The USWNT announced their final match of the summer’s three-game international window yesterday, with the team set to take on northern neighbors Canada in Washington, DC on July 2nd.
The friendly rounds out a bill that also includes two previously announced clashes with the Republic of Ireland scheduled for June 26th (Commerce City, Colorado) and 29th (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Canada coach Casey Stoney has an edge on the US
With much of Europe focused on the 2025 Euros, July’s bout with Canada will mark the North American nations’ 67th meet-up — but the first under Canada’s new boss.
Coach Casey Stoney arrived in Canada after parting ways with the San Diego Wave last June, her two years of NWSL experience providing extra familiarity with many USWNT stars.
Stoney previously led WSL side Manchester United for four seasons, giving her further insight into current USWNT manager — and ex-Chelsea head coach — Emma Hayes’s style.
USWNT faces Brazil without injured defender Tierna Davidson
Yesterday, the US posted a major roster change ahead of this month’s friendlies against Brazil, with Gotham center-back Tierna Davidson officially sidelined due to a knee injury suffered last weekend.
Davidson will be replaced by 19-year-old Angel City defender Gisele Thompson, who earned her first two senior caps during February’s SheBelieves Cup.
While Hayes’s USWNT is all about fierce competition and roster experimentation, mounting injuries could force the team into thinner lineups than expected — and up the competition across the board.
Canada’s Northern Super League (NSL) is preparing for its inaugural season, with the top-flight soccer league dropping a 75-match calendar and broadcast details last week.
The league will officially kick off on April 16th, when Vancouver’s BC Place will host the NSL’s first-ever match, a clash between co-owner Christine Sinclair’s Vancouver Rise FC against the visiting Calgary Wild FC.
Then on April 19th, AFC Toronto will host the Montreal Roses in BMO Field's first-ever NSL game, bringing the pro women's soccer action futher east and arguably initiating a rivalry between two of Canada's largest cities.
The final two NSL clubs will make their debuts one week later, with Halifax Tides FC hosting Calgary on April 26th before Ottawa Rapid FC takes the pitch against Toronto on April 27th.
The NSL has been busy putting the finishing touches on its 2025 launch, with multiple Olympic medalists and ex-NWSL standouts like Canada's own Quinn, Erin McLeod, and Desiree Scott joining the budding league.
Also featuring on NSL debut rosters are US athletes Nikki Stanton and Jasmyne Spencer, as well as Iceland standout Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir — giving the brand-new pro league a chance to flex its potential at the international level.
NSL sets full 2025 calendar, snags top broadcast partners
The inaugural NSL season will see all six clubs playing 25 regular-season matches for a league total of 75 matches. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver will contend 12 of their matches at home, while Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax scored 13 games in front of their home crowds.
At the end of regular-season play, the top four teams on the NSL table will qualify for the league's two-leg semifinals. After the home-and-away semis, the two clubs with the highest aggregate score will face-off in the league's first-ever championship match, set for November 15th.
All games will air across Canada via multiple broadcast partners, including TSN, which will broadcast 20 regular-season matches, and CBC, which will air eight. Both broadcasters will also make additional game available via their respective streaming platforms, CBC Gem and TSN+.
Portland Thorns captain and Canada national team star Christine Sinclair announced her retirement on Friday, saying that the 2024 NWSL season will be her last as a professional player.
After starting her career in Canada in 1999, this season marks her 25th as a professional footballer. The 41-year-old, who retired from international play as the world's all-time leading scorer in December 2023, will leave the game as one of the most decorated players in history for both club and country.
In her social media announcement, Sinclair wrote about Portland, "As I finish out this last ride, I want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city that I will always call home."
Sinclair was a Thorn from the start
Sinclair, a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Portland, joined the Thorns in the NWSL's 2013 inaugural season, leading the club to the league title that year. The 11-season captain helped Portland pick up two more championships in 2017 and 2022, in addition to the 2016 and 2021 NWSL Shield.
Her 64 regular-season goals are the most in Thorns history and third all-time in the NWSL. Across all NWSL competitions, Sinclair has tallied 79 goals, and is one of just two players to have scored in every type of league competition.
Portland will honor their longtime star with a ceremony on November 1st, immediately following the team's final regular-season match. Currently in seventh-place above the NWSL playoff line, a Thorns postseason berth would extend Sinclair's pro career.
