Women’s World Cup: Can England Go Global?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is just over a month away, taking place in Australia and New Zealand and starting on the 20^th of July, as the ninth edition, it is the first to have 32 nations taking part.

According to the early Women’s World Cup 2023 betting oddsSarina Wiegman’s England will be involved at the business end of the competition, having won the Women’s European Championships on home soil in 2022. And former Lionesses skipper Carol Thomas has told the UK media that England can win the World Cup to make it a historic double. Of course, the USA, Spain, and Germany will have plenty to say about that but Wiegman is a talented coach who will have the big prize in clear focus.

So, as the showcase tournament approaches, let’s take a look at the SBOTOP picks for the qualifiers from Groups A to D (including England and Spain) and the stars we expect to shine.

Group A

Co-hosts New Zealand are in a tough group, alongside Norway, Switzerland, and Philippines, and I suspect the Norwegians and Swiss will proceed.

Ada Hegerberg of Norway is a real class act and a lethal striker who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018. She has since suffered an ACL injury and more setbacks last season but, if she is fit and firing, Hegerberg will hit the target more often than not.

27-year-old Noelle Maritz is in her tenth year as a Switzerland international, previously starring at U17 and U20 levels and she has won plenty of admirers in the domestic game as a cool defender, winning five Bundesliga titles with Wolfsburg and now playing for Arsenal.

Group B

Australia shouldn’t struggle to escape Group B, with Ireland, Nigeria, and Canada also involved. Canada have plenty of experience but they may have a surprise when they face Nigeria.

One star who is sure to make plenty of Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights this summer is Australian star Sam Kerr who, at 29 years of age, is in her fourth World Cup finals tournament and her second as skipper. The Chelsea player won the WSL Golden Boot in 2021 and 2022 and scored 27 goals in all competitions this season.

Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala scored at both the 2015 and 2019 finals and she will be hoping to fire Nigeria to their first quarter-finals. The Super Falcons have reached every finals tournament but they have gone home early, a habit they are keen to break in Oz.

Group C

Highly fancied Spain will surely get through to the knockout phases and, in a group comprising Costa Rica and Zambia, I expect the talented Japan team to join them. 

In the men’s international game, all eyes are on the UEFA Nations League and the qualifiers for Euro 2024 where Spain suffered a shock defeat in a recent clash with Scotland.  But Spain women have been relentless in their recent form, winning seven from eight and only losing a five-goal thriller against Australia. La Roja’s Aitana Bonmati is a player to watch. She’s a commanding midfield player with a superb range of passing, making 17 assists and scoring 14 goals for Barcelona this season. At 25 years of age, she is coming into her prime and Bonmati is one of Spain’s most important players.

Japan’s versatile star Yui Hasegawa plays for WSL big hitters Manchester City and she will give the dark horses a real touch of quality. She is equally comfortable on the left or right, and playing in a deep-lying position or in an advanced role just behind the strikers. Hasegawa is a dream for her coach but will give opponents nightmares.

International Friendly

GERMANY

UKRAINE

1X2 Draw @ 5.20

Over 3.00 @ 1.85

Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.96

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Group D

England (4), Haiti (53), Denmark (13), China PR (14)   

While the English Premier League clubs can dominate Europe, with Manchester City as Champions League winners and West Ham United winning the Europa Conference League, the women’s national team have shone brighter than the men’s, winning the European Championships in 2022 while the Three Lions last title was the 1966 World Cup. And, ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, I expect the Lionesses to advance from Group D alongside Denmark, with China and Haiti making an early exit.

Aston Villa striker Rachel Daly surpassed everyone’s expectations this season, winning the Golden Boot with 20 goals from 20 games, having played as a left-back during England’s successful Euro 2022 campaign. She can play pretty much anywhere, but I wouldn’t stick Daly in the nets! Denmark’s Pernille Harder is a superstar on the world stage as a creative midfielder with Bayern Munich and her national team. She became the world’s most expensive player when she moved from Wolfsburg to Chelsea in 2020, for a fee of £250k, and now she is ripping it up again in the Women’s Bundesliga.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 14-Jun-2023 at 6:02 PM

Put Aside the Grumbles; This Women’s World Cup Could be Quite Brilliant

There is still a month until the start of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and wouldn’t it be pleasing if we’ve already had the biggest disappointment/controversy before a ball is even kicked.

For without wishing to further stir up the debate about the standard of women’s football (high) and the argument broadcasters should financially value it as high as the men’s World Cup (nonsense), this is a tournament which football fans the world over should applaud.

The threat of a TV blackout now averted, there are a few other grumbles: not least the findings of a newly released survey of 362 female internationals by the global players’ union which has highlighted concerns with compensation, health, travel and recovery.

To complete the set, another potential negative is that the tournament runs until August 20, by which time much media focus will move to the start of a range of men’s leagues throughout Europe – surely a World Cup should be played as the sole focal point in any football calendar?

Putting all that to one side, though, when play begins, we can expect Women’s World Cup highlights galore and the controversy to be put to one side as fans look forward to compelling matches, wonderful stories and individual showcases.

This SBOTOP writer recalls covering the 2019 final when the USA defeated Holland in a match-up between the world and European champions and a contest which, at the time, extended the Americans’ record to just one defeat in 44 matches.

At that tournament, the US scored an all-time record 26 goals and their success further cemented their place as the pre-eminent force in the women’s game at international level.

Less than two months earlier, I recalled the Champions League Final in which sensational Norwegian Ada Hegerberg hit a 16-minute hat-trick to ensure Lyon were crowned European champions again at the expense of Barcelona.

International Friendly

BOLIVIA

CHILE

1X2 Bolivia @ 3.50

Chile Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.21

Over 2.50 @ 2.14

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Now if women’s football was soaring then, four years on it has reached another level of interest, helped by last summer’s European Championships which took to the game to an even wider audience.

That was then I was stopped in the office and in the street of my hometown by people asking me was I watching.

People of all ages were talking about it, especially the final when Sarina Wiegman, who guided Oranje Leeuwinnen to Euro success in 2017 and the 2019 final, masterminded England’s triumph over Germany at Wembley.

They are one of a number of teams with high hopes for more success as we move ever closer to the championships.

Without wishing to focus too much on the negatives, the United States captain Becky Sauerbrunn is the latest to be ruled out through injury and joins a number of players on the sidelines for various nations which is a a genuine shame.

How that is impacting on the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds, I will leave to you to decide.

However, it shows the strength in depth of the Americans that they remain favourites and dream of glory even without the likes of Sauerbrunn, Sam Mewis, Catarina Macario and Mallory Swanson.

As for the second favourites, no-one can accuse England of not embarking on a full and detailed build-up.

The Lionesses arrived at their St George’s Park base on Monday and had their first training session on Tuesday in preparation for a warm-up game against Portugal in Milton Keynes on July 1.

Players and staff will then fly to a training camp on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast before facing Haiti in Brisbane on 22 July.

That means they will have been together for some 33 days before kicking their first competitive ball in anger in Australia – something that has caused outrage among Women’s Super League clubs, who feel their England players were bullied into accepting the June 19 meet-up date by the Football Association.

Whether that is the case or not, England will have few excuses if they under perform.

It’s not just the favourites who are worth watching, of course, and there will surely be a few surprises.

All in all, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup set to become most attended women’s sporting event in history.

The 1,032,884 tickets sold means it is set to surpass the competition in France for years ago as the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.

Local interest is soaring too.

Earlier this year, Australia’s opening fixture against the Republic of Ireland was moved to Stadium Australia in Sydney, which has a capacity of 83,000, in response to what FIFA described as “significant interest in tickets.”

Everything is gearing up to the big kick-off. Now we wait to see if it can live up to its billing.

●●●

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 28-Jun-2023 at 4:01 PM

Women’s World Cup: USA Team Announced

With just a month to wait before the Women’s World Cup starts the USA squad has been revealed, with a host of glitterati at the team’s launch event.

They love the razzmatazz in America and why not put on a show? They have the best team on the planet, ranked first by FIFA for the vast majority of the past two decades, and the USA are hot, hot favourites to win in Australia and New Zealand when the tournament begins on Thursday 20^th July. Singer Taylor Swift, basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and President Joe Biden were all on the launch video as Vlatko Andonovski’s 23 woman squad was announced.

All the big names were on the list, with the notable exception of skipper Becky Sauerbrunn who has a foot injury. But 37 year old Megan Rapinoe, who is closing in on her 200^th cap for the Stars and Stripes, and forward Alex Morgan, who already has 206, scoring 121 goals will be in Australia and New Zealand to give the striking unit plenty of experience. 22 year old Portland Thorns striker Sophia Smith is an exciting prospect; she has 12 goals from 29 internationals and could be one of the stars of the 2023 showcase.

18 year old Alyssa Thompson is the first teenager to be picked for a USA Finals squad since 1995 and she will hope to add to her three caps, while the other Alyssa, Naeher, will go as first choice goalkeeper again, with Casey Murphy as back up.

This is a very strong squad with the perfect blend of youth and experience and the Women’s World Cup betting odds are backing the Stars and Stripes for a third successive triumph; but while it’s all smiles in the USA, things are not quite so cheerful over the border.

Canada team in pay dispute

In other Women’s World Cup news almost 30 per cent of international women’s footballers recently polled by the players’ union FIFPro were not paid for the 2023 World qualifiers; and many played on poor pitches and had limited access to medical support. FIFPro director Sarah Gregorius said: “Any stat below 100 per cent in access to important medical checks is unacceptable. We just want to work with whoever wants to work with us, particularly FIFA and the confederations, to understand why that is the case.”

K-League

SUWON BLUEWINGS

SEOUL

1X2 FC Seoul 2.19

FC Seoul Asia Handicap -0.25 @ 1.88

Over 2.25 @ 1.89

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

And back in North America players in the Canada women’s team is having a battle with Canada Soccer to settle a pay issue before they set off for the World Cup finals. The Olympic Champions have been involved in a labor dispute for over a year and, at the SheBelieves Cup in February, the Canada women sat out a practice session in protest over budget cuts made by their governing body. After threatening to boycott that tournament the Canadians are still waiting for a collective bargaining agreement as they haven’t had one since 2021. They have lost four of their last five games and the Canada women are desperate to get matters off the pitch sorted so they can concentrate on playing. Captain Christine Sinclair said: “We’re not at a point where we’re not getting on a plane, but time’s coming where we want it done so as players we’re not having to deal with it as we prepare.”

Fixtures are out

So as the countdown continues, the squads are taking shape and off field disputes are raging; the fixture list is out and the hosts are both in action on Thursday 20^th July when New Zealand have a tough opener against Norway, ranked 12^th by FIFA and 14 places above their hosts. Australia follow on with a game against Republic of Ireland and that’s one they will expect to win.

Providing they resolve their off-field problems the Canada women have a fascinating clash with a strong Nigeria side on Friday, when the highly fancied Spain also make an entrance with a very winnable game against Costa Rica. And then, on Saturday, the USA and England take the stage. The favourites face Vietnam in the early kick-off and I’d expect to see a big score there, before Zambia meet Japan, and the day’s entertainment closes with England’s opener against minnows Haiti.

Here at SBOTOP we took a look at Sarina Wiegman’s England last week, and the Lionesses will kick off their campaign with plenty of confidence, after winning the European Championships on home soil last year. England’s men are fairing pretty well in their Euro 24 qualifiers, with four wins from four, and now it’s the turn of the women to take the limelight again.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 28-Jun-2023 at 4:03 PM

Women’s World Cup: The Best Five Attacks

We’re expecting an avalanche of goals at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. In fact, we’ll see the most ever, as this time around, there will be 32 teams competing in Australia and New Zealand.

So the 146 goals scored at the 2019 finals at an average of almost three a game will be blown out of the water, as there will be 64 games in 2023 compared with the 52 of four years ago. Every team at the showcase tournament will arrive full of hope but, for the unfortunate, those hopes will be quickly shredded when they face the best attacking teams.

With less than a month to go before the action begins; let’s take a look at the five front lines which will give defenders nightmares and the rest of us some pretty spectacular Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights.

USA

We covered the announcement of the USA team here at SBOTOP, and there is no doubt this is the nation feared by most. And when you look at the Stars and Stripes’ attack, you can see why.

The emergence of Sophia Smith and Alyssa Thompson ensures that America will have a potent attack for years to come, but the big name at the spearhead is San Diego striker Alex Morgan. The 33-year-old has long been recognised as on of the very best goal scorers in the world and is a two-time World Cup winner.

With 121 goals from 206 games, Morgan is a lethal finisher and has played alongside the talismanic Megan Rapinoe for much of her international career.

This year, it will be interesting to see whether USA starts with both Morgan and Smith, who burst onto the scene last season, scoring 12 goals from 29 games, while 18-year-old Thompson will hope to add to her three caps.      

The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds back the Stars and Stripes to retain the title, and if Morgan and Smith are anywhere near top form, then it will be difficult to see then falling short.  

Premier League

EVERTON

FULHAM

1X2 Everton @ 2.21

Fulham Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.00

Over 2.50 @ 2.08

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Brazil

The 2022 Copa America champions will welcome back the legendary Marta, who lost much of last season through injury and will be playing in her last World Cup at the age of 37.

The Orlando Pride striker has scored 115 goals in 175 internationals. Regarded by many as the greatest women’s football player of all time, Marta is a six-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year and will be desperate to go out with a bang.

The future for the Selecao looks bright too with Barca’s 24-year-old striker Geyse and Kansas City’s Debinha both highly talented.     

Germany

Few neutrals would dispute the idea that Germany would have won the European Championships last year had captain Alexandra Popp not picked up an injury in the semi-final. She’s a versatile forward for both Wolfsburg and Germany and has scored 61 goals in 127 games for her country, and she had bagged a goal in every round of Euro 2022 before she missed the final.

Popp will play alongside Bayern Munich’s emerging star Klara Buhl or her teammate Lea Schuller, who has 30 goals in 46 games for Germany and is seen as the natural replacement for the physical Popp.

Schuller is consistency personified, scoring 16 goals for Bayern in each of her last three seasons. And at 25 years of age, she is yet to reach her prime.       

England

Though Ellen White has retired and Beth Mead is injured, the Lionesses still have one of the most exciting frontlines in the competition with Manchester United’s charismatic star Alessia Russo set to take centre stage again after she scored four goals at Euro 2022, each time coming off the bench when her clever backheel against Sweden was the pick of the lot.

The 24-year-old Russo can play as a striker or equally can drop deeper, and it is the flexibility of England players which make them an attractive team to watch.

Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly can play in defence, midfield or attack. She won the Golden Boot in 2022-23, scoring 22 goals so England will play her up front in Oz.      

Australia

Any team with Sam Kerr in its side has an attack to fear and the tournament hosts will believe they have a good chance of going all the way. Kerr, at 29 years of age, is in the prime of her career and is the only player to win the Golden Boot in three different countries – in Australia, the USA, and now England where she plays for Chelsea.

She became the first player to break the 20-goal barrier in consecutive seasons for the Blues, scoring some spectacular efforts as Chelsea marched to another title in 2023.     

Kerr scores all manner of goals, header, volleys, long range efforts, and poacher’s goals, and that has brought her 63 goals in 120 appearances.    

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 28-Jun-2023 at 4:05 PM

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Canada in the Last Chance Saloon

The Women’s World Cup is firmly on the horizon and excitement is building.

As Australia and New Zealand prepare to host what could be a quite brilliant tournament, the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds make holders the USA, reigning European champion England and Spain as the favourites.

I am not looking beyond those three either.

Amongst the debates that will follow over the next six weeks or so, particularly close attention will be paid to the US who defeated Holland in the 2019 final, a match-up which, at the time, extended the Americans’ record to just one defeat in 44 matches.

But is their class of 2023 as strong as their predecessors?

Love them or loathe them, the Stars n’ Stripes are certainly a team you cannot ignore.

One reason for this is their veteran striker Megan Rapinoe who has a lot to say for herself.

J-League

Yokohama F. Marinos

Shonan Bellmare

1X2 Draw @ 4.60

Under 3.25 @ 2.11

First Half Over 1.50 @ 2.19

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Without going into detail about her insistence on equal pay to the men’s national team, she divides opinions.

To some, her protests are about satisfying her ego more than supporting any particular cause. To others, she is a powerful icon of gay pride and defiant activism.

Her cult of personality is so strong she has claimed prizes for on-field play ahead of more deserving teammates such as Rose Lavelle, Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz or Becky Sauerbrunn – the latter was the captain until a foot injury ruled her out of the tournament which is a big blow.

And so it is Rapinoe who shows the influence of this team, also influencing female athletes who have been fighting for similar causes over a long period. Lightning rods draw lightning, and while that’s surely difficult at times, she and her teammates are sure to get attention and build an intimidating mystique as the World Cup approaches.

You would expect them to deliver plenty of Women’s World Cup highlights too as Vlatko Andonovski’s squad is littered with talent.

Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Rapinoe are heading to their fourth Women’s World Cup and bidding for a third title after being part of the 2015 and 2019 successes.

Among those making their first appearance at a World Cup is Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith who has been widely tipped as one of the stars to watch after an impressive season and she already has 12 goals in 29 appearances for the national team.

Also included in the squad is Alyssa Naeher, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan and Lavelle, who have a chance to win another World Cup title after playing at the tournament four year ago.

Yet are the US as favourites as they were then?

Sauerbrunn is not the only big name to be absent as another star from France 2019, Mallory Swanson, the team’s most potent attacking threat in recent times, is also out.

Two other important midfielders, Sam Mewis and Catarina Macario, will too miss the tournament after injury struggles.

Furthermore, Rapinoe will have turned 38 by the time of the big kick-off.

Looking ahead to the action, after opening up against Vietnam, the US then face a tough test and a repeat of the 2019 final against Holland, the world’s number nine ranked side, before rounding out the group stage against Portugal.

The Women’s World Cup will be the first to include 32 teams, up from 24 in the previous two, both of which were won by the US.

Can they make it three in a row? I am certainly not betting against them.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 05-Jul-2023 at 3:20 PM

Women’s World Cup: Is this Germany’s time?

Germany’s women’s team was at the pinnacle of European football at the beginning of the 21^st century and twice World Champions too, in 2003 and 2007.

Times have changed and Germany have plenty of competition in Europe; but they are still one of the favourites to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup, behind only USA. And despite the playing field levelling as more nations improve, Germany were at the Euro 2022 final and were unlucky to finish as runners up.

So how do they rate as potential world champions? Here at SBOTOP, we’ve taken a look at Germany’s best players, their coach and the nations they have to beat to become World Champions.

Do the Germans have a chance? Of course, they do!

