The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Heartbreak for Ireland, history for the Philippines - Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Faye Carruthers is joined by Jessy Parker Humphreys, Ceylon Andi Hickman and Júlia Belas to discuss Ireland’s elimination from the Women’s World Cup, while Group A is wide open following the Philippines’ historic victory against New Zealand.

This is The Guardian. Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to The Guardian Women's Football Weekly. The second round of matches are underway, but there's no luck for the Irish. Republic of Ireland are out. An early Katie McCabe goal not enough. And Canada came from behind to take all three points and send them home. Spain are in scintillating form in a five-star performance against Zambia, though. As for Japan, why on earth weren't they anyone's dark horses?

Meanwhile, who comes out of Group A is anyone's guess as we finally get a debutante win thanks to the Philippines while Colombia cause a shock against South Korea and stake a claim for fans of the tournament. We'll talk all of that

plus we'll take your questions and that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Women's Football Weekly is supported by Google Pixel, the only phone engineered by Google and proud partner of the England teams. Search Google Store to find out more.

What a panel we have here today. Jessie Parker-Humphrey, it's a delight to see you. How's it going down in Oz? It's great. It's very tiring. The weather feels very changeable. It'll be very hot and then suddenly it's quite cold. But apart from that, it's going well. Yes, I'm loving the kind of, you know, sheepskin-esque coat that you're wearing, suggesting that it is chilly. And Salon Andy Hickman has a big hoodie on currently and almost

ET-like with her headphones over the top. How are you? It's an ode to Alex Pop. I'm good. And Jessie, you're actually in the warm bit. You're in the warmer bit than I am, right? Are you still in Brisbane? Yeah, it is really nice when you're in the sun. So I was walking around in a t-shirt, lovely. As soon as you step into the shade,

my God, you've got to get another layer on. I've not really experienced anything like that before Julia Baez is making her pod debut and has a palm tree behind her by the looks of things so you're the one rocking the heat there Julia how you doing it's really nice it's really it I'm Brazilian so I should be complaining about the the cold but I live in the uk so it's not that cold and it's been really nice here in brisbane and i got a really nice like place to rent so i have palm tree behind me so it's really nice excellent well it looks it looks wonderful i think ireland are going to need some palm trees they're going to need a holiday to get over uh defeat at their first ever world cup because in group b just now it's just finished and it finished canada two

ireland one which means the irish are out uh case mccabe had scored an early goal salon hadn't it i mean it doesn't seem quite fair that we haven't seen enough of them really. Nil-Poix after both performances, but they were good in both performances. Yeah, and I think that's probably why it feels so tough right now and probably why we saw Kate McCabe in tears at the end there because they really did give it everything

and it feels, yeah, really unlucky and unfortunate that they haven't got a point or more than that, I think, going forward. I think today, the first 10, 15, 20 minutes was all Ireland. And it really felt like there was a lot of momentum. But I think probably, yeah, if they had 11 Katie McCaves on that pitch,

they would be top of that group. But unfortunately, they don't. And you can't win tournament football like that. And they gave everything and she particularly gave everything. So you can see why it was so heartbreaking at the end for them to not go further. And I think probably from a fan's perspective as well, we wanted this Irish team to do a bit better and go a bit further. Yeah, we really did. But it was an Olympic goal against the Olympic champions, Jessie.

Katie McGabe with that opener after just four minutes and scoring straight from a corner as well. Ireland's first ever World Cup goal ultimately didn't mean anything, but what a moment for her. Yeah, and I love the way she just went and celebrated with her just arms in the air. She really is her, isn't she? Like she's so Katie McCabe all the time. It was a fantastic goal. I do sometimes think Olympicos, you look at the goalie a little bit, but I think as they go, this was a fantastic goal. I do sometimes think Olympicos, you look at the goalie a little bit, but I think as they go, this was a pretty good one, but had that kind of classic cliche of feeling like maybe they just scored