Sinclair's unmatched international career
When Sinclair stepped off Team Canada's pitch for the final time on December 5th, she did so as international soccer's all-time leading scorer. To date, no current player — man or woman — is within 50 goals of her record 190.
Called up for the first time at 16 years old, Sinclair's 23-year Team Canada career included six World Cups and four Olympic Games, where she earned gold in 2021 after winning bronze in both 2012 and 2016. Her 331 international appearances is second only to USWNT legend Kristine Lilly.
A game-changer off the pitch and on
Off the pitch, Sinclair has worked to improve the game in Canada, using her voice to fight for equal treatment and pay for the women's team. That work is far from complete, and Sinclair alluded to her ongoing efforts in her Friday announcement.
"I still have the same passion as that young 4-year-old growing up in Burnaby, BC, but as I hang up my playing boots, I vow to channel it in a new way. To continue growing the game I love, while inspiring the next generation," she wrote.
Before her final international game in 2023, Sinclair told reporters that she still plans to "definitely be involved" in soccer. Sinclair has previously mentioned the possibility of coaching or working with the Northern Super League, Canada's new top-flight women's league set to begin play in 2025.
A group led by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum will bring a new WNBA franchise to Canada, CBC Sports reported early this morning.
Set to begin play in 2026, the team will be owned and operated by Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Inc. Tanenbaum is a minority owner and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Argos, and Marlies. He originally explored an expansion team via MLSE, but was turned down by other members of the board.
The Toronto addition will be the WNBA's 14th team. It follows the Bay Area's WNBA Golden State, which will debut in 2025.
An official announcement is expected May 23rd in Toronto, according to reports.
"We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets but have no news to report at this time," a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement. Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports group, meanwhile, told CBC Sports that his organization has “no update at this time.”
In April, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Toronto was among the cities being considered for WNBA expansion.
The WNBA has a growing footprint in Canada, as the league's held wildly successful exhibition games north of the US border for the last two seasons.
In 2023, a preseason matchup between Chicago and Minnesota sold out Toronto’s 19,800-capacity Scotiabank Arena. This past Saturday, the league drew more than 16,000 fans to Edmonton for a preseason showdown between LA and Seattle.
The Toronto team will reportedly play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat arena which is currently home to the Marlies as well as Toronto’s PWHL franchise.
Christine Sinclair is retiring from the Canada women’s national team.
With 190 goals in 327 games for Canada, the 40-year-old forward steps away as the all-time leading international scorer. She won an Olympic gold medal in 2021, and she played in her sixth World Cup tournament in 2023.
“Honestly, you can’t play forever,” Sinclair told Reuters. “And this seems like a good time to be done.”
Yet while she is hanging up her boots on the international stage, as she teased in an Instagram post Thursday night before officially announcing her retirement Friday, she plans to play another season for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
The Thorns captain is leading her team into the 2023 playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, Portland has a bye into the semifinal round on Nov. 5, where the defending champions will face either the North Carolina Courage or Gotham FC.
Sinclair also will make a few more appearances for Canada as a send-off tour during an upcoming international window, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
“The way the schedule is lining up, it’ll be a nice way to end it,” Sinclair said.
From the U.S. women’s national team posting its worst-ever group-stage result to Olympic champion Canada making an early exit, those watching the 2023 World Cup may notice some differences from years past.
Alongside the obvious markers of change, such as the expanded 32-team format, unexpected results have underscored the shifting women’s soccer landscape. What are some of the signs of history in the making? Just Women’s Sports takes a look.
Canada becomes first Olympic champion to exit in group stage
Canada was eliminated from the tournament in a crushing 4-0 loss to Australia, becoming the first reigning Olympic champions to go out in the group stage. The result caps a months-long dispute with Canada Soccer over their pay, which finally reached a tentative conclusion over the weekend – just before the team was set to fight for its World Cup life. The loss made an already tough couple of months for Canada even tougher. But after the match, players and coach Bev Priestman refused to put the blame on their struggles off the field.
“Has it been a really really tough year? Absolutely,” Priestman said. “But at the end of the day, we came here tonight thinking we should have been able to win. And we didn’t. And we have to reflect on that.”
