’s recent results, including only falling to Germany 2-1, it’s a decent result. It’s also not the rout that fans may have thought was coming, though on another day the goals may have been flowing with just a touch more sharpness from the attacking players.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT lineup vs. Vietnam: Trinity Rodman, Julie Ertz start while Alana Cook surprisingly dropped

Some intriguing choices from Vlatko Andonovski

The U.S. women’s national team will start something of a surprising lineup against Vietnam, with Vlatko Andonovski taking some chances in his team selection for their World Cup opener.

Andonovski named eight of the players who started the USWNT’s 2-0 send-off win over Wales as starters at Eden Park in Auckland as the U.S. opened up their slate of Group E matches.

Julie Ertz, Trinity Rodman, and Savannah DeMelo were the new additions, with Ertz rather surprisingly chosen at center back over projected starter Alana Cook.

Rodman, meanwhile, came into the front line for Alyssa Thompson, while DeMelo was selected over Ashley Sanchez and Rose Lavelle, whose minutes are currently being limited as she completes her return from a knee injury.

USWNT lineup vs. Vietnam

(4-3-3): Naeher; Fox, Ertz, Girma, Dunn; DeMelo, Sullivan, Horan; Smith, Morgan, Rodman

Vietnam lineup (6-3-1): Tran Thi Kim Thanh; Tran Thi Thu Thao, Luong Thị Thu Thuong, Tran Thi Hai Linh, Tran Thi Thu, , Le Thi Diem My, Hoàng Thi Loan; Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Thai Thi Thao; Huynh Nhu

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Netherlands coach slams ‘amateur’ training setup at World Cup

“This fits with amateurism of the highest order,” Andries Jonker charged

Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker has charged that his team’s training setup at the Women’s World Cup is “amateurism of the highest order.”

Jonker’s side is training at the Bay Oval in Tauranga, New Zealand — a converted cricket ground that required up to 500 hours of work to be ready for the Netherlands to use as a base camp.

The Netherlands had previously voiced concerns over the pitch and although plenty of work has been done to ensure it is up to standard, Jonker was not impressed with the result.

“When we arrived here on Wednesday, I thought: ‘What is this now? I will not train on this,'” Jonker said at a press conference. “We have raised concerns about the cricket pitch previously, we were promised things and now we are very disappointed and angry. We are not satisfied.

“We want to play a good first match against Portugal here, we want to have a top preparation, a top tournament and we also consider ourselves a top team. This does not fit. This fits with amateurism of the highest order.”

Jonker, whose side has been drawn into Group E alongside the United States, Portugal and Vietnam, said he is concerned about the potential for injuries on the makeshift pitch.

He added: “If you fall on it with your knee or your shoulder, you could have a problem. If you sprint from the grass to that pitch, that is also not good for muscles and tendons that are already under tension. With other exercises we can train around that pitch, but 11 against 11 doesn’t work.”

Though Jonker was far from impressed with the state of the Bay Oval pitch, at least one of his team’s biggest stars seems to have a differing opinion.

Lieke Martens said the pitch looked “amazing,” according to the New Zealand Herald.

“It is a really good pitch. It is a really good area to prepare us for the first game,” Martens added.

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2023 USA Women’s World Cup roster

The U.S. will be aiming to win an unprecedented third straight World Cup

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is finally here. The United States women’s national team will look to capture a third consecutive World Cup, this time in Australia and New Zealand.

The World Cup will begin with both host countries playing on Thursday, July 20th. The knockout stages will begin on August 5th, with the final scheduled for August 20th in Sydney at Stadium Australia.

We’ll be listing the rosters of the top contenders in the 2023 World Cup. The United States was drawn to Group E, along with Thailand, the Netherlands and Portugal.

United States schedule:

vs. Thailand (July 21st)

vs. Netherlands (July 26th)

vs. Portugal (August 1st)

You can scroll through the full roster below:

Three dead in Auckland shooting on day of Women’s World Cup opener

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that the tournament would proceed as planned

Three people are dead, including the gunman, after a shooting in downtown Auckland on Thursday, the day the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the media that a man armed with a “pump-action shotgun” entered a construction site and opened fire, killing two and injuring several others before he was eventually confirmed dead himself.

“Upon reaching the upper levels of the building the man contained himself in an elevator,” Hipkins said. “Shots were fired and he was confirmed dead.”

“Police have contained a serious incident that unfolded at a construction site in Auckland’s CBD this morning,” New Zealand police tweeted. “Multiple injuries have been reported and at this stage we can confirm two people have died. The male offender is also deceased.”

Police said the incident unfolded at around 7:22 a.m., just hours before Auckland was set to host the first game of the World Cup at Eden Park between New Zealand and Norway.

Hipkins said that the tournament would proceed as planned.

“Clearly with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland,” Hipkins said. “The government has spoken to FIFA organizers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned. I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat. This appears to be the action of one individual.”

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told New Zealand public radio RNZ that the shooting was a “dreadful thing to happen in our city at a time when the rest of the world’s watching us over the football.”

U.S. Soccer released a statement shortly after the incident, saying: “All of our players and staff are accounted for and safe. Our security team is in communication with local authorities and we are proceeding with our daily schedule.”

New Zealand Football also released a statement, saying: “New Zealand Football are shocked by the incident in Auckland CBD this morning. We can confirm that all of the Football Ferns team and staff are safe but we will not be able to comment further while details are still emerging.”

“Preparations for the game tonight at Eden Park will continue as planned,” it concluded.

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‘Everything we do is for Katie’ – Smith, Girma lead USWNT mental health initiative to honor late teammate

The nonprofit Common Goal will team up with Fox Sports and the USWNt to spotlight mental health

The U.S. women’s national team is helping launch a campaign to spotlight mental health and for two of its biggest stars, the mission is deeply personal.

Last year, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma lost their former Stanford teammate Katie Meyer, who died by suicide.

Smith, Girma, Sofia Huerta and several other USWNT players have collaborated with Fox Sports and the nonprofit Common Goal to launch a new mental health initiative.

On Tuesday, Girma wrote a tribute to Meyer in The Players Tribune, saying the goalkeeper was “the truest friend I ever had. The most unapologetic, positive, caring person in the world.”

On the mental health campaign, Girma added: “We know how important it is to destigmatize the conversation around mental health, especially for the millions of young people around the country who will be watching this World Cup, so Fox Sports will be dedicating one percent of its broadcast coverage to spotlighting the importance of mental health across all its platforms.”

In a press release, Fox Sports said that one percent of all its World Cup coverage through 2026 would focus on mental health, including a three-part feature series and multiple PSAs.

Smith also spoke about Meyer and the Common Goal initiative during a press conference on Wednesday, two days before the USWNT kicks off the 2023 World Cup against Vietnam.

“Anytime I talk about Katie, it’s obviously emotional, and then just with everything coming out today, it kind of brings all those feelings back to the surface,” Smith said. “But I feel like I’m in a place where I can talk about it and talk about Katie in a really positive light, and it brings me more happiness.

“But obviously, yeah, anytime it’s all over social media, it’s tough to see, and it kind of just reminds you. But I think what we put out and The Players Tribune by Naomi, it was really cool and really good to read, and everything that we do is now for Katie, so it means a lot.”

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