a little bit too early. And I think at first, Canada looked really, really rattled and you thought, well, maybe they can hold on to it because Ireland were all over them. But those halftime subs from Bev Priestman just totally changed the game and after that Canada were pretty much in control weren't they? Yeah I mean the conditions in this game were something else weren't they? The wind, the rain,

everything. Another reason why Ireland are going to need a bit of sunshine and a holiday after this tournament and I have spent a bit of time on the west coast of Ireland. I can confirm it suited them, but ultimately not quite enough. You know, that late goal in the first half, the own goal from Connolly against the run of play, arguably. But it feels as if in both of these games,

you know, with the Marissa Shiva penalty giveaway in the opening game against Australia and then this own goal, which, you know, was just unfortunate, isn't it? That they'll be disappointed with themselves in part, Solon. Definitely. And I think they've shown, I think, I don't know whether they've overachieved or like exceeded people's expectations, but I think they were a team that I think going into a tournament as a debut team, you basically, it's kind of a bit of a blank canvas for them.

And I think that's why it is a shame that they have got the results that they have because their performances don't necessarily merit those results. Although today's, I think today's game, it was, yeah, the first 45 minutes, it really felt like it was an Irish dominant performance and Canada just look a bit shook really. They didn't really know how to handle it. And then second half, it was just completely dull. I think from a fan's perspective or a neutral's perspective,

wanting Ireland to do well or a bit of an upset, it felt quite boring. And yeah, I think we needed a bit more fight, a bit more, well, I'd say not a bit more fight actually because I think that's probably what a lot of the Irish team do have but just lacking that quality I think that the Canadians definitely have and are able to kind of overturn and and override and ride through some of those difficult periods yeah game plan was kind of overturned wasn't it Heather Payne started uh was named in the starting lineup but had to pull out um during the warm-up so Orneo

Gorman came in instead. But we did actually get a chance to see Amber Barrett, who we'd been calling for after the Australia game, Jessie. But, you know, she had 35 minutes and couldn't quite, or 25 minutes, sorry, I can't really add, and couldn't quite show what we know she's capable of. Yeah, and I think, you know, kind of Salon almost just touched on it there that it sort of sums up the gulf between those teams when Canada are bringing Christine Sinclair off the bench and Ireland you know it's a lot of talent but maybe not the same kind of

it's not the same level is it ultimately and that's like no shade on on those Irish players and I think even more than that there's maybe a sense of a different savviness as well and that's what comes from when you've got players who go to international tournaments all the time and and a team making their international tournament debut I do think Kyra Caruso was a real standout for Ireland like if you're looking beyond Katie McCabe I thought she was really impressive leading the line which is you know a very tiring job when you're not going to have a lot of the ball and I know Lucy Ward on on comms in England was saying that you know when Khadija Buchanan was was taken off at half time for Shalina Zdorsky that's almost like

the biggest praise you could give Caruso to have you you know the centre-back base because Buchanan just couldn't deal with her at all and you, you know, that's a Chelsea player, a player who's won the Champions League with Lyon. And I think that's testament to the way Caruso played. But maybe that was almost the problem in some ways, that you had these great individual performances, whether it was McCabe, whether it was Caruso, but ultimately not enough to bring it all together

into that one big team performance that they were going to need against Canada. Yeah, we'll get to see what the group's going to look like a little bit more tomorrow because Australia play Nigeria on Thursday and they're experiencing something of an injury crisis, the co-hosts. Kieran Pender writing in The Guardian that Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Kira Simon, all unavailable for the Matilda's second match, as is defensive stalwart Avi Lewick as well. And midfielder Tamika Yallop's also a doubt.