Christine Sinclair, who was playing in her sixth career World Cup for Canada, agreed, but she did express hope that the result would serve as a “wake-up call” for the national federation.
“We’ve been battling our federation for support but I can’t put this [loss] on [Canada Soccer],” Sinclair said. “We’re 23 players and staff and we didn’t get it done tonight. More of it is a wake-up call for our federation, the lack of a professional league [in Canada], the lack of support for youth national teams, I think you’re just going to continue to see teams reach our level, surpass us, whatever you want to call it, if things don’t change.”
New Zealand is first host to bow out in group stage
Tournament co-host New Zealand started with a bang, earning its first-ever win World Cup win with a 1-0 result against Norway. It was a historic moment, and it captured everything the World Cup should be: the beauty of the game, the emotions of the players, what women’s football can mean for a country if we let it.
Yet while the Football Ferns made some positive history, they also made an unfavorable mark in the World Cup record books. They followed up their win with a stunning loss to the Philippines in their second game, then a draw with Switzerland, finishing third in their group and becoming the first tournament hosts eliminated before the knockout stage. Still, captain Ali Riley remained upbeat.
“I really think that we’ve inspired the country,” she said. “I hope that little girls across New Zealand and the world now will start playing sport and feel like they can achieve whatever they put their mind to and just dream bigger.”
Colombia hands Germany its first group-stage loss since 1995
Colombia has been one of the most exciting countries to grace this tournament, led by 18-year-old Linda Caicedo.
Caicedo provided the team’s first goal against powerhouse Germany, which stood as the lone goal in the match until the 89th minute. While Germany scored at the death, Colombia’s Manuela Vanegas wouldn’t let her team be denied. The 22-year-old scored the game-winner in the seventh minute of extra time to clinch the improbable 2-1 win and a spot in the knockout rounds.
While Germany dominated every aspect of the game, from shots to possession to passes, Colombia notched its biggest win to date — and the first group-stage win over Germany by any team since 1995. Colombia advances to the Round of 16 for just the second time.
“It’s a win that’s very, very important,” Vanegas said. “It’s a win against one of the World Cup favorites for a lot of people. But Colombia obviously played very well. It’s (a product of) all the work that people don’t see. We made history. What happened today is historic.
“We want to keep making history — not only today, but tomorrow, too.”
Four World Cup debutantes leave with group-stage wins
Four of the eight World Cup debutantes are leaving the tournament with a group-stage win: Morocco, Zambia, the Philippines and Portugal. Their success marks a historic moment for the tournament, which expanded to 32 teams from 24 this year, bringing it in line with the men’s World Cup.
Morocco is the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup, and it made its mark with a 1-0 win against South Korea. Additionally, Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab in a game in the history of the World Cup.
“We are just so pleased our efforts have paid off,” Morocco forward Ibtissam Jraïdi said. “This victory is for Morocco and Arabs — it’s the fruit of our hard work.”
USWNT wins just one group stage game for the first time
Add one more statistic to Vlatko Andonovski’s résumé: For the first time, the USWNT finished the World Cup group stage without at least two wins.
A 1-1 draw with the Netherlands and a lackluster performance against Portugal have the USWNT limping into the Round of 16. The possibility of a World Cup three-peat remains alive thanks to a goalpost; if not for a late Portugal shot ricocheting off the post to preserve Tuesday’s 0-0 draw, the USWNT would have made even more unfathomable history.
Perhaps what has been the most infuriating is Andonovski’s refusal to implement (or even consider) tactical changes. The group-stage results made clear that something needs to change, but he is unwilling to change it. The USWNT and its players might still hold the will to win, but what good is will when the way won’t change?
And as the runners-up in Group E, the two-time defending champions now face an even tougher road in the knockout rounds. The USWNT has never bowed out before the semifinals at a World Cup, but that could change this year.
Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.
Today’s top World Cup news: Australia advances to knockout stage with emphatic win
Australia entered its final group-stage match against Canada on the brink of elimination. But even before halftime, the Matildas silenced any doubts about their chances to advance in their home World Cup en route to an emphatic 4-0 win.
Hayley Raso had a brace before the half to put her team up 2-0. A third would-be goal for Australia was ruled offside on a VAR review. And the goals didn’t stop coming after the half, with Mary Fowler and Stephanie Catley both adding their names to the scoresheet.
