The ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off with New Zealand taking on Norway on July 20 followed by the Republic of Ireland’s tournament debut against Australia, the Kiwis’ co-hosts, at Sydney’s sold-out Stadium Australia later on the opening day.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points.
Who will watch?
View this post on Instagram
Organisers are targeting a record two billion viewers for the 2023 edition, a figure that would double the audience who watched the 2019 World Cup in France. They believe the unique geographic position of the host countries has paved the way for strategic match scheduling that will allow fans, no matter where they live, to catch their side in action.
Yet one of the big issues ahead of the tournament was the lack of confirmed broadcast deals in a number of major markets – including the UK, Spain, France, Italy and Germany – just months out from the opening match, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on several occasions accusing bidding broadcasters of lowballing offers and even threatening that his organisation could be “forced not to broadcast” the tournament if they did not step up.
Some in women’s football hit back, arguing the timings still would still prove challenging in engaging non-diehard audiences. England’s three group-stage kick-offs all begin between 9:30am and 12pm in the UK, with ITV and the BBC splitting broadcast duties across the tournament.
England’s injury woes
The Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph placed them squarely in conversations predicting World Cup favourites. Sarina Wiegman’s squad and unchanged starting XI benefited from generally excellent health throughout that unbeaten run, but this time the England manager is not so fortunate.
Beth Mead, who won the Golden Boot last summer, is still recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture she sustained in November, while her Arsenal team-mate and England captain Leah Williamson was ruled out when she suffered the same injury in April.
And while defenders Lucy Bronze and acting skipper Millie Bright have both recovered from their own respective issues in time to board the plane, Chelsea midfielder Fran Kirby announced she would not be joining them after doctors determined she would require knee surgery, leading to questions about how Wiegman will cope without three of her top talents alongside the absence of the retired Ellen White and Jill Scott.
Denying the ‘three-peat’
For anyone not sporting the stars and stripes, it feels the world has grown weary of American dominance and would welcome a new world champion with open arms, particularly after USA’s back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2015 and competition-leading four titles since claiming the inaugural trophy in 1991.
While USA remain the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy, more than half of head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s 23-player roster will be competing in their first World Cup, with just nine returnees from their victory four years ago – potentially opening the door for other hopefuls including England, Germany, France and Spain to deny the United States a “three-peat”.
The great armband debate
The rainbow ‘One Love’ armband ban was a hot topic during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and sparked questions about what would be permitted in Australia and New Zealand, particularly as the women’s game has historically featured many out members of the LGBTQ+ community, including a record number bound for the World Cup.
While the One Love armband itself will not feature, FIFA announced late last month that they had reached an agreement to give players a selection of approved options highlighting issues from gender equality to indigenous people, peace and ending hunger, while another celebrates the sport of football itself. None, however, explicitly advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Antipodean legacy
Australia’s World Cup opener will take place with Test four of the Ashes already under way. The National Rugby League (NRL) season is also in full swing as is Aussie Rules’ AFL, so there is plenty on to entertain sports fans in a country where other games dominate the headlines.
Still, the 2023 Australian Sports Commission’s official AusPlay revealed football was once again the country’s most popular sport to play.
So while World Cup posters featuring Australia and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr seem ubiquitous Down Under and local governments are pointing to figures in the tens of millions for their visitor economies, the true test of this tournament lies in how much headway the sport can make in the two host countries – and what women’s football will look like here a generation down the line.
Sheffield United 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Hudson-Odoi gives visitors huge survival boost
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored twice as Nottingham Forest climbed further clear of the relegation zone with a 3-1 away victory over Sheffield United.
Chris Wilder’s men took the lead through a Ben Brereton-Diaz spot kick, but the visitors roared back to score three goals without reply.
Hudson-Odoi sealed an impressive brace just after the hour mark, after Ryan Yates had put them in front.
Forest remain in 17th, but this win takes them three points clear of Luton Town in 18th and the other side who can catch them, Burnley, were well beaten by Newcastle. Already relegated Sheffield United remain rock bottom.
Chris Wood was unable to cap an excellent start for Forest. With just over a minute gone, the Kiwi missed a superb early chance, side-footing his volley wide of the far post after Morgan Gibbs-White had made a great break down the right.
In a frenetic early period, Sheffield United’s Brereton-Diaz won a penalty, with Gonzalo Montiel punished for a lazy challenge in the box. The Chilean international dusted himself down and slammed home his sixth goal of the season.
Forest absorbed further pressure when Murillo slid Cameron Archer’s attempt away bravely in the 19th minute. After holding firm, Forest then levelled emphatically in the 27th minute. Danilo linked up with Hudson-Odoi and the wide man did the rest. Cutting inside from the left with a fine first touch, the former Chelsea man left Jayden Bogle in his wake and found the top-right corner with a powerful, curled effort.
United responded well, and the half closed in a chaotic spell as they laid siege to the visitors’ goal. Murillo was forced to make two fine blocks, before goalkeeper Matz Sels stepped up to produce two excellent saves.
