It’s day nine of the FIFA Women’s World Cup action in Australia and New Zealand — and the football is coming thick and fast.
Yesterday, we saw a repeat of the 2019 final, as the USA and Netherlands couldn’t be split, while Australia was handed a shock loss by Nigeria, and Portugal proved too strong for Vietnam.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the ninth day of action, as well as what you missed from the day before.
Results from Day Eight:
- USA 1–1 Netherlands
- Portugal 2-0 Vietnam
- Australia 2-3 Nigeria
What’s on Today:
It’s a massive day of football on Optus Sport with the day’s action starting nice and early with an intriguing fixture.
Argentina v South Africa (10am AEST)
After narrow losses in their first matches, this is a must-win for both teams if they want to progress to the knockout stages.
South Africa gave Sweden an almighty scare in their opener, scoring first, before the Swedish hit back and found a 90th-minute winner.
It was a similar story for Argentina, who played well against Italy, before conceding the match’s only goal in the 87th minute.
Neither team can afford another such slip up with a rare chance to pick up a Women’s World Cup win on the line.
England v Denmark (6.30pm AEST)
From two teams that suffered narrow defeats, we go to two sides that claimed tight victories.
Neither England or Denmark were too convincing in their 1-0 wins over Haiti and China respectively.
Both were expected to claim victory and this is seen as the match that will decide who tops Group D.
England will come in as slight favourites but the Danes have shown they are hard to break down and will make the Lionesses earn a precious three points.
A big crowd in Sydney is expected for this must-see match with plenty on the line.
China v Haiti (9pm AEST)
The final match of the day will take place in Adelaide, where China and Haiti will look to keep their knockout chances alive.
Haiti were particularly impressive against England and showed plenty of attacking potential.
China, meanwhile, were unlucky to concede an 89th-minute against Denmark and look ready to make a statement in 2023.
Three points will be paramount going into the final match day of Group D to ensure one of these teams could scrape into the Round of 16 despite opening defeats.
Players to watch
Yamila Rodriguez (Argentina)
In the headlines this week for a Cristiano Ronaldo tattoo, Rodriguez will be looking to let her football do the talking on Friday.
The attacker came off the bench against Italy and isn’t short on skills with the ball at her feet.
With Argentina needing to win, she could provide some much-needed x-factor in the final third.
Mary Earps (England)
Another player making headlines off the pitch, Earps made a huge save in the match against Haiti to show how important she is to the Lionesses.
England’s match against Denmark is expected to be another tight affair and Earps has shown she will be a tough goalkeeper to score against at this tournament.
Melchie Dumornay (Haiti)
In Haiti’s opening match against England, Dumornay was the highest-rated player based on fan voting on the BBC Sport website.
The impressive bit of acknowledgement was the result of the 19-year-old’s pace and skill which will cause China plenty of problems tonight.
Dumornay will play for French giants Lyon next season and is one young star to watch in years to come.
Where to Watch
Like every game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, Italy v South Africa, England v Denmark and China v Haiti will all be shown live and on-demand on Optus Sport.
Live coverage begins from 9am (AEST) on Optus Sport with Italy v South Africa, with live coverage running all the way through until after China v Haiti.
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