2023 Women's World Cup | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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2023 Women's World Cup

What I've noticed so far at this world cup (and its a big difference to the Mens world cup), is there isn't that much of a gulf between the teams. All the smaller nations need is 1 or 2 very good players and they can take it up to the better teams.

I went to the England v Haiti game, and its similar to how I've seen the Matildas, is that whilst England (and Australia) clearly had the higher quality, 1 or 2 players from the opposition of higher quality can significantly impact the game.
 
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On the flight home. Feel so flat.

I never rated Gustavsson as coach and all of his failings came home to roost last night.

No subs. Not starting Chidiac. Desperate hoofball when chasing the game. Kiah Simon selection in the squad. Distinct lack of plan B.

I think we're screwed. I can't see Sam Kerr playing on Monday. Same with Fowler.

This was a real opportunity to progress the game in Australia, but as always, we shoot ourselves in the foot... Except this time it's on the pitch instead of off it.

Will be looking to offload tickets and flights if we fail to win in Monday. So deflated.
 
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Ian4 said:
On the flight home. Feel so flat.

I never rated Gustavsson as coach and all of his failings came home to roost last night.

No subs. Not starting Chidiac. Desperate hoofball when chasing the game. Kiah Simon selection in the squad. Distinct lack of plan B.

I think we're screwed. I can't see Sam Kerr playing on Monday. Same with Fowler.

This was a real opportunity to progress the game in Australia, but as always, we shoot ourselves in the foot... Except this time it's on the pitch instead of off it.

Will be looking to offload tickets and flights if we fail to win in Monday. So deflated.
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well said, I dont rate him. replacing a fwd with a defender just to place another defender forward for the long ball was just terrible.

Bring on Chidiac, leave Raso and Vine 2 quick and crafty players take off a defender and if anything play Van Egmond deeper for cover.
 
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Gee, have the media turned on Gustavsson. A few having been saving their vitriol I suspect and haven't had a chance to vent until now.
 
mrposhman said:
What I've noticed so far at this world cup (and its a big difference to the Mens world cup), is there isn't that much of a gulf between the teams. All the smaller nations need is 1 or 2 very good players and they can take it up to the better teams.

I went to the England v Haiti game, and its similar to how I've seen the Matildas, is that whilst England (and Australia) clearly had the higher quality, 1 or 2 players from the opposition of higher quality can significantly impact the game.
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I went to Germany v Morocco the other night, and have to disagree. The class difference was huge. Teams like Morocco and Costa Rica look well out of their depth.
Nigeria beating us is a similar result to us beating Denmark last year. While we, as one of the lower ranked teams pushed the eventual winners to extra time.
 
mrposhman said:
Australia can't finish level on points with Canada, only ahead or behind. They can only finish on the same points as Nigeria, if Aussies draw and Nigeria lose to Haiti.
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If we relying on Nigeria to lose to Haiti we are well screwed. No chance. To Ireland on the other hand, maybe!
 
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Brodders17 said:
I went to Germany v Morocco the other night, and have to disagree. The class difference was huge. Teams like Morocco and Costa Rica look well out of their depth.
Nigeria beating us is a similar result to us beating Denmark last year. While we, as one of the lower ranked teams pushed the eventual winners to extra time.
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It does depend on the team though. I'm not sure of Morocco's side, but Nigeria's best player plays for Barcelona I think and there are a number of Haiti's that play for good French clubs. As I said, you only need a few of them, to elevate yourselves up the level to perform against the more fancied sides, and its been fairly evident that pace is also a big part of this. Both England and Australia played a slow tempo of football, it was so annoying against Haiti, watching the ball be spread to the full backs (mainly the leftback Greenwood) and instead of opening up the field and attacking down the left and providing an overlap option for Hemp who was playing left wing, she constantly brought the ball back inside and then passed it around the back.

As with many sports, a touch of quality and a bit of pace and quick ball movement and it brings teams of supposed lower quality back into the equation.

With the mens its a bit different, its mainly about keeping things tight and being tactically very strong defensively (as the Socceroos showed last year).

There seem to be a few teams way out of their depth in this world cup, Morocco, Costa Rica, Panama, Zambia etc, but the world rankings of countries like Haiti, Nigeria and South Africa seem to suggest a wide gulf but I don't see it.
 
I dont reckon we are over rated. What we did have last night, was the best striker (and possibly the best player) in the world sitting on the sidelines, next to another very good attacking option, and next to them was our next best striker. Foord was forced to play 1 out instead of having someone next to her. She just couldnt get the chances. We ended up swapping her to her preferred role on the left and moving Vine into the centre- again Vine is not a striker.

Gustaffason did make moves- maybe too late- but in addition to moving Kennedy forward, Catley and Carpenter also played a lot higher.
Chidiac did well when she came on, but i dont reckon she is in the class of most of the rest of the team- I can sort of understand why Kennedy went forward first- and she came in to the right, replacing Raso.

Kennedy is a good defender- but she stuffs up a couple of times every game I reckon.

Carpenter hasnt returned to her best after injury. She is doing some good stuff, but also making more errors than she should.

And yes, the long ball that we played for the last 20 minutes or so was painful, but maybe we didnt have an option without a true striker, and with Kennedy there.

Hopefully either Kerr or Fowler (preferably both) return against Canada. If they do we can definitely win, but if not goals are again going to be a big issue.
 
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Matildas missed class (Kerr) in the final third, otherwise we could've been 3 up before Nigeria got their first ..

Nigerian subs had a huge impact - the player from Barcelona was huge
 
Brodders17 said:
I dont reckon we are over rated. What we did have last night, was the best striker (and possibly the best player) in the world sitting on the sidelines, next to another very good attacking option, and next to them was our next best striker. Foord was forced to play 1 out instead of having someone next to her. She just couldnt get the chances. We ended up swapping her to her preferred role on the left and moving Vine into the centre- again Vine is not a striker.

Gustaffason did make moves- maybe too late- but in addition to moving Kennedy forward, Catley and Carpenter also played a lot higher.
Chidiac did well when she came on, but i dont reckon she is in the class of most of the rest of the team- I can sort of understand why Kennedy went forward first- and she came in to the right, replacing Raso.

Kennedy is a good defender- but she stuffs up a couple of times every game I reckon.

Carpenter hasnt returned to her best after injury. She is doing some good stuff, but also making more errors than she should.

And yes, the long ball that we played for the last 20 minutes or so was painful, but maybe we didnt have an option without a true striker, and with Kennedy there.

Hopefully either Kerr or Fowler (preferably both) return against Canada. If they do we can definitely win, but if not goals are again going to be a big issue.
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The overrated calls are a bit exaggerated. As you say, any team would struggle with their two most outstanding attacking options out.

Perhaps just lacking a bit of depth is a fairer assessment.
 
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Panthera Tigris said:
The overrated calls are a bit exaggerated. As you say, any team would struggle with their two most outstanding attacking options out.

Perhaps just lacking a bit of depth is a fairer assessment.
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I kind of go back to what I said the other day about the WWC. The teams aren't that different and 1 very good player can elevate a teams quality. Nigeria for example, have 1 player that players for Barcelona, that probably elevates their team. Australia went in without Kerr and that did the opposite and closed the gap of the other players a heck of a lot.
 
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I heard Sam Kerr is fit to play.....but could be a bluff. Who knows.
 
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Kerr will play.

Let’s hope it’s no bluff and doesn’t put her campaign in jeopardy.

“All chips in”
 
Win = we advance to playoffs.
Draw = we need Rep of Ireland to beat Nigeria by minimum 2 goals.
Lose = we're out.
 
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