The Stars

Germany boast one of the best attacks in women’s football and one player sure to feature heavily in the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights is 25 year old striker Lea Schuller. A quick-footed striker with a lethal finish she has won two Bundesliga titles with FC Bayern and has scored 41 goals in 57 appearances for the champions. She struggled to make her mark in the 2019 World Cup or in the 2022 Euros, but with 30 goals in 46 games for her country surely this Schuller’s time to shine.

She is the natural successor to Germany’s captain and top striker Alexandra Popp who has been one of the best players in the women’s game over the past decade, scoring 61 goals in 127 internationals. Popp scores all manner of goals; headers, volley and long-range stunners and, after missing the 2022 European Final through injury she will be determined to lead her team to victory in Australia.

At the other end of her career, 21 year old Wolfsburg midfielder, Lena Oberdorf is one of the most promising youngsters on the planet. A defensive midfielder, Oberdorf is a cultured player, very comfortable on the ball and with superb vision. She has already made 37 appearances for the Germany senior team, scoring three goals.

The Boss

One of most highly rated coaches in the game, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has been leading the Germany team since 2019 and she represented her country with distinction as a player, making 125 international appearances. She is a four times Bundesliga winner with TSV Siegen and, as an experienced coach, she led FCR Duisburg to two DFB Pokals; and Voss-Tecklenburg managed Switzerland from 2012 to 2019 before taking over at Germany.

An inspirational figure on the touchline, the players know Voss-Tecklenburg is one of the team and will do everything in her power to bring success.

The Rivals

USA

The Stars and Stripes are the rock stars of women’s football and back-to-back reigning champions, and the current Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds suggest they will make it three on the bounce. They have won 21 of their last 24 games and are yet to concede a goal in 2023; and it is up front where the USA have their biggest stars. The experienced Alex Morgan will lead the line while the exciting talent Sophia Smith will be a candidate for the Golden Boot, and 18 year old Alyssia Thompson could well make her first appearance at a major tournament.

USA will be the team to beat.

2023 CONCACAF GOLD CUP

Martinique

Panama

1X2 Panama 1.27

Argentina Asia Handicap -1.25 @ 1.60

Over 3.00 @ 1.88

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Australia

Hosts Australia have some great players to go along with their home advantage, none more so than the legendary Sam Kerr. The Matildas will hope to go deep into the competition and maybe even emulate England who won Euro 2022 on home soil. Australia are a force to be reckoned with, beating powerhouses England, Spain and Sweden over the past 12 months and, even though they come into the tournament with a few injuries, any team with Kerr in its 11 has a good chance.

England

The reigning European champions will have some new faces I their team at the World Cup, following the retirement of the brilliant Jill Scott and star striker Ellen White, while injuries to Beth Mead and Leah Williamson mean they too will be missing. But the Lionesses will still be a threat and head coach Sarina Wiegman has some talented new blood in her squad. Aston Villa striker Rachel Daly is a versatile player who can drop deeper if needed and even play at wingback, while attacking midfielder Alessia Russo has made a good case for a starting place after performing brilliantly from the bench at Euro 2022.

This is a team Germany really wants to beat. Having lost narrowly to England in the 2022 Euro final, they would love to taste some sweet revenge 12 months on.

●●●

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 05-Jul-2023 at 3:22 PM

Women’s World Cup: It’s a ‘Group of Death’ and Three Into Don’t Go!

If the reigning World and European champions, USA and England, got fairly lucky when it came to the draw for this summer’s Women’s World Cup, two other big hitting footballing nations were anything but.

That is Brazil and France who, no sooner had been paired together last October, were immediately dubbed as being in the ‘group of death’.

And it’s so true!

However, before focusing on the South Americans and Les Bleus and potential Women’s World Cup highlights, spare a thought for Jamaica.

For this is the second successive tournament in which they have been pitted in such a pool.

The fate of the Reggae Girlz in 2023 has echoes with that of 2019 as, once again, they will face Brazil and France, the latter semi-finalists at the European Championships last summer.

There’s no doubt in the ability within Jamaica’s team – led by Manchester City striker Bunny Shaw.

The woman nicknamed ‘Bunny’ for a love of carrots in her infancy scored goals aplenty in American college soccer and with Bordeaux in France, before moving to City, where she has continued to find the net on a frequent basis.

Yet to finish in the top two will be tough.

That they will be one of the teams having to make a long trip west to Perth for their second game – a city some 2,000 miles from Sydney, where their first game will be played – won’t help either.

Certainly, if the Reggae Girlz are to improve on their first World Cup showing, expect Shaw to be at the heart of it.

Should they qualify for the knockouts, the draw doesn’t get much easier, as a runner-up spot would likely land them Germany in the next round.

Their mood won’t have been helped either by a number of players feeling let down by ‘subpar’ support from the Jamaican Football Federation.

The players say their focus has been hindered by a number of issues such as inadequate planning and access to proper resources in the build-up to the tournament, which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

Jamaica, who lost all three games at their first World Cup four years ago, begin their 2023 campaign on July 23 against France in Sydney.

Panama make up the group and the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds are naturally stacked heavily against them.

As for France, they have had former captain Amandine Henry helping them prepare after she was called up by coach Herve Renard.

The capture of Renard, appointed in March after the players rebelled against predecessor Corinne Diacre, is something of a coup.

This is the coach who, until recently, was in charge of the Saudi Arabia men’s team, ending a four-year spell highlighted by an unforgettable victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Women’s World Cup 2023

New Zealand

Norway

1X2 Draw @ 5.40

Over 1.25 @ 1.96

Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.00

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

He says his goal as new boss of the women’s team is to reach at least the semi-finals at the World Cup and the Paris Olympics.

And what of Brazil, whose six-time world player of the year Marta faces a race against the clock.

The Orlando Pride striker has scored 115 goals in 175 internationals and is regarded by many as the greatest women’s footballers of all time.

The future for the Selecao looks bright too with Barcelona’s 24-year old striker Geyse and Kansas City’s Debinha both highly talented.    

Other emerging stars include midfielder Ary Borges and forwards Adriana and Kerolin who have broken their way into the squad, showing their appetite for hard work as the team plots an upward trajectory following the defeats to USA and Canada at the SheBelieves Cup.

Although 37 year-old Marta has been recovering from a knee injury, she is expected to play a role in their bid for victory as the South Americans are coached at a World Cup by a European for the first time.

Pia Sundhage, who led the US to two Olympic gold medals, has had nearly four years to transform the team.

They performed well in the two latest friendlies despite Marta’s absence, holding England to a 1-1 draw before losing the Finalissima on penalties at Wembley Stadium. Days later, Brazil beat second-ranked Germany 2-1 in Nuremberg.

What a fairytale it would be and a fitting swansong for Marta if they could go one better than their best-ever finish, runner-up to Germany in 2007.

Brazil’s performances in the tournament will also come against the backdrop of the nation (amongst others) bidding to host the next edition of the Women’s World Cup.

I think they and France will prevail but don’t rule out Jamaica in this ‘group of death’.

●●●

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 05-Jul-2023 at 3:23 PM

Women’s World Cup: Can Sweden, The ‘Nearly’ Nation, Get Over the Line?

Sweden heads to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with a point to prove. 

The Swedish team has been one of the pioneers of the modern women’s game and they are expected to go deep at the 2023 tournament, and they have the added incentive of making up for a really poor showing at the European Championships where they were hammered 4-0 by hosts England.

In fact, Sweden have been serial under achievers in recent years, constantly ranked highly by FIFA, currently third in the world, but without a tournament triumph since the 1984 European Championships.

The Swedes are the women’s football equivalent of Belgium!

Women’s World Cup 2023

Netherlands

Portugal

1X2 Portugal @ 4.70

Netherlands Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 1.99

Over 2.75 @ 1.91

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

They were World Cup runners up in 2003 and twenty years on Peter Gerhardsson’s team is desperate to go one step further. This is a squad which has been together for a while and has tasted disappointment by the finest of margins; losing the 2021 Olympic final to Canada in a penalty shootout and losing the 2019 World Cup semi-final to the Netherlands in extra time.

This time around they will have stiff competition from European heavyweights Germany and England, as well as reigning champions the USA, the SBOTOP favourites to win in Oz.

Gerhardsson, who has led the team since 2017, is confident that if his team keeps getting itself into good positions they will eventually pick up some silverware, but they come into this World Cup with only one win in 2023, over China, a 4-1 victory which was followed up by a defeat to Denmark and draws with Germany and Norway.

And the Swedes are drawn in a very difficult group alongside South Africa, Italy and Argentina, all nations capable of making it to the knockout phase. It isn’t quite the Group of Death. That honour goes to the pool which includes Brazil, France and Jamaica, but this is still a tough group, and Sweden will play all their first phase games in New Zealand, starting with South Africa on 23rd July. 

Sweden’s key players

There are some very useful attacks in this tournament and Sweden some high quality forwards led by the experienced San Diego Wave striker Sofia Jakobsson; while the Arsenal duo of Stina Blackstenius and Lina Hurtig, both aged 27 will be pushing for a start. 

In the middle of the park captain Caroline Seger is set to make her fifth appearance at a World Cup finals tournament and, at 38 years of age and with 235 international appearances to her name, Seger has seen it all. The former Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyon star is now plying her trade with FC Rosengard and she has been in the Sweden set up since 2001 when she starred for the Under 17s. Voted five times Best Swedish midfielder and a member of FIFA’s All Star World Cup Team in 2011, Seger deserves success and her team-mates will do all they can to help her achieve it. 

Alongside Seger, 33 year old vice captain Kosovare Asllani can play equally well in midfield or attack. The Milan star, nicknames Kosse, has scored 44 goals in 169 appearances and she possesses frightening pace combined with superb ball control. And versatility is in good supply throughout the Sweden team; winger Fridolina Rolfo has also played at fullback for her club Barcelona. She hit the headlines when she scored the winner for Barca in the 2021 Champions League final and is sure to make some pretty special Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights over the next few weeks. She scored five times in qualifying and Rolfo will be too hot to handle for some defenders in New Zealand.

The Sweden defence is marshalled by the excellent Magdalena Eriksson who now plays for Bayern Munich after winning ten trophies during her time at Chelsea between 2017 and 2023. During the qualifiers Sweden conceded only twice and Erikssen partnered central defender Amanda Ilestedt who has just signed for Arsenal after a successful two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. She will join Hurtig and Blackstenius in North London and will link up with head coach Jonas Eidevall who managed her at Rosengard. Now 29 years old, Ilestedt is in the prime of her career and will add to her 64 internationals at the World Cup this month.

This is a squad dripping with quality, experience and desire and the Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds say Sweden are in with a chance of finally picking up some silverware. They should certainly make the quarter finals at the very least, and they need to start well in New Zealand and then…let’s see.

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France Win Women’s World Cup 2023? – Why Not!

With the Women’s World Cup on the horizon, so much focus is on the holders, the USA, reigning European champions England and Spain, third favourites with the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds, that it is easy to put Les Bleus to one side.

Now don’t get me wrong. France are in a ‘group of death’ and three into two don’t go!

Yet could they prove us all wrong.

For a start, they have a coach of real pedigree and players more than capable of delivering Women’s World Cup highlights in the month ahead.

Former captain Amandine Henry is helping them prepare after she was called up by coach Herve Renard whose appointment, in March, after the players rebelled against predecessor Corinne Diacre, is something of a coup.

This is the coach who, until recently, was in charge of the Saudi Arabia men’s team, ending a four-year spell which was highlighted by an unforgettable victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Women’s World Cup 2023

France

Jamaica

France Asian Handicap -3.75 @ 1.96

Under 4.50 @ 2.00

Odd @ 1.94

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

A resilient recovery against Colombia in Renard’s first game was followed by a 2-1 defeat of the Olympic champions, Canada.

Even last night they won in Ireland, spearheaded by two goals in first half stoppage time – displaying the hallmarks that the best teams find a way to win even when not at their most fluid.

There are a few absentees.

Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto are both sidelined through injury, Oriane Jean-Francois has been ruled out with adductor pain and, while goalkeeper Mylene Chavas and 39-times capped central defender Aïssatou Tounkara will stay on the reserve list until July 22, the eve of France’s opener against Jamaica in Sydney, they have missed the cut.

When the squad flies to Australia this weekend it will also do so with captain Wendie Renard in the ranks.

The 32 year-old was a key driver in Diacre’s departure after saying she would miss this summer’s World Cup “to preserve my mental health”.

She has returned to the squad under Renard and looks set to drive France from centre-back as she has done in 144 caps previously.

The Lyon mainstay is set to be one of the big players of the tournament as she marshals the France defence.

Widely considered to be the best defender in the world, at 6’2” tall and as an imposing figure with a superb reading of the game, she is not only a defensive powerhouse but an aerial threat in attack with an impressive 34 goals for her country.

Alongside rising star Selma Bacha, Renard will surely lead the highest-quality defence in the tournament.

Les Bleus qualified for the tournament in emphatic fashion as they won all 10 of their group matches, scoring 54 goals and conceding just four times.

Grace Geyoro was involved in seven goals in eight World Cup qualifying matches and also netted in Renard’s first two matches at the helm.

Eugenie Le Sommer, who already has five World Cup goals to her name, is also entering the tournament in fine form as the French look to go all the way this summer and netted two against Ireland.

Breaking the finalists down, yes Renard and the French do not know each other too well given he was only appointed three months (and a few games) ago.

But if they can adapt to each other quickly, and with the spotlight off them to a certain degree, maybe, just maybe, France can take full advantage.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 15-Jul-2023 at 4:36 PM

Women’s World Cup: Are You Ready?

With just two weeks to go before the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicks off, the excitement is reaching fever pitch in the 32 team camps and among supporters around the world. 

Co-hosts New Zealand will launch the tournament on 20^th July with a mouthwatering clash against a strong Norway team, while Australia will follow that game up when they meet the Republic of Ireland later in the day.

It’s the first women’s tournament to see 32 teams in the mix, and that means more game, more goals, and more drama.

The USA are aiming for a third consecutive World crown, and they will be a force to be reckoned with, while hosts Australia, along with England, Germany, Sweden, France, and Brazil will all have plenty to say.          

How are the favourites shaping up?

Australia, led by the legendary Sam Kerr, will hope that home advantage plays into their hands. And last time out, they had a statement 2-0 victory over 2022 European Champions England. Next week, they will have a final warm up against another leading side, France. 

England played put a 0-0 draw in their warm-up against Portugal last week and will hope to find their shooting boots when they take on Canada on the Sunshine Coast on 14^th July. The Lionesses want to kick in after their success in 2022.      

Germany will be strong again, and the SBOTOP odds will place them in second. But they had a difficult time in their final warm-up game, losing 3-2 to Zambia on Friday.

Star striker Alexandra Popp was on target, but the Germans conceded three goals on the break, and that is something for them to work on next week.    

The USA team never stays away from the limelight, it’s in their DNA. And why should they? Megan Rapinoe and co come into the game in outstanding form with seven wins from seven in 2023, scoring 17 goals and conceding one in a 2-1 win over Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup.

USA included two hammerings of New Zealand in that run, 4-0 and 5-0, and the Stars and Stripes meet Wales in a final warm up before taking on Vietnam in their tournament opener.

The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting oddswill back USA as strong favourites, but they aren’t the only team with their eyes on the big prize.

Highly fancied Sweden are without a win in three, losing narrowly to Denmark and picking up draws with Germany and Norway, and they will warm up for the tournament with a friendly against the Philippines in Wellington.

Women’s World Cup 2023

Australia

Republic Of Ireland

1X2 Republic of Ireland @ 5.20

Australia Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 1.82

Under 2.50 @ 2.11

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Meanwhile, France, unbeaten in 2023, picked up a 3-0 win over Ireland last week and will finish their fine-tuning when they meet Australia on the 14^th.   

Brazil had the perfect preparation for their campaign with a 4-0 thumping of Chile before they jetted off to Oz, and head coach Pia Sundhage says her players should focus on their realistic chance of world domination.

They have arguably the best player of all time in prolific striker Marta, who has scored 115 goals in 175 games and has plundered a record 17 goals in 20 games across five world tournaments. And Marta will fancy her chances of going past the 20-goal mark in Australia and New Zealand. 

The Brazil plane landed in Australia in a blaze of publicity. Their plane, owned by Argentine film producer Enrique Pinero, emblazoned with a tribute to Iranian human rights protestors.

The Iran team at the Qatar World Cup were vocal in their support for women’s rights, and this tournament brings another opportunity to highlight human rights issues.      

Aboriginal flags will fly

In other Women’s World Cup 2023 news,the authorities in Australia and New Zealand have decided to pay homage to the indigenous populations of their countries by displaying their flags at the showcase event. 

The host nations will fly indigenous flags, the Aboriginal flag at all 35 of the games across Australia and the Maori “Tino Rangatiratanga” flag will fly at all 29 matches in New Zealand. Australia have two indigenous players in their ranks, Kyah Simon and Lydia Williams and Simon said: “I’m proud of our culture and our First Nations people in the country. Every major tournament my family’s come along and brought their own Aboriginal flag and for me that’s part of my history and my culture; and to see my family in the crowd, holding up the flag, is something that’s close to home for me.”

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 15-Jul-2023 at 4:38 PM

Women’s World Cup: England Expects – How Will the Lionesses Fare?

So how good are England? How good can they be? These are the key questions as we await the acid test of Sarina Wiegman’s reign.

The Lionesses have arrived for their Women’s World Cup pre-tournament training camp on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and, despite missing key players through injury, are focusing firmly on the positives as they look to add the world title to the European crown they secured last summer.

That the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds make them second-favourites behind the holders, USA, adds a degree of pressure, but that is something Ella Toone believes they will thrive on.

Toone, who scored England’s opening goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany, certainly expects the Lionesses to rise to the challenge in Australia and New Zealand.

That they lost their 30-match unbeaten record in a friendly against Australia in April hardly matters. Nor does the fact they were frustrated as they were held by Portugal in Milton Keynes last weekend.

What matters most is when it matters most, and this group of players have proved they can deliver at the sharp end.

There are positives and negatives, of course.

The fact they have been placed in a relatively straightforward group can only help. England begin their campaign against Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane and will also face China and Denmark.

By the time they kick their first competitive ball in Australia, they will have been together for some 33 days – something that caused outrage among Women’s Super League clubs, who feel their England players were bullied into accepting the June 19 meetup date by the Football Association.

All in all then, it appears no stone has been left unturned in terms of preparations.

The Queensland preparation camp is their third with the squad staying at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort and training at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.

They then move to the FIFA transfer hotel in Brisbane ahead of their opener. And while Toone rightly says the squad is not looking beyond the group stages, she insists the Lionesses are no longer afraid of the United States after their victory over the four-time World Cup winners in a friendly last year.

Now, for the negatives beginning with the fact that key personnel will be absent.

Captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead are both out with ligament ruptures, Fran Kirby has a knee injury, and the retirement of Ellen White means there is at least a quartet of changes facing Wiegman.

On the upside, the Lionesses still have one of the most exciting frontlines in the competition with charismatic star Alessia Russo set to take centre stage again after she scored four goals at Euro 2022, each time coming off the bench when her clever backheel against Sweden was the pick of the lot.

Premier League

Everton

Fulham

1X2 Fulham 3.00

Fulham Asia Handicap +0.25 @ 2.00

Over 2.50 @ 2.03

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Russo, who recently joined Arsenal, can play as a striker or equally can drop deeper, and it is the flexibility of England players which make them an attractive team to watch.

Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly can play in defence, midfield, or attack. She won the Golden Boot in 2022-23, scoring 22 goals so England will play her up front in Oz.

While they are focusing on football, some unrelated matters are hardly helping either – not that they deserve too much credence.

For example, the argument about pay is unsavoury and unnecessary.

Players at this level are well remunerated and, instead of making comparisons between the men and the women’s game, the focus should be on the undoubted and long overdue progression of the sport rather than unrealistic comparisons.

England players receive £10,000 each to help their families attend the tournament, in line with what the men’s team receives for their families around major tournaments.

There’s been a little friction about the fact squad members have been unable to take part in social media promotions since July 5, which is understandable as Wiegman and her team focus on football.

Should they deliver at the tournament as they are capable, there will be no shortage of promotional opportunities in the months ahead.

All in all, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup set to become most attended women’s sporting event in history. The 1,032,884 tickets sold means it is set to surpass the competition in France for years ago as the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.

So it goes back to the question: can England produce Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights and, perhaps more pertinently, beat the US on the big stage when something is at stake?

Remember, England have reached the semi-finals of the past two World Cups, losing 2-1 to Japan in Canada in 2015 and by the same score against the US in France four years ago.

We are soon to find out.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 15-Jul-2023 at 4:40 PM

Women’s World Cup: The Dark Horses of Korea

With less than a week to wait until the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the time for talking is almost over and the time for action is upon us.

The top teams in the world are making their final touches in readiness, and there are plenty of nations with high hopes of making it deep into the competition.

Managed by former Huddersfield Town assistant Colin Bell, the South Korea ladies are ranked 17^th in the world by FIFA, and they could be one of the dark horses to watch. The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds give a price of 101.00 on a tournament win for Bell’s girls to win outright, and that’s a long shot.

But how far can Korea go?

They are in a tough group with the highly fancied Germany team, as well as Colombia and Morocco and are at SBOTOP odds of 21.00 to top Group H. The Germans, spearheaded by the brilliant Alexandra Popp are hot favourites, so Korea’s opener against Colombia is a huge match.

The winner of that one should make the knockout phase. And at 2.09, the Colombians are slight favourites to win the opening fixture with South Korea priced at 2.64, and the draw at 3.01.

It’s the first time these two nations have met and, while Colombia are ranked 25^th in the world, they have a talented team and will be a dangerous opponent.

If South Korea make it through the group it will be the second time they have reached the knockout phase in four attempts after making it to the Round of 16 in Canada in 2015, but they went out at the group stage in France in 2019.

South Korea come into the competition in confident mood and on the back of three wins, including a 2-1 warm-up victory over Haiti last week as Ji So-Yun scored from the penalty spot to level an early Haiti goal and Jan Sel Gi added a late winner.

Meanwhile, Colombia have won one, lost one, and drawn one of their last three games.

Bell’s team can pose a threat to any opponent with its high tempo and dynamic game, as the Koreans always look to turn defence into attack quickly. And with a blend of youth and experience in the side, they have plenty of ambitious stars.

Bell has been in charge for four years, and his attention on fitness and conditioning stands his team in good stead for a gruelling group in Australia.

“Everyone on the team is looking forward to the World Cup,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough challenge, but we will rely on our fighting spirit to accomplish our goal.”

Cho and Park have been there and done that

While South Korea have some exciting young players in their squad and the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights will be coming fast and furious from the likes of 20-year-old midfielder Chun Ga-Ram and 25-year-old striker Kang Chae-Rim, there will be two veterans on show who have bags of experience and 71 years between them.

Seoul striker Park Eun-Sun, at the grand old age of 36, will be playing in her third Women’s World Cup. She made her debut as a 16-year-old at the 2003 showcase and appeared again in Canada in 2015. Her call up is a bit of surprise, but with a one goal in two games goal ratio she will make a dangerous impact sub.

“I will be ready to leave everything on the pitch if I get to play,” she says.

Women’s World Cup 2023

Colombia

South Korea

1X2 Draw @ 3.10

Over 2.25 @ 1.76

Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.82

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Just one year younger, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Cho So-Hyun is making her third appearance at a finals following the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. And with 145 international caps to her name, she has the joint-most appearances for her country, alongside fellow midfielder Ji So-Yun – the team’s penalty taker.

Cho has happy memories of the Canada World Cup in 2015 when she scored a crucial goal against Spain to take South Korea through to the knockout phases for the first time in their history, and she came close to scoring in the win over Haiti last week.

A tireless player, Cho will set the tempo of the game and join the attack as often as she can with direct runs into the penalty area. So don’t be surprised to see Cho add to her 25 international goals.

She will have a chance in a behind-closed-doors match against the Netherlands on Sunday in Korea’s last warm-up before they meet Colombia, the game the whole squad is focusing on. Win that opener and South Korea can start to dream big.

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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Are you set for Women’s World Cup 2023?

We are on the verge of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. And if you are struggling to get too excited, then think again.

After all, this will be the most attended women’s sporting event in history. More than a million tickets sold means it is set to surpass the competition in France for years ago as the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.

With no fewer than eight nations set to play in the tournament for the first time, we can expect Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights and, while critics of the expansion from 24 to 32 teams have raised concerns that inexperienced newcomers might be trampled beneath the feet of the traditional powerhouses from Europe and North America, that may also add to the element of shock.

Certainly, qualifying produced its own drama. Take Haiti for example.

Women’s World Cup 2023

Colombia

South Korea

1X2 Draw @ 3.10

Over 2.25 @ 1.76

Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.82

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Managed by Nerilia Mondesir, who took the under 20s to the 2018 World Cup in that age group, this is a huge step forward for a country which has never previously graced the competition.

Their 2-1 win over Chile in their inter-confederation play-off final, dashing Chilean hopes of a second successive appearance at the global finals, provided one of the stories as star player Melchie Dumornay grabbed a history-making match-winning brace.

And what of another first-time finalist in Zambia, who only recently showed they should not be underestimated as they shocked two-time world champions Germany 3-2, albeit it was a friendly.

The SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds will naturally back the bigger nations, such as reigning European champions England.

Dutch woman Sarina Wiegman led the Netherlands to Euro 2017 glory on home soil before doing the same with England last year, while sandwiched in between was a run to the final of the 2019 World Cup with the Dutch.

She also led the Lionesses on a 30-game unbeaten run – going a full calendar year without a loss in 2022 – before their defeat by Australia in April. As a player, she became the first player to represent the Netherlands 100 times and was a school teacher before moving into full-time coaching.

Her presence has certainly help make England believe, and they will begin as second favourites behind holders, the USA, and ahead of my outside tip, Spain.

So, while qualifying had its moments, there were clear winners in the majority of groups and the best is yet to come.

Of course, there can be improvements off the park.

World players’ union Fifpro has urged FIFA to improve conditions for all players in qualifiers for the next Women’s World Cup after a report highlighted multiple inconsistencies in the scheduling, duration and format during qualifying for this.

Earlier this week, Fifpro published research, highlighting the different pathways and conditions for players.

The organisation also conducted the first global survey of players about the Women’s World Cup qualifying, where 362 players completed an anonymous digital survey.

It showed 54-per cent were not provided with a pre-tournament medical, 66-per cent said recovery facilities were not of an elite standard or did not exist and 70-per cent were not provided with a pre-tournament ECG heart check-up.

It added that 59-per cent flew economy class, including for flights over long distances.

This backdrop to the tournament will be put aside, not forgotten, when the action begins next week and hopefully the huge strides made in the women’s game in recent years are played out before a global audience.

It deserves this stage.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 15-Jul-2023 at 4:45 PM

Women’s World Cup: It’s time for Aussies vs Ireland!

Australia vs Republic of Ireland

The waiting is almost over and the action is about to begin as hosts Australia take on the Republic of Ireland on the opening day of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Australia are ranked tenth in the world by FIFA, 12 places above Ireland and an expectant crowd at the Australia Stadium will build a superb atmosphere as their national heroines look to open their account. This is the first time the Australians have hosted a World Cup on home soil and the sport loving nation will be right behind the Matildas.

They come into the game on a strong run of form and meet an Ireland side which has had a difficult warm-up period; and it’s vital for each team to start well in a tough group which also contains Olympic Champions and seventh ranked Canada, along with a powerful Nigerian side.

The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds suggest Australia are one of a handful of teams which can win the tournament and they should start with a victory on Thursday.

Women’s World Cup 2023

New ZealandNorway

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Talking Points

Kerr can lead Matildas to glory

Led by legendary skipper Sam Kerr, Australia have every chance of going deep into the competition and expectations have soared in Oz in recent weeks. Chelsea star Kerr is in fantastic form and she scored her 63rd international goal in her 120th international in a victory over England earlier this year. She is widely considered to be the best player in the women’s game with her all action play, boundless energy, phenomenal skills and goal-scoring prowess.

Kerr is an inspiration on and off the pitch, and a player that the less experienced Matildas can look up to. Attacking midfielder Cortnee Vine is on of the few players operating in the Australian domestic league, playing for Sydney FC, and she has risen to prominence this season. Vine can learn a lot from Kerr and her direct running will give opposition defences plenty to think about.

Managed by the charismatic and tactically astute Tony Gustavsson, this is a team well worth watching, whether you are a Matildas fan or not.

Ireland ready to go after chaotic warm-up

The Republic’s final warm up game, against Colombia, was abandoned after 20 minutes when the game became overly physical. The Girls in Green were relieved to discover that midfielder Denise O’ Sullivan defender got the all clear when she emerged from hospital having been admitted with a shin injury. The Colombian FA released a statement saying their team ‘follows the rules of play’ and that Ireland ‘preferred not to continue.’

Read into that what you like!

Anyhow, the Girls in Green went back into training and are raring to go again. Manager Vera Pauw has named an experienced squad for Ireland’s first ever World Cup, led by talismanic skipper Katie McCabe. The 27-year-old Arsenal star scored the ‘goal of the season’ for her club and has been an Ireland stalwart since her debut in 2015. With 72 caps and captain since 2017, McCabe can operate in the centre of midfield or wide on the left and her versatility is priceless for Pauw.

Republic of Ireland will be looking to sway the Women’s World Cup odds against match favourites Australia

Republic of Ireland Women skipper Katie McCabe instructing her teammates during their friendly match against USA

Another player to watch is 32-year-old defensive leader Louise Quinn. Hailing from Wicklow she has played in Sweden, England and Italy and now plies her trade with Birmingham City Women. She is a strong defender and a threat at set pieces, with 15 international goals and the Mighty Quinn is one of the first names on the team sheet.

And Ireland fans will know the name of Amber Barrett, whose goal against Scotland sealed qualification for the Girls in Green.

History

These two nations have met only once before in a game which resulted in a 3-2 win for Ireland in a 2021 friendly as Quinn planted home a second half penalty to earn Ireland’s best win over higher ranked opponents in two decades.

In terms of recent form Australia are stronger. The Matildas have won five of their last six games and six home games in a row, while the Girls in Green have won one drawn two and lost three of their last six.

Before their clash with Colombia was abandoned the Irish team was beaten 3-0 by France in their final warm-up, while the Australians took on Les Bleus last weekend and emerged with a 1-0 victory.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Australia VS Republic Of Ireland

July 20, 18:00 (GMT+8)

Australia Asian Handicap -1.50

@ 1.84

At SBOTOP odds of 1.26 to win it looks like fans at the Australia Stadium will be celebrating on Thursday night, while a draw at 5.03 and an Ireland win at 5.61 may well be a step too far for the underdogs.

Its would make major Women’s World Cup 2023 news were they to slip up on Thursday, but I reckon the Matildas will waltz to a handy opening victory.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:

⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)

⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 26-Jul-2023 at 3:23 PM

Women’s World Cup: Football Ferns Face Formidable Task to Make History

New Zealand vs Norway

It’s oft said you should try and learn something new every day and this Women’s World Cup is certainly proving an eye-opener for me before a ball has even been kicked.

We are now on the verge of what is going to be the most attended women’s sporting event in history and a tournament which is going to produce stories galore.

And Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights!

Although whether a host nation known as the Football Ferns can be involved in many remains to be seen as they are certainly up against it.

Talking Points

That’s because as they prepare to face Norway in their opener, New Zealand’s World Cup record doesn’t make pretty reading: 15 games played, won zero.

This is the country which, as joint hosts, qualified automatically but doesn’t even have a domestic league for women.

An inability to score goals means you won’t find them in our recommended list of leading attacks and, given that when they got on the scoresheet at the 2019 finals it came via an own goal, it appears little has changed.

Furthermore, New Zealand have participated in the tournament five times (1991, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019) to date but are yet to get past the group stage.

However, there must be some positives as a squad made up entirely of players from abroad returns home to inspire a whole nation to join the women’s football movement.

A recent warm-up victory over Vietnam will have boosted morale and key players such as CJ Bott and Ria Percival have timed their recovery from injury to perfection.

Throw in the tactical acumen of veteran defender Ali Riley, the emergence of Michaela Foster and home advantage, and perhaps they can prove the doubters wrong.

Yes, making the knockout rounds for the first time from a group containing Norway, the Philippines, and Switzerland is unlikely but a win over the 46th-ranked Philippines appears a realistic target.

Norway want to snatch a win against hosts New Zealand in the Women’s World Cup

Norway’s Guro Reiten in action with Austria’s Laura Wienroither during the Women’s Euro 2022

Whether they can gain positive results against Norway (ranked 12th) and the Swiss (20th) is another matter, and the Scandinavians have a point to prove to show their group stage exit from last summer’s European Championships was a one-off.

Under new coach Hege Riise, they look a more accomplished unit (if still defencively vulnerable) than 12 months ago and, in Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen, and Guro Reiten, they possess one of the most talented forward lines on display.

Hegerberg’s return to the squad is a major boon six years after she quit international football, frustrated at what she perceived as a lack of support for the women’s team and for the development of girls’ football in Norway.

The first female Ballon d’Or winner, a six-time Champions League winner with Lyon, she will be out to inspire the next generation of young footballers and will have no greater stage.

If she is the lieutenant on the pitch, off it is Riise who was crowned world player of the year in 1995 and remains one of the major contributors to Norway’s golden years which saw them win the 1993 European Championships and the World Cup two years later.

This tournament provides a unique opportunity to become the first woman to win the World Cup as a player and manager, although that may be a big ask given it’s only 12 months since they suffered a demoralising 8-0 loss to England.

What we should see, though, is a much improved Norway who I expect to top the group and win this one.

Women’s World Cup 2023

AustraliaRepublic Of Ireland

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

History

New Zealand have played Norway in seven international friendlies in their history with the two-time European champions winning four of those encounters.

There have been two draws and one victory for the Ferns in 1981.

The last time they met was in 2014 with two internationals in Stavanger as a 1-1 draw was followed by a 2-0 Norway success.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

New Zealand VS Norway

July 20, 3:00 (GMT+8)

Half Time Full Time Draw Away

@3.45

Norway are overwhelming favourites to cause a miserable opening for the hosts.

With the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds, they are priced First Half 1X2 @ 1.69, 1X2 @ 1.27, First Half Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.00, and Asian Handicap -1.75 @ 2.05.

New Zealand, meanwhile, are on offer First Half 1X2 @ 5.40, 1X2 @ 5.80, First Half Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 1.76, and Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 1.92.

For a goal glut, options include Over 3.00 @ 1.00, Total Goal 0-1 @ 4.00, 2-3 1.98, and 4-6 @ 2.81. I can see the home side holding their Scandinavian opponents until the break but little more than that.

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Women’s World Cup: Filipinas’ Chase for History Starts Against the Swiss

Philippines vs Switzerland

The weight of a whole country is on the Filipinas’ shoulders, as they will attempt to make history here in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, gunning for their first-ever World Cup victory (men’s or women’s) against Switzerland on Friday.

It’s a tall task for the Philippines to make it out of Group A, but they will relish their underdog status in this tournament, so they cannot be taken lightly.

In contrast, Switzerland enter this tournament with high expectations because failing to qualify in the knockout stage will feel like a failure on their part, especially since they’re ranked 20th in the updated FIFA women’s rankings (compared to the 46th-ranked Philippines).

So, who will draw first blood in this tournament? Read more below as SBOTOP previews this match.

Talking Points

Who will step up for the Filipinas?

Since the appointment of head coach Alen Stajcic, the Filipinas have been on a remarkable rise, and getting positive Women’s World Cup 2023 results would further validate their progress.

Group A looks to be the most unpredictable bunch in the Women’s World Cup, and the Philippines will aim to use the element of surprise to their advantage even if they don’t have a single player playing in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022-23.

Sarina Bolden is expected to help Filipinas progress in the later stages of the Women’s World Cup 2023

Philippines’ Sarina Bolden celebrates after scoring against Malaysia during their group stage game at the 32nd SEA Games

Angie Beard and Sarina Bolden will play a huge role for the Filipinas in this competition. They plied their trade in Australia’s A-League last season, with Beard playing for Western United while Bolden was with the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Beard’s switch to the Philippines is a major loss for Australia, especially after representing Down Under since the U-17 level. Her arrival is a huge boon for the Philippines’ defence because of her defencive acumen and experience playing at a high level.

Bolden, meanwhile, was one of the best players in the AFC Asian Cup last year. Out of the 23 players listed in their lineup, the 27-year-old leads them in scoring with 22 goals.

But the key for the Filipinas is their midfield. Alen Stajcic made the tough decision of not including the likes of experienced campaigners Eva Madarang, Jessica Miclat, and Camille Rodriguez in the squad, but they should have enough to hold it down with Jaclyn Sawicki, Sara Eggesvik, Quinley Quezada, and captain Tahnai Annis in there.

Walti and the Swiss have the weapons

In the WSL last season, Lia Walti was one of the leaders in possessions won (87) and progressive passes (90), and we can expect more of the same from the captain here in the Women’s World Cup.

Switzerland looked to have suffered a huge blow to their Women’s World Cup hopes in May when Walti was sidelined due to an ankle injury. However, she was able to regain her fitness in the build-up to the world showcase.

The Swiss have a unique blend of youth and experience, which will be on display here in this tournament.

