OneFootball
Richard Buxton·30 July 2023
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsOneFootball
Richard Buxton·30 July 2023
With the World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand, plenty of fans around the world will be in bed when some of the games take place.
Not to worry, we have you covered.
Switzerland topped Group A after a stalemate with New Zealand which ended the co-hosts’ campaign.
Norway booked their place in the last-16 with a six-goal dismantling of the Philippines.
Morocco’s first-ever win at the World Cup threatened to send South Korea out of the group stage.
… but Colombia stunned Germany to keep Group H on a knife edge heading into the final round of fixtures.
Germany had not lost any of their previous 20 World Cup group outings prior to taking on 24th-ranked Colombia.
That longstanding record, dating back to the 1995 tournament, was emphatically ended in a pulsating encounter at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
The two-time world champions struggled to break down their resolute opponents, who took the lead through Linda Caicedo’s second-half wonder strike.
Alexandra Popp restored parity for the Frauenteam with an 89th-minute penalty after Lena Oberdorf was dragged down in the area by Catalina Pérez.
But the Powerpuff Girls continued to rally and reaped a deserved reward deep into added time when Manuela Vanegas’s header tipped the balance.
Not only did her effort send Nelson Abadía’s side above Germany in Group H but it also left things nicely poised for the final round of fixtures.
There’s definitely a case for Caicedo after her inspiring personal journey but Sophie Román Haug’s star turn for Norway also deserves huge credit.
Shorn of Ada Hegerberg through injury, Hege Riise’s side headed into their final Group A encounter with the Philippines in dire need of both points and goals.
In the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner’s absence, Haug stepped up to the plate to produce a quickfire double which set the Gresshoppene en route to a cruising 6-0 victory.
Colombia’s players in a mix of euphoria and exhaustion when the final whistle confirmed their hard-fought victory.
Germany’s defeat has made their final Group H encounter with Morocco a winner-takes-all affair with only goal difference separating second and third place.
Fine margins are also key in Spain’s Group C showdown with Japan in Wellington on Monday with the group winners set to meet Norway while the runners-up do battle with Switzerland.
Also on Monday, tournament co-hosts Australia could still reach the knockout stage if they can leapfrog Canada into Group B’s second spot.