WWC - Matchday 1 Update

Caribbean nations impress, USWNT gets the job done, and much more!

Jul 25, 2023

The Reggae Girlz celebrate their result versus France in Sydney (via KEEPUP)

There’s nothing quite like a World Cup! The 2023 edition is off to a great start and many teams from Concacaf have already announced they are here to compete. In this update, you will find the biggest headlines from teams in the region, match reviews, and some recommended content if you’re looking for more. Let’s get into it!

Concacaf Headlines

Caribbean nations impress against European giants

What an opening game it was for both Jamaica and Haiti. There were a lot of questions coming into this competition for both squads after The Reggae Girlz’ showing at the 2019 World Cup and Les Grenadières making their debut after qualifying via the playoff. Both teams opened their group stages against two nations with title aspirations. It was the complete defensive performances and the mentality of these squads that impressed me the most (find more in their match reviews below). These performances are building on the momentum of the women’s game in the Caribbean and both teams have their nations cheering and hoping for more!

Sophia Smith lives up to the hype

There was a lot of conversation surrounding who would step up and score for the USWNT alongside Alex Morgan with Mallory Swanson out injured and other experienced scorers likely being in bench roles. The majority of fans and pundits had been pointing to the 2022 NWSL MVP as the answer - a lot of pressure for a player in their first World Cup. How would Smith respond…all she did was bag a brace and added an assist in the 3-0 win! She was the most creative player on the pitch and it is clear that Vlatko Andonovski will be running the attack through her. Check out this great video of her father giving her the Player of the Match story.

Where is Raquel Rodriguez?

Other than the goals, there was something obvious missing from Las Ticas game against Spain…their superstar Raquel Rodriguez. Many were shocked to see her on the bench and after they gave up 3 quick goals, it was clear she wasn’t going to enter the game. According to the federation, she was held out to protect against an unspecified injury that presented discomfort. Unfortunately this further adds to the theme of star players missing games at this World Cup due to injury. Costa Rican fans will be hoping she can recover quickly as they seek to advance to the knockout round.

Match Reviews + Next Match Previews

Canada: 0-0 Draw vs Nigeria

As expected, Julia Fleming did not make an appearance in this game. While she would have made a huge difference, this Canadian team came out flat at couldn’t seem to get anything going. Nigeria defended well and looked dangerous in space when they had opportunities. Their best opportunity came early in the second half when Christine Sinclair (international football’s all-time leading scorer) earned an penalty and stepped up with the chance to score in a record 6th World Cup. The attempt was saved…but I think Sinclair will have another shot at the record before this tournament ends.

Next Matchup: vs Ireland / Wednesday, 7/26 at 8am ET - The Irish team played the host nation (Australia) to a tough 1-0 loss in their opener. In order for Canada to avoid a must-win against Australia in their final game, 3 points would go a long way!

Costa Rica: 0-3 Loss vs Spain

As mentioned above, the absence of Raquel Rodriguez was felt immediately in this game for Las Ticas. As soon as the match started, Spain were on the front foot and never looked back. After allowing an unfortunate own goal, Spain scored 2 more goals within minutes. It felt like this game was going to get out of hand, but Las Ticas keeper Daniela Solera played an unbelievable game and kept the score line from getting out of hand. She had 10 saves (including stopping a PK). It was a goalkeeping masterclass and the World Cup stage could provide her a platform for a big club move!

Next Matchup: vs Japan / Wednesday, 7/26 at 1am ET - Japan are coming off of a big 5-0 win against Zambia. If Japan continue that form and Raquel Rodriguez is unable to go for this game, Solera will be in for another busy day. Las Ticas are still searching for their first World Cup win and a loss would almost certainly mean elimination.

United States: 3-0 Win vs Vietnam

USA vs the World…the first team to possibly three-peat…that’s a lot of pressure even for the most talented teams. Vietnam came out very defensive tactically and sought to absorb pressure and find ways to counter. While the defense was impressive, those opportunities did not open up as Vietnam had 0 shots in the game. Sophia Smith opened the scoring and was able to score again right before the half after Alex Morgan had her penalty stopped. We also saw the captain Lindsey Horan score, Megan Rapinoe appear in her 4th and final World Cup, and the debut of 18 year-old phenom Alyssa Thompson. While they would have liked to score more goals, the USWNT title defense is off to a good start!

Next Matchup: vs Netherlands / Wednesday, 7/26 at 9pm ET - It will be a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final and both teams will be looking to improve on their first matches (the Dutch beat Portugal 1-0). Alyssa Naeher and the American backline will be tested for the first time in this game - will Vlatko switch it up or keep Ertz at CB again?

Haiti: 0-1 Loss vs England

As I mentioned in the preview edition, Les Grenadières were not going to be intimidated and weren’t going to back down against one of the favorites in this tournament. Despite not having a wealth of quality chances, Haiti were able to get into dangerous positions against a very solid defense. After an close handball in the box, England were awarded a penalty which was stopped by Kerly Theus…upon further review she left her line early and England were able to convert on the retake. Many expected this to be the opening of the floodgates, but Haiti played even better after this and Theus made a handful of more incredible saves (she also had 10 on the night). With just 10 minutes remaining, England’s keeper had to make a sensational save to keep Haiti from equalizing and the game finished 1-0.

Next Matchup: vs China / Friday, 7/28 at 7am ET - Haiti proved that they can play with the best in this tournament and they will just need to put the pieces together in the final third to start getting points. This next game against China will be a tight one as both teams need points to have hopes of advancing out of the group.

Jamaica: 0-0 Draw vs France

After not getting a result and giving up 12 goals in the 2019 World Cup, this tournament was a chance to make some strides. It wasn’t going to be easy against this French side in the cold pouring rain, but The Reggae Girlz rose to the occasion and put on a show for their fans! France simply couldn’t break down the Jamaican defense (led by the Swaby sisters - more on them in a bit). Despite the lockdown defense, it was hard to find chances in the final third and Bunny Shaw was surrounded by multiple French defenders all game. Unfortunately for Jamaica, they will be without Shaw as she picked up a questionable second yellow (watch here) and will be suspended for their next match. This game was a huge accomplishment for this program and the country, but my guess is the team won’t be satisfied and will push for more!

Next Matchup: vs Panama / Saturday, 7/29 at 8:30am ET - It will be a Concacaf battle for The Reggae Girlz and they will be without their captain and star Bunny Shaw. This is a crucial game for Jamaica to get 3 points as they won’t want to go into their group finale with Brazil needing a win.

Panama: 0-4 Loss vs Brazil

It was a tough outing for Las Canaleras in their World Cup debut. From the start of the match, the pressure was on and Yenith Bailey was forced to make early saves. It was hard to get anything going forward as they were stuck defending in their 5-4-1 formation. Ultimately, it was Ary Borges of Brazil who stole the show with a hat-trick and an assist. We also got to see Marta appear in her 6th World Cup off the bench! Just a few minutes later, Panama’s own Marta was subbed off and did not have the chances to show her quality that she would’ve liked. Panama ended the game with just 27% possession and 2 shots on target. While they hoped for a better showing, Las Canaleras made Concacaf proud as they walked onto the pitch and belted our their anthem with pride and tears in their eyes.

Next Matchup: vs Jamaica / Saturday, 7/29 at 8:30am ET - Panama need a win if they have any hopes of getting out of this group - but if they can just get a draw against a Shaw-less Jamaica, it will be a success for Quintana’s squad. They are desperate to find the back of the net after 3 straight losses by an aggregate score of 16-0 (granted those losses have come at the hands of some of the best nations in the world).