Veteran defenders Noelle Maritz and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic will provide depth at the back. Meanwhile, Ramona Bachmann, the second-leading scorer for Switzerland and the player with the third-most caps, will team up with Geraldine Reuteler, one of the most prodigious young attackers in today’s game.

Women’s World Cup 2023

NigeriaCanada

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

History

Switzerland are about to play their second-ever Women’s World Cup, following their first appearance in 2015.

At the time, their dominant 10-1 victory against Ecuador proved pivotal in qualifying for the knockout stages. In the said match, Fabienne Humm set a Women’s World Cup record for the fastest hat-trick ever (247 seconds).

However, after finishing third in Group C behind Japan and Cameroon, Switzerland were eventually ousted by Canada in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 scoreline.

As for the Philippines, they have qualified for their first-ever World Cup (both men’s and women’s), following their best ever finish at the AFC Asian Cup last year, reaching the semi-finals before eventually losing 2-0 to South Korea.

Only one previous team from the AFC has won their opening Women’s World Cup, which was China in 1991. Both the Philippines and New Zealand can be the second and third teams to do so this week.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Philippines VS Switzerland

July 21, 13:00 (GMT+8)

Switzerland Asian Handicap -2.00

@1.66

Switzerland are favoured by the Women’s World Cup 2023 odds, as they are priced at 1.13 to win the first game.

The Philippines are massive underdogs at 10.00, and the chances of a draw are at 7.60 in the 1X2 market. However, even if the logical thing to do is bet on a Swiss victory, we won’t be surprised if the Filipinas give them a huge run for their money.

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Women’s World Cup: The Hungry Lionesses Face Hopeful Haiti

England vs Haiti

Sarina Wiegman’s England open their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign with a Group D clash against Haiti on Saturday where they’re expected to make a winning start.

The Lionesses were outstanding in their qualification campaign, winning all 10 of their group matches with some ease. Meanwhile, Nicolas Delepine’s Haiti are just happy to be here.

The strife-torn country needs something to smile about, and the Grenadieres have certainly given it that, qualifying for their very first World Cup, and they are determined to enjoy it.

This game is a wonderful diversion for a country which has struggled to recover from a devastating earthquake in 2010, and recent political tension has resulted in police rioting, angered by the murder of their colleagues in a fractured country.

The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds predict a big win for Wiegman’s girls, but the neutrals will be rooting for Haiti, who are determined to make their country proud.

Talking Points

Bright expected to be fit for England

Post Ellen White and Jill Scott, England are a little short of leaders on the pitch, and so the news that captain Millie Bright is very hopeful of being fit for the Lionesses’ group games is good news indeed for Wiegman.

The Sheffield-born Chelsea star has been out of action since March with a knee injury, but she came through a friendly against Canada at the weekend and was all smiles at the final whistle.

At centre-back, Bright is a key figure as well as being an inspirational captain. And while Wiegman used a plethora of substitutes to give the majority of her squad a game, the minutes Bright had assured her and her boss that she can face Haiti. The 29-year-old has been taking a full part in team training since the Lionesses arrived in Oz.

It’s just the boost England needed, having won their qualifying group so impressively, scoring 80 unanswered goals, and winning Euro 2022 on home soil. The Lionesses are hungry for more success and arrive at the World Cup with high expectations.

Dumornay gives Haiti star quality

While the SBOTOP stats team doesn’t hold out much hope for the Grenadieres, the underdogs do have one not-so-secret weapon in the shape of 19-year-old star Melchie Dumornay.

The midfield ace scored twice as Haiti beat Chile to qualify for the World Cup, and she has recently been signed by seven-time Champions League winners Lyon.

Dumornay is an exciting player with the ability to go all the way in women’s football and is sure to be one of the all-time megastars.

Haiti are set to give England a tough challenge in upcoming Women's World Cup 2023 opener

Haiti players celebrate after Nerilia Mondesir scored a goal against South Korea in recent international friendly

Her sublime ball control, quick change of pace, and eye for the goal make her a nightmare to defend against, at the same time as lifting the spirit of her teammates who will look for her at every opportunity.

Another player sure to feature heavily in the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights is 24-year-old Kerly Theus, the most capped goalkeeper in the Haiti squad with five international appearances. She is not the biggest in stature, but she has no lack of passion.

“I’ve been to tournaments where people said ‘Haiti? What’s that?’” she said. “The World Cup is the biggest stage. Your country, your name is publicised everywhere. We want the word to know about Haiti and the talent we have. Oh, and we want to get past the group stage.”

Keep an eye out too for 26-year-old Batcheba Louis, the striker who has 23 goals from 16 appearances. Millie Bright will certainly know all about her.

History

This is England’s seventh appearance at a World Cup, their best effort being a semi-final place in 2015, while Haiti have qualified for the World Cup for the first time and have never made it through the group stages of the CONCACAF women’s championship.

Women’s World Cup 2023

PhilippinesSwitzerland

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TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

In terms of recent form, there is not a lot to choose between the two nations, though England have had a tougher run of fixtures.

The Lionesses have won three games, drawn three, and lost one in 2023, a 2-0 reversal to Sam Kerr’s Australia in April. The Aussies open up their tournament with a match against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Haiti have won four games from six in 2023, including a 4-0 victory over Senegal and a 5-0 mauling of Malta. But the Grenadieres come into this game on the back of a 2-1 reversal to tournament dark horses South Korea.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

England VS Haiti

July 22, 17:30 (GMT+8)

Haiti Asian Handicap +4.00

@1.88

The odds makers say this is an England certainty as they have swept all before them during the qualifiers. The Lionesses’ biggest win of all time was a 20-0 thrashing of Latvia two years ago, and that certainly won’t be at risk here.

Haiti don’t have the depth of their opponents, but they do have a star in Dumornay and plenty of fight.

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⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

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Women’s World Cup: USA’s Three-Peat Bid Commences Against Vietnam

USA vs Vietnam

USA will open their title defence against Vietnam on the first matchday of the 2023 Women’s World Cup at Eden Park in New Zealand.

Winners of two consecutive Women’s World Cups, the Stars and Stripes are once again favoured to hoist the trophy this year. There has never been a team in the history of the Women’s World Cup to win three straight editions, and they plan to become the first one to do so.

A game against Vietnam should help them get going, as the Golden Star Women Warriors are expected to finish at the bottom of a stacked Group E that also includes Portugal and Netherlands.

With the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 odds stacked against Vietnam, can the Golden Star Women Warriors put up a fight against the mighty Stars and Stripes on Friday?

Women’s World Cup 2023

Philippines

Switzerland

1X2 Philippines @ 8.25

Switzerland Asian Handicap -2.25 @ 1.95

Under 3.00 @ 2.21

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

CLICK HERE

Talking Points

Rapinoe’s last dance with USA

Megan Rapinoe will look to make her final Women’s World Cup count, and she’ll play a much different role for USA than in years past.

She has led USA’s frontline alongside Alex Morgan, particularly in the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups. But now that she’s 38 years old, the offence will no longer flow primarily through her.

The team still needs Rapinoe because she’s the team’s heart and soul. It is likely that head coach Vlatko Andonovski will manage her load throughout this tournament, bringing her off the bench in spurts.

More than anything, the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be a transitional period for the Stars and Stripes. With Rapinoe and Morgan getting older, they will look to pass the baton to their younger stars.

One of them is Sophia Smith, who will turn 23 next month. The Portland Thorns forward already has 12 goals in 30 appearances, and she’s fresh from a NWSL MVP campaign last year.

Trinity Rodman is another youngster to watch out for in the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights reel, and she’s two years younger than Sophia Smith.

Rodman burst onto the MLS scene in 2021, winning the NWSL Rookie of the Year, the US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, and being a member of the NWSL Best XI after leading the Washington Spirit to the NWSL championship.

Other than their vaunted frontline, USA are stacked too in the middle and at the back, with the likes of Kelley O’Hara, Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, and Lindsey Horan leading the way.

Vietnam are tough to scout

Vietnam are the presumed cellar dwellers in Group E because of their talent deficit compared to their groupmates.

Looking at their squad, their most established star is their captain, Huynh Nhu, as she currently plies her trade in Liga Portugal 2, playing for Lank FC Vilaverdense.

Huynh Nhu is currently at the top of Vietnam’s all-time scoring list with 67 goals. Since 2011, she has represented the Vietnamese national team, becoming the fourth-most-capped player with 103 appearances.

Fellow veteran Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung is the team’s most capped player with 119 appearances, and she also has 51 goals.

Can Vietnam achieve a giant-killing act against the reigning Women's World Cup champions, USA?

Vietnam’s Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã in action during their friendlies against Germany

Another recognisable star for the Golden Star Women Warriors is Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha. The 21-year-old forward scored the lone goal in their friendly against Germany, as well as against Myanmar, to win gold in the SEA Games last May.

History

Friday marks the first time that USA and Vietnam meet in the Women’s World Cup, let alone in a football match. It also marks Vietnam’s debut here in this tournament.

After finishing third in Group C of last year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the Golden Star Women Warriors eventually qualified by beating Thailand and Chinese Taipei in a three-team playoff round.

Meanwhile, the Stars and Stripes have qualified for every Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991, and they have the most trophies in this competition with four (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), including back-to-back in the last two editions.

The only other nation that have won back-to-back are Germany, in 2003 and 2007.

USA are in much better recent form compared to Vietnam, as they haven’t lost a game across all competitions this year.

The Stars and Stripes won their sixth SheBelieves Cup in the run-up to the Women’s World Cup, and they then defeated Wales and the Republic of Ireland twice in their subsequent three friendly matches.

Vietnam, on the other hand, haven’t won a single game since winning their 8th SEA Games title, with three consecutive defeats against Germany, New Zealand, and Spain – where they lost by a whopping 9-0 scoreline.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 26-Jul-2023 at 3:33 PM

Women’s World Cup: Reggae Girlz Out to Cause Early Shock

France vs Jamaica

It’s a group of death at the Women’s World Cup, and we all know that three into two don’t go.

So that is what makes this opening encounter for France and Jamaica extra intriguing, as this clash has the potential for an early shock.

The focus will also be very much on the football in Sydney, which will be a relief all round after the preparations of both nations were disrupted by disputes.

Talking Points

While France’s concerns have been very much football-related, Jamaica have been dealing with off-field issues.

After qualifying for their second World Cup, the Reggae Girlz ended up using crowd funders to support their trip to Australia.

They will want now to improve dramatically as it was a chastening experience back in 2019, as they lost all three of their group games.

So, when the Reggae Girlz take the pitch this time, it will look to turn over another chapter of comebacks.

All in all, they have been an inspiration for rising from the ashes. In 2003, after failing to qualify for the World Cup, the team was disbanded a year later.

Yet by 2019, it marked a strong presence in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship and the World Cup.

They also have talent to scare the French, not least Bunny Shaw who finished last season with 20 goals and seven assists for Manchester City as she was narrowly pipped to the golden boot.

The woman nicknamed “Bunny” for a love of carrots in her infancy, she scored goals aplenty in American college soccer and with Bordeaux in France before moving to City, where she has continued to find the net on a frequent basis.

With a staggering 55 goals in 38 matches for the national team, she will be the main player the proud Caribbean nations looks to for Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights, as it aims to pull off an upset or two over the big hitters in Group F.

Yes, France and Brazil are the powerhouses expected to coast through to the knockout stages and, in Hervé Renard, the French have a new manager with real pedigree.

On the flipside, Les Bleus who qualified for the tournament in emphatic fashion as they won all 10 of their group matches, scoring 54 goals and conceding just four times, have had few matches under the new incumbent.

Long-term coach Corinne Diacre was sacked in March after several senior players said they would no longer play for the national team if she continued in charge.

Enter Renard.

Head coach Herve Renard is out to prove his worth when France face Jamaica in their 2023 Women's World Cup opener

France manager Herve Renard talks to the press during their media day for the 2023 Women’s World Cup

He is not the first manager to have led teams at both a men’s and women’s World Cup. John Herdman did it with Canada in 2015 for the women and 2022 for the men, but he is certainly the first manager to go to two World Cups within 12 months.

This is the coach who, until recently, was in charge of the Saudi Arabia men’s team, ending a four-year spell highlighted by an unforgettable victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The French team is packed with talent including his namesake, captain Wendie Renard, who has made 145 appearances for the national team.

Widely considered to be the best defender in the world, at 6’2” tall and as an imposing figure with a superb reading of the game, she is not only a defencive powerhouse but an aerial threat in attack with an impressive 34 goals for her country.

The Lyon mainstay is set to be one of the big players of the tournament as she marshals the France defence.

Amandine Henry and Eugenie Le Sommer have been called up to the national team tenure as well, as their experience and leadership skills are expected to help France make a deep run this time around.

Women’s World Cup 2023

ItalyArgentina

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

For Le Sommer, this tournament also provides the opportunity to overtake Gaëthane Thiney as France’s all-time World Cup appearance record holder.

Her involvement comes at an opportune moment as their top scorer in qualification, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, has not recovered from an ACL injury in time to make the tournament.

I said just under a fortnight ago that France can win this World Cup and my views hasn’t changed.

They will need to make a good start though or an early exit beckons so there will be no room for complacency against Jamaica.

History

This will be the first ever clash between the two nations.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

France VS Jamaica

July 23, 18:00 (GMT+8)

First Half Over 2.00

@2.02

The SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds make France firm favourites and I think we should expect a fair amount of goals from these two attacking nations.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:

⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)

⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

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Women’s World Cup: Auckland Awaits Italy and Argentina

Italy vs Argentina

Eden Park in Auckland is the setting for a clash which, if in men’s international football, would be one of giant proportions.

So why not in the Women’s World Cup?

Sure, Sweden are considered the favourites to top Group G as they chase an elusive World Cup title after falling short on the podium in varying international competitions.

But with full respect to South Africa, who step onto the World’s biggest stage as the 2022 Africa Cup of Nation champions, it is Italy and Argentina who should secure the other spot to progress to the knockout stages.

That makes their opening meeting on Monday all the more important.

Women’s World Cup 2023

ColombiaSouth Korea

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Talking Points

Le Azzurre may well be going through a period of transition, but they come into the competition on the back of a fine run.

Unbeaten in four, coach Milena Bertolini sprang a few surprises with her squad selection, including leaving out midfielder Aurora Galli, who played a vital role in Italy’s unexpected march to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, and captain Sara Gama.

The centre-back is a legend of the Italian game, already in the national side’s Hall of Fame and the first female vice-president of the Italian Footballers’ Association.

They will no doubt look to the likes of midfielder Manuela Giugliano and forward Valentina Giacinti, who combined to top the charts for top attacking involvement in Serie A last term, as Bertolini hopes that form can be translated from club to country.

They also have Giulia Dragoni who, aged just 16, was a shock inclusion.

A gifted midfielder who has played only a few Serie A minutes with Inter Milan, she left Italy in the New Year for Barcelona, becoming the first foreign woman to reside at La Masia, the legendary academy. However, despite her tender years, her talent is clear and Dragoni has always been considered destined for success.

There will be expectation as well as pressure because, while Italy had a near-perfect qualification period, the manner of the capitulation in last summer’s European Championships will have raised some concerns as they failed to win any of their three group stage matches and conceded seven goals during their first-round exit.

Like Italy, Argentina will want their say as they return to a fourth World Cup and know this game is very much a golden opportunity to put one foot in the knockout stages.

As they look to capitalize on the enthusiasm generated by their men’s team’s momentous World Cup triumph last year, the women’s team possess a talented and skilled squad, eager to make their mark in the competition.

La Albiceleste aim to replicate the success of Lionel Messi and win this year’s Women’s World Cup

Argentina’s Yamila Rodriguez celebrates after scoring against Peru in a friendly match

Historically low scorers in World Cups, the presence of Yamila Rodriguez, who was the top-scorer in the Copa with six goals, could help change the fortunes of the South Americans.

Central midfielders Diana Falfan and Lorena Benitez are also key players in the squad.

You can look at it two ways, really.

In 2017, Argentina dropped out of the FIFA rankings due to two years of inactivity and the players went on strike to improve their conditions.

So perhaps some Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights and just one win would be a success.

After all, three defeats at the 2003 World Cup were followed by three more in 2007, and while in France in 2019 they picked up two draws – against Japan and Scotland – a victory remained elusive.

Yet, on the flip side, such recent progress means players and fans alike can also be enthusiastic about the possibility of qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time.

Will either of these teams threaten the US as the next world champions? Probably not.

But an opening game is key for both nations in what will also be the inaugural competitive encounter between the two teams.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Italy VS Argentina

July 24, 14:00 (GMT+8)

1X2 Italy

@ 1.51

Italy are clear favourites with the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds, priced 1X2 @ 1.51, First Half 1X2 @ 2.01, Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 2.11, and First Half Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 2.05.

Argentina are out 1X2 @ 4.70, First Half 1X2 @ 4.90, Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 2.20, and First Half Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.20.

I expect goals and I am looking at Over 2.75 @ 2.07 and 4-6 @ 3.45 more favourably than 0-1 @ 3.25 and 2-3 @ 1.88. While I expect a tightly-contested affair in the first half, the Italians should ultimately take the victory against Argentina.

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⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)

⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

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Women’s World Cup: Underdogs South Africa are Sweden’s First Roadblock

Sweden vs South Africa

Sweden are aiming to shed their “nearly” nation tag here in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and their journey starts against South Africa on Sunday at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

The Swedes are the huge favourites to come out of Group G because they are the third-ranked team in the updated FIFA women’s rankings. But despite their collective talent, they haven’t done much in recent years, and my SBOTOP colleague was on point when he likened them to Belgium’s men’s national football team.

South Africa are the massive underdogs in the group, but they aren’t content just to be here. The reigning Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions will look to shock and awe since they’re representing the African continent loud and proud.

Talking Points

Last chance for Sweden’s Golden Generation?

Sweden are hoping for an easy win in the group stage matches of the 2023 Women’s World Cup

Sweden midfielder Caroline Seger controls the ball during the Women’s Euro 2022

Because they’re a squad with well over 1,000 caps combined, the Swedes have a lot of big tournament experience that will surely see them through.

Sweden will look to finally pick up major silverware as their stars are approaching the twilight of their national team careers.

Team captain Caroline Seger is going to make her fifth appearance at a Women’s World Cup tournament, and she has seen it all. The 38-year-old midfielder is the team’s most-capped player with 235 caps, and she also has an eye for goal, scoring 32 for her country.

Vice-captain Kosovare Asilani is also an established veteran for Sweden. The 33-year-old currently plies her trade at AC Milan, and she has registered 170 caps and 44 goals.

Sweden have a couple of top-notch forwards who can produce Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights. In recent years, it has been San Diego Wave striker Sofia Jakobsson who has been leading the line, and the 33-year-old has notched 144 caps and 23 goals.

