by Genevieve Henry in Australia (28/7/23)
Above: Republic of Ireland’s Katie McCabe (right) has had a sensational World Cup on her country’s first appearance in the tournament. Photo: Katie McCabe Twitter.
In the past 20 years, 17 nations have made their debut on the world stage. Only three have ever made it out of the group on their first try. Although none of these teams managed to get a point out of this first round of games, can any of the eight debutants this year break new ground?
Haiti
From the moment the Haitian players stepped out onto the pitch to face England, they blew the world away. They held themselves with determination and pride, and from the second the whistle sounded, England had no idea what had hit them.
Haiti played physically, but not violently, withstanding pressure and fouls from the European champions whilst creating their own promising attacks. Haiti were in the game the whole time, causing England fans to fret and fear the worst. Only losing 1-0 on a penalty to one of the best teams in the world was a huge statement from the Haitians. If they continue on this trajectory, they could realistically make it out of the group.
Players who impressed included Kethna Louis, Karly Théus, Batcheba Louis, and, unsurprisingly, Melchie Dumornay.
Kethna Louis was a strong, quick decision-making presence in the back line who rarely fumbled or allowed for an England player to get the better of her. Théus put on a masterclass in goal, only allowing Georgia Stanway’s game-winning penalty past her (after saving the first but breaching her line, causing a retake to be necessary).
Batcheba Louis used her body to shelter and progress the ball in a way that utterly perplexed the English defence at times. Dumornay was a menace the whole game, causing the defenders, as well as Mary Earps, to have quite a few scares. This team’s strength captured the hearts of all the neutral fans in the ground and all over the world.
Morocco
While Morocco faced the worst smashing of any of the debutants, they also faced the biggest gap in rankings. Germany is ranked second, whereas Morocco are seventy-second.
Morocco looked completely out of their depth most of the game, only creating very miniscule chances that ultimately led to nothing. The team didn’t seem to be communicating well enough to snuff out any of Germany’s attacks, as well as causing problems of their own and even finding the back of their own net twice.
Defensively, they lacked cohesion and it seemed there was tension with the goalkeeper, who was very harsh on her defenders. If they had kept the score to 0-0 for longer, they could have retained some composure and continued to press forward to make use of their talented attackers. Morocco were frustrated and overwhelmed, but there were still bright spots in Ghizlane Chebbak and Zineb Redouani.
Although there was not much room for Chebbak to operate, the captain still managed to have a few chances, as well as set up her teammates in front of goal. Redouani showed her passion and skill the whole match, as she desperately tackled, cleared, and hustled to make sure the Germans weren’t getting goals too easily.
Although the scoreline showed the ocean of difference in resources and talent between these sides, there were Moroccan players who gave admirable and gutsy performances to give fans hope for the rest of the group stage.
Panama
Panama faced a tough test against Brazil, but ultimately showed character as they limited them to only four goals.
The Panamanians managed to cause chaos and make the path to the goal less straightforward. There seemed to be a resignation about the side at first, content to weather endless attacking moves from Brazil, but they looked stronger and more determined in the second half.
Although they didn’t have many opportunities to showcase their attacking options, when facing a lower calibre team, they will have to give fans a taste of their abilities going forwards. In a tough group, this team will need to dig deep to find a truly impressive performance. Yenith Bailey put on a very good performance in goal, showing leadership as well as shot-stopping skills. This team may have not looked up to par, but they still have time to prove themselves.
Philippines
This young and ambitious side fell short when facing Switzerland, but the Philippines showed that they are not to be discounted, with a stoic defence, only allowing two goals to squeeze past them.
This squad is a diverse and untested array of players hailing from all over the world, with only one member being born in the Philippines. This gives them a disadvantage because it means very few would have chemistry from youth levels or other development paths.
Although not up to the level of many top teams, they could prove to be difficult for less experienced sides. Some players that made an impact were Olivia McDaniel, Angela Beard, and Katrina Guillou. McDaniel was a commanding presence at the back, inspiring her team with her saves and leading them to a strong defensive performance.
Beard was excellent, showing all of her experience and quality in her defensive work, speed, and smarts. Guillou offered a bright spark going forward, using speed and skills to get around the Swiss players to alleviate the pressure on the Philippines. What can this young team prove on their historical world cup debut?
Portugal
It’s hard to believe that this is Portugal’s first World Cup considering the impressive showing they put on against The Netherlands. The Portuguese girls are experienced, yet have so much to prove.
They have many creative, attacking players that were ready to make an impact as well as solid and resolute defenders that only allowed one goal to end up in the back of their net. With players in top clubs around the world, nothing less could be expected of this side.
A side with resources, talent, and desire, they could mean trouble for some top teams. Amongst the Portuguese squad, a few stood out in Tatiana Pinto, Ana Borges, and Jessica Silva. Pinto was important in attack and defence, showing her strength and commitment to her team. Borges was a solid presence in defence, blocking and cutting out promising attacks from the Dutch all game. Silva showed all of her experience when going forward, using tricky footwork and speed to perplex the opposing defence.
Republic of Ireland
As one the more well-off debutants, the Girls in Green certainly did not underwhelm against the co-hosts Australia. They put up a real fight, throwing in crunching tackles and threatening attacks from the first minute.
Some could say that they were unlucky to escape without at least a point to their name. Defensively, they snuffed out Australia’s attacks pretty successfully and only conceded on a penalty. On the other end of the pitch, they had a few chances they failed to capitalise on as well as a plethora of corners that all came to nothing.
Players that impressed were Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan in the Irish midfield. McCabe played with tenacity and ferocity, making the Australian players think twice before taking her on. She made the game far more difficult for the opposition. O’Sullivan controlled the midfield, quieting the opposing midfield as well as providing a threat in attack. The Republic of Ireland showed promise, and they will surely do everything within their power to continue on this trajectory.
Vietnam
Vietnam fought against the reigning world champions, the USA, with tenacity and determination. They disjointed the American attack enough to frustrate and snuff their confidence. They showed a defensive resolve that proved to be a tough test for the USA and only conceded three goals.
Vietnam did not look strong in many areas of the pitch, showing little to no attacking and creative forces. Could they show more positives against a lesser team? Players that showed up for Vietnam were Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Le Thi Diem My, and Thai Thi Thao.
Tran Thi Kim was stunning in goal, blocking shots from the world’s best players as well as controlling her defensive line to avoid slip-ups. Thi Diem My was a rock in the centre of defence, marshalling the game and not letting any forwards past her without a fight. Thai was a spark in midfield, using her experience to help in defence as well as continuing to push forward. This Vietnamese side showed real promise.
Zambia
Coming into this tournament, there were sky-high hopes for the Copper Queens after brilliant displays against top teams. However, Zambia was completely dismantled by Japan in such a way that would have crushed their hopes.
Japan managed to keep them out of the game by providing a never-ending onslaught of attacks. For a team that thrives on goalscoring, Zambia have had to defend far more than they would have liked. They have a relatively inexperienced backline, as well as a rough goalie situation with their number one sustaining a serious injury before the tournament and their backup receiving a red card in the opening match.
Though they were on the end of a beating, some standouts shone. Margaret Belemu and Martha Tembo were outstanding in defence, working hard all game to quell the waves of Japanese attacks. Belemu made it difficult to access her side of the field, showing off her experience and passion for her country. Tembo was similarly impressive on the other side, forcing her opponents to work extra hard to forge their paths to goal. This Zambian team has great promise and they will hope to show the attacking side of their game in the future.
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