Few could have predicted the eight teams still standing when the Women's World Cup kicked off three weeks ago in Australia and New Zealand. In partnership with Media City Qatar.
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00:00 It's the first ever World Cup on the continent.
00:03 Australia-New Zealand 2023 has not disappointed
00:06 and there's still plenty more football to be had.
00:09 This week we're taking a look at the big talking points so far
00:12 and asking that all-important question,
00:14 who will win the trophy?
00:16 Hello there and welcome to Football Now from Doha.
00:23 Well, it might be winter down under,
00:25 but the Women's World Cup is really hotting up now
00:27 as we reach the quarter-final stages of the tournament.
00:30 So far we've had drama, we've had upsets,
00:32 we've had record-breakers
00:33 and we've had some of the greatest goals
00:35 this competition has ever seen.
00:37 It's fair to say it's been an exciting three weeks so far.
00:41 After getting off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Norway,
00:44 a subsequent defeat and draw meant that New Zealand
00:47 became the first host nation to be eliminated
00:49 before the knockout rounds.
00:51 Records were broken in Adelaide too,
00:53 as Morocco's N'Houla Benzina
00:55 became the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup
00:58 after starting on her side's 1-0 win over South Korea.
01:01 Morocco were one of three African sides
01:03 to make it past the group stages,
01:05 something which has never happened before.
01:07 I think it's time everyone on the continent
01:11 turned their heads and supported the women.
01:15 And this performance from Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa,
01:18 I think it sent out a powerful message.
01:20 What the African teams did at the Women's World Cup
01:24 will always be heartwarming.
01:26 What we say here back at home is that they really won hard.
01:29 This was a moment to show everyone on the continent,
01:32 in Africa, that it's time for the women.
01:35 The women are doing it, and they're doing it actually very well,
01:38 despite some of the challenges they had to go through
01:40 to get to where they were.
01:42 The group stages threw up a number of surprise results,
01:45 including Canada, Germany and Brazil failing to qualify,
01:49 with the latter going out after a goalless draw against Jamaica.
01:52 The reggae girls made it into the last 16 for the first time
01:55 and did so without conceding a goal.
01:58 Brazil's knockout meant a final ever match
02:00 for Canarinha's legend Marta.
02:02 The 41-year-old is the only player to have scored
02:04 in five consecutive FIFA World Cups
02:07 and holds the record for most goals scored with 17.
02:10 Fellow Ballon d'Or winner Megan Rapinoe's final ever kick
02:13 for the USA was a missed penalty.
02:15 The Stars and Stripes headed home after losing to Sweden.
02:18 She, along with Marta, will be huge losses to the women's game.
02:22 Yeah, absolutely. They're giants of women's football,
02:25 not just women's football, football in general,
02:27 and particularly Megan Rapinoe.
02:29 She's an absolute icon over in America, not just for football,
02:31 but she's obviously been that kind of spokesperson
02:34 for a lot of people that maybe don't have the same platform
02:36 to be able to speak or challenge or voice their ideas.
02:40 And Marta arguably has had an even bigger impact on global football.
02:45 She may not be the same celebrity status that Megan Rapinoe is,
02:49 but certainly within the football world, Marta is arguably even bigger.
02:52 Yeah, one of the best players to have ever played the game
02:55 and probably ever will play the game.
02:57 Sweden weren't the only team to progress on penalties.
02:59 England made it through just despite a valiant Nigerian effort.
03:03 Things were a little simpler for Spain, the Netherlands, Japan,
03:07 France and Colombia, who all made it through in normal time,
03:11 and Australia, whose 2-0 victory over Denmark
03:15 sees the hosts continue their special campaign.
03:18 So a tournament to remember for Australia
03:20 and an early exit for New Zealand.
03:22 But that hasn't stopped football fever from continuing to sweep the nation.
03:26 It's the first time the continent has hosted the Women's World Cup,
03:29 and with over two million tickets sold so far,
03:31 it's set to break all sorts of viewing records too.
03:34 So just what has the feeling been like amongst the fans down under?
03:37 Yeah, to be honest, I always thought it would be a good tournament.
03:40 Aussies are very good at getting behind big events,
03:43 and one of the great things about this country
03:46 is because it's very multicultural, most of the teams taking part
03:49 have communities that live in Australia,
03:52 and they're very connected to football, of course,
03:54 because normally they're first love.
03:56 So the stadiums have been full, which has been brilliant to see.
03:58 Even the midweek games, sometimes the daytime kick-offs
04:01 still have almost full houses, which is incredible, really.
04:05 It shows the love that this country has for football.
04:09 So often at a major international tournament,
04:11 it's about those on the score sheet.
04:13 But one of the big talking points of this World Cup
04:15 has actually been the goalkeeping.
04:17 The competition has been littered with unbelievable saves,
04:20 and more clean sheets were kept in the group stage than ever before.
04:23 So is this a coincidence, or has the keeper become
04:26 one of the most influential positions in the Women's game?
04:29 It's a fascinating question, and I think certainly
04:33 the level of goalkeeping has improved markedly.
04:37 Certainly some of the goalkeepers that I've watched,
04:39 I mean, I'd call the Sweden-USA game where Zatura-Mussovic
04:44 had arguably the outstanding game of the tournament.
04:47 She made 11 saves, and some of them were world-class.
04:51 Alissa Nair at the other end made a couple of good stops as well.
04:54 Mary Erbz is a fantastic goalkeeper.
04:57 So the standard has certainly risen to a very high level.
05:02 Yeah, a tournament to remember for the goalkeepers then,
05:04 and some of them will have a huge part to play in the later stages,
05:07 particularly if those matches go to penalties.
05:09 With most of the favourites coming through the group stages,
05:11 the competition is still wide open.
05:13 So who's most likely to go all the way?
05:15 The draw has just opened wide open, really.
05:18 England right up there is one of the heavy favourites now.
05:21 Japan, they absolutely were the best side in the group stages.
05:25 I would back them to go all the way to the final.
05:27 And yeah, England, if they would go all the way to the final,
05:31 they wouldn't need Japan until that final trophy.
05:34 So that would be some game, I think.
05:36 And I think that's the one that realistically,
05:38 those two are the best two teams left in it, in my opinion.
05:41 And I'd love for that to be the final.
05:44 Yeah, that famous trophy could end up absolutely anywhere.
05:47 That brings us to the end of this week's show.
05:49 Next week, we're in Sydney to bring you more Women's World Cup coverage.
05:52 We'll see you down under. Bye for now.
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