However, Jakobsson won’t have to do it all alone in the final third, as Stina Blackstenius and Lina Hurtig are currently in their primes at 27 years old. The Arsenal duo have 152 caps and 48 goals combined.

Peter Gerhardsson has been coaching the team since 2017, and the pressure is on him to finally deliver. So basically, this is title or bust for them.

South Africa shouldn’t be written off

South Africa are looking to avoid the same fate as in their Women’s World Cup debut in 2019, where they lost all three of their group stage matches.

They are the presumed cellar dwellers in Group G because they’re coming in at no. 54 in the FIFA women’s rankings, but they remain confident even if they’ll miss a key player on their squad.

Unfortunately, they’ll be without Janine van Wyk, who is their most-capped player with 183 caps, as head coach Desiree Ellis confirmed that the 36-year-old is dealing with an injury.

With van Wyk sidelined, South Africa will rely on Refiloe Jane, who is their best midfielder and team captain. Jane has notched 116 caps for the team, and she’s currently playing for Sassuolo in Italy.

And the omission of van Wyk opens the door for Thembi Kgatlana, who is arguably their best attacking option. Kgatlana currently plays for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, and she’s just 27 years old.

Women’s World Cup 2023

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History

Sweden and South Africa will meet for the fifth time and for the first time at the Women’s World Cup. In their previous four meetings, the Swedes are undefeated against Banyana Banyana (W3, D1), with all of them being clean sheets.

Sweden are one of the seven nations that have competed at each Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991.

The closest the Swedes got to a Women’s World Cup crown was in 2003, when they were runners-up behind Germany. In their last appearance in 2019, Sweden lost to Netherlands in the semi-final in extra time.

On the other hand, South Africa will make its second successive Women’s World Cup appearance here. Thembi Kgatlana was the scorer of the country’s only Women’s World Cup goal to date in their 3-1 loss to Spain in the opening match of the 2019 edition of this competition.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Sweden VS South Africa

July 23, 13:00 (GMT+8)

Sweden Asian Handicap -2.00

@1.53

The Women’s World Cup 2023 odds fancy Sweden’s chances to win on the opener, as they’re priced at 1.08, while South Africa are at 8.75, and a draw is at 10.00 in the 1X2 market.

While South Africa should put up more of a fight in the group stage this time, the talent deficit between them and Sweden is simply hard to ignore, so the Swedes should beat Banyana Banyana by at least two goals.

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Women’s World Cup: The Stage is Set for the Oranje

Netherlands vs Portugal

All eyes will be on the Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand on Sunday, as the Netherlands kick off their Women’s World Cup campaign against Portugal in the standout Group E clash.

The winner will take a big step towards the knockout phase of the competition, most likely alongside the USA who meet Vietnam on Saturday. The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds back the Stars and Stripes to win the tournament, but the Netherlands are in a cluster of teams with a chance of upsetting the odds.

So far the eye-catching Women’s World Cup results have been 1-0 wins for the two host nations and a brilliant draw for Nigeria against Olympic Champions Canada. And Portugal will be hoping to cause a stir in Dunedin by topping their expectant opponents.

The Netherlands are currently ninth in the Women’s FIFA World Rankings while Portugal sit in 21st. Both teams come into the game in handy form. The Netherlands thrashed Belgium 5-0, while Portugal beat Ukraine 2-0 in their warm-up.

Talking Points

Jonker is no plonker

The Netherlands are set to give Portugal a tough challenge in the upcoming Women's World Cup 2023 opener

Netherlands’ Danielle van de Donk in action during their 2019 Women’s World Cup Final against USA

The Netherlands flopped at Euro 2022, and the Dutch footy authorities reacted by bringing Andries Jonker in to lift the Oranje women, and the move has worked perfectly.

Jonker has been toiling seven days a week, visiting players at their domestic clubs and rotating his teams to give weary players a rest during international breaks. And now the team is fit and firing, full of energy and optimism.

But the one disappointment is the absence of star player Vivianne Miedema, who is missing with a cruciate ligament injury, an all too often problem in the women’s game.

Midfielder Jill Roord will be a key player in Miedema’s absence since she is a brilliant passer of the ball, and the Manchester City star has 21 goals in 86 appearances.

And keep an eye out for 19-year-old dazzling winger Esmee Brugts, who will give opposition full-backs a torrid time.

Portugal’s tight-knit team

Seven of the Portugal squad have made over 100 international appearances, and they came together in a fantastic qualifying campaign which spanned 13 matches before Carole Costa scored a penalty in a play-off against Cameroon deep into injury time to book their place at the finals. The defender, who has 151 caps said that it is the happiest day of their lives.

Portuguese football in the women’s game is developing nicely after two appearances at European Championships, and now they have a chance to show a wider audience just what they can achieve.

Women’s World Cup 2023

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Coach Francesco Neto, who was just 32 years old when he took charge of the women’s team, knows he can rely on his players, 12 of whom were at the 2017 European Championships:

“We know we will often be under pressure, and it is impossible to spend 90 minutes just defending,” he said.

Midfielder Tatiana Pinto, another centurian, is a creative outlet for the team. She is a high-energy player with quick feet, able to run at defenders, and with a lovely range of passing. Last season, she scored 12 goals and made three assists for Levante.

Sporting striker Ana Capeta is worth watching. She has five goals in 21 international appearances, but there is a lot more to come from the 25-year-old, who has plundered 70 goals in 95 appearances for her club.

History

The Netherlands were European Champions in 2017 and World Cup runners-up in 2019.

Portugal, meanwhile, are a younger nation in the women’s game and they have qualified twice for the European Championships, but this is their first appearance on the world stage.

The Oranje have beaten Portugal in all three of their previous meetings and will be confident of making it four from four. They came out on the right side of a five-goal thriller on the last two meetings, latterly in the 2022 Euros as Danielle de Donk scored the second half winner.

There is little to choose between the two nations in terms of recent form. The Dutch have won four and lost two of their last six games, while Portugal have won three, drawn two, and lost one.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Netherlands VS Portugal

July 23, 15:30 (GMT+8)

Netherlands Asian Handicap -1.50

@2.25

The tournament has been brilliant so far, and this is another game to capture the imagination of football fans worldwide.

The Netherlands have more depth in their squad and some world-class players, while Portugal have a togetherness which will make them hard to beat.

But I think the Oranje will have too much quality for them and 2-0 to the Netherlands, at SBOTOP odds of 5.60, shouldn’t be far from the mark.

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Women’s World Cup: Second Place is Up for Grabs Between Colombia and South Korea

Colombia vs Korea Republic

With Germany being the favourites to top Group H of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, this match between Colombia and South Korea will be crucial in determining who will claim the other top two spot.

Germany are expected to beat Morocco on Monday given their gap in the FIFA women’s rankings. Germany are the second-ranked team in the world, while Morocco are no. 72.

On the other hand, South Korea and Colombia aren’t far off from each other, with the former at no. 17 and the latter at no. 25, so the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds expect a tight matchup between these two on Monday.

Talking Points

Changing of the guard for Colombia

With Catalina Usme already 33 years old and slowly approaching the twilight of her football career, she will look to carry Colombia further than they’ve ever been in, potentially, her final Women’s World Cup.

She is the nation’s top goal scorer of all time with 50 international goals. In club football, Usme is also a proven winner, with two championships with America de Cali in the Colombian league, as well as becoming the leading forward in the Women’s Copa Libertadores, South America’s biggest club tournament.

Catalina Usme is hoping to help Colombia beat South Korea in the 2023 Women’s World Cup group stage

Colombia forward Catalina Usme celebrates after scoring a goal during the friendly match against Panama

For the longest time, she and midfield maestro Daniela Montoya have led the way for Colombia. But this time, they’ll have to take a small step back to make way for some of their younger teammates to shine.

One of them is Linda Caicedo, who currently plays for Real Madrid. After her cancer diagnosis three years ago, the 18-year-old has been on a meteoric rise this past year, winning the Bronze Boot and Silver Ball at the 2022 U17 World Cup as well as the Golden Ball playing for the senior team at the Copa America Feminina.

This is going to be her first Women’s World Cup, which gives her an opportunity to share her inspiring story with the world. She will be the x-factor if Colombia are going to make it far in this competition.

Korea Republic eyeing redemption

The Taeguk Ladies are considered one of the dark horses in this tournament, and they are on a mission to do much better than they did in 2019, where they finished at the bottom of Group A with zero points to show after three matches.

Major tournament success has largely evaded South Korea because they didn’t have the talent and experience to make it far. Right now, that might no longer be the case under Colin Bell, as he fields a 23-player squad that mostly features experienced campaigners.

Since his arrival in 2019, the Leicester-born boss has turned South Korea into an aggressive attacking side, guiding them to the Asian Cup final last year, where they lost to China.

One of the main beneficiaries of Bell’s coaching is Ji So-Yun, who is already well known by British fans. The former Chelsea midfielder spent eight seasons in the WSL, winning 13 trophies for the Blues. The 32-year-old is South Korea’s most-capped player with 144 caps and its all-time leading scorer with 66 goals.

Another player to look out for is Choo Hyo-Joo. Despite being only 22 years old, the Suwon FC defender already has 30 caps under her belt, and many see her as the future of South Korean football alongside Bae Ye-Bin and Chun Ga-Ram.

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History

Colombia and South Korea are going to square off in the Women’s World Cup for the first time on Monday.

The highest finishes by Colombia and South Korea here at the Women’s World Cup are both in the Round of 16, with Colombia last doing so in 2015 and South Korea in 2019. Colombia didn’t qualify for the 2019 edition of this tournament.

On the other hand, South Korea haven’t won a single game in the group stage since 2015. Their last Women’s World Cup victory was a 2-1 result against Spain in the final group stage matchday, which was enough to finish second behind Brazil in Group E.

In terms of recent form, South Korea have the edge with four wins out of their last five, whereas Colombia have only won one of their last five matches.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Colombia VS Korea Republic

July 25, 10:00 (GMT+8)

Over 2.50

@2.14

The Women’s World Cup 2023 odds slightly favour Colombia to win, as they’re priced at 2.45, whereas South Korea are at 2.55, and a draw is at 2.95 in the 1X2 market.

With both sides having talented attackers and porous defences, we will see several Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights from this one in the form of goals, making Over 2.50 at 2.14 your best bet.

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Women’s World Cup: Vietnam Clash is a Must Win for Portugal…

Portugal vs Vietnam

…and equally you could say the Portugal game is a must-win for Vietnam. When the two Group E teams meet at the Waikato Stadium on Thursday a draw is not good for either of them, as they are each one match into the Women’s World Cup and are yet to get off the mark.

The Portuguese lost their opener to the Netherlands by the only goal of the game; it was a match we billed, here at SBOTOP, as a battle for second place and now Francisco Neto’s side is really up against it. Meanwhile Vietnam lost 3-0 to the USA in their first game and so anything other than a victory in Hamilton will see them head for the airport rather earlier than they had hoped.

Talking Points

Fortune favours the brave

Jessica Silva will aim to produce Women's World Cup 2023 highlights as Portugal clash against Vietnam

Portugal’s Jessica Silva in action against Netherlands

Portugal’s opener against the Netherlands turned out to be a really tight affair, decided by a 13th minute goal headed home by Stefanie van der Gragt. But Neto’s team was disappointingly timid, registering their first shot on target on 82 minutes, and that after going behind so early in the game.

This time they must take the game to the Vietnamese and offer more in front of goal than they did against the Oranje. Winger Jessica Silva was Portugal’s standout player, and with 14 goals from 100 international matches she has all the experience she needs. Silva showed some glimpses of her ability in the opener and is the best bet to make the big Portugal vs Vietnam highlights in this second game, while Maritimo forward Telma Encarnacao showed she can be lively in the final third too.

Keeper Ines Pereira put in a fine performance as the Netherlands threatened, particularly from set pieces, but she will hope for a quieter game against Vietnam and a good view of her team attacking!

Vietnam may be hard to break down

They had a decent share of possession against USA, at around 34 per cent, but Vietnam failed to register a single shot on goal, though a three goal loss, on balance, wasn’t a disastrous result. The USA are aiming for a third consecutive World Cup triumph and they will hand out bigger beatings than this on their way. Vietnam hardly made it out of their own half against the Stars and Stripes but they put in a brave performance against the Americans. Keeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh was heroic throughout as USA rained 27 shots down on her goal and she won’t shy away when Portugal inevitably get on the front foot.

Women’s World Cup 2023

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Head coach Mai Dic Chung epitomises the humility of the team, saying: “We don’t set high ambitions but during this tournament we can learn a lot. It’s a chance for us to compete with very good opponents and we can learn from their experience, skills and techniques. We also have to be mentally strong. We will respect all the competitors, but we are not scared.”

With 67 goals in 104 international appearances, 31 year old striker Huynh Nhu has the best chance of a Vietnam goal. She is the captain and the only player who works outside Vietnam, scoring seven goals for Portuguese side Lank last season. The five times Vietnam Golden Ball winner has impressed in Portugal and will know many of her opponents on Thursday, who have seen her dribbling skills as shooting ability many times.

History

Portugal are at the World Cup for the first time but have reached the European Championships twice, in 2017 and 2022. But they have been around a little longer than Vietnam, who have witnessed a rapid growth over the past ten years or so. They are four times South East Asian Games champions and they arrived in New Zealand after winning a play-off series, beating both Taiwan and Thailand.

Portugal have won three, drawn two and lost three matches in 2023 while Vietnam have won six and drawn five. The Vietnamese showed just how resilient they can be, losing narrowly by a 2-1 score line in a friendly with Germany, but were then hammered 9-0 by Spain.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Portugal VS Vietnam

July 27, 15:30 (GMT+8)

Over 3.50

@2.05

There isn’t a huge gap between these two teams in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, with Portugal at 21st and Vietnam up to 32nd so this could be a good contest, with Portugal needing all their experience to break a brave Vietnam team down. But the Portugal vs Vietnam betting odds can only see one winner with odds of around 1.20, while Vietnam can be backed at 20.00.

So I’m going for the goals market and predicting a good night for Portugal.

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Women’s World Cup: Final Re-Run has Ingredients for Compelling Fare

USA vs Netherlands

As Women’s World Cup meetings go, there will be fewer bigger tournaments than this one.

This is a clash between the reigning world champions and the former European champions and that introduction alone tells us what we need to know.

Yes, an early group game it may be but a repeat of the 2019 final is set to showcase some of the best players in Australia and New Zealand over the next month.

In addition, the winners will know that victory can potentially make their route to the latter stages, on paper at least, a little more comfortable.

Talking Points

Women’s World Cup 2023

CanadaRepublic Of Ireland

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Their meeting in the showpiece four years ago was decided by a Megan Rapinoe penalty and a Rose Lavelle goal and Rapinoe may well be a key figure once again in what is her last tournament after she recently announced her plans to retire.

She made her 200th appearance for the Stars and Stripes – 17 years to the weekend since she made her debut – at the weekend as they saw off minnows Vietnam in their tournament opener.

The USA arrived in New Zealand as favourites but tougher tests lie ahead and only after Thursday’s match against the Netherlands in Wellington will their fans learn more about whether they can make it three World Cup successes in a row.

As for the Dutch, they were less convincing in their opener but got the job done and that is all that mattered as they saw off Portugal.

A 13th minute header from Stefanie van der Gragt was enough to secure victory in Dunedin.

Perhaps there is too much expected of the Dutch.

Remember, this is only their third World Cup and they only established a domestic women’s league as recently as 2007.

It is a stage the Oranje believe they should be on though.

The Netherlands may have flopped at Euro 2022, but the footballing authorities reacted by bringing Andries Jonker in and the move has worked perfectly.

Netherlands won their last Women's World Cup match

Netherlands players in action against Portugal

Jonker has been toiling seven days a week, visiting players at their domestic clubs and rotating his teams to give weary players a rest during international breaks. And now the team is fit and firing, full of energy and optimism.

The major disappointment for them, of course, is the absence of star player Vivianne Miedema, who is missing with a cruciate ligament injury.

There is plenty of other talent on display and midfielder Jill Roord seems set to be a key player in Miedema’s absence since she is a brilliant passer of the ball – the Manchester City star has 21 goals in 86 appearances.

Keep an eye out also for 19 year-old dazzling winger Esmee Brugts, who will give opposition full-backs a torrid time.

In summary then, whether you are an avid watcher of women’s football or just follow from afar, if there is one group game likely to produce Women’s World Cup highlights, let me recommend this.

History

Their 2019 final showdown was the first ever competitive match between these nations.

USA, the pre-eminent force of the women’s game at international level, had won six of their previous eight friendly meetings before then.

Sarina Wiegman, who guided Oranje Leeuwinnen to Euro success in 2017 and the 2019 final, played in the last Dutch victory over America back in 1996. Since then, it’s been 11 consecutive defeats with a 29-4 aggregate score.

Their last meeting at the Olympic Games quarter-finals finished 2-2 when Medema scored twice for the Dutch but the US won 4-2 on spot-kicks.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

USA VS Netherlands

July 27, 9:00 (GMT+8)

Half Time Full Time Home – Home

@2.22

The Americans are favourites for a reason and are priced 1X2 @ 1.67 and Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.95 with the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds.

Holland are available to back 1X2 at an attractive @ 3.90 and Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 2.13.

A re-run of their draw from two years ago – Correct Score 2-2 – will pay out @ 22.00, with a repeat of the 2019 final on offer @ 6.40 with Correct Score 2-0.

I can see a few goals in this fixture and over 2.50 @ 2.13 has caught my eye.

I am going to go for the US to break down any resistance though and lead both at the break and the conclusion.

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Women’s World Cup: Sweden and Italy Prepare to Face Off

Sweden vs Italy

Keep your eyes on the action at the Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday as the top two teams in Group G come face to face.

Women’s World Cup: Sweden vs Italy is the pick of the weekend’s Group G games after both notched up impressive wins in their opener. Sweden beat South Africa 2-1 as Amanda Ilestedt scored a last-gasp winner, while Italy came through a tough encounter with Argentina thanks to a late goal from Cristiana Girelli.

Sweden are one of the favourites to win this tournament and so it’s no surprise that the Sweden vs Italy betting odds are backing a win for the Scandinavians, but Italy have some excellent players and will not roll over. The winner can book their place in the knockout phase while a draw would not be a bad result for either team.

Talking Points

Late winner gets Sweden moving

Can Fridolina Rolfo help Sweden win again over Italy in the Women's World Cup 2023?

Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfo celebrates scoring their first goal against South Africa

An opener against South Africa was a good test of Peter Gerhardsson’s team and they came through it; but only just. Ilestedt popped up in the 90th minute to grab all three points and that takes some pressure off the Swedes. South Africa are no mugs…they won the 2022 African Cup of Nations and they went ahead, on 48 minutes, when Hildah Magaia pounced. But Sweden hit back quickly when Frida Rolfo’s deflected effort found the net to set up a grandstand finish for Sweden. With 69 per cent possession and 15 shots to ten the Swedes were worthy of their win, but vulnerable on the break and South Africa registered four shots on target.

