Reporter Park Ji-hyuk = The four finalists for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand have been announced. The hosts are joined by Spain, Sweden, and England.
All four nations have never won a World Cup, so whoever comes out on top will be lifting the trophy for the first time.
Who will become the fifth country to win the Women’s World Cup, joining the United States (four times), Germany (twice), Norway, and Japan (at least once)?
First up, hosts Australia advanced to the semifinals with a 7-6 penalty shootout victory over France in the quarterfinals of the tournament at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, after the two teams played to a 0-0 draw for 120 minutes, including 90 minutes of first-half and 30 minutes of extra time.
This is the first time the Socceroos have reached the quarterfinals in three consecutive tournaments, in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
The Aussies, who were not guaranteed a spot in the round of 16 in Pool B, got off to a strong start with a 4-0 win over Canada in the final. They went on to defeat Denmark (2-0) in the round of 16 and France in the quarterfinals.
The Socceroos will attempt to become the first host nation to win the tournament in 24 years, following the United States’ victory in 1999.
In soccer, England reached the quarterfinals with a 2-1 upset win over Colombia in the quarterfinals.
Last year’s European Championship (Euro) winners have reached the quarterfinals of three consecutive World Cups. They have never reached the final.
Solid powerhouse, but with variability. Lauren James, who leads the offense with three goals and three assists in the tournament, will not play in the semifinals. She is the team’s top scorer.
She was suspended for two games for stomping on an opponent’s back in the round of 16 against Nigeria. We could see her in the final or the third-place game.
Australia and England will face off at 7 p.m. on June 16 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia.
On the other side of the world, Spain and Sweden will face off. It will take place a day earlier at 5 p.m. on the 15th at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
Spain first qualified for the tournament in 2015 in Canada, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
But in their second appearance, in France in 2019, they made history by reaching the last 16 for the first time.
After falling 0-4 to Japan in their final Group C match, they bounced back with a 5-1 win over Switzerland in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, they defeated powerhouse Netherlands 2-1 in overtime.
The quarterfinals are considered an upset after finishing sixth at last year’s Euro.
Sweden is the highest-ranked of the four finalists at No. 3 in the FIFA rankings, and the only one of the four to have reached the final before. They reached the final in 2003 in the United States, where they lost to Germany.
After winning all three games in Group G, Sweden defeated the United States on penalties in the round of 16 as they attempted to become the first team to win three consecutive Women’s World Cup titles.
They followed that up with a 2-1 win over Japan in the quarterfinals.
It was the second consecutive quarterfinal appearance after finishing third in France in 2019. It is also the fifth quarterfinal of his career without a win.카지노
Amanda Ilestedt, who is tied for second in goals with four, will be one to watch for Sweden. For Spain, Aitana Bonmati, Jennifer Hermoso, and Alba Redondo have three goals apiece.