Australia will attempt to keep away from the host staff curse by avoiding elimination within the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.
The Matildas have co-hosted this event with New Zealand, however the Football Ferns didn’t advance out of group play. Australia remains to be enjoying and faces France on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia, for a spot within the semifinals.
But event hosts have all the time struggled to make it previous the quarterfinals, beginning with China within the inaugural 1991 event, then Sweden in 1995, Germany in 2011, Canada in 2015 and eventually France in 2019.
France was eradicated by the United States in entrance of 45,000 spectators in Paris, and the sting carried with Les Blues for fairly awhile.
Aside from the United States, which received the 1999 event in America, all different World Cup hosts have didn’t advance previous the quarterfinals.
France can now kick Australia out of its personal event, and French coach Herve Renard stated his gamers are conversant in the stress that faces the Matildas.
“We know exactly what we’re in for,” Renard stated. “The host nation, we all know that that may be a superb or unhealthy factor. This is what the French staff went via in 2019. It might be vastly disappointing because it was for France once they have been knocked out.
“We’re hoping to put Australia through exactly what France went through when they were the host country in 2019.” Australia might have famous person Sam Kerr at full power after she missed all of group play with a calf harm, and solely performed the ultimate 10 minutes of Australia’s quarterfinal win over Denmark.
The Matildas have additionally been enjoying in entrance of huge crowds, together with greater than 75,000 in Sydney for the victory over Denmark.
“I think that Sydney properly ramped things up,” stated defender Alanna Kennedy. “We really felt the energy from the crowd.” Added 20-year-old defender Mary Fowler: “It’s amazing, especially once the games have finished, when you can really see the size of the crowds that have turned up to watch you.” Australia has by no means superior out of the World Cup quarterfinals in three earlier makes an attempt, so a debut within the semifinals is on the road. Australia beat France simply final month in a 1-0 warmup forward of the event — the one loss Les Blues has suffered whereas successful 16 of 18 matches this 12 months.
France is making an attempt to keep away from being eradicated within the quarterfinals for the third consecutive World Cup. France was eradicated by Germany in 2015 and the United States 4 years in the past. A win over Australia would put France into the semifinals for the second time ever, however first time since 2011.
France was a bit underwhelming in its World Cup opener, a scoreless draw in opposition to Jamaica. But the fifth-ranked staff on this planet cruised into the quarterfinals by serving to to remove Brazil whereas outscoring its opponents 12-4 within the final three video games.
ENGLAND-COLOMBIA
Colombia is the over-achiever of the Women’s World Cup and at twenty fifth on this planet, it’s the lowest-ranked staff nonetheless enjoying.
But the Superpoderosas are not any fluke and knocked off two-time champion Germany in group play, then beat Jamaica within the knockouts to maneuver into the quarterfinals for the primary time in staff historical past.
Only 4 years in the past, Colombia’s staff didn’t qualify for the World Cup. Colombia additionally missed the event in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
To make it to the semifinals — already they’re the one South American staff nonetheless enjoying — the Colombians should beat European champion England at Stadium Australia in Sydney. It would be the greatest worldwide stage thus far for the Colombians, who’ve captured their house nation.
“These warriors have us dreaming. Come on Colombia we are with you,” Colombia males’s star Luis Díaz posted on social media after the ladies’s knockout spherical victory.
The Colombians are led by 18-year-old sensation Linda Caicedo, a wide-smiling rising star for Real Madrid who has already efficiently battled most cancers. Caicedo was identified with ovarian most cancers at 15, and he or she’s had well being issues on this event: she was handled for what Colombia known as exhaustion no less than twice this event, however performed the whole thing of the staff’s final two matches.
“What Linda is doing for me and also every Colombian player, she’s our reference, she’s a symbol,” stated Ana Maria Guzman, one other 18-year-old on the Colombian squad. “She’s a player that has proven that dreams can be achieved, and you have to work for that.” Colombia received’t be a pushover for England, a staff that hasn’t discovered any consistency but on this event however remains to be a FanDuel betting favourite, and received all three of its group-stage video games.
England was underwhelming in an opening-game win over Haiti, misplaced star participant Keira Walsh in opposition to Denmark, went to a wholly new formation in opposition to China, after which misplaced famous person Lauren James to a two-game suspension.
James earned a crimson card in England’s knockout spherical win over Nigeria when she violently tackled an opponent, then stepped on her. The motion noticed James kicked out of the sport that England received on penalty kicks, after which banned for 2 extra matches.
James, who has scored three objectives for England within the event, apologized.
“Obviously she’s disappointed with what happened,” England ahead Beth England stated. “It was a split second, emotional moment that happened. We’ve got around her. It is good that she’s acknowledged that and put her apology out.” England veteran Lucy Bronze stated the staff has been examined in a number of methods this event and has responded each time.
“Everything that has been thrown at us, we’ve dealt with and moved forward,” she stated. “I don’t see many other teams who’ve had that adversity and if they had, I don’t think they’ve managed to overcome the way we have. At the same time, we are not happy with our performances.”