The 62-year-old Gerhardsson took over as Sweden head coach in 2017 and has led them to a bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup and a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. He has strength in depth in his team but the standout player is Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius. At 27 years of age she has her best years to come but she has already racked up 90 caps for Sweden and scored 14 goals for the Gunners last season.

And Italy can last the distance too

Women’s World Cup 2023

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Le Azzurre showed that they can play to the whistle too as 87 minutes had passed before substitute Cristiana Girelli came off the bench to break the Argentine hearts. The Argentines were well organised, tough in the tackle and hard to break down; and it looked like the Italians were to be frustrated until head coach Milena Bertolini made the decisive switch, bringing on Juventus star Girelli in the 83rd minute. The player who made way was Giulia Dragoni who, at 16 years, is one of the youngest players in the tournament’s history. The bright star is sure to make some Sweden vs Italy highlights whether she starts or comes off the bench; she’s a real talent with a glittering career ahead of her. A highly talented midfielder, Dragoni has recently moved from Inter Milan and is now registered by Barcelona as the first foreign player in the Blaugrana’s women’s academy. Dragoni is a key part of the future for Italy and part of a rebirth of the Azzurre team after Bertolini made the brave decision to leave the legendary Aurora Galli and captain Sara Gama out of her World Cup squad; and the team which made it to the 2019 World Cup quarter finals is in transition. As well as Dragoni, 18-year-old Juventus striker Chiara Beccari has a bright future and plenty to offer in this competition.

History

Sweden were World Cup runners-up in 2003 and European champions in 1984 but since then they have been a nearly team, constantly in the leading group in world football but falling at the final hurdle all too often.

Italy are twice runners up in Europe and twice quarter finalists in the World Cup, including the 2019 tournament.

Sweden have won four of the six encounters they have had with Italy and there hasn’t been a draw, with the Italians winning two of the last three.

In terms of recent form Italy have the edge, with three wins, one draw and two defeats from their last six matches while Sweden have won two, drawn two, and lost two.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Sweden VS Italy

July 29, 15:30 ( GMT+8)

Italy Asia Handicap +0.75

@ 1.82

At SBOTOP odds of 1.72 the Swedes are strong favourites to beat the Italians who are priced at 3.78 with the draw at 3.11. The FIFA World Ranking of third shows how strong the Swedish team is (Italy are rated 16th) and they have strength in depth.

But there is no shortage of quality in the Azzurre squad and they will fancy their chances of at least a point.

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Women’s World Cup: Brazil Can Pull Away if They Beat Misfiring France

France vs Brazil

Two wins are normally enough to get you over the line, so that’s what Brazil are aiming for when they face France at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday.

Brazil are leading Group F in the 2023 Women’s World Cup because they’re the only team in the group to have registered a victory after they demolished Panama 4-0 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, France were held to a goalless draw in their match against Jamaica, who put up a valiant effort even after they were reduced to 10 players late.

Neither team can afford to lose because it’s getting tight in Group F, so both France and Brazil are going to give it their all.

Talking Points

Borges stealing the show for Brazil

The future of Brazil looks bright given their wide array of talented youngsters, but it was Ary Borges who stood out. The 23-year-old winger gave her team the perfect start in the 2023 Women’s World Cup by scoring a hat-trick.

Borges’ first after 19 minutes was a header to beat Panama goalie Yenith Bailey, while her second was a tap-in after a rebound. Her third and final goal came after 70 minutes, with Bailey as her victim once again.

The Racing Louisville star actually could’ve completed her hat-trick earlier than 70 minutes, but she showed her unselfishness when she teed up Bia Zaneratto three minutes after the halftime break to finish a superb attack into the roof of the net.

Borges is one of the 11 players in the squad featuring at their first Women’s World Cup, and now she has put the whole world on notice.

Brazilian icon Marta, dubbed by many as the GOAT in women’s football, replaced Borges in the lineup after 75 minutes. The 37-year-old had a knee injury prior to the tournament, but she is expected to play a pivotal role in her sixth Women’s World Cup with Pia Sundhage as their head coach.

In a tournament that feels like a period of transition for As Canarinhas, if Borges keeps it up, Marta wouldn’t mind passing the torch to her.

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France lacking the cutting edge

France would’ve been a few points away from securing their berth at the knockout stage if they converted at least one of their chances against Jamaica.

Jamaica were content to defend for the most part and get a point against France. Les Bleus had 73-per cent possession and 14 shots compared to the Reggae Girlz’s 27-per cent and six shots, but it all went to naught for Herve Renard’s side.

France’s Kadidiatou Diani is expected to create winning chances in their next Women’s World Cup game against Brazil

France’s Kadidiatou Diani in action during their Women’s World Cup group stage match against Jamaica

The absences of Selma Bacha, Delphine Cascarino, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto don’t help, but they have someone like Kadidiatou Diani, who will be their key to winning moving forward.

Diani was the brightest spot for France against Jamaica with her solid positional awareness. She was unlucky when a header of hers bounced off the post, but she should get her opportunities again against As Canarinhas.

History

Sunday marks the third time that France and Brazil square off at the Women’s World Cup. They drew 1-1 in their first encounter in 2003 before Les Bleus defeated As Canarinhas 2-1 in 2019 to reach the quarter-finals.

After eliminating Brazil in 2019, France were beaten by the United States with the exact same scoreline in the next round, and the Stars and Stripes eventually won it all.

France’s 0-0 draw against Jamaica last Sunday was their first such game on the first matchday of the Women’s World Cup. Les Bleus have always managed to win at least one game in their first two matchdays of an edition of the tournament.

Les Bleus have recorded a clean sheet in four of their last five group stage games at the Women’s World Cup. The last time they conceded goals in a group stage game was a 2-0 loss versus Colombia in 2015.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

France VS Brazil

July 29, 18:00 (GMT+8)

Brazil Asian Handicap -0.25

@2.17

The SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 odds predict a tight contest between these two nations, who are in the Top 10 of the FIFA women’s rankings. Eighth-ranked Brazil were given the slight edge at 2.35, while fifth-seeded France are at 2.58, and a draw is at 3.05 in the 1X2 market.

We are siding with Brazil on this one because they’ve been the more clinical team in the final third, although France remain quite a dangerous side.

We should also see several entries in the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights reel on Sunday, so betting options like Over 2.25 at 2.11 and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.84 are also on offer.

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Women’s World Cup: This is the Point of No Return for Korea

Korea Republic vs Morocco

When the Women’s World Cup kicked off two weeks ago, Group H had a fascinating look about it with Germany the favourites and South Korea, Colombia, and Morocco chasing second place.

South Korea were our SBOTOP dark horses for the competition, but they made a poor start, losing 2-0 to Colombia, and now they need to beat the Moroccans, who were hammered 6-0 by Germany.

So this is a clash between two teams which are yet to get off the mark. A win will keep their qualification hopes alive and a draw will be of little use to either.

Korea are the hot favourites and, with a crystal clear objective, I expect them to come through.

Talking Points

Korea must rule out individual errors

South Korea head coach Colin Bell has some serious work to do after a disappointing showing in their first outing, and he knows that even if his team does beat Morocco, their success still needs other results to go their way.

Korea’s match with Colombia was pitched as a battle for second place in a group we all expect Germany to win, and the Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds back us up. But individual errors cost the Koreans dearly and Colombia took full advantage.

Women’s World Cup 2023

NorwayPhilippines

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The opener came on the half hour when Shim Seo-yen handled in the penalty area, and Catalina Usme slotted home the spot-kick. Before the break, Colombia doubled the lead when Korea keeper Yoon Young- geul made an error, and Linda Caicedo pounced to slam the ball into the net.

Lee Geum-min came close to halving the deficit, but Colombia keeper Catalia Perez made a stunning save. And then Korea made the big Women’s World Cup 2023 news of the tournament so far when they brought on 16-year-old Casey Phair, who became the youngest ever player in the World Cup, just 26 days into her 17th year.

Korea really should have beaten a side which registered only its second ever win at a World finals, and the Asian team has now lost all four of its opening Women’s World Cup games.

Korea didn’t deserve anything, but Kang Chae-Rim and Moon Mi-Ra both put in strong performances, and if they can lift their teammates, then a victory is just around the corner.

Morocco must go again

Reynald Pedros of Morocco will try to defeat South Korea in their Women's World Cup match in Group H

Morocco boss Reynald Pedros leads in their match against Germany

While Bell has work to do with the Koreans, Morocco head coach Reynald Pedros has a rather more straightforward task. He is just trying to improve his inexperienced team match by match, and now he will attempt to lift their spirits after a brutal hammering at the hands of Alexandra Popp and Germany, scoring two own goal in the process.

Pedros is a proven manager in the women’s game. As a former France international, he led Lyon to two Ligue 1 titles and two Women’s Champions League titles. Morocco’s qualification for their first ever tournament was a fine achievement in itself, and their profile skyrocketed after hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.

In support of Pedros, Ghizlane Chebbak is an inspirational figure, nurturing the younger players and leading by example as top scorer with 21 goals.

“Moroccan people love watching football and they love supporting anyone who represents the country,” she said.

The Atlas Lions reached the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and now the women are trying their utmost to become a force in the women’s game.

While they were thrashed by Germany, Morocco put up a good fight and stretched the German defence at times, only losing the shots on target count by seven to four.

There is a long way to go, but the will and the passion for Morocco to succeed is there.

History

At 17th in the FIFA World Rankings, the Koreans are 55 places above the Moroccans in 72nd. But Korea is a more established player in the women’s game, and Morocco are on the up.

But it is still a tough world for the underdogs, and they are still on a steep learning curve. Over the past six games, Morocco have lost four and drawn two, while Korea have won three and drawn three.

In fact, Morocco haven’t picked up a victory in their last nine attempts.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

South Korea VS Morocco

July 30, 12:30 (GMT+8)

South Korea Asian Handicap -1.00

@ 2.06

Korea are at 1.47 to win this game with the draw at 3.59, and Morocco are priced at 4.84 to cause an upset.

The Koreans really should pick up three points here, but Bell will make his team fully aware that if they are sloppy at the back, then Morocco will be dangerous.

If they get it right, a scoreline of 2-0 to South Korea at odds of 5.41 will not be far off the mark.

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Women’s World Cup: Group A Remains Up for Grabs

Korea Republic vs Morocco

When the Women’s World Cup kicked off two weeks ago, Group H had a fascinating look about it with Germany the favourites and South Korea, Colombia, and Morocco chasing second place.

South Korea were our SBOTOP dark horses for the competition, but they made a poor start, losing 2-0 to Colombia, and now they need to beat the Moroccans, who were hammered 6-0 by Germany.

So this is a clash between two teams which are yet to get off the mark. A win will keep their qualification hopes alive and a draw will be of little use to either.

Korea are the hot favourites and, with a crystal clear objective, I expect them to come through.

Talking Points

Korea must rule out individual errors

South Korea head coach Colin Bell has some serious work to do after a disappointing showing in their first outing, and he knows that even if his team does beat Morocco, their success still needs other results to go their way.

Korea’s match with Colombia was pitched as a battle for second place in a group we all expect Germany to win, and the Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds back us up. But individual errors cost the Koreans dearly and Colombia took full advantage.

Women’s World Cup 2023

NorwayPhilippines

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TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

The opener came on the half hour when Shim Seo-yen handled in the penalty area, and Catalina Usme slotted home the spot-kick. Before the break, Colombia doubled the lead when Korea keeper Yoon Young- geul made an error, and Linda Caicedo pounced to slam the ball into the net.

Lee Geum-min came close to halving the deficit, but Colombia keeper Catalia Perez made a stunning save. And then Korea made the big Women’s World Cup 2023 news of the tournament so far when they brought on 16-year-old Casey Phair, who became the youngest ever player in the World Cup, just 26 days into her 17th year.

Korea really should have beaten a side which registered only its second ever win at a World finals, and the Asian team has now lost all four of its opening Women’s World Cup games.

Korea didn’t deserve anything, but Kang Chae-Rim and Moon Mi-Ra both put in strong performances, and if they can lift their teammates, then a victory is just around the corner.

Morocco must go again

Reynald Pedros of Morocco will try to defeat South Korea in their Women's World Cup match in Group H

Morocco boss Reynald Pedros leads in their match against Germany

While Bell has work to do with the Koreans, Morocco head coach Reynald Pedros has a rather more straightforward task. He is just trying to improve his inexperienced team match by match, and now he will attempt to lift their spirits after a brutal hammering at the hands of Alexandra Popp and Germany, scoring two own goal in the process.

Pedros is a proven manager in the women’s game. As a former France international, he led Lyon to two Ligue 1 titles and two Women’s Champions League titles. Morocco’s qualification for their first ever tournament was a fine achievement in itself, and their profile skyrocketed after hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.

In support of Pedros, Ghizlane Chebbak is an inspirational figure, nurturing the younger players and leading by example as top scorer with 21 goals.

“Moroccan people love watching football and they love supporting anyone who represents the country,” she said.

The Atlas Lions reached the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and now the women are trying their utmost to become a force in the women’s game.

While they were thrashed by Germany, Morocco put up a good fight and stretched the German defence at times, only losing the shots on target count by seven to four.

There is a long way to go, but the will and the passion for Morocco to succeed is there.

History

At 17th in the FIFA World Rankings, the Koreans are 55 places above the Moroccans in 72nd. But Korea is a more established player in the women’s game, and Morocco are on the up.

But it is still a tough world for the underdogs, and they are still on a steep learning curve. Over the past six games, Morocco have lost four and drawn two, while Korea have won three and drawn three.

In fact, Morocco haven’t picked up a victory in their last nine attempts.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

South Korea VS Morocco

July 30, 12:30 (GMT+8)

South Korea Asian Handicap -1.00

@ 2.06

Korea are at 1.47 to win this game with the draw at 3.59, and Morocco are priced at 4.84 to cause an upset.

The Koreans really should pick up three points here, but Bell will make his team fully aware that if they are sloppy at the back, then Morocco will be dangerous.

If they get it right, a scoreline of 2-0 to South Korea at odds of 5.41 will not be far off the mark.

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Women’s World Cup: Who Will Top Group C?

Japan vs Spain

Japan and Spain meet at the Wellington Regional Stadium on Monday in a Group C decider after both teams won their opening two games.

On Wednesday, they became the first two nations to qualify for the knockout phase, and the winner in Wellington will top the group. Spain are ahead on goal difference and have been hugely impressive, so much so that La Roja are now joint favourites alongside USA to win the tournament.

The winner of this match will face the runners up from Group A, while the loser will face the Group A top team. And that group is wide open after the Philippines recorded a brilliant victory over New Zealand on Thursday.

From the outset, the Women’s World Cup has delivered some superb action, and this match will certainly get the fans off their seats again.

Spain boss Jorge Vilda wants to lead Spain to glory for the first time in their history, while his opposite number, Futoshi Ikeda, is coaching a team which were World Champions in 2011.

Women’s World Cup 2023

Republic Of IrelandNigeria

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Talking Points

Spain welcome back Putellas

The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds have taken a shift towards Spain after La Roja swept Zambia and Costa Rica aside 5-0 and 3-0, and the return of a key player looks set to increase Spain’s momentum.

We picked out Alexia Putellas as a player who could provide more than her share of Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights, and Spain fans were delighted to see her in the starting line up against Zambia on Wednesday.

She’s thought by many to be the best player in the world, but she has been out of international action for this year, making an appearance in a friendly 7-0 win over Panama in June.

The back-to-back Ballon D’Or winner scored against Panama and was back to her best against Zambia, pulling the strings and inspiring her team on to another stunning performance.

Putellas has her sights on the main prize.

Japan hope to return to former glories

How will Mina Tanaka contribute in Japan's last group stage match in the Women's World Cup?

Costa Rica’s Fabiola Villalobos in action with Japan’s Mina Tanaka during a match at the Forsyth Barr Stadium

Japan have beaten Zambia 5-0 and Costa Rica 2-0 so they are not far behind their opponents at all, and Ikeda has put together a team determined to bring past glories back to the nation.

After hammering Zambia, the Japanese coasted past Costa Rica as Hikaru Naomoto and Aoba Fujino scored in an explosive three-minute period in the first half.

This is a young squad with 29-year-old Mina Tanaka the oldest forward. She is her nation’s top scorer with 24 international goals and, in the prime of her career, she has developed into an all-around striker with big game experience.

She is strong and fast and can shoot with both feet and Tanaka has been the top scorer in the Japan League four times, and she scored on her international debut against Germany 10 years ago.

Tanaka is the leader of this new generation in Japan and, like Putellas, she will inspire her teammates to be the very best they can.

History

Japan were the team of the 2010’s, certainly the first half of that decade, as the Nadeshiko were crowned World Champions in 2011, beating USA in the final and being the last nation to hold that honour before the Stars and Stripes took over.

Alongside Norway and Germany, Japan are one of only four teams to win the world title, and they were also silver medallists at the 2012 London Olympics.

12 years on, Japan are struggling to emulate the heroes of the past and exited the 2019 World Cup in the Round of 16 and stumbled to a quarter-final appearance in their home Olympics in 2021.

While Spain are powerful now, they are relatively new to the higher echelons of women’s football, with their best performance being a Round of 16 appearance in 2019. But this Roja team is the best ever, and 2023 could be their year.

These two teams have met four times, and Spain have won three and drawn the other. They came together in November and Spain won with the only goal of the game scored by Alba Redondo.

Both nations are in superb form. Japan have won five from their last six games and are on a winning run of three, while Spain have won their last eight games.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Japan VS Spain

July 31, 15:00 (GMT+8)

1X2 Spain

@ 1.83

At SBOTOP odds of 3.35, the Japanese are well in this game and so is the draw at 3.06.

Japan are still a force in the game, ranked 11th in the world by FIFA, but La Roja are upwardly mobile, placed sixth in the rankings.

A scoreline of 1-0 to Spain is the shortest price at 4.55, but I suspect the rampant Roja will win this final game comfortably and go into the knockout phase on the crest of a wave.

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Women’s World Cup: Who Will Top Group C?

Canada vs Australia

Canada and Australia came into the 2023 Women’s World Cup as the favourites to come out of Group B, but following their recent Women’s World Cup 2023 results, now it feels like only one of them could advance to the knockout phase.

After their 1-0 opening victory against the Republic of Ireland, Australia were momentarily on top of the group. However, following their shock 3-2 loss to Nigeria, they now find themselves in third place.

Canada, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw by Nigeria in the first game before beating the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday to occupy the second spot in Group B.