While Australia held possession for just 38% of the match, the lopsided win put the World Cup co-hosts through to the knockout stage. Canada was eliminated with the loss, while Nigeria will advance as the runner-up from Group B.
Australia star Sam Kerr, who missed the first two matches with a calf injury, was available but did not feature in the victory. She will have another week to get rested and ready for the Round of 16, which kicks off Saturday.
Today’s top highlight: Christine Sinclair leaves World Cup pitch ‘one last time’
Canada captain Christine Sinclair paused to pick blades of grass as she exited the pitch after the loss to Australia, which brought to an end her sixth career World Cup appearance.
“It’s the end of the World Cup and I’m probably not going to play in another one,” the 40-year-old told TSN’s Claire Hanna. “I’m leaving the pitch one last time in a World Cup.”
Sinclair reflected on her team and their journey together while speaking with TSN after the match.
“We go through everything together,” she said. “Winning and losing, it’s all part of the game. It’s why we love this sport. We’ve always said we’re a family, and we do it together. Whether we win an Olympic gold medal or lose in the group stage of a World Cup, we do it together.”
An emotional Christine Sinclair speaks with @clahanna following Canada's exit from the Women's World Cup. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/C0WWZZMIrE
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 31, 2023
Today’s results:
- Japan 4, Spain 0
- Zambia 3, Costa Rica 1
- Republic of Ireland 0, Nigeria 0
- Australia 4, Canada 0
More World Cup news to know:
- Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí didn’t mince words after the 4-0 loss to Japan. “[The team is] p—-d off, I am very p—-d off,” she said. “We have to be able to move forward however possible; you have to ride with the punches in football. Today was not our best game and we know we have to improve a lot of things if we want to continue in the tournament.”
- Despite holding the lowest FIFA ranking in Group B at No. 40, Nigeria has advanced to the Round of 16 thanks to a dream group stage, which ended in a scoreless draw with Ireland. The Super Falcons likely will play England in the Round of 16.
- Germany needs to play “smarter” after a 2-1 group stage loss to Colombia, according to coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. “I think you have to play deep then, I don’t think that we should have acted like this. And that’s where we need to learn our lessons, we needed to focus on ending the game 1-1 but I think my team rather tried to win 2-1,” she said. “We need to be smarter than that, we need to think of the result. Because of our goal difference, with a draw we would have still been first [in the group] which would have been good for us mentally.”
Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.
Today’s top World Cup news: Australia at risk of early World Cup exit
Sam Kerr’s status remains in doubt after Australia’s first two group-stage matches as she continues to nurse a calf injury. And with Mary Fowler and Kyah Simon also out of Thursday’s game against Nigeria, the African squad took full advantage in a 3-2 win.
While Emily van Egmond struck first to give Australia a 1-0 lead, Uchenna Kanu netted an equalizer five minutes later. From there, it was all Nigeria, with Osinachi Ohale and Asisat Oshoala also getting on the scoresheet. The end result? An impressive victory for Nigeria, and a precarious position for Australia heading into its final group-stage match.
With the win, Nigeria holds the top spot in Group B, followed by Canada. Both teams have four points, while Australia sits in third with three.
So the Matildas face a must-win match against Canada at 6 a.m. ET Monday if they want to advance to the knockout stage. The winner of that match would clinch a spot in the round of 16. If Canada loses, it would need Ireland to beat Nigeria in order to advance; if Australia loses, the Matildas are eliminated.
If Canada and Australia tie, then Canada would advance to the knockout rounds and Australia would need a Nigeria loss and a favorable tiebreaker in order to advance. Realistically, that sets up Monday’s clash as win or go home for the World Cup co-hosts.
Today’s top highlight: Lindsey Horan and Danielle van de Donk make nice
After a testy exchange during the U.S. women’s national team’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, Lindsey Horan and her Lyon teammate (but Netherlands foe) Danielle van de Donk made nice in the mixed media area.
The two nearly got into it during the match after van de Donk delivered a hard hit to Horan, after which the USWNT midfielder cursed her club teammate, calling her a “f—ing b—-.” Almost immediately afterward, Horan scored the game-tying goal, following Julie Ertz’s instruction to score and “shut everyone up.”
