CANBERRA: The 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup is heating up with only eight teams left vying for the title, reported Xinhua.
France secured their spot in the quarterfinals Tuesday night, dispatching Morocco in a decisive 4-0 win.
The group stage was filled with surprises, yet the final eight primarily consists of tournament regulars. Colombia is the exception, marking its maiden voyage to a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal.
Returning to the quarterfinals from their 2019 appearances are European stalwarts Sweden, the Netherlands, France and England, who’ve successfully dodged each other in the draw. Spain’s entry into the quarterfinals, its first in three World Cup appearances, brings the European contingent to five, reduced from seven in the last edition.
Joining them are Asian Football Confederation (AFC) representatives – Japan and co-host Australia. Colombia’s 1-0 win over Jamaica sees it become the second South American team, following Brazil, to reach the quarterfinals.
The glaring omission this year is the four-time champion – the United States. Sweden edged them out in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. This, determined by the slimmest of margins, thanks to goal-line technology, marked the earliest the US has been sent packing from a Women’s World Cup. Consequently, for the first time ever, no North American teams will feature in the semi-finals – Olympic champs Canada didn’t advance past Group B.
With the US and Norway out, Japan remains the sole past champions, having clinched the title in 2011. Their captain, Saki Kumagai, is the lone player in the competition to have previously lifted the trophy.
Echoing the 2011 World Cup, the round of 16 saw multiple matches decided by penalties. England, the reigning European champions, had to rely on spot-kicks to overcome Nigeria.
Australia and New Zealand have witnessed growing excitement for the tournament. The round of 16 games averaged an attendance of 38,838 fans. Among these, a record 75,784 spectators watched the Matildas defeat Denmark at Stadium Australia. This equalled their opener as the largest crowd ever for Australia’s women’s national team.
Aside from packing the stadiums, fans in both countries have been thronging the official Fan Festivals in each host city. Fifa recently celebrated the half-millionth fan visiting the official sites during the tournament’s first 19 days, averaging over 25,000 daily.
Gerdine Lindhout, Fifa’s head of Marketing Operations and Event Promotion, commended the initiative’s success, saying, “While the stadiums are the heart of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the Fifa Fan Festival embodies its spirit.” – BERNAMA-XINHUA
