[ad_1]
SYDNEY — A brand new era of stars has emerged on the Women’s World Cup.
While the likes of Brazil‘s Marta, Canada’s Christine Sinclair and the United States‘ Megan Rapinoe have played in the tournament for the last time, there’s a wealthy circulate of expertise coming by way of to take their locations.
“We are on the cusp, and what a special moment to be able to sit in a stadium and watch a superstar like Marta and watch her final matches for her national team at a World Cup and watch an up and comer like Lauren James,” FIFA’s head of girls’s soccer, Sarai Bareman, advised The Associated Press. “Those young athletes that are coming through now, they’re picking up the challenge from those senior players.”
England ahead James and Colombia star Linda Caicedo have been among the many brightest skills within the event up to now.
South Korea’s Casey Phair, in the meantime, made historical past by becoming the youngest person to play at a World Cup when she went on towards Colombia within the group stage, aged 16 years and 26 days. While she solely had a cameo function at this event, she is a reputation to look at sooner or later.
The AP took a take a look at the rising stars of the World Cup:
It has been a event of highs and lows for Chelsea star James.
Having been tipped to be the Lionesses’ breakout star on the World Cup, she began on the bench for his or her opening sport towards Haiti.
She began the next sport towards Denmark and scored inside six minutes to earn England a 1-0 win.
[Can England’s resilient women’s team reverse years of national heartache?]
James wasn’t completed but. She scored two beautiful targets and assisted on three others in a 6-1 win towards China. Her side-footed volley was one of many targets of the event up to now and he or she was solely denied a hat trick when a possible marvel purpose was dominated out on VAR evaluate for offside.
But the 21-year-old ahead was despatched off in England’s round-of-16 sport after receiving a pink card for standing on Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie. She will miss the quarterfinals due to a compulsory minimal one-game ban. The suspension may be prolonged after a evaluate by a FIFA disciplinary committee.
Lauren James, Sam Kerr and extra lead the most important moments from the Round of 16 | 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Caicedo has lit up the event together with her dazzling footwork and targets.
Her large second got here in her nation’s 2-1 win towards Germany within the group levels when beating two gamers within the field and curling a shot into the highest nook.
Caicedo’s performances have helped her crew advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the primary time, with Colombia being the one crew from the Americas left within the event.
[Colombia makes first-ever quarterfinal behind Catalina Usme and Linda Caicedo]
But there have additionally been considerations across the well being of the 18-year-old Real Madrid ahead.
Caicedo, who recovered after being identified with ovarian most cancers on the age of 15, has proven indicators of significant fatigue and exhaustion at instances throughout the event. She was seen holding her chest after which dropping to the bottom throughout a apply session. In a gaggle sport towards Germany, she dropped to her knees behind play earlier than mendacity face down on the grass as crew medical employees went to her help.
Precautionary medical checks got here again clear, and there have been no apparent indicators of issues in her following two video games towards Morocco and Jamaica.
A baby sensation, who made her senior debut at 14, Caicedo has lived as much as her billing as one of many brightest prospects in soccer at this World Cup and can pose an enormous attacking risk to England within the quarterfinals.
Linda Caicedo and Manuela Vanegas’ targets lead Colombia to an EPIC upset vs. Germany | Every Angle
In the absence of star striker Sam Kerr for a lot of the event up to now, Australia has needed to look to others for inspiration.
Step ahead Manchester City striker Fowler, who has grown into the World Cup and produced arguably her finest efficiency of the competitors in Australia’s 2-0 win over Denmark to advance to the quarterfinals.
Fowler’s perfectly-weighted move arrange Caitlin Foord’s opening purpose within the sport in Sydney. She was concerned once more as Hayley Raso scored within the second half.
The 20-year-old Fowler was heading in the right direction herself in Australia’s 4-0 win over Olympic champion Canada in its ultimate group sport.
“I think Mary has been class this whole tournament. When she’s on the ball she’s going to create or get a shot off or score a goal,” Foord stated.
It isn’t clear how a lot of a job Fowler will play as soon as Kerr totally recovers from a calf damage she sustained on the eve of the World Cup, however it is going to be troublesome for Australia coach Tony Gustavsson to bench her.
It all began so nicely for Smith, who’s a part of a brand new era of American stars.
She scored twice within the United States’ opening 3-0 win over Vietnam, however struggled alongside together with her teammates after that.
Smith did not rating once more within the event because the back-to-back defending champions had been eradicated within the spherical of 16 on penalty kicks towards Sweden. To make issues worse, she missed her spot kick within the shootout and was in tears because the Americans made an early exit.
[Sophia Smith’s World Cup struggles? USWNT star will be ‘perfectly fine’]
The 22-year-old Smith can nonetheless return to her peak regardless of failing to stay as much as expectations positioned on her heading into the event.
The incontrovertible fact that U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski stored Smith on for the whole knockout match towards Sweden, whereas substituting Alex Morgan in further time, was proof that she is a part of the longer term for the nation.
USWNT’s Sophia Smith scores her FIRST World Cup Goal vs. Vietnam | Every Angle
Dumornay was a near-constant risk to England in Haiti’s opening sport on debut on the World Cup.
While Haiti misplaced 1-0 after a twice-taken Georgia Stanway penalty, the 19-year-old Dumornay repeatedly had the Lionesses on the again foot.
Haiti, ranked 53rd by FIFA, was eradicated after ending backside of Group D. It misplaced all three of its video games and was one among solely two groups to not rating within the event, together with Vietnam.
But Dumornay, who will play for European powerhouse Lyon subsequent season, seems to be a star within the making.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Linda Caicedo
Lauren James
FIFA Women’s World Cup
FIFA WORLD CUP WOMEN trending
Get extra from FIFA Women’s World Cup Follow your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra
[adinserter block=”4″]
[ad_2]
Source link