“I don’t think you ever want to get me mad because I don’t react in a good way,” Horan said. “Usually, I just go and I want something more. I want to win more. I want to score more. I want to do more for my team.”
“Between me and Lindsey, nothing happened,” van de Donk told reporters. “Someone got very angry at me!”
Even before the match, Horan expected her teammate to get chippy. But she didn’t mind it.
“You get trash talk every single day from Dan van de Donk,” she said. “And once we play them, you’ll see it. She’ll be coming for my ankles like every single play, so watch out for that. That will be fun.”
Find someone who looks at you the way Danielle van de Donk looks at Lindsey Horan while wearing a swim cap due to bleeding after scrapping for 90+ minutes pic.twitter.com/gkEx7tYYwG
— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) July 27, 2023
Today’s results:
- USWNT 1, Netherlands 1
- Nigeria 3, Australia 2
- Portugal 2, Vietnam 0
More World Cup news to know:
- USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski defended his decision to use just one substitute in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. “I thought we had control of the game and we were knocking on the door of scoring a goal,” he said. “Our players played well. We were around the goal the whole time, and I just didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm.”
- England manager Sarina Wiegman spoke Wednesday about her team’s “superpower” label ahead of their clash with Denmark. Denmark manager Lars Sondergaard gave that tag to England and called his own side “underdogs” ahead of the match, set for 4:30 a.m. ET Friday. When asked about the comments, Wiegman said she agreed with the label: “Yes, I agree with that, but of course he wants to put us in that position too. But we are always the team to beat.”
- Colombia’s Linda Caicedo is reportedly “fine” after a scare during training, in which she was seen grabbing her chest and breathing deeply before lying down on the ground. The star played a key role in Colombia’s first group-stage win over South Korea, and the team next faces Germany at 5:30 a.m. ET Sunday.
Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.
Today’s top World Cup news: Rose Lavelle available to start for USWNT
Rose Lavelle is cleared to start for the U.S. women’s national team against the Netherlands, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said Wednesday. The 28-year-old midfielder is recovering from a knee injury, and she played her first minutes since April in the World Cup opener against Vietnam.
“Rose is fine, and I’m happy she’s available for selection,” Andonovski said.
Whether Lavelle will get the starting nod remains to be seen, but she said Wednesday morning that she feels “pretty good” and “ready for the second match.” She played just 27 minutes against Vietnam, but she generated 0.24 expected assists, the fourth-highest of any USWNT player.
“Every time we play them, it’s a very physical and intense match,” she said of the Netherlands. “They have a lot of different threats, they’re technical, good on set pieces, so I think it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re really excited for it.”
Lavelle brings a history of success against the Netherlands, having scored in the 2019 World Cup final. But she warned Wednesday that this matchup will look “completely different.”
“Both teams are completely different — new players, new coaches — so I think that it’s a fun memory, but we have a new mindset going into this game,” she said. “We know every time we play the Netherlands, it’s going to be a great game. They have a lot of experience on the field.
“I think it’s going to be fun.”
More top World Cup news: Canada battles back against Ireland
Ireland’s Katie McCabe scored her team’s first-ever World Cup goal in thrilling fashion, putting an Olimpico into the net in the fourth minute.
OH MY GOODNESS, OH MY OLIMPICO 🇮🇪
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 26, 2023
KATIE MCCABE WHAT A WAY TO SCORE YOUR FIRST GOAL IN A FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP! pic.twitter.com/OFWwbMGd8W
Yet after the rare goal conceded by goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, Canada pushed back to take a key 2-1 victory in Group B.
Canada’s first goal came late in the first half, when Julia Grosso – through wet and rainy conditions – put a shot on net that resulted in an own goal from Ireland. Adriana Leon added another goal in the 53rd minute that proved to be the game-winner.
#CAN are level right before the break 🇨🇦
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 26, 2023
Julia Grosso's ball in isn't dealt with and creeps into the bottom corner...#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/fgiVYEd1lh
Today’s top highlight: Spain’s Alba Redondo shares moment with her family
After scoring two goals in Spain’s 5-0 win over Zambia, Alba Redondo paused to soak in the moment with her family. It’s giving us all the feels.
