The Matildas’ path to Ladies’s World Cup ultimate revealed: How Australia can attain the head of the 2023 event

If the Matildas are to win the Women’s World Cup for the primary time, they must do it the onerous means.

Australia, co-host along with New Zealand, head into the event with real hopes of turning into solely the second crew after the USA in 1999 to win the trophy on home soil.

The Matildas open their campaign against Ireland in Sydney on Thursday night time, earlier than taking over Nigeria in Brisbane subsequent week and ending the group stage in Melbourne towards reigning Olympic champions Canada. 

Reigning European champions England may very well be up subsequent within the Spherical of 16 ought to Australia end second in Group B, with a possible conflict towards one in every of Brazil, France and Germany looming giant within the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Come by all of that and the defending champions USA may very well be ready within the ultimate in Sydney on August 20.  

Right here, Mail Sport breaks down the Matildas’ attainable path to the ultimate.

The Matildas face a troublesome path to the ultimate on the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup 

Group stage

Australia open their World Cup marketing campaign at house towards the Republic of Eire at a sold-out Stadium Australia on Thursday night time.

Ranked twenty second on the planet, the Women in Inexperienced are World Cup debutants however impressed within the qualifying stage by ending second behind Olympic champions Sweden of their group.

Defensive solidity has been key for Eire, who saved seven consecutive clear sheets up till April, however targets have proved onerous to come back by towards higher sides.

Nigeria are up subsequent in Brisbane on July 27. The Tremendous Falcons are ranked No40 on the planet and completed fourth within the Ladies’s Africa Cup of Nations final yr.

Nigeria had largely dominated the event for many years and face an uphill battle to succeed in the knockout phases of the World Cup as they did 4 years in the past. 

Australia’s ultimate group sport towards reigning Olympic champions Canada on July 31 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium ought to show a a lot sterner check for the Matildas. 

Bev Priestman’s crew are one of many favourites to go all the way in which in Australia and can relish the tag, as they desperately look to ship the fairytale sendoff star duo Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair deserve.

Spherical of 16 

Ought to Australia win Group B they will play the runners-up of Group D, which accommodates England, Denmark, Haiti and China, in Sydney on August 7.

A second-place end of their group, in the meantime will pit the Matildas with the winners of Group D in Brisbane on August 7.

The Lionesses’ preparation has been disrupted by a bunch of accidents to key gamers.

Beth Mead, the Golden Boot winner at Euro 2021, captain, Leah Williamson and attacking playmaker Fran Kirby will all miss the World Cup due to accidents. 

In the meantime report goalscorer Ellen White and the veteran midfielder Jill Scott have retired, however the reigning European champions should still have enough to complete high of the group.

Reigning European champions and Finalissima winners England might face Australia within the Spherical of 16 if the Matildas ending second of their group

That, in idea no less than, leaves Haiti, Denmark and China battling it out for the ultimate spot.

Haiti have made historical past by qualifying for the event to start with, matching the lads’s achievement of reaching the 1974 World Cup, however it might be a serious shock to see the world’s No53-ranked crew attain the knockout phases.

China have reached the knock-out phases in each World Cup version bar 2011, however are not the powerhouse of ladies’s soccer they had been on the flip of the century.

Then again, the Metal Roses arrive in Australia on the again of successful the Asian Cup final yr and are ranked 14th on the planet. As ever, their hopes will relaxation on the shoulder of elegant attacking midfielder Wang Shuang.

Pernille Tougher will shoulder Denmark’s hopes of a profitable World Cup

Ranked a spot above China, Denmark are again on the World Cup for the primary time since 2007 and have benefitted from the event’s growth.

In Pernille Tougher the Danes have among the finest gamers on the planet, however the brand new Bayern Munich signing has solely returned to health after being out injured in spring.

Spectacular wins over Norway, Japan and Sweden this yr have proven the Danes can combine it up with the perfect. 

Quarter-finals

Ought to the Matildas win Group B and attain the quarter-finals, they are going to face both the winner of Group F or the runner-up in Group H in Brisbane.

A crew from both group will await in Sydney, ought to Australia progress to the quarter-finals after ending second in Group B. 

Group F accommodates France, Jamaica, Panama and Brazil, whereas Group H consists of Germany, Morocco, Colombia and South Korea.

France and Brazil are the overwhelming favourites to progress from the previous, whereas it might be a serious shock to not see Germany within the knock-out phases. Past  them, nonetheless, it is all to play for among the many different three groups.

The Matildas beat France in a pleasant final week and will face them once more within the quarter-finals

Considered one of solely three groups to go unbeaten by the qualifying stage, France have reached no less than the quarter-finals within the final three World Cups and can goal to be doing the identical.

The loss towards the Matildas in a pleasant final week, nonetheless, bodes properly for Australia ought to they face the world’s No5-ranked crew once more.

Brazil, in the meantime, arrive on the World Cup nonetheless searching for their first triumph however stuffed with optimism after winning the Copa America without losing a game and impressing towards England and Germany this yr. 

The latter are undoubtedly one of many favourites to raise the World Cup on August 20 after dropping to England within the ultimate of Euro 2022. 

Brazil, winners of the Copa America final yr, lurk as a risk within the quarter-finals

Ranked second on the planet, Germany have an array of stars headlined by Alexandra Popp and a crop of gifted youngsters like Jule Brand and Lena Oberdorf already completely relaxed on the most important stage of all.

A possible Spherical of 16 conflict towards France or Brazil ought to supply a clearer indication of whether or not Germany can win the World Cup for the primary time since 2007. 

Semi-finals

Reaching the semi-finals would  be uncharted territory for the Matildas, who’ve by no means made it previous the quarter-finals on the World Cup.

Ought to Australia attain the final 4 after successful Group B they might face the runner-up from their very own group, prone to be Canada, or one in every of a trio prone to include Germany, France or Brazil.

Reigning champions USA may very well be ready the Matildas within the ultimate on August 20

England or Denmark might additionally lurk in the event that they end second in Group D.

The identical groups are prone to be within the image, ought to Australia make it to the semi-finals after ending second in Group B. 

Last

The Matildas will not be wanting up to now forward, however defending champions USA might additionally stand in the way in which of a primary World Cup triumph on August 20 if Australia make it so far as the ultimate. 

And do not rule out world No3 Sweden or world No6 Spain both.