I mean, we knew that Fowler and Lewick were ruled out on Wednesday because of mild concussions that they both suffered during training. And Football Australia's concussion protocols require that players have to sit out for six days post-incident. But this is a worry for the co-hosts, isn't it? Especially bearing in mind Nigeria managed to hold Canada to a goalless draw in their opening match. And we could potentially see Nigeria start to take control of this group, Salon. I mean, yeah, speaking as an England fan, going into a game as a host nation when you've got a few injuries and being a bit concerned about it I think obviously yeah is is basically not the position you want to be in at all I think and this Australia didn't look that convincing against Ireland right a one nil win and I think Nigeria could could get a result

tomorrow which really opens the group up and I think makes it a lot more exciting for all of us. But being here in Australia, I think it's very hard not to want the Matildas to do well. And I think even in the face of adversity, I think it kind of accelerates it a bit more, right? You really want them to pull through. And I think that opening game when we saw or got the news just before the game about Sam Kerr's injury, you kind of felt this, yeah, your heart drop a little bit of, this is what they've waited for, this is what they've built for over the last few years. It doesn't just mean something for them and their individual careers,

but it means something for their nation and the future of women's football in their country, and I think they all want to be a part of that. So to have so many injuries and so many doubts of key players as well and young players who want this tournament to be the tournament they make a name for themselves is is a really sad situation to be in it's all over kind of the Aussie press at the moment of of who will be back and what's actually wrong with them and all that sort of stuff so yeah you you do feel for them but if you're a Nigerian fan then I think it's probably the best best conditions you could

be going into playing Australia tomorrow yeah most definitely. And leaves for a very exciting group. One group done and dusted already, though, after the second round of matches is Group C. Bish bash bosh, Spain and Japan. Let's start with the Spanish, shall we? A 5-0 victory over Zambia. And they were brilliant again in this game, Julia. Friend of the pod Anita As, said on the BBC, it's a different side to the one we saw at the Euros.

Are they starting to look like potential champions for you? Absolutely. And, you know, to look at Spain, you always know that this generation specifically is going to pull through. Like, they don't feel the pressure as other teams do. And, you know, they have been doing really well they did when they played the under 17 world cup when they played it under 20 world cup so now they're basically the same generation playing the the senior cup and and dealing with the kind of

pressure even though they have a lot of things happening outside of the pitch. You know, a lot of players who are not playing for the national team because they choose not to. But still, when they play, especially in group stage, when they just need to show up and do a good job, it doesn't rely as much on luck or moments or anything like that. They definitely can pull through and japan you know we saw them win the world cup not that long ago but still it's kind of hard for them to take that

advantage they have in the under 20 under 17 side to the senior teams and it's really interesting to see because they did do a bad game necessarily but Spain they have the skill they have the players, they have what they need to win and to win beautifully as they did and of course

they have Javier Mosso who is a really brilliant player who scored two goals so it's really nice to watch him play. Yeah, two goals from her, one from Abiera in the ninth minute and then Redondo with two to finish off the route. And it didn't feel, Jessie, as if they kind of needed or even maybe wanted to get out of second gear.

They still got five goals. Maybe have one eye on the last 16 already? How much better can they be? be yeah I think it's going to be interesting to see how they look against Japan in that final group game because I think they obviously have been very impressive but I think you can caveat the two performances and they were playing Zambia and they were playing Costa Rica and I actually thought was really interesting about this game is that Zambia showed exactly where you can exploit Spain in between the fullbacks part of the reason they've been so impressive in attacking sense is because basically

Onabatea and Olga Carmona have just bombed all the way up so they're almost playing a front five and you did see these moments from Rachel Kunanje from Barbara Banda where they they were able to get in behind they couldn't quite turn them into like great opportunities but what would be really interesting is we've seen Japan attack those exact fullback spaces very well with their wingbacks in both their games against Costa Rica and Zambia so it almost feels like not I'm not gonna say we're on fraud watch because I think both these teams are very good but it's gonna be really interesting to see like how robust are each of their tactics when they actually sort of play each other rather than the minnows in this group.

