Preview - R16: Sweden v United States

Sun, 06 Aug, 2023

Preview - R16: Sweden v United States

Melbourne: Sweden head coach Peter Gerhardsson said that history will mean nothing when they face the United States in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 last 16 on Sunday, confident his team can dethrone the title-holders.

The clash in Melbourne will pit the two top-ranked sides left in the tournament after world number two Germany's shock early exit.
 
Sweden and the US have met six times before at World Cups, but never in the knockout stages.
 
The top-ranked USA won their last World Cup encounter 2-0 in 2019 on their way to the title, but world number three Sweden were 3-0 winners when they last met at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Classy Bonmati takes five-star Spain into q-finals

Sat, 05 Aug, 2023

Classy Bonmati takes five-star Spain into q-finals

Auckland: Aitana Bonmati played a starring role with a brace and two assists as Spain defeated Switzerland 5-1 at Eden Park on Saturday to march into the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in their history.

Bonmati's early opener in the last-16 tie in Auckland was cancelled out by a spectacular own goal from Laia Codina, but Alba Redondo restored Spain's lead and Bonmati scored again to make it 3-1.
 
Codina then made up for her error by getting her team's fourth before the interval, and Jennifer Hermoso made it 5-1 in the second half in front of 43,217 fans, a new record crowd for a football match in New Zealand.
 
The result was a huge boost to Spain following their 4-0 defeat by Japan in their last group game, and the performance justified head coach Jorge Vilda's decision to leave Alexia Putellas out of his starting line-up.

Preview - R16: Netherlands v South Africa

Sun, 06 Aug, 2023

Preview - R16: Netherlands v South Africa

Sydney: Head coach Desiree Ellis says that nothing can stand in the way of her South Africa team ahead of their  FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand last-16 clash with the Netherlands on Sunday.

South Africa won their first World Cup game ever in a shock 3-2 victory over Italy to reach the knockouts, a landmark for women's football in the country.
 
The Netherlands, the 2019 runners-up and ranked ninth in the world to South Africa's 54, will be favourites to win the game in Sydney and progress to the quarter-finals.

Asia’s Group Stage in Numbers

Fri, 04 Aug, 2023

Asia’s Group Stage in Numbers

Sydney: The group stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand drew to a close on Thursday with two of Asia’s representatives progressing and four bowing out.

As co-hosts Australia and Japan now prepare for their Round of 16 encounters, China PR, Korea Republic, the Philippines and Vietnam will depart Australia and New Zealand.
 
Ahead of the knockout rounds kicking off on Saturday, the-AFC.com looks back at Asia’s group stage in numbers.

Miyazawa to James: Five players who lit up group phase

Fri, 04 Aug, 2023

Miyazawa to James: Five players who lit up group phase

Sydney: The FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 knockout rounds begin on Saturday after some sparkling performances in the group phase.

We take a look at players who have lit up the tournament so far.

Days of Women's World Cup 'total predictability' over, says Ellis

Fri, 04 Aug, 2023

Days of Women's World Cup 'total predictability' over, says Ellis

Sydney: The days of "total predictability" at the FIFA Women's World Cup are over, two-time winning coach Jill Ellis said on Friday, after Germany became the latest and most high-profile victims.

Ellis led the United States to World Cup glory in 2015 and 2019, but the Americans were made to look anything but champions as they squeezed into the knockout rounds.
 
Last year's European Championship runners-up Germany, Brazil, Italy and Olympic champions Canada were all turfed out in the group phase. Morocco, Nigeria, Jamaica and South Africa instead all progressed.

Socceroos tactician Graham Arnold headlines latest Coaches Circle

Thu, 03 Aug, 2023

Socceroos tactician Graham Arnold headlines latest Coaches Circle

Kuala Lumpur: The 10th issue of the Coaches Circle, now available on the-AFC.com, shines the spotlight on Australia’s Graham Arnold who was amongst the Asian coaches making headlines at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. 

Under Arnold, the Socceroos earned their highest point tally at the Group Stage of the global showpiece to date and gave eventual world champions Argentina a late scare before ultimately losing 2-1 to end their remarkable campaign in the Round of 16.