Last night I provided a brief summary of Groups A through D of the FIFA Women's World Cup and today, this post will provide brief summary of Groups E through H.
To see Part 1, click here
While there were one or two surprises in Groups A through D, it was Groups E through H that caused a lot of carnage and a few big names saw their campaigns come to a very early end.
Group E:
Qualified: Netherlands & USA
3rd Place: Portugal
4th Place: Vietnam
When looking at this group, it was another situation of two teams clearly expected to qualify (Netherlands and USA) while Portugal was seen as an outside chance and Vietnam making up the numbers. What ultimately unfolded though nearly saw the greatest shock of all time.
Notable Moments: 1) USA vs Portugal 92nd minute. This match was not expected to be any trouble for the two-time defending champion USA but what unfolded this evening at Eden Park very nearly shook World Football to its core. The USA had more chances but Portugal had more of the ball and it was clear that the USA looked very disjointed for reasons unknown. The 92nd minute of this game though saw Portugal break only for their shot to hit the post and bounce back out. Had it gone in, the USA were going out but alas, not to be.
2) The USA's post-game celebrations vs Portugal. These celebrations were widely panned by many as a sign of how far the USA had declined since their 2019 win. I can understand the reasons for criticism but I would equally argue that it was more of relief than anything because Portugal gave them a torrid time. The one thing that I would say is that while I think it was relief more than anything, the USA look very off at this tournament and I suspect they won't be winning a 3rd consecutive title.
For me, this group was always going to be Netherlands and USA qualifying but my word, watching the USA vs Portugal game, I couldn't help but cheer for Portugal and pray for a miracle. The Vietnamese did outstanding to make the tournament but were ultimately outclassed throughout.
Group F:
Qualified: France & Jamaica
3rd Place: Brazil
4th Place: Panama
This is one group where madness took centre stage. At the start of the tournament, everyone would've picked France and Brazil to qualify with the two Caribbean teams as rank outsiders but what happened instead was an astonishing shock as Jamaica upset the apple cart by forcing their way into the knockout rounds.
Notable Moments:
1) Brazil vs Jamaica. This game was potentially seen as a swansong for Brazilian player Marta and Brazil had to come out and win after their loss to France. What instead occurred on this fateful night at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium was Brazil absolutely dominating possession while Jamaica sat back and attacked on the counter. The Jamaican goalkeeper had a lot of work to do in this game but thanks to an unbelievable defensive wall and hard work, was able to keep Brazil out. The most endearing sight of this was seeing Marta take time post-game to have a word with Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw dispensing wisdom. Yes, the Jamaican celebrations were pretty good as well.
2) Marta Cox's free-kick vs France. It had been highlighted that there hadn't been a goal scored from a direct free-kick at the World Cup but 62 seconds into this match, we saw the first and my word, it was something phenomenal. Marta Cox scored from 35m and the keeper quite frankly, had no chance of saving it. Technically magnificent and also a historic first-ever goal for Panama at the Women's World Cup. While they would go on to lose 6-3 to the French, this goal will live long in the memory of those fortunate enough to witness it.
The fact that the Jamaicans went through, finishing above the Brazilians was nothing short of incredible. It wasn't something anyone saw coming but they did it by holding both group powerhouses Brazil and France to 0-0 draws. It was an absolute shock to see Brazil not make it but really, they only have themselves to blame with their 2-1 loss to the French being costly.
Group G:
Qualified: Sweden & South Africa
3rd Place: Italy
4th Place: Argentina
Looking at this group, you'd have thought that Sweden would've qualified along with Italy/Argentina but South Africa upset that form line magnificently in a way that no one saw coming at all.
Notable Moments:
1) South Africa vs Italy. This was billed as a shootout for 2nd place in the group but both teams were also watching to see if Argentina could beat a heavily changed Sweden team. A penalty opened the scoring but then one of those moments you never want to see occurred as a shocking Italian mistake gifted South Africa an equaliser. Banyana Banyana took the lead in the second half only to see Italy equalise but they weren't to be denied as a winner in stoppage time sent them through to the Round of 16 for the first time ever.
2) Italy vs Sweden. Going into this, you honestly would've thought it would've been a thrilling match but what Sweden did to Italy could only be described as a crime. Scoring four goals in a ten-minute patch on either side of half-time was criminal while adding a fifth at the end was insult to injury. What made it even more staggering was that 3 of the 5 goals came from set pieces as the Italians ended up overwhelmed and battered.
This group honestly left me shaking my head a fair bit. The 53rd-ranked South Africans were seen by and large as making up the numbers but what they did instead was shock the Italians and shock the world. Sweden however was outstanding throughout and is going to be a very hard team to beat in the knockout rounds
Group H:
Qualified: Colombia & Morocco
3rd Place: Germany
4th Place: South Korea
If seeing Brazil and Italy being knocked out while watching the USA almost disgrace themselves was astounding, what happened in this group sent real tremors throughout world football. It was supposed to be Germany and Colombia going through but instead, Morocco took the world by storm.
Notable Moments: 1) Linda Caicedo's goal vs Germany. Her story is remarkable. Debut at the age of 14, was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer at the age of 15 which resulted in surgery and chemo and apparently collapsed at training in the lead-up to this game, she has overcome a lot of challenges. Her goal against Germany though was unbelievable. Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, she jinxed past two before curling it into the top corner. She has the real potential to be one of the best players in the world and honestly, given how she's only 18, the sky's the limit.
2) Morocco vs Colombia. While Colombia was virtually guaranteed a spot in the Round of 16, Morocco was in the nearly impossible position of having to better Germany's result to join them. When they took the lead on the stroke of half-time, they were in prime position but the way they played the second half, was nothing short of awe-inspiring. They took the game right up to Colombia and only tried to save the win very late on. They finished with the win and then waited to find out if the Germans had slipped up. They had and the unbridled joy from the Moroccans sends chills down my spine even thinking back on it today.
Honestly, this group was a shock that sent world football scrambling. The Germans are right now mourning a decline but the Moroccans, building on their men's run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals are now creating history in the women's game as well.
All I can say at the moment is that if the group stage hasn't been astonishing, you ain't seen anything yet because these knockout rounds are sure to create new history.
Can the USA win their 3rd consecutive World Cup? Will the Aussies defy the pressures of being the host nation to lift the trophy?
Is the European game on the way back to the top once more?
Will any of the lower-ranked nations create history?
Answers to these and many more will be provided over the next couple of weeks!
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