Hot takes, Jessie. Hot takes. Always. I mean, in that conversation, you didn't even mention Alexia Puteas and she's so good. She was everywhere in that first half salon. It's still know the the second round of the of the group game so maybe a touch too soon to start calling for player of the tournament particularly bearing in mind what jesse just said about the opponents there but you know we know her potential definitely but i don't know whether jesse you've just fired me up with your hot take but i think the second goal patelis is very involved in but it's very it's

very easy for her to put that cross in she's under absolutely zero pressure quite you know far in the box I think when she puts the ball in it's a lovely ball for Hermoso to head at the back post but and you can call it a bit of individual brilliance but again I'm not saying I don't think they've put under been put under huge amounts of pressure for Patelis to you know really show what she's got. And it was good to see her playing so fluidly. It was great to see her playing for that length of time and getting the half in.

But again, yeah, I don't think it's player of the tournament performances just yet. I think Spain looked quite nervous at the back, I think, when Zambia did break. I think the two centre-backs had a few nervy chances with Barbara Banda. I mean, anyone trying to retain a ball whilst Barbara Banda is running at you, determined to get it off you, to be fair, if you keep hold of it, then fair play. But they did look nervous and I think Jesse's right in terms of talking about how that manifests itself against Japan. There were weaknesses across did look nervous and I think Jesse's right in terms of talking about how that manifests itself against Japan.

There were weaknesses across the bat there and I think it's going to be one of the most exciting games of the tournament so far when those two teams meet. Just a quick one on Zambia, Julia, because it's been a bit of a baptism of fire for them in their first ever World Cup.

They've had to play two of the best sides, lost 5-0 in both games, but still, I mean, I still sit there and say, particularly after that win over Germany leading into the tournament, I still feel as if they've captured a few hearts. Yes. And I mean, after that win against Germany, they were kind of like surprising side to watch at the World Cup. And for me, it wasn't necessarily as much of Zambia being really great as well as Zambia being really organized and playing really organized against a team like Germany that has been really unstable

over the past year or so. And of course course they have awesome and she's such a she she smells the balls and she just goes for them so you know when the ball doesn't reach her it's just not going to happen they don't have a lot of other options really so if she's out of the game for some reason if she has someone really on like on her back and if someone doesn't allow her to play they're not going to score and that's kind of what happens like of course spain are a side that they really want to hold the ball they really want to pass the ball as much as they can. They work on that kind of game,

you know, the Spanish kind of game that we know so well. So for Zambia, it was necessarily a choice of either trying to leave Banda more freely and trying to keep the ball in Spain's feet and trying to reach it and play counter-attack or trying to, you know, do something differently. Yeah, that Spain result means, though, that Japan have also made it through to the round of 16, that 2-0 win over Costa Rica. 2-0 after 27 minutes, in fact, and it felt like Japan

might be on their way to another 5-0 thrashing but they approached the second half like a team preparing for the knockouts didn't they Jesse five subs made in that half um we haven't talked about them as dark horses which surprises me very much because we know what they're capable of how impressed have you been with them so far I'm amazed I'm genuinely I genuinely think they're amazing I think they play some of the most tactically exciting football that we've seen at the World Cup so far and it is so far removed from how they played in 2019 when they were an England's group and I think that's partially why maybe from an English perspective they kind of gone under everyone's radar because in that group stage that it was just it was very

stodgy and you know it almost reminiscent of kind of what we see from Canada for example now where it's you know like you keep it tight at the back and you try and score one or two goals whereas this is just so free-flowing and exciting and they've got so much young talent coming through and I think what's really interesting is that sort of over the years we have seen them succeed at youth age groups in in the same way as Spain and now maybe we're seeing these these players sort of have come of age and seeing a new generation of Japanese players coming through Saki Kumagai is obviously the only player left in that squad who was in the the 2011 squad and you know played a very important role in that 2011 win um but it really feels like this is almost like the rebirth of this new Japanese team and if anyone hasn't like had the opportunity to watch