Alba Redondo shares a moment with her family after scoring 2 goals in Spain's win vs Zambia 🤗🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/9y0pErCkK0
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 26, 2023
Today’s results:
- Japan 2, Costa Rica 0
- Spain 5, Zambia 0
- Canada 2, Ireland 1
- USWNT vs. Netherlands — 9 p.m. ET
More World Cup news to know:
- Spain and Japan are advancing to the knockout stage. Both won their second Group C matches in commanding fashion and will feature in the Round of 16 regardless of what happens when they face off in their third and final group-stage match.
- Caroline Graham Hansen issued an apology to Norway coach Hege Riise for her comments after being dropped to the bench for Tuesday’s scoreless draw against Switzerland. Even in the apology, Graham Hansen still said she “strongly disagreed” with Riise’s decision to leave her out of the starting lineup. “I just want to apologize for my statements after the match. I’m just a human being with a lot of feelings,” she told reporters Tuesday. “Emotions got the better of me.”
- Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik have joined Sam Kerr on Australia’s injured list for Thursday’s game against Nigeria. Both players sustained mild concussions in separate incidents during training Tuesday, according to Football Australia. Both have recovered but are following return to play protocols. Football Australia’s concussion guidelines from Jan. 2018 state that return to play protocols “provides for a minimum of six days before the player can play a competitive game.”
Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.
Today’s top news: Christine Sinclair’s missed PK underscores larger trend
Canada captain Christine Sinclair nearly became the first person to score at six World Cup tournaments when she took a penalty kick Thursday. But she missed the spot, as Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie made the save to help Nigeria secure the 0-0 draw.
“Christine Sinclair scored many, many, many goals for this country and I’m sure the fans, the team and everyone can forgive missing a penalty kick,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “I think penalty kicks are a 50-50 chance and on this day Sinc didn’t score.
“Sinc has high standards and is a bit of a perfectionist but at the end of the day, this team and this country love Christine Sinclair more than anything, and so they’ll rally around her and we’ll be on and have her ready for the next game.”
But the penalty underscores a bigger trend: Through five games, there have been five penalties awarded — on a handball by Norway, a shove by Ireland, a trip by Nigeria, a trip by Costa Rica. VAR assisted in awarding the third in Switzerland’s 2-0 win against the Philippines.
AFTER A VAR REVIEW, PENALTY TO SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/qKW1Grp08k
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 21, 2023
It’s a trend to watch as the tournament continues.
Today’s top highlight: Philippines national anthem plays for the first time at a World Cup
The Philippines women’s national team is one of several making history in this tournament with a World Cup debut. No other team from the Phillippines, men’s or women’s, has played in a World Cup before, so the country’s national anthem was heard at the World Cup for the first time Friday.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER 🎵
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 21, 2023
The Philippines' national anthem plays at the FIFA Women's World cup for the very first time! 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/llwk2rN7xS
Today’s results:
- Nigeria 0, Canada 0
- Switzerland 2, Philippines 0
- Spain 3, Costa Rica 0
More World Cup news to know:
- The Philippines nearly scored a goal in its first-ever World Cup game. While an offside call disallowed the goal, the celebration is worth watching.
- USWNT midfielder Lindsey Horan and coach Vlatko Andonovski remained coy when asked if they were going to “crush” Vietnam in an echo of the team’s 13-0 win against Thailand four years ago. “There are not easy games that before you were just like, oh, this is going to be 6-0, 7-0 or whatever,” Horan said. “It’s not how it is anymore.”
- The World Cup opener almost looked easy for Spain, with Aitana Bonmati and Esther González scoring within four minutes of each other. Including a Costa Rica own goal, the team’s three goals were scored in a span of six minutes. In total, Spain levied 46 shots, 12 of which were on target, and held possession for 81% of the match.
- Zambia star midfielder Grace Chanda is out of the World Cup with an illness. According to Reuters, she has since been hospitalized for treatment. “Grace Chanda has been taken ill and unfortunately she is out of the tournament. We have done everything we can to help her, she is getting all the attention she needs but she won’t be able to take part,” team doctor Faith Chibeza said.
- Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker hit back at FIFA after a training session where the team was made to train on a cricket pitch, which he noted is “rock hard” and “dangerous” for soccer players. “It’s so dangerous considering possible injuries. And then I don’t even talk about the impact on the muscles,” he said. “We have to do something on half a pitch. … This is amateurism in its biggest shape.”