The first came in the 37th minute when he rushed off his line to smother a shot from Archer. Then, just a minute later, the Belgian tipped over smartly from a fierce Gustavo Hamer strike.
At the other end, Wood had a great chance to put Forest ahead late in the half, but he could only direct his header onto the bar.
Forest came out swinging in the second half and took little time to take the lead. Captain Yates was the scorer, volleying home after Willy Boly had nodded the ball down to him from an Anthony Elanga cross.
The Blades continued to show fight as Brereton-Diaz forced a fine stop out of Sels, but the knockout blow felt inevitable. Again drifting in off the left, Hudson-Odoi danced across the box before finding the bottom corner with ease to add Forest’s third.
Forest continued to search for goals as Danilo fired over in the 73rd minute, and Wood forced a fine save from Wes Foderingham following a Gibbs-White free-kick five minutes later. The Blades held it to three in the end, but that will be of little consolation to Chris Wilder and his side and particularly Anel Ahmedhodzic, who was sent off in the final moments.
Blades making unwanted Premier League records
The second of Hudson-Odoi’s strikes brought up a century of goals conceded for Sheffield United.
The Blades are the first side to concede 100 goals in a 38-game English top-flight campaign since Leicester City in 1908-09 (102), while they’ve matched Swindon Town’s unwanted record in the 1993-94 Premier League (also 100 goals conceded).
Hudson-Odoi key to Forest survival hopes
Hudson-Odoi got both his sixth and seventh goals in the Premier League this season in this victory over Sheffield United.
His goals meant Nottingham Forest scored three goals in a game for the first time since a 3-1 win over Fulham at the start of April.
Hudson-Odoi’s efforts will be integral as Forest look seal a third consecutive season in the Premier League.
Real Madrid 3-0 Cadiz: Ancelotti's side on brink of clinching LaLiga title
Goals from Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham and Joselu earned LaLiga leaders Real Madrid a 3-0 win over lowly Cadiz.
Carlo Ancelotti's side will seal a record-extending 36th Spanish title later on Saturday if Barcelona fail to beat Girona.
With four games remaining, Real climbed to 87 points and extended their lead to 14 points over second-placed Barcelona and 16 clear Girona in third.
Real manager Ancelotti rested several key players ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich and his side did more than enough to secure the three points.
Brentford 0-0 Fulham: Bees hold on after Jimenez’s late miss
Raul Jimenez missed a glorious late chance as Fulham and Brentford shared a goalless draw in a profligate Premier League clash at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Both sides saw their Premier League winless runs extend on Saturday, with Brentford without victory in two games and Fulham not triumphing in their last three.
It could have been a different story, though, if not for substitute Jimenez lifting a gilt-edged 73rd-minute opportunity over as Marco Silva's Cottagers failed to snatch that late chance.
This draw leaves Brentford – who saw Bryan Mbeumo denied by the crossbar in the first half – in 16th but with their Premier League status already secure, while Fulham are 12th.
A powerful effort from Alex Iwobi had Mark Flekken worried as his strike whistled over the crossbar from the edge of the box in the eighth minute.
A fast break from Brentford saw Ivan Toney slot a throughball in behind the Fulham defence to Mbeumo, whose deflected right-footed strike from cannoned off the woodwork before Keane Lewis-Potter fired straight at Bernd Leno.
Lewis-Potter again came close to finding the opening goal after 44 minutes as he burst into the box before lifting the ball over Leno, but Issa Diop recovered superbly to head it off the line.
Rodrigo Muniz might have felt he should have broken the deadlock early in the second half, though his header from Iwobi's cross fell into the arms of Flekken.
Timothy Castagne popped up in the penalty area at a corner in the 60th minute but the full-back could not convert at the near post as his header flew into the stands behind the goal.
Jimenez had a gilt-edged opportunity to snatch the winner as Adama Traore shrugged off his marker before picking out the Mexico striker, who somehow missed with the goal at his mercy.
Traore tested Flekken late on as the Fulham winger struck a vicious effort low towards goal but the Brentford goalkeeper got down well to ensure a point for his side.
Brentford struggle as Toney’s goal drought continues
Having netted four goals in his first five Premier League games after returning from suspension, Toney has not scored in any of his last 10.
He’s now matched his longest run without a league goal since a run of 10 with Peterborough United between February and April 2019, while Brentford have suffered from his struggles.
Brentford won 2-0 against Sheffield United in their previous Premier League home game but only once this season have they won back-to-back league games at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Bees' consecutive wins over Burnley and West Ham in October/November remain the only time they have achieved the feat as Thomas Frank's side fail to live up to last season's performances at home.
Poor finishing prevents three points for the Cottagers
Fulham have now stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 22 of their 36 games, only Everton (23) and Arsenal (25) have done this more often in the Premier League this season.
The Cottagers have also struggled in front of goal in the opening 45 minutes of games, failing to find the back of the net in the first half in 23 of their 36 top-flight outings this term.
The draw means Silva’s side remain 12th, albeit sitting just four points off the top half of the table with two games remaining.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
