On Tuesday, New Zealand has the opportunity to further advance in the World Cup, as they co-host the event. Following their historic first World Cup victory, a win over the Philippines in Wellington would guarantee the Football Ferns a spot in the knockout rounds for the first time.
In other matches, Colombia and South Korea will be the last teams to take the field, and Norway, who was defeated by New Zealand in their first match, will try to recover against Switzerland.
Colombia vs. South Korea
Colombia had a strong showing in the Copa América Championship, defeating Argentina in the semifinals and narrowly losing to Brazil in the final. This suggests they are ready to compete on the world stage.
However, their competitiveness was questioned during a recent exhibition match against Ireland, which was called off due to what the Irish deemed as “overly physical” play from the Colombians. Colombia defended their style, stating that the Irish simply chose not to continue playing.
Colombia will face South Korea, the runner-up to China in the 2022 Asian Cup. South Korea has reached the knockout stages once in their three previous World Cup appearances, in 2015. However, in the last tournament, they lost all three of their games.
New Zealand vs. Philippines
New Zealand surprised many, including themselves, with a 1-0 upset victory over Norway in their opening match. They are now in a favorable position to advance beyond the group stage, a feat they have not achieved in their previous five World Cup appearances.
Their biggest obstacle may already be behind them, as Norway was ranked 12th in FIFA rankings while the Philippines is ranked 46th. New Zealand is currently ranked 26th and is riding the wave of momentum known as “Fern Fever,” eagerly anticipating another match in front of their supportive crowd.
The Philippines suffered a 2-0 defeat in their World Cup debut against Switzerland. The team primarily consists of players from the United States, with 18 out of the 23-woman roster being American-born. However, the Philippines makes no apologies for this fact.
The team’s Australian coach, Alen Stajcic, stated, “I don’t really care where they’re born. If they have Philippines in their heart and in their blood, and they’re good at football, then they’re eligible for our team. They all play for their flag, they all play for their country, they all play for the people in the Philippines, wherever they reside.”
Switzerland vs. Norway
Norway aims to bounce back from their opening loss and likely needs a win against Switzerland, as well as another win against the Philippines, to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
Norway is led by Ada Hegerberg, a 28-year-old striker who is a former world player of the year. Hegerberg protested her federation’s treatment of women’s soccer by sitting out the 2019 World Cup, but returned for the European Championship last summer. However, she was surprisingly ineffective against New Zealand and will need to step up against the Swiss.
Switzerland demonstrated dominance in their opener against the Philippines, outshooting their opponents 17-3. However, they are unlikely to have the same advantage against the Norwegians. Ramona Bachmann, who plays for Paris St.-Germain, was the standout player in Switzerland’s first win and will need to deliver a similar performance to keep their team moving forward.
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