With Nigeria favoured to defeat the Republic of Ireland, this game between Canada and Australia is essentially a win-or-go-home scenario for both sides.

Women’s World Cup 2023

Republic Of IrelandNigeria

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TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Talking Points

Who will lead up front for Canada?

Christine Sinclair’s resume speaks for itself. The Portland Thorns forward is the most accomplished player on Canada’s roster, as she leads the nation in appearances (325) and goals scored (190). But more importantly, she is still capable of performing at a high level despite her advancing age.

So when Bev Priestman didn’t include Sinclair in the starting XI against the Republic of Ireland, her first game on the bench in a Women’s World Cup match for the first time in her 23-year international career, Canada supporters were obviously bewildered.

Priestman made the questionable decision maybe because she wanted to mix things up following their goalless draw against Nigeria, where Sinclair missed a crucial penalty that could’ve made her the first male or female player to score in six World Cups, and it worked.

The Republic of Ireland jumped out to a 1-0 lead courtesy of Katie McCabe’s goal after four minutes, but Canada made a rousing comeback in the second half to steal the win.

Sinclair came off the bench at halftime to help complete the turnaround, and it was Adriana Leon who hit the dagger when she made it 2-1 for the Canucks following Megan Connolly’s own goal eight minutes earlier.

That was the 29th international goal for Leon, and the Manchester United star is likely tasked with leading the line once again alongside Jordyn Huitema, Evelyne Viens, and Jessie Fleming, while we wouldn’t be surprised if Sinclair came off the bench once more.

Kerr and co. available for Australia

Matildas captain Sam Kerr is now fit to play against Canada on Monday in the 2023 Women's World Cup

Women’s World Cup: Matildas captain Sam Kerr has recovered from a calf injury sustained during warm-ups

Sam Kerr has declared herself fit to play against Canada on Monday. The Matildas captain has yet to play a single game in the 2023 Women’s World Cup due to a calf injury she sustained during warm-ups 10 days ago on the eve of their opener against the Republic of Ireland.

Any team with Sam Kerr on its side is going to have a strong attack because she brings a lot of goals to the table. After all, she’s the only player to win the Golden Boot in three different countries (Australia, USA, and England) and the first to break the 20-goal barrier in consecutive seasons while playing for Chelsea.

There’s more good news for the Matildas, as Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik are both available on Monday. Fowler and Luik didn’t play against Nigeria due to concussion.

History

Canada and Australia will meet in the Women’s World Cup for the first time since their 2-2 draw in the 2007 group stage. Since then, the Canucks have won their last three matches against the Matildas, including their most recent encounter at a major tournament, a 2-0 win in the 2016 Olympics group stage.

Canada, so far, are undefeated against Asian Football Confederation (AFC) representatives in five previous Women’s World Cup matches (W3, D2).

The Canucks are aiming to qualify for the knockout stage for the third time in a row. After their first qualification in 2003, Canada have also done so in 2015 and 2019. The Matildas, on the other hand, have always made it to the knockout stage since 2007.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Canada VS Australia

July 31, 18:00 (GMT+8)

Australia Asian Handicap -0.25

@ 1.90

SBOTOP football fans should expect nothing less from Australia and Canada this Monday. They are close in the Women’s World Cup 2023 odds, as Australia are priced at 2.19, Canada are at 2.85, and a draw is at 3.00 in the 1X2 market.

Both nations are very capable of scoring goals, so you may also go for Total Goal 2-3 at 1.82 or Over 2.50 at 1.90 as well.

But in the end, we’re betting on Australia to eke out a close win because they have the firepower and the motivation to not let their fans at AAMI Park down.

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Women’s World Cup: Netherland’s Aim to Top Group C

Vietnam vs Netherlands

We all thought that the USA would win Women’s World Cup Group C, but the reigning champions drew 1-1 with the Netherlands, and now the Oranje have a great chance of winning Group C.

In the final round of games, there is plenty to play for. The USA face Portugal in Auckland on Tuesday, while the Netherlands face pointless Vietnam in Dunedin.

If, and it’s a big if, Portugal can spank the Yanks, they will proceed to the knockout phase and dump the Stars and Stripes out of the competition.

Meanwhile, in the other tie, the Netherlands can top the group by beating Vietnam providing the USA don’t win their game by a big enough margin.

I can see Portugal making it difficult and maybe even getting a draw.

In the second round of games, Vietnam crashed out of the tournament, losing 2-0 to Portugal, while the Netherlands picked up that crucial point against the tournament favourites.

With Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds of around 75.00 to win this game, the Vietnam women are unlikely to upset the Oranje, but it won’t be for any lack of effort.

Talking Points

Oranje can match the very best

Ranked ninth in the world, the Netherlands are in a clutch of teams capable of going all the way in this competition and are now at SBOTOP odds of 1.95 to win this group, 10.00 to reach the final, and 21.00 to win the tournament.

Jill Roord is set to lead the Netherlands against Vietnam in the Women’s World Cup

Netherlands’ Jill Roord in action with Andi Sullivan of the USA during the Women’s World Cup

Their clash with the USA was a repeat of the 2019 final, and the Dutch fully deserved their point and would have had all three if USA skipper Lindsey Horan hadn’t scored a second half equaliser.

Manchester City signing Jill Roord put the Oranje in charge with a sublime strike from the edge of the penalty area, and Sky Blues fans will be excited at the prospect of seeing her play at the City Academy Stadium next season.

USA had won their last 13 games, and the Oranje’s excellence has shown the other hopefuls that the favourites can be matched, and Spain in particular will be interested. Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker was delighted, saying: “We performed brilliantly and at times it was really fantastic. You have to be happy with 1-1,” he said. “We’re there, along with the US, and I’m very satisfied with that.”

Vietnam playing for pride

It would be unfair to describe them as the whipping girls of Group E, and Vietnam’s clash with Portugal was their only serious chance of avoiding bottom place, but they were never really at the races.

Vietnam had less than 30-per cent possession and lost the shot count by 28 to five and 10 to one on target.

The emerging football nation, , ranked 32nd in the world by FIFA, didn’t expect to post a spectacular set of Women’s World Cup 2023 results,but the Diamond Girls can hold their heads up high. They haven’t been slaughtered by either USA of Portugal, and the result against the Stars and Stripes, a 3-0 loss, was quite an achievement.

Women’s World Cup 2023

PortugalUSA

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TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Vietnam are one of the least experienced teams in the tournament, making their very first appearance at the World Finals. Formed in 1990 and first playing an official match in 1997, the Diamond Girls have been crowned South East Asian Games champions four times. And remember, the USA were already World Champions back in 1991.

A lot of the credit for Vietnam’s rapid rise must go to head coach Mai Duc Chung. The 72-year-old manager will step down after this game, having first taken the reigns in 1997.

He has been with the Diamond Girls throughout their journey with a few breaks to coach the Vietnam men’s U19 and U22 sides, and he can be proud of his achievement to bring World Cup football to his nation.

History

While this is Vietnam’s first appearance at a World Cup finals, it is the third time the Netherlands have been at the finals. They were runners-up in 2019 and European Champions in 2017.

And in terms of recent form, the Netherlands are streets ahead too. While the Diamond Girls are on a five-match losing run, the Oranje have won three, drawn one, and lost one of their last five.

Betting Tip

In the run up to this tournament, the Netherlands spanked Belgium 5-0 and Portugal 4-1, and they will fancy a few more goals against Vietnam.

But they will meet an opponent determined to bow out with dignity and, having held USA to 3-0 and Portugal 2-0, they will hope to do the same against a team which will be keen to avoid injuries in advance of the knockout phase.

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Women’s World Cup: USA Out to Prove They Are The Team to Beat

Portugal vs USA

You don’t become back-to-back world champions without being a top, top side.

Yet reading one or two reports this week, you would think the USA have lost their mojo.

To quote the old phrase: ‘Form is temporary, class is permanent’ and the world champions will be out to prove that against the Portuguese to seal their place in the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup.

The US only need a point, Portugal need all three and with goal difference likely to decide the group, meaning the Americans will want to score as many as they can. there’s plenty to play for at Eden Park.

Talking Points

Now it is fair to say the US are yet to fire on all cylinders at this World Cup.

Vlatko Andonovski’s side were guilty of wasting a hatful of chances in their 3-0 win over debutants Vietnam, while against the Dutch they once again created enough opportunities to have taken maximum points but had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a repeat of the 2019 final.

However, many of the same questions were asked eight years ago, and the USA prevailed after some drastic tactical changes were made in the quarter-finals.

And what of Portugal, narrowly beaten by Holland in their opener before seeing off Vietnam in their must-win game with two early goals.

Portugal will aim to beat Women’s World Cup reigning champs USA in their next group stage game

Portugal celebrate scoring their first goal against Vietnam in their Women’s World Cup group stage match

The highest-ranked of the eight World Cup debutants at 21st on the FIFA list, Portugal have experience at the back and exciting young talent up front and earned their maiden victory via their first World Cup goals, scored by Telma Encarnacao and Kika Nazareth.

They have youth, skill and speed in their ranks but it would be a mighty shock if they can knock out the world champions who may hand a starting berth to one of their stars, Rose Lavelle, who has made an impression from the bench in both games so far.

She has been purposely restricted as she recovers from a knee injury sustained in early April.

If this was a game in men’s international football, Portugal would be firm favourites. In this instance, it’s quite the opposite.

Women’s World Cup 2023

China PREngland

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History

These teams have met on four previous occasions – all over the past five years – and the US have won the lot while Portugal have yet to score.

In 2018 Jessica McDonald netted the only goal.

In 2019, two friendlies in quick succession went the way of the Statesiders.

Tobin Heath, Morgan Brian, Carli Lloyd and Alexandra Long found the net in a 4-0 romp before Lloyd scored twice (one penalty) and was joined on the scoresheet by Lindsey Horan in a 3-0 win a few days later.

Two years ago it was much closer but the outcome was the same as the US edged home through a 76th minute Samantha Mewis goal.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Portugal VS USA

August 01, 15:00 (GMT+8)

Total Goals 4-6

@3.45

It’s the US all the way with an array of bets with the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds which include First Half 1X2 @ 1.81, 1X2 @ 1.25, First Half Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 1.82 and Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.91.

For Portugal, the options include First Half 1X2 @ 6.20, 1X2 @ 7.40, First Half Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 1.98 and Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 2.11.

A re-run of their last meeting is available with Correct Score 0-1 @ 4.30 but I do think there’ll be more goals than that as both sides require them!

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⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

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Women’s World Cup: Sweden to Power through to Knockout Phase

Argentina vs Sweden

They are already in the Round of 16 after winning their first two games and now Group G leaders Sweden are ready to make it three from three when they meet Argentina on Wednesday in Hamilton.

Sweden have been the ‘nearly nation’ for so long and now their fans are dreaming of Women’s World Cup success after they thrashed Italy 5-0 on Saturday morning, and they face an Argentina side which is staring into the face of elimination. The underdogs have picked up just one point from their first two games and trail Italy who have three, and the Italians are likely to make their way through to the Round of 16 when they face South Africa.

Talking Points

Swedes are looking so strong

Sweden’s face-off with Italy was all over by half time as they flew into a three-goal lead. Defender Amanda Ilestedt scored twice to make it three goals for the competition and that means she is joint top scorer in the tournament after two rounds. A three-goal blitz just before half time blew the Argentina side away as Ilestedt started the rout when she headed home a corner from Jonna Andersson; and goals from Fridolina Rolfo and Stina Blackstenius ended the contest by half time. Ilestedt headed home her second just after the break and substitute Rebecka Blomqvist rounded off the 5-0 win in injury time.

Women’s World Cup 2023

South AfricaItaly

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Sweden’s great strength is from set pieces where, led by Ilestedt, they dominate the air, scoring four of their seven goals so far from corners. Andersson sends in an in-swinging corner and, taking advantage of any lack of height in their opponents, the Swedish powerhouses convert, often from within the six yard box.

It may not be total football and the purists might not like it, but it’s certainly effective and the 5ft 10 in Ilestedt has a great chance to challenge for the Golden Boot. The Arsenal star is one of the best defenders in the game too and a talismanic figure for the ambitious Swedes. And any team which relies on set pieces will generally have less possession and needs to defend well. This was the case, even against Italy when Sweden keeper Zecira Musovic pulled off a superb save in the first minute to deny Italy’s Sofia Cantore, and again in the 17th.

A big heart won’t be enough for Argentina

After losing their opener to Italy, battling Argentina came from two goals behind to draw with South Africa after they fell behind on 30 minutes and then further behind on 66. They had plenty of possession but without an end result and Argentina failed to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes. But, with a quarter of the game left to play, the Argentines found inspiration and eventually produced a brilliant goal with 16 minutes left on the clock. Midfield ace Sophia Braun picked up the ball some 20 yards out and fired a beauty into the top right corner of the South African net.

Sophia Braun will try to score goals for Argentina against Sweden in Group G in the Women's World Cup

Argentina’s Sophia Braun celebrates scoring their first goal against South Africa

Check out Braun’s strike on the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights…it is well worth another look. And when Romina Nunez headed home the leveller the Argentina fans went crazy. “We never gave up and we played our hearts out,” said Braun. “We wanted to win but we are happy with this comeback. We are looking forward to playing Sweden. It will be another battle and we are ready for it.”

There is no doubting the Argentina battling spirit but I doubt they have enough quality in depth to beat a powerful and experienced Sweden.

History

Sweden have made nine appearances at the World Cup, finishing as runners up in 2003, and they were European Champions back in 1984.

Argentina have been at the World Cup finals four times and are yet to navigate the group stage, and they were the Copa America Feminana champions in 2006.

In terms of recent form both teams have won three, drawn two and lost one of the last six games, but look a little closer and you see the Swedes played Germany, Denmark and Norway before the tournament began while Argentina had two games against Venezuela women among their six.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP odds make Sweden hot favourites to win this game and, ranked third in the world by FIFA, above England, France and Spain, that is no surprise. In fact, the latest Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds have installed Spain as second favourites, hot on the heels of the USA.

If, as expected, Sweden fly through to the knockout phase with nine points, then fans of the other nations will start to sit up and take notice.

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Women’s World Cup: Who is Dominating the Midfield?

We’re well into the 2023 Women’s World Cup with the knockout phase due to start on Sunday and some teams already preparing for a Round of 16 tie.

Two weeks of scintillating action have produced some brilliant performances and a handful of stunning Women’s World Cup 2023 results, notably Morocco’s first ever finals win, over the Korean Republic, and the Philippines heroic victory over hosts New Zealand.

There have been some great performances in attack, Spain women have been scoring at will, and Sweden put in the best showing of the tournament so far, taking on a talented Italy side and whacking them 5-0. In defence England have looked solid and are yet to concede a goal, picking up two 1-0 wins; but while strikers and goalkeepers often write the headlines, the battles in the big games are often won and lost in the middle of the park.

The players who break up attacks, link up play and launch attacks are the most influential so, 39 games in, we’re looking at the midfield players who have caught the eye in the qualifying stages of the competition.

So here are the SBOTOP picks of the best three.

Lindsay Horan – USA

Women’s World Cup 2023

South Korea

Germany

1X2 Draw @ 5.40

First Half Under 1.00 @ 2.05

Total Goals 4-6 @ 3.05

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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The pre-tournament Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds pitched the Stars and Stripes as the favourites to conquer all, and they are on track to make it three world crowns on the bounce, though they still have work to do to qualify for the last 16 after being held to a draw by the Netherlands.

USA failing to win is a rarity indeed, and it may have been worse but for co-captain Lindsay Horan who popped up with a second half equaliser. The 29 year old central midfielder stole in at the near post to meet a corner from Rose Lavelle and power her header beyond the Dutch keeper.

She also scored in USA’s 3-0 victory over Vietnam and, in an typically all action display, she picked up a yellow card too!

After a successful stint at Portland Thorns Horan is now back at Ligue superpower Lyon for a second time and she has everything needed to be an all-round midfielder, pace, strength, superb passing ability, vision and a calm head. USA play Portugal on Tuesday and Horan will ensure her team gets over the line.

Aitana Bonmati – Spain

One of the most admired midfielders in world football, 25 year old Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati, has stood out among the free scoring Spaniards as a cultured operator with the penchant for a special moment. In La Roja’s 3-0 win over Costa Rica she evaded two challenges before curling a beauty into the far corner to put her entry in for the ‘goal of the competition.’

Aitana Bonmat scored for Spain against Costa Rica in the Women's World Cup 2023

Aitana Bonmati during warm up before their match against Japan

Spain are already through to the knockout phase after also beating Zambia 5-0; and a 4-0 defeat to Japan on Monday won’t discourage the team most likely to nudge the USA out. Bonmati operates in central midfield and links up well with the excellent Alexia Putellas and she showed just what a player she is when she destroyed Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final. Bonmati was among the group of players who went on international strike last September and Spain fans will be delighted the dispute was resolved in time for her to take her place at the World Cup.

Guro Reiten – Norway

The Norwegians have made it through to the knockout phase of the World Cup and Guro Reiten has impressed along the way. She fired home a penalty during Norway’s 6-0 rout of the Philippines and also teed up Sophie Raug’s third as the striker hit the first hat-trick of the competition, and Reiten dominated the centre of the park as Norway snuffed out Switzerland in a 0-0 draw. She plays traditionally out wide on the left side of midfield but she is a versatile player and can switch to a central role, with great positional sense and great link up play.

At 28 years of age she is in the prime of her career and is key part of Chelsea’s team, making the Blues tick and Reiten has a brilliant record of goals and assists for club and country. She made her debut for Norway in 2014 and has racked up 18 goals in 83 appearances while scoring 22 goals in 76 games for Chelsea.

Norway, ranked 12th in the world by FIFA, have underachieved in recent competitions and, if they are to go deep into this competition, the inspirational Reiten will be the player to watch.

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Women’s World Cup: These Goalies Deserve Our Flowers

Football games are not only determined by who scores the most goals but also by who concedes the least. And here at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, every goal counts because it might be the difference between making it to the next round or not.

Yesterday, our SBOTOP team made a list of the tournament’s standouts in the midfield, highlighting their ability to score goals and control the tempo.

But while most of the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights feature goals, let’s not forget the wonderful saves made by our goalkeepers, and that’s what we’re going to highlight today.

So, here’s our list of those goalies who stood out in the showpiece tournament thus far, and let us know what you think.

Alyssa Naeher, USA

USA are the two-time defending champions because they are loaded with talent from young to old. Most of the attention is directed towards the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Sophia Smith, but let’s not forget Alyssa Naeher too.

The Chicago Red Stars goalie is a bona fide winner not only with the USA national team but also in club football. Earlier this year, Naeher set the NWSL record for all-time saves with 520 and counting.

