LockerRoom chews over the big numbers still to come in the final stages of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Suzanne McFadden gets the lowdown from Football Ferns great Maia Jackman
Maia Jackman compares this FIFA Women’s World Cup to a cliffhanging Netflix thriller.
“We’re all waiting for the next episode to drop, and there are so many plot twists, you can’t predict the script,” the Football Ferns legend says.
In other words, like most of us, she’s loving this dramatic, unforeseeable, record-thrashing tournament.
Transfixed by that shocking first episode – New Zealand beating Norway - audiences were hooked for the rest of the series.
“The Football Ferns made such an impact, and they have to be proud of that – although it will take a while to sink in with them,” Jackman says. “The goal they scored stopped the nation, and put women’s football on the map.
“It was a watershed moment – it’s made people watch football even when New Zealand isn’t playing. They see Spain and go ‘What the heck?’ and can now appreciate their level of skill and athleticism. I know a lot of men who follow football who've told me they now prefer to watch the women play.”
LockerRoom ran some figures past Jackman, who’s commentating for Australia’s Optus Sport at this tournament, to find out what she’s learned leading into the quarterfinals, who she’s picking to go through - and who she’d like to see star in a gripping final episode in nine days’ time.
4
The number of the world’s top 10 nations already out of this World Cup.
Japan (11th) and Colombia (25th) are the two outsiders to have weaved their way into the final eight. So are we seeing a seismic shift in women’s football?
“Before this World Cup started, everyone said it was going to be really difficult for the US to pull off a historic threepeat, because in the last four years, the gap has closed,” Jackman says. “And now we’re actually seeing that it has.
“There’s definitely been a shift in the powerhouses of women’s football, with no USA, Germany, Canada or Brazil in the quarters." Colombia are proudly the only team from the Americas still standing - their 1-0 victory over Jamaica sending them into the quarterfinals for the first time.
And the power has definitely been spread more globally - for the first time, a team from every continent (bar Antarctica, obviously) reaching the knockout stage.
“Netball and rugby are our points of reference in New Zealand, but neither are truly global sports," Jackman says. "The global nature of football is hard to fathom unless you’re in it. And now we’re in it, we can see it."
0-0
There have been nine scoreless draws so far in this tournament – but before that, there were only a total of eight across all previous Women’s World Cups. Is that another indicator the skill difference between nations is shrinking?
“Again the gap is closing, as some coaches have a tactically better understanding of the game," Jackman says.
“In the women’s game, a lot of goals are scored from going around the outside. Not a lot of goals are coming from inside the box – more from crosses or set-pieces. Teams are putting up mid-to-low blocks right through the middle, and they’re bloody hard to get through. The Football Ferns tried to do it against Switzerland, and couldn’t.
“So it’s become a World Cup of counter-attacks. Japan has done it superbly – they’re so precise when they get the ball, and score one or two-pass goals. A lot of other teams are trying to do it but without Japan’s precision.”
No team has recorded double-figures in a match; the largest goal difference was the Netherlands’ 7-0 victory over Vietnam in group play. “FIFA were worried extending the competition to 32 teams this time would potentially show more of a gap,” Jackman says. “But it hasn’t.”
6
Six red cards – with automatic one-game bans - have been handed out at this World Cup; the latest to England star forward Lauren James for taking it a step too far on Nigeria’s prone Michelle Alozie. She now misses the Lionesses' clash with Colombia on Saturday and her fate after that rests with FIFA’s disciplinary committee review.
“She shouldn’t have done it, but it’s a tough one when you’re 21, you’re frustrated not to get a free kick, and under pressure to get to the next round - your conscious brain isn’t working,” Jackman says. “She did something out of character, she went from hero to zero because of one mind explosion. I feel for her. But she apologised and she'll learn from it.
"This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments," Alozie's response to James' stamp
“I remember playing at the 2007 World Cup against Brazil, I had Marta screaming at me – and I took her out in the box. I was lucky it wasn’t a penalty kick. The emotion and the noise of the crowd gets the better of you. I knew I could never do that again.
“But I love that England and the girls are rallying around [James]. I love that about women’s sport – the emotion behind it can sometimes galvanise the sport. Like seeing the Matildas consoling the Denmark players after their loss.”
111km/h
That's the outrageous speed Lioness hero Chloe Kelly drilled the ball past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie - the match-winning penalty kick that ended their 0-0 Round of 16 clash.
It's the most powerful kick ever recorded at a Women's World Cup (measured with a motion sensor inside the match ball).
"Pretty impressive, all right - better than the men," says Jackman. The fastest goal recorded in last season's English Premier League was 107.2km/h from the boot of West Ham's Said Benrahma.
"It must have been all in the hop [her unusual leap on approach to the spot kick]. Her technique will be spot on with how she hits the ball - she's not exactly The Hulk."
145
The number of goals scored in the tournament this far.
Nadeshiko Japan leads ‘most goals per 90 minutes’ with 3.13 (and the most assists with 11), and their unlikely star scorer Hinata Miyazawa leads the Golden Boot with five goals in four matches. It’s a surprise, because she’s never been a prolific finisher at any level - from club to international.
