It’s time for the Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
The United States will not repeat the World Cup after that Losing in a penalty shootout To Sweden in the round of 16. Spain defeated the Netherlands And Sweden overthrew Japan on Friday to advance to the semi-finals. England will play Australia in the other semi-final.
Here’s a look at what comes next at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand:
The two halves of the World Cup
Preview Spain vs Sweden match
uproar: Sweden is the giant killer in this tournament, having dispatched the USA and Japan in the knockout stages to reach the semi-finals for the third time in the last four World Cups. The third-ranked Swedes – the highest-ranked team remaining – did so with a stifling defense and opportunistic attack.
Of the remaining four teams, only England conceded fewer goals than Sweden, who allowed two goals, and eight of their 11 goals came from set-pieces, the most in the tournament. Defender Amanda Ellistite is tied for second in the Golden Boot race with four goals, all from set pieces. Sweden is the only semi-finalist to have played in a World Cup final, losing to Germany in 2003.
Meanwhile, Spain overcame internal turmoil and lost 4-0 to Japan in the group stage to reach the semifinals for the first time. Last fall, 15 national team players threatened to quit the squad unless coach Jorge Vilda was fired. Vilda stayed and most of the players returned, but it was hardly a happy group.
the Red Coming out of their New Zealand base camp at Palmerston North early, with players claiming they got bored, Spain are the only ones among the bottom four teams not to win their group.
Spain’s 15 goals is the most of the last four, but their six goals have also been conceded. Three players – Aitana Bonmati, Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo – share a three-goal lead while Bonmati and Hermoso each provide assists.
Preview of Australia vs England
uproar: This was a truly historic tournament for Australia, which reached the semifinals for the first time. Now it has a chance of becoming only the second host nation – after the United States in 1999 – to win the Women’s World Cup, but first it must be overtaken by reigning European champions England, who reached the semi-finals four years ago.
The Matildas got a big boost from their home-court advantage, twice playing in front of crowds of over 75,000 in the tournament with an average attendance of 28,900. But they also got a boost from the return of captain and leading scorer Sam Kerr, who missed the group stage with a calf injury. leg but played 75 minutes off the bench in the knockout stages, contributing to a successful penalty attempt in Australia’s 10-round shoot-out tiebreak victory over France in the quarter-finals.
Haile Raso led the attack in Kerr’s absence, scoring three times. England, who were among the pre-tournament favorites after winning the European Championships last summer, have only lost once in the past 29 months – that of arriving in Australia this past April. And the Lionesses struggled here, needing a penalty goal to be Haiti and edge past Denmark 1-0 in the group stage; Nigeria were eliminated on penalties after a goalless draw over 120 minutes in the round of 16; Then they rallied to beat Colombia in the quarterfinals.
To make matters worse, the team will once again be without playmaker Lauren James, who was suspended by FIFA for the second match due to her win over Nigeria’s Michelle Alouzi in the round of 16. James leads England by three goals and is tied for top of the tournament. With three assists.
Team play scores
This story originally appeared Los Angeles Times.