Naeher has been the Stars and Stripes’ first-choice goalkeeper for quite some time since she replaced Hope Solo. The 35-year-old already has 93 caps, and this might be her last Women’s World Cup because she’s not getting any younger.

And so far, she’s making it count. With Naeher manning the sticks, the USA have only conceded one goal so far, and they are favoured by the Women’s World Cup 2023 odds to beat Portugal later, make another deep run, and possibly complete a three-peat.

Mary Earps, England

England already secured their spot in the knockouts with 7 points in the Women’s World Cup Group E

England’s Mary Earps reacts after saving a shot against Denmark

England are expected to go through to the knockout stage after winning all of their games in the group stage. It hasn’t been pretty, but they managed to get the job done because of their iron-clad defence, which has conceded zero goals thus far.

The Lionesses have recorded back-to-back 1-0 victories against Haiti and Denmark. In those two matches, Haiti and Denmark only had 13 shots combined, while England were simply wasteful in the final third with 34 shots.

Despite conceding only a few shots, England’s backline looks unsettled at times, particularly against Haiti. Thankfully for them, they have Mary Earps to bail them out.

You can make the argument that Earps is the best goalkeeper in the world today, and she’s fresh from a productive 2023-24 campaign, winning the WSL Golden Glove award with 14 clean sheets for Manchester United.

If the Lionesses are to bring it home, Earps, among others, must continue to be at her best. The team is dealing with a lot of injuries right now, so it’s not going to be easy.

Chiamaka Nnadozie, Nigeria

Nigeria have been the surprise package of the Women’s World Cup, and Chiamaka Nnadozie has been their most important player thus far.

After this tournament, we wouldn’t be surprised if her stock rose tremendously in the transfer market. She became the first African goalkeeper to record two clean sheets at the same Women’s World Cup, which isn’t too shabby for a “stand-in” captain.

Her best performance was in their 3-2 win against Australia. Despite conceding two goals, Nnadozie made six saves, including a couple of crucial ones that preserved the victory.

In club football, Nnadozie was one of the main reasons why Paris FC finished third in Division 1 Feminine to qualify for the Champions League last season, securing eight clean sheets through the campaign, including key saves in big games.

Time is on Nnadozie’s side because she’s only 22 years old. Given her trajectory, she should only get better from here on out, so Nigeria should do all they can to keep her in their ranks.

Women’s World Cup 2023

JapanNorway

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Olivia McDaniel, Philippines

The Filipinas’ historic Women’s World Cup debut may have come to an abrupt end, but they became the darlings of the tournament after capturing the hearts of fans from all over the world.

Their victory against New Zealand has put them on the map, and while Sarina Bolden gets the plaudits for scoring the winning goal, Olivia McDaniel was named Player of the Match.

McDaniel deserves the recognition because she made numerous saves, including a key save in the 93rd minute that sealed the deal for the Philippines.

She may have conceded eight goals against Switzerland and Norway combined, but she’s undoubtedly one of the pillars of the women’s national team, and she’s only 25 years old.

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Women’s World Cup: The Trio You Can Always Depend Upon

When asked to focus on three defenders who stand out for me at the Women’s World Cup so far, it is not as straightforward as it may appear.

After all, some nations have yet to complete their group stage matches, while others rested key players with qualification for the knockout stages already secured.

Despite this, there’s been enough Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights over the past week and a half to select my pick of the bunch to date. What do you think?

Millie Bright (England)

When captain Leah Williamson was ruled out of England’s plans through injury, manager Sarina Wiegman turned to Bright who, in an instant, became even more important to England’s chances of adding the world crown to the European one they clinched last summer.

Make no mistake, there is expectation surrounding the Lionesses, and the Chelsea defender was an obvious choice to inherit the armband through her vast experience at club and international level.

A physical and uncompromising centre-back, equally capable of displaying a range of passing and bringing the ball forward, before the tournament began she gained her first minutes following knee surgery in a behind closed doors friendly against Canada.

Shen then started the narrow opening victory against Haiti and, perhaps understandably, struggled at times in what was her first appearance since March.

Yet Bright, who was vice-captain under Williamson at last summer’s successful Euro 2022, has stepped up for the team which has now lost just once in 35 games under Wiegman.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Everton

Fulham

1X2 Everton @ 2.23

Over 2.50 @ 2.03

Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.90

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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Naomi Girma (USA)

Despite only one victory in the group stages – a hiccup or something more serious we are yet to find out – this SBOTOP writer believes the holders are still the favourites to win the tournament for a third successive time.

Judging by the Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds, the US came into the competition as the side to beat, but that has eased somewhat as they have failed to impress in front of their thousands of travelling fans in New Zealand.

A 3-0 victory over Vietnam was followed by a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in a repeat of the 2019 final before a goalless draw with Portugal was enough to take them through as runners-up to the Netherlands.

Surely though, if they continue to be resolute at the back, they will have a chance.

Much like England with Bright, the United States are relying a lot more on emerging star Girma at the heart of their defence since losing captain Becky Sauerbrunn to injury in April.

Only recently turned 23, Girma is still a relative unknown at this level. She wasn’t a starter at last summer’s CONCACAF W Championship, but her rise with San Diego Wave and the national team in 18 months has been rapid.

Her fine one-on-one defending with a calmness on the ball to spark attacks, she was described by US media as a lone bright spot against the Portuguese.

The best player on the pitch for a team that struggled all game to ever look dangerous. Defence wins championships or so they say.

What’s to say the US will not begin to convince the masses now they’re through to the knockout stages and can prove they are still the team to beat.

Wendie Renard (France)

Women's World Cup: Wendie Renard of France is a player who stand up when it matters the most

France’s Wendie Renard and teammates celebrate after winning against Brazil

France bounced back from a draw with Jamaica to beat Brazil in the big game of the “group of death” which means victory against already eliminated Panama will send them into the last 16.

The scorer of the winning goal against the South Americans was the player who stood up when it mattered the most: Wendie Renard.

It’s easy to forget this was nearly the World Cup she wasn’t at. After a disagreement with then manager Corinne Diacre, she refused to be called up.

With Renard insisting she would not play to preserve her mental health, citing she “can no longer support the current system”, and with fellow internationals Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani quickly following suit, the French Football Federation intervened.

Herve Renard (no relation) came in and shortly afterwards his namesake, an eight-time Champions League winner, was back.

Standing at 6’2”, she has again provided a presence in the backline, and her ability to find the net could yet prove the missing link for Les Bleus.

Renard has also won a record 14 French league titles, alongside the eight European Cups, making her one of the most decorated players in women’s club football.

All that is missing is an international title. Could that be about to change?

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Women’s World Cup: Former Champions Collide in the Round of 16

Japan vs Norway

Japan and Norway have made it to the knockout stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and they are set to square off at the Wellington Regional Stadium this Saturday.

Japan had a straightforward path to the Round of 16, dominating Group C with three wins in all of their group stage matches.

But the same can’t be said for Norway, who were in dire straits prior to the final group stage matchday. After losing to New Zealand and drawing with Switzerland, they vented their ire towards the Philippines to power their way into the second spot in Group A.

Because they’re ranked 11th and 12th in the FIFA women’s rankings, respectively, SBOTOP football fans should expect nothing less from Japan and Norway this weekend.

Women’s World Cup 2023

SwitzerlandSpain

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Talking Points

Japan are firing on all cylinders

Two victories are normally enough to get you over the line in the group stage, but Japan decided to deliver another statement performance before the Round of 16 by pummeling Spain 4-0, who were also contending for the top spot.

Despite having less time on the ball (22-per cent possession) and fewer shots (only 7), the Nadeshiko were ruthlessly efficient against La Roja since their first three touches of the ball inside the opposition’s penalty area saw them build a three-goal lead after 40 minutes.

After 12 minutes, Hinata Miyazawa scored in transition, and then Riko Ueki deflected a shot into the goal. Before the first half ended, Miyazawa completed the brace with yet another counterattack, bringing her total to four goals and taking the lead in the Golden Boot race.

Mina Tanaka added another entry for Japan in the Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights reel when she scored the game’s final goal during the 82nd minute.

Spain played with more purpose in the second half. But for all their possessions and more than 900 passes, they just couldn’t get it going in the final third.

Prior to Spain, Japan annihilated Zambia and Costa Rica with a combined tally of 6-0. Much of the talk may have been about their goals, but their defence should be praised too because they have yet to concede a goal.

No Hegerberg, no problem for Norway?

Ada Hegerberg’s recovery from injury is important for Norway’s forthcoming match against Japan. The inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 2018 sat out their last two games because she tweaked her groin.

The team must regulate Hegerberg’s workload because groin issues frequently persist. Because of their dismal start to this tournament, benching her was thought to be a gamble. Fortunately for them, the others stepped up.

Norway have set their sights on a place in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup

Norway’s Ada Hegerberg in action with New Zealand’s CJ Bott and Rebekah Stott during the Women’s World Cup encounter

With Hegerberg out, Sophie Roman Haug became Norway’s de facto No. 9. The 24-year-old scored a hat-trick against the Philippines, which was enough to secure their berth in the knockout stage.

Other than Haug, Norway have other weapons that can give Japan problems, such as Caroline Graham Hansen, Guro Reiten, and Emilie Haavi.

History

Japan and Norway have a history of winning the Women’s World Cup, with the former winning it in 2011 and the latter doing so in 1995.

In 1995, Norway won all of their matches in Group B with a whopping goal difference of +17. Throughout the tournament, they only conceded one goal, and that was in their 3-1 win over Denmark in the quarter-finals.

Hege Riise and Ann Kristin Aarones were the standouts for Norway, as they combined for 11 goals. Riise won the Golden Ball, while Aarones took home the Golden Shoe.

In 2011, Japan settled for the second spot in Group B after losing to England in the final group stage match. The Nadeshiko fought their way to the final, and they defeated the mighty USA team 3-1 in the penalty shootout after drawing 2-2 in regular time.

It was a tournament to remember for Japan’s Homare Sawa, as she won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot.

Prior to Saturday, Japan and Norway had met six times, with the former winning five and the latter winning only once. Their last meeting was a friendly in 2018, which Japan won with a 4-1 scoreline.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐⭐

Japan VS Norway

August 5, 16:00 (GMT+8)

Japan Asian Handicap -0.75

@2.07

The Women’s World Cup 2023 odds back Japan to win on Saturday. The Nadeshiko are priced to win at 1.82, while Norway are at 3.55, and a draw is at 3.25 in the 1X2 market. I agree that Japan will win this one. Norway may be fresh from a dominant win against the 46th-ranked Philippines, but it’ll be hard to see them have their way against the stronger Nadeshiko.

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The Women’s World Cup Just Got Serious

Switzerland vs Spain

Confession time: I had only watched women’s football fleetingly until last summer.

That wasn’t out of disrespect for the women’s game, more a fact that I watched a lot of the men’s game and there are only so many hours in the day!

That all changed last summer when I was wowed by Spain in what ended up being a European Championship defeat to England.

Yet the way the Spanish played that night impressed me enormously and, despite upheaval in their setup since then, they remain my outside tip to win the Women’s World Cup as they prepare to face Switzerland at Eden Park in Auckland.

Talking Points

Since last summer’s European Championships, it has been a turbulent time for La Roja.

Late last year, 15 of their regulars walked away from the national side in protest against the head coach, Jorge Vilda, and his backroom team. This forced Vilda to turn to players further down the pecking order.

Women’s World Cup 2023

MoroccoColombia

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They remain a fixture in the top 10 of the world rankings though and travelled to Australia and New Zealand optimistic of a long run in the tournament.

Recent form actually suggests there’s never a dull moment on or off the pitch.

They began the month by seeing off Denmark 2-0 before putting nine past Vietnam in World Cup warm-ups.

They trounced Costa Rica (3-0) and Zambia (5-0) to book their place in the last 16 before the Japan reversal.

The Swiss have been far less exciting but have been resolute.

After a 3-3 friendly draw with Zambia was followed by a goalless draw against Morocco, they defeated the Philippines 2-0 in their tournament opener before goalless draws against Norway and hosts New Zealand.

A lot has been read into the thumping Spain suffered at the hands of Japan.

The Nadeshiko sent out a powerful message that they mean business by destroying them 4-0 in Wellington.

Yet it must be remembered Spain had already qualified for the last 16 at this stage so could have been forgiven for taking their eye off the ball slightly.

Before Monday’s encounter they had not conceded a goal in 180 minutes in New Zealand and were one of the first teams in Europe to qualify for the tournament after an impeccable qualifying campaign when they finished eight points clear at the top of the table and did not concede a goal in eight games.

They also have Alexia Putellas on her way back, a player capable of delivering Women’s World Cup highlights at any given moment.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner is working her way back to full fitness following a serious knee injury which ruled her out for almost a year and managed just over an hour on the pitch this week.

Spain and Alexia Putellas take on Switzerland next in Women's World Cup

Spain’s Alexia Putellas during training at Wellington

The Swiss have been solid throughout, which is always an ideal platform because they are not scoring too many.

They only reached the World Cup with a play-off win over Wales after finishing runners-up to Italy in qualifying.

After taking care of business at their end and topping Group A, Switzerland are now aiming to reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

Spain have netted eight times so far in this tournament, while Switzerland have not conceded so something has to give.

The winners of this clash could well face Holland in the last eight.

I think a Spain-Holland clash would be mouthwatering and that is my tip (see below).

History

The nations have met three times before with the Swiss recording one victory and Spain enjoying two successes.

In European Championship qualifying in 2011, Spain edged ahead 3-2 in a group game.

By the time of the return tie the following year, it was Switzerland who were celebrating as they overcame a half-time deficit to win a seven-goal thriller.

Their most recent clash came in the 2019 Algarve Cup as Jennifer Hermoso opened the scoring before an own goal sealed a 2-0 Spanish success.

Betting Tip

⭐⭐

Switzerland VS Spain

August 05, 13:00 (GMT+8)

Spain First Half Asian Handicap -0.50

@ 1.80

The SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds suggest this will not be as close as the men’s Euro 2020 quarter-final two years ago, a match I remember well.

I do think it will be tight but expect Spain to have enough to progress.

That is probably why they are priced 1X2 @ 1.34 and Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.08 in contrast with the Swiss 1X2 @ 5.80 and Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 1.95.

The draw @ 4.60 is tempting, as is a repeat of their most recent meeting, Correct Score 2-0 to Spain @ 4.90.

My ** tip, however, is for Spain to prove their worth from the outset with First Half Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 1.80.

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Women’s World Cup: Oranje Meet Surprise Opponents South Africa

Netherlands vs South Africa

The 2023 Women’s World Cup has thrown up some great results, including some big shocks, and few people (outside Holland) would have predicted the Netherlands as Group E winners would meet South Africa, the runners up of Group G.

This SBOTOP writer certainly didn’t.

Andries Jonker’s Netherlands finished top of group E to confound the Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds as they beat red hot tournament favourites USA into second place. While the Oranje went crazy in their match with Vietnam, winning 7-0, the Stars and Stripes barely scraped through to the last 16 with a 0-0 draw against Portugal.

Then the Netherlands fully expected to meet Italy in their Round of 16 tie on Sunday, but the Azzurri came up against a determined South Africa who snatched that knockout place from the Italians’ grasp in a five-goal thriller.

South Africa head coach Deisree Ellis now needs to bring her girls back down to earth and plot another surprise; but at odds of 1.20 to win the Oranje will be ready.

Talking Points

Oranje’s devastating win over Vietnam

They were fully expected to beat Vietnam but the manner of the Netherland’s win was brutal. After edging out Portugal 1-0 and playing out a 1-1 draw with the USA, Jonker’s girls went goal crazy, with 20-year old striker Esmee Brugts scoring two long range scorchers. They knew goal difference might be a decider and the Oranje were relentless, going 4-0 up by the 25-minute mark as Manchester City ace Jill Roord also bagged a brace, with Lieke Martens, Katja Snoeijs and Danielle van de Donk all adding goals in a breathless first half.

After overshadowing the USA, the 2019 runners up have become serious contenders.

Underdogs South Africa will fight to the end

It was one of the standout Women’s World Cup 2023 results of the tournament so far and South Africa’s 3-2 victory over Italy in Wellington gave the Banyana Banyana a first ever place in the knockout phase of the World Cup. When they entered second half stoppage time at 2-2 South Africa were out, but Louisville striker Thembi Kgatlana popped up with a dramatic 92nd minute winner. Added to their 2-2 draw with Argentina that was enough to take Ellis’s team through.

Thembi Kgatlana has led South Africa to their first Women's World Cup Round of 16

South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana celebrates after their qualification to the 2023 Women’s World Cup Round of 16

Italy got off to a perfect start when Arianna Caruso calmly converted a spot kick after Karabo Dhlami tripped Chiara Beccari in the penalty area. But the Azzuri shot themselves in the foot when Benedetta Orsi rolled a back pass into her own net, past an unsuspecting Francesca Durante. South Africa took advantage of Italy’s disarray when Hildah Magaia gave them a 2-1 lead with a deft chip over Durante but then Italy’s best player, Caruso headed home the equaliser from a corner. It looked like VAR might save South Africa but not so, and the game appeared to be heading for a draw, which was enough for the Italians.

But South Africa weren’t finished, and when the Italy defence parted for Magaia she broke through and squared for Kgatlana who fired home the winner. After suffering an Achilles injury in 2022 and losing three family members during the World Cup this was a rare moment of joy for Kgatlana who said: “I could have gone home but I chose to stay with my girls. Because that’s how much it means.”

And the team fought hard, despite conceding the majority of possession to Italy and losing the on-target shot count by seven to four, their ‘never say die’ attitude paid off.

History

The Netherlands have appeared at the World Cup finals three times so far, finishing as runners up in 2019, and they were European Champions in 2017 in one of their four appearances in that competition.

Women’s World Cup 2023

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This is South Africa’s first foray into the knockout phases in four attempts, but they were African Cup of Nations Champions in 1996.

The two teams have met four times previously, most recently in 2022 when the Netherlands won 5-1 to make it four wins from four.

In terms of recent form, the Oranje picked up seven points in their qualifying group, and that made it four wins from the last five, meanwhile South Korea have won just one in their last five games, that priceless victory over Italy.

Betting tip

⭐⭐

Netherlands VS South Africa

August 06, 10:00 (GMT+8)

Netherlands Asian Handicap -2.00

@2.02

At ninth in the FIFA World Rankings the Oranje are a full 45 places above South Africa in 54th and I expect Jonker’s girls to see off the battling Africans and make it through to the quarter finals.

While the Netherlands are unlikely to hit another magnificent seven, over 3.50 goals is priced at 1.91 and, for a correct score-line, 3-0 to the Netherlands is available at 7.33.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:

⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)

⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)

⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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This message was edited by SBOTOP on 03-Aug-2023 at 4:17 PM