“The goals we’re seeing are more technical and tactical,” Jackman says. “Like [Colombian] Linda Caicedo’s jink between two Germans to score in the top right corner. She has a massive future at just 18.” Incredibly, the teenager has already beaten ovarian cancer to become a world football sensation.
Jackman classed the two goals that shot Australia into the quarterfinals as unreal. "I saw a meme that said Mary Fowler’s pass to Caitlin Foord has been banned on the internet for being too sexy. Their level of patience in the box was pretty impressive.”
Caitlin Foord scores a stunner for the Matildas against Denmark in the Round of 16
Spain’s midfield maestro Aitana Bonmati scored one of the goals of the tournament against Switzerland, when she lined up her shot inside the box, sending the Swiss keeper one way, but dragged the ball back before calmly slotting it in. “The level of her skills is insane,” Jackman says.
And she gives kudos to the Football Ferns’ sole goal, against Norway. “The build-up of that goal was epic – from Bowen to Bott to Riley to Hand to Wilkinson. I reckon it was the best Hand assist at a World Cup since Maradona in 1986.”
5 hours 22 minutes
That’s how long Jamaica’s keeper Rebecca Spencer kept a miraculous clean sheet at this tournament, until the Colombians scored and ended the 43rd-ranked Reggae Girlz’ impressive stint at this World Cup with their 1-0 loss on Tuesday.
The goalkeeping at this World Cup has been “next level”, Jackman says, with 1415 saves made so far - and 51 clean sheets from teams.
“Teams are now investing a lot more into their goalkeepers with education programmes and specialist goalkeeper coaches,” Jackman says. “And FIFA is focusing on a goalkeeper analysis at this World Cup so you’re getting more information, more stats on the keeping side.”
Sweden's Zecira Musovic (who's the back-up keeper at Chelsea) has been a revelation – ensuring her side stayed in the World Cup by keeping world champions USA scoreless, making 11 saves in 120 intense minutes, and she’s only let one goal through at this tournament.
1.7 million
The number of tournament tickets sold in New Zealand and Australia combined - averaging 25,000 a game. That’s up almost 30 percent on the 2019 World Cup in France.
Everywhere you look on both sides of the Tasman, World Cup audience records have been smashed. There have been record numbers at nearly every game at Eden Park; last weekend, over 76,000 fans attended the two round of 16 games in New Zealand.
A massive 75,784 filled Sydney Stadium to watch the Matildas topple Denmark this week, and TV audiences for that round of 16 match swelled to 6.45m – more than watched the 2022 AFL grand final.
Here, the tournament reach on Sky Sport and Prime has been 1.88 million up to the knockout stages.
“The crowds have been brilliant. And on the street or in a café, people are talking about women’s football. It’s bloody great,” Jackman says. “That’s what happens when you have such a huge event in your country, and I think it will leave a lasting impression on Kiwis.”
8
The number of teams who could still win this FIFA Women’s World Cup. Jackman chooses her four to make the semis from this weekend’s quarterfinals.
Spain – Netherlands
It’s Spain’s first appearance in the quarterfinals, but they are the higher-ranked of the two Euro sides (6th to Netherlands’ 9th). Both are very possession-based teams, Jackman says, but La Roja have the flair and “their technical ability is nuts”. She’s picking Spain to advance.
Japan – Sweden
This will be a clash of two completely styles of football. "Sweden are solid, and it will be interesting to see their set-pieces because they’re a lot taller than their Japanese opponents,” Jackman says. “Some are expecting Japan’s glorious run to end, because they’ve been in the easier bracket and had had less travel than the Australian-based teams. But they have a little more in reserve after Sweden had to go to penalty kicks to get this far. I’d love to see Japan go through – they were initially written off as a boring team, and they’ve been anything but.”
Australia – France
Australia have never made it to the semifinal stage of a World Cup, but with a vocal nation behind them, it may be hard to stop their momentum, especially with their marquee player, Sam Kerr, finally getting on the pitch. The Matildas may have the psychological edge from beating France 1-0 a month ago in a pre-tournament friendly. Jackman favours the home team: “Don’t they just look like Aussies? Fast, and into everything. I love Katrina Gorry's typical Aussie grit in the middle.”
England – Colombia
Most pundits would pick the England Lionesses, the 2022 Euro champions, based on where they sit at No.4 in the world. But Colombia (No.25) play better against tougher opposition, Jackman reckons. “But I’ll go for England, though I have to say they’ve been a mixed bag so far. They started slow, then they were amazing [trouncing China 6-1], but struggled and couldn’t score against Nigeria. Funnily, they played better with a 4-4-1 with only 10 players on the field; Nigeria had figured them out in the 3-5-2 system”.
And Jackman’s choice for the final on Sunday, August 20? Nadeshiko v Matildas. “Imagine how cool it would be having two teams face off from the Asian region,” she says.
*This weekend’s World Cup quarterfinal matches: Spain v Netherlands, Wellington, Friday 1pm; Japan v Sweden, Auckland, Friday 7.30pm; Australia v France, Brisbane, Saturday 5pm; England v Colombia, Sydney, Saturday 8.30pm.
