Beijing, July 30th afternoon, 2023
women's soccer
World Cup
Heading into the final round of group stage action, the final round of Group A matches was the first to be played, with Switzerland taking on hosts New Zealand.
Norway versus the Philippines.
Both games started at the same time.
Prior to this round, Switzerland ranked first with four points from one win and one draw; hosts New Zealand ranked second in the group with three points from one win and one loss, while the Philippines, also with one win and one loss, ranked third due to a goal difference of one less. The former
women's soccer
World Cup
Champions Norway actually finished bottom of the group.
Before the final round, all four teams had
beyond the pale
The possibilities are all there to be eliminated as well. Norway's match against the Philippines became a fiasco that
Only 31 minutes into the match, the game was out of reach, with Norway taking a 3-goal lead!
The nightmare for Filipinos continues.
Just five minutes into the second half, the Philippines conceded two more goals
, has been beaten by Norway.
In the end, the Philippines lost 0-6 to Norway and finished at the bottom of the group.
In fact, the weakest of the power group
The Philippines, which has been in the current
women's soccer
World Cup
on getting their first ever win, a 1-0 win over New Zealand after being outplayed all game.
Such an achievement is enough to make Philippine soccer proud. But this Philippine team today
women's soccer
, fraught with controversy.
Back in 2018, the Philippines
women's soccer
s world ranking never reached the top 70. For the next five years, the Philippines
women's soccer
's world ranking quickly climbed to No. 46, and not only that, but the team also made a historic run into the
World Cup
However, the Philippines
women's soccer
The naturalization strategy has caused no small amount of controversy. With today's team participating in the
women's soccer
World Cup
of the Philippines as an example, the team's
A list of 23 people, 22 of whom were born overseas.
All 18 of them were born in the United States, two in Norway, one in Canada, one in Australia, and only one player was born in the Philippines, a native and unabashed Filipino.
Perhaps, for Philippine soccer, mass naturalization, or even arguably sending naturalized
the national team
Even though it can be scored
World Cup
final round, but to go further, it will take the Philippines
soccer league
Do more homework.
