A thrilling battle is on the horizon as Canada and Ireland, both with aspirations of winning their first Women's World Cup, will go head-to-head in the second round of the 1/8 finals.
Canada's threat was evident in the 0:0 draw with Nigeria in the first round of the tournament, even though 40-year-old Kirsten Sinjaya missed a 12-yard penalty stroke and failed to become the player who has scored in six consecutive World Cups. She is eager to break the deadlock and achieve that feat in this match.
Irish striker Zudian Haidima had few chances in front of goal in the first match, but his performance was very threatening throughout the game and may bring a lot of trouble to the opponents. The addition of midfielder Keane to the team's defense is a solid guarantee.
Ireland, who are advancing to the final week of the Women's World Cup for the first time, only lost 0-1 to hosts Australia in the first round of the tournament. They managed to withstand Australia's onslaught in the early stages of the match and showed great competitiveness by coming back to dominate in the later stages. This performance will undoubtedly boost their confidence in this round.
Thanks to Katie McCabe's pinpoint passing and height advantage, as well as the aerial ability of center Lourdes Kien in the box, I predict that the Irish will be a great test for the Canadian defense in the corners.
