Women’s World Cup: Football Ferns Face Formidable Task to Make History

New Zealand vs Norway

It’s oft said you should try and learn something new every day and this Women’s World Cup is certainly proving an eye-opener for me before a ball has even been kicked.

We are now on the verge of what is going to be the most attended women’s sporting event in history and a tournament which is going to produce stories galore.

And Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights!

Although whether a host nation known as the Football Ferns can be involved in many remains to be seen as they are certainly up against it.

Talking Points

That’s because as they prepare to face Norway in their opener, New Zealand’s World Cup record doesn’t make pretty reading: 15 games played, won zero.

This is the country which, as joint hosts, qualified automatically but doesn’t even have a domestic league for women.

An inability to score goals means you won’t find them in our recommended list of leading attacks and, given that when they got on the scoresheet at the 2019 finals it came via an own goal, it appears little has changed.

Furthermore, New Zealand have participated in the tournament five times (1991, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019) to date but are yet to get past the group stage.

However, there must be some positives as a squad made up entirely of players from abroad returns home to inspire a whole nation to join the women’s football movement.

A recent warm-up victory over Vietnam will have boosted morale and key players such as CJ Bott and Ria Percival have timed their recovery from injury to perfection.

Throw in the tactical acumen of veteran defender Ali Riley, the emergence of Michaela Foster and home advantage, and perhaps they can prove the doubters wrong.

Yes, making the knockout rounds for the first time from a group containing Norway, the Philippines, and Switzerland is unlikely but a win over the 46th-ranked Philippines appears a realistic target.

Whether they can gain positive results against Norway (ranked 12^th) and the Swiss (20^th) is another matter, and the Scandinavians have a point to prove to show their group stage exit from last summer’s European Championships was a one-off.

Under new coach Hege Riise, they look a more accomplished unit (if still defencively vulnerable) than 12 months ago and, in Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen, and Guro Reiten, they possess one of the most talented forward lines on display.

Hegerberg’s return to the squad is a major boon six years after she quit international football, frustrated at what she perceived as a lack of support for the women’s team and for the development of girls’ football in Norway.

The first female Ballon d’Or winner, a six-time Champions League winner with Lyon, she will be out to inspire the next generation of young footballers and will have no greater stage.

If she is the lieutenant on the pitch, off it is Riise who was crowned world player of the year in 1995 and remains one of the major contributors to Norway’s golden years which saw them win the 1993 European Championships and the World Cup two years later.

This tournament provides a unique opportunity to become the first woman to win the World Cup as a player and manager, although that may be a big ask given it’s only 12 months since they suffered a demoralising 8-0 loss to England.

What we should see, though, is a much improved Norway who I expect to top the group and win this one.

History

New Zealand have played Norway in seven international friendlies in their history with the two-time European champions winning four of those encounters.

There have been two draws and one victory for the Ferns in 1981.

The last time they met was in 2014 with two internationals in Stavanger as a 1-1 draw was followed by a 2-0 Norway success.

Betting Tip

Norway are overwhelming favourites to cause a miserable opening for the hosts.

With the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds, they are priced First Half 1X2 @ 1.69, 1X2 @ 1.27, First Half Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.00, and Asian Handicap -1.75 @ 2.05.

New Zealand, meanwhile, are on offer First Half 1X2 @ 5.40, 1X2 @ 5.80, First Half Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 1.76, and Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 1.92.

For a goal glut, options include Over 3.00 @ 1.00, Total Goal 0-1 @ 4.00, 2-3 1.98, and 4-6 @ 2.81. I can see the home side holding their Scandinavian opponents until the break but little more than that.

 

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