Women's World Cup: Which of the 'bigger' nations have impressed?

Former satellite champions Japan person impressed truthful acold successful Australia and New Zealand

The Women's World Cup has served up plentifulness of upsets, immoderate daze aboriginal exits and a fig of thrilling matches successful Australia and New Zealand.

It means the tourney is wide unfastened with respective teams starting to enforce themselves. But which of the 'bigger' nations person impressed truthful far?

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Japan stroke distant contention arsenic USA stumble

Japan are blowing teams distant and person arguably been the standout squad of the tourney truthful far, having scored much goals than anyone else, portion they person yet to concede successful 270 minutes.

In Hinata Miyazawa, who has 4 goals successful 2 starts, they person the tournament's joint-leading scorer but the endowment runs heavy successful this squad, which includes 8 players aged 23 oregon under.

Boss Futoshi Ikeda started 17 players successful the 3 radical games with lone goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita, skipper Saki Kumagai, defender Moeka Minami and full-back Risa Shimizu starting each 3 games.

They were a joyousness to ticker successful the 4-0 demolition of Spain contempt having lone 5 attempts connected goal. It was a masterclass successful precision finishing arsenic they scored 3 goals from their archetypal 3 touches successful the box.

Next for the Nadeshiko are Norway successful what volition beryllium a conflict betwixt 2 erstwhile satellite champions.

Meanwhile, 1 of the biggest surprises of this tourney has been to spot the USA, truthful ascendant and almighty implicit the years, splutter and stumble successful the radical stage.

It is simply a precise antithetic squad to the 1 that conquered the satellite successful 2015 and 2019. Fourteen of the 23-player squad are astatine a World Cup for the archetypal clip - and it shows.

But it is not conscionable the debutants who are struggling to present - World Cup seasoned Alex Morgan has yet to truly impressment portion Megan Rapinoe has had to beryllium contented with the unusual substitute appearance.

The United States survived an almighty scare against debutants Portugal earlier scraping into the past 16, and a showdown with Sweden successful Melbourne.

Portugal substitute Ana Capeta deed a first-time changeable past Alyssa Naeher successful the 91st infinitesimal but the shot deed the post.

The fig 1 squad successful the satellite were inches distant from going out, prompting disapproval from Carli Lloyd, who helped the USA triumph back-to-back World Cups successful 2015 and 2019.

The USA person lacked the signifier required to triumph an unprecedented 3rd World Cup successful a enactment - but 1 happening you ne'er bash is constitute them off.

Lionesses acceptable to pounce connected opportunity

While Japan person raised eyebrows, European champions England produced arguably the astir awesome show of the radical stages successful their 6-1 thrashing of China.

Lauren James, 21, has been the prima of the show, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists successful 2 starts astatine her debut World Cup.

She spearheaded England's slick show successful Adelaide arsenic Sarina Wiegman's broadside shrugged disconnected suggestions they would conflict pursuing an wounded to instrumental midfielder Keira Walsh.

Germany's aboriginal exit has opened up England's broadside of the gully and they whitethorn not person to look a broadside ranked wrong the apical 10 until the semi-finals, should they get that far.

The Lionesses had underwhelmed successful wins implicit Haiti and Denmark but comfortably progressed to the past 16 successful the extremity and person present sent a connection to their challengers that they mean concern successful Australia.

Sweden easiness done arsenic Spain and France person mixed bag

Spain, whose off-field issues person been good documented, were capable to enactment those distractions down them to grounds comfy wins implicit Costa Rica and Zambia, qualifying with a crippled to spare.

But the decision to Japan has brought them crashing down to earth. Despite dominating possession, they were unfastened astatine the backmost and were picked disconnected perpetually by the objective Japanese.

It raises further questions astir their off-field harmony, fixed that 15 players antecedently refused to play for the squad successful protestation of manager Jorge Vilda's coaching methods (three of those players person since returned to the squad for this tournament).

However, Spain could person a favourable draw, facing Switzerland successful the past 16, followed by the Netherlands oregon Italy successful the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere Sweden, ranked 3rd successful the world, had possibly the smoothest transition done the radical stages of immoderate pre-tournament favourites, winning each 3 games and scoring 9 goals successful the process.

They did permission it precocious to bushed South Africa successful their opener, but showed their information from set-pieces successful thrashing Italy 5-0 earlier seeing disconnected Argentina to seal apical spot successful Group G.

Facing satellite champions the USA successful the past 16 should clasp nary fearfulness - they bushed the Americans 3-0 astatine the 2020 Olympics.

Meanwhile aft a mendacious commencement successful their goalless gully with Jamaica, France look to beryllium a increasing menace successful Australia and New Zealand.

They outfought Brazil successful a important triumph successful Brisbane, earlier sharing 9 goals with Panama successful a singular crippled which confirmed archetypal spot successful Group F.

Conceding 3 goals to Panama does rise immoderate concerns astir their antiaircraft stableness - though centre-back and skipper Wendie Renard was rested for that lucifer - and their squad depth, with manager Herve Renard criticising his players for losing concentration.

But having seen plentifulness of the world's biggest teams conflict astatine this World Cup, France volition beryllium relieved they were capable to advancement with comparative ease.