It may have ultimately ended in heartbreak for the Lionesses, but the Women’s World Cup 2023 was a blast, a festival of fantastic football crammed with every element you hope to see in a major tournament.
Favourites fell unexpectedly. Individuals stole the show, making a global name for themselves in the process. The host nations embraced proceedings whole-heartedly.
Once again the women’s game took a huge stride forward and we’re all here for that. In fact, so great has this past month been Down Under, we miss it already.
World Cup Fever
Ahead of last Sunday’s final in Sydney it was revealed that 1.85 million fans had attended the preceding 62 contests, in two countries that had historically held lukewarm enthusiasm for the sport.
That equated to an average of 29,888 supporters per game, a significant hike on attendances four years earlier in France.
It helped of course that New Zealand applied themselves well, picking up four points in their group, while Australia made a dramatic charge to the semi-finals.
By the time the Matildas played England in the last four, every national newspaper was awash with coverage with the public gripped.
At each and every game, the decibel levels were high and the mood friendly and celebratory. As it should be.
The Impossible Is Not Moroccan
One of the most welcome and defining aspects of this World Cup was the evidential closing of the gap between the established nations and the perceived ‘minnows’ and nowhere was this better illustrated than in the Atlas Lionesses reaching the last 16.
Before the competition even commenced, Morocco had already pulled off a remarkable feat in becoming the first Arab country to qualify for the World Cup but placed in a tough grouping, that was expected to be the summation of their achievement. They were wholly unfancied in the online betting to even pick up a win.
A 6-0 opening game trouncing at the hands of Germany seemed to confirm these fears but then consecutive 1-0 victories saw them progress against all odds.
An official tweet from their FA summed it up perfectly. ‘The impossible is not Moroccan.’
The Finest Of Margins
Pretty much all of the pre-tournament football tips backed the USWNT to make it an unprecedented ‘three-peat’, claiming their third World Cup in a row.
They are after all the indomitable and undeniable superstars of the world stage. In their pomp, nobody else comes close.
It was a shock therefore to see Alex Morgan and company struggle in their group, drawing with Holland and Portugal, but nothing could have prepared us for what came next, a last 16 exit vs Sweden that contained no goals but an abundance of unforgettable drama.
After 120 minutes of deadlock the game went to pens and with the USA 3-1 up their progress seemed assured. That was until the tide dramatically turned, and Sweden’s Lina Hurtig had the opportunity of firing her country through.
Her spot-kick was saved but the ball bounced up and over the line. By precisely 1 millimetre.
20 Spot-Kicks
From a tournament so chock full of incidents, upsets, and moments of magic, it feels remiss to pick out another penalty shoot-out. But when it’s this extraordinary, how could we possibly overlook it?
In front of a deafening capacity crowd in Brisbane, Australia were seeking to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history. In their way stood France, well-fancied and for good reason.
Both teams cancelled each other out necessitating a nail-biting shoot-out that took 20 penalties to separate them. Our nerves have not been the same since.
Arise Lauren James
We were hardly alone in picking out Lauren James as a player to watch Down Under, and England’s ‘cheat code’ didn’t disappoint, running defences ragged with her quick feet and darting pace.
Sadly, a Beckham-in-98 moment of madness resulting in a red card may well define the 21-year-old’s summer but let’s recall too her one woman tormenting of China in Group D, a performance that announced to the world that James is a class apart.
Two goals and three assists made us proud before her fall.
