AUCKLAND-Because the Ladies’s World Cup enters the enterprise stage when the final 16 kicks off as we speak (Saturday), the surprises and shocks within the group stage have thrown up some mouth-watering fixtures, beginning with the conflict of former champions Norway and Japan.
There’s a sense that the expanded 32-team format has improved the event after heavyweights Germany, Canada, Brazil and China had been knocked out whereas minnows like Morocco and Jamaica superior for the primary time. Whereas Japan got here by means of their group unscathed, Norway misplaced to co-hosts New Zealand within the event opener whereas a public spat threatened to derail their marketing campaign earlier than they finally certified.
“You possibly can see the extent of the World Cup is rising, so the ladies’s recreation is rising quick,” Norway coach Hege Riise instructed reporters. “Everybody mentioned it was a straightforward group, we knew it wasn’t as a result of it was a decent group for us. Enjoying the house crew within the first recreation and never performing properly was a little bit bit devastating for us.”However after that we obtained higher step-by-step and once we wanted a very good win we went on to play Philippines and gained 6-0. So confidence within the crew is rising.”
Riise is not any stranger to Japan having performed membership soccer within the nation within the mid-1990s and he or she praised how far the Asian aspect has come since. “After I performed in Japan, I loved each minute of it. Improbable nation, nice gamers and the nationwide crew again then was not so good as they’re now,” Riise mentioned. “Now, they’ve developed fairly quick and turn into a powerful crew.”
Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda praised the teamwork that noticed them hold three clear sheets in three wins to advance. “Every participant is performing their function. They’re not solely performing to their very own capability, however they’re working as a unit. It’s all concerning the collective,” he mentioned.
SWISS BRUSH UP OFFENCE PLAN FOR KNOCKOUT WOMEN’S WORLD CUP GAME AGAINST SPAIN
Switzerland stored a clear sheet by means of the group stage of the Ladies’s World Cup however solely scored two objectives by means of three video games, and so coach Inka Grings mentioned La Nati have labored intensively this week on the offensive a part of their recreation.
“This was positively one among our focus factors this week . . . it was one thing that we analysed intensively, we talked by means of with the crew and likewise take the offensive gamers, assertive gamers, carry them extra into the crew,” Grings instructed a press convention on the eve of Switzerland’s closing 16 recreation towards Spain at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Grings’ 20th-ranked squad topped Group A of their second World Cup look, with a 2-Zero win over the Philippines and scoreless attracts with Norway and New Zealand. “After all we have now to be extra assertive in that run in direction of the purpose,” Grings mentioned. “Now we have actually understood that message and we have now helped to convey that with movies. I also can learn from the physique language from the gamers that it’s been fairly an intensive week.”
“(Spain) have proven us weaknesses that we have now analysed intensively with our crew, nevertheless (Saturday) after all is a distinct match,” Grings mentioned. “Spain has very robust gamers. We don’t wish to focus and shouldn’t deal with only one participant. We have a look at them as a compact and powerful crew.”