There are six different languages, four different continents and seven true contenders remaining at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. There is a captivating underdog and a co-host whose team has enchanted its nation. There is one sumptuous, stylistic clash and countless world-class players among the eight quarterfinalists who’ll kick off the latter stages of the tournament Friday here in New Zealand (Thursday night stateside).
In other words, there is just about anything you could ask for in a World Cup’s quarterfinals — except, of course, the United States.
The American women fell to Sweden in a penalty shootout Sunday and failed to reach this stage for the first time ever.
But their demise, and now their absence, has helped produce a wonderfully wide-open field of potential successors to their throne.
The following is a primer on those challengers, and a preview of the quarterfinals, which begin in a U.S.-friendly time slot — because FIFA, the World Cup’s organizer, thought the USWNT would still be here.
The Dutch are one of many reasons the USWNT is not here. They held the U.S. to a 1-1 draw, then won Group E. But they haven’t quite hit top gear at this World Cup — and it’s unclear whether they even have a top gear. So the favorite in the first quarterfinal, and a favorite to reach the final, is Spain.
La Roja is a paradoxical team, a brilliant collection of talent that has never been past this stage at a 21st-century major tournament. Talent has also been thinned by a stubborn, male-dominated federation that went to battle with more than a dozen of its players last year. Fifteen of them resigned from the team, with support from a few others. Only three of the 15 have returned for the World Cup, with some voluntarily skipping it.
But one of the three, fortunately, is Aitana Bonmatí, the Ballon d’Or favorite, a stealer of souls.
Bonmatí is emblematic of Spain’s elegance. It will monopolize possession, morphing from one triangle to the next, seemingly controlling games and probing for openings in an opponent’s defense. The question, as ever, is cutting edge. Spain played pretty soccer against Japan … but lost 4-0. The Netherlands hasn’t conceded a goal from open play all tournament. This game’s equilibrium will tilt toward the Dutch defensive half, but their rock-solid back three are capable of stymieing everything Spain throws at them.
New Zealand’s second quarterfinal is why we love the World Cup. It’s trees against technicians. It’s Sweden, a team that doesn’t need the ball to dominate, versus Japan, a team that uses the ball to pull opponents apart.