FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule, results: Matildas backed heavily but England are new favourites

Australia’s 4-0 win over Canada has inspired one punter to go large on the Matildas to win the tournament as the USA’s shaky group stage sees them lose World Cup favouritism.

Popp with her award after being knocked out

Despite narrowly avoiding disaster in the group stage, one TAB customer thinks the Matildas can go all the way and has placed a $9,000 wager on them at $15 to potentially walk away with $135,000 if the home side can win the tournament.

A dominant 4-0 win over reigning Olympic Gold medallists Canada, saw the Matildas progress to the knockout stage of the tournament, where they are now rated a $15 chance with TAB.

England has been installed as the new favourite for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with TAB after easing through the group stage with three straight wins.

After opening the tournament on the second line of betting at $5.50 behind the USA, the Lionesses have shot to the top of the market and are now $3.75 favourites ahead of the USA and Spain who are both quoted at $5.50.

*Prices subject to change. Correct as of 4 August 2023.

12:20PM ANOTHER INJURY SCARE FOR MATILDAS, KERR UPDATE

- Marco Monteverde

The Matildas have suffered another injury scare, with defender Charlotte Grant a victim of delayed concussion.

Grant was involved in a heavy clash after coming on in the dying stages of Australia’s 4-0 FIFA Wonen’s World Cup win over Canada last Monday night.

Concussion symptoms have since emerged, with Grant confined to the sidelines on Friday during the Matilda’s’ training session in Brisbane.

However, a Matildas spokeswoman said Grant would be available for selection for Australia’s round-of-16 clash against Denmark in Sydney on Monday night, having met the requirement for concussion protocols.

Grant is the third Matildas player to suffer from concussion during the tournament, with Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik having been concussed on the training paddock last week.

As Grant watched on from the side of yeh field at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, Matildas captain Sam Kerr spent time on an exercise bike as she continues her bid to overcome a calf injury in time for the battle with the Danes.

The Matildas hit the track in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

Kerr, who is yet to play in the tournament, wasn’t expected to join the rest of the squad for the regular session as part of her separate training program.

Matildas defender Clare Polkinghorne said of Kerr: “She’s been superb through it all.

“She always puts the team before herself, so right from the beginning, she’s been our biggest supporter and always helping out where she can.

“While she hasn’t been able to help on the field yet, she’s definitely still a massive part of this team and it has definitely helped us get to where we are.

“We’re really looking forward to having her back.”

Midfielder Cortnee Vine also wasn’t training with the main squad, instead running laps of the field as part of her load management.

11:10PM THE MOST AWKWARD PHOTO OF THE WORLD CUP

Women’s World Cup fans were left in stitches as Germany captain Alexandra Popp ‘did a Kai Havertz’ after her side’s shock exit.

Popp netted four goals in three games Down Under but it wasn’t enough to get the Germans through the group.

The prolific striker netted Germany’s equaliser against South Korea on Thursday.

But the 1-1 draw meant the World’s second-ranked side crashed out after Morocco’s win over Colombia.

Popp was awarded the Player of the Match award after another brilliant display.

Popp with her award after being knocked out

And the devastated star could not have looked less happy when posing with her prize.

Seeing Popp’s solemn expression, fans couldn’t help but draw parallels to Havertz’s iconic photo at the men’s version in the winter.

Germany aren’t the only big-name casualty at the women’s tournament this summer after Brazil, Canada and Italy all went out in shock exits.

And Popp was dumbfounded to explain it.

Speaking on full-time, she said: “I don’t entirely understand what’s going on.

“I have no idea what to say. I genuinely have no idea.”

10:35PM SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST COACH

Zambia’s FIFA World Cup campaign has been rocked by fresh allegations of sexual misconduct against their coach who is now accused of inappropriately rubbing his player’s breasts.

According to reports, Bruce Mwape, who is already facing an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse that pre-date the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, rubbed his hands all over the chests of players before their final group game against Costa Rica.

FIFA has confirmed it received an official complaint pertaining to the Zambian team.

A source told the Guardian: “It’s not appropriate for a coach to be touching a player’s breasts.

It is also alleged that witnesses to the incident waited until Zambia’s campaign was over amid fears they would be overlooked for selection.

While Zambia won their final match against Costa Rica 3-1 with Barbra Banda scoring the 1000th goal in FIFA Women’s World Cup history, they failed to make it out of the group stages of the tournament.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8:56AM ‘FOOTBALL DWARVES A DISGRACE’: BRUTAL BACKLASH TO CUP EXIT

Germany captain Alexandra Popp was at a loss for words after her side’s group stage elimination in Brisbane, saying the exit was “incomprehensible”.

