The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: New favourites and shock exits
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.
Transcript
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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