“I don’t even know what to say” Popp told Germany’s ZDF after her side’s 1-1 draw with South Korea meant they suffered their earliest ever World Cup exit.

“I can’t quite understand what happened here.”

Germany, a two-time World Cup winner and one of the tournament favourites, opened up their campaign with a dominant 6-0 win over Morocco but suffered a surprise 2-1 loss to Colombia.

The draw with South Korea meant the Germans finished third in their group, just one year after making it to the final of the Euros, where they lost in extra time to England.

The reaction back home has been brutal.

Tabloid Bild published an editorial moments after the loss, saying Germany had gone from giants of the game to “footballing dwarves”.

The piece was headlined “Tears on the pitch”.

This is the moment Morocco found out they pipped Germany to second spot! 😱

The emotion. The celebrations. Wow!

Germany in disbelief.

Post-game coverage | https://t.co/lZ4lfgd12M#FIFAWWC#OptusSportpic.twitter.com/NN6IulNYQk

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 3, 2023

“The sports world is laughing at us,” the tabloid wrote, saying Germany’s days of being “a feared tournament team” were “long ago”.

Die Welt, a national daily newspaper, labelled it a ‘disgrace’ and the ‘greatest embarrassment’ in the history of the women’s team.

Spiegel called their exit a “Deja vu … referring to the men’s exit in the knockout stage in Qatar last year which brought about the worst result in Germany’s World Cup history”.

A “shocked” German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said her side showed “a great sense of insecurity” in the match, with underdogs South Korea taking the lead after just six minutes.

Star midfielder Lena Oberdorf, tipped for a breakout tournament by many, said the loss was “surreal”.

“We made it too easy for our opponent... the disappointment is huge, I can’t put it into words.” The loss even won some surprise sympathy from South Korean coach Colin Bell, who told German TV he was “really sorry” about the country’s premature exit.

“I didn’t know that Germany was out until about four or five minutes after the game.

“I have spent more than half of my life in Germany. I love the country, my son and my granddaughter are German.”

The elimination from the showpiece event mirrors the struggles of the once-powerful men’s side.

The four-time winners have been eliminated at the group stage at the last two World Cups, raising serious questions about systemic problems in German football.

7AM INSANE FOOTAGE OF WORLD CUP SHOCKER

Goal-scorer Anissa Lahmari called it an “explosion of joy” as World Cup debutants Morocco qualified for the last 16 at the expense of Germany after stunning Colombia 1-0 on Thursday.

One of the lowest-ranked teams at the tournament at 72 in the world, Morocco players huddled around a phone to see if they would advance to knockout stages.

Lahmari’s winner just before half-time separated the teams in Perth, but Morocco then endured several nerve-jangling minutes with Germany and South Korea locked at 1-1 in Brisbane and still playing.

Two-times former champions Germany needed a victory to overtake Morocco on goal difference and progress from Group H.

But they could not produce a late winner, triggering wild celebrations from Morocco’s players and staff.

“At the end of our game, we came together and we were praying,” Lahmari told reporters.

“(When we found out) it was a draw … it was a complete explosion of joy.

“We are so proud, delighted and happy. Emotions are running high.”

This is the moment Morocco found out they pipped Germany to second spot! 😱

The emotion. The celebrations. Wow!

Germany in disbelief.

Post-game coverage | https://t.co/lZ4lfgd12M#FIFAWWC#OptusSportpic.twitter.com/NN6IulNYQk

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 3, 2023

It was a fairytale moment for Morocco, who rebounded from a humiliating 6-0 drubbing on their debut against Germany with wins over South Korea and now Colombia.

A Women’s World Cup full of shocks had its biggest yet when Germany were dumped out in the group phase on Thursday following a stalemate with South Korea, with debutants Morocco progressing instead.

Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Koreans coupled with Morocco’s surprise 1-0 victory over Colombia saw the European side suffer their earliest exit in Women’s World Cup history.

The two-time former champions and one of the pre-tournament favourites follow Brazil, Italy and Olympic champions Canada out of the competition at the first hurdle.

Colombia topped Group H despite losing and will face Jamaica in the last 16. Morocco progressed into the knockouts also with two wins and a defeat — that being a 6-0 thrashing by Germany — and meet France next.

Germany were third and condemned to an early flight home.

Originally published as FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule, results: Matildas backed heavily but England are new favourites