them yet I would really recommend it because the way they carve out very strong attacking positions is is fascinating they use like all of these central overloads and then put these crosses in and have other players running from the other side and again it's it's only Costa Rica and Zambia so exactly what I said with Spain it'll be interesting seeing them against Spain but it's been very very impressive so far yeah they've still scored seven goals when they only scored five in in the 2019 World Cup and we're only two games in so uh so they're already outperforming themselves, I would say. Costa Rica, though, Julia, are out. Tough time at this tournament as far has been really about the goalkeeping because especially, you know, people talk about we need to change the size of the goals, moving the goalposts.

We have a whole newsletter with the name. And we've seen some really great goalkeeping so far. And, you know, these smaller, quote--unquote teams that have been doing well in this world cup so far have been doing well because they have really strong defenses really strong goalkeepers and this has been something really interesting if you look at costa rica they considered a lot of goals of course but you know for them it's a really strong win that they didn't conceive more. And it's all about experience. In the next World Cup, if they qualify or when they qualify,

they'll have the experience and they'll have more to add to their experience. So yeah, I'm really excited to see what they'll do next. It's all about what they'll take from this first World Cup experience and build on that, which is really amazing. A smile from Salon there. We'll talk goalkeepers in part two, actually.

Salon part of the goalkeepers' union, even though she doesn't play in goal for Dulwich. Next games in this group, I think for Costa Rica and Zambia, the opportunity to get three points on the board will be very exciting. But the exciting game is

Japan versus Spain. They're both on Monday at 8am UK time. Right, that's it for part one. In part two, we'll wrap up Tuesday's action, including a historic night for the Philippines. welcome back to part two of the guardian women's football weekly before we get stuck in just a

reminder you need to sign up to the guardians moving the goalposts newsletter some really great analysis on a couple of the tournament underdogs haiti and jamaica have really impressed you just need to sign up and they'll drop straight into your inbox for free so please do that group a is really exciting we have no idea who's going to come out of it which is wonderful but what was also wonderful we talked about the fact that none of the eight debutantes had won a game yet. And up popped the Philippines and a historic result for them. Serena Bolden with a header in the 25th minute, the only goal of the game and their first ever goal and victory at a Women's World Cup. The Philippines manager, Alan Steichit, said that the result has been one of the biggest wins in the history of sport in the country. Solon, exactly how big was this for them?

Oh, it was huge. And you could just see, it was so beautiful to see the celebrations as well from Serena Bolden when she scored that goal and the whole Philippines team I think yeah it was it was it was very unfortunate I think for um New Zealand goalkeeper I think that you know you're she's in the right position and actually probably on another day she's probably saved that and palmed over the bar or at least palmed it away um and unfortunately it's yeah she's she's let it go in but um you can't take that away from from the Philippines who after that goal absolutely buckled down and did phenomenally to ensure that they were going to get those three points. It's obviously, yeah, I think the biggest shock so far. And obviously our first, I think first debutant to get a win in the tournament so far.

I watched an interview earlier with Serena Bolden after the game. And I think the emotion, and I don't think you can take away what that means when you think about the camps that they've been on for this long, the fact that so many of them are travelling from all over the world to kind of be back in the Philippines to be in these things. They don't have the masses of resources. They don't have the budgets of other nations. And I think these women are giving everything to be in these teams

and then suddenly they come into these tournaments not thinking, maybe if we're lucky we might get you know a result somewhere in this game and I think to get it against a host nation you could see what that meant and I was quite gutted for New Zealand I think after that shock opening win I think you kind of thought this was their opportunity to cement in the group and unfortunately they didn't manage to but that's the beauty of it is that you get a win like that for the Philippines and I think I think afterwards they were saying Serena Bolden was asked football isn't even an official sport in the Philippines for women's football at the moment and what that would do for the the sport in the country was

would be huge and I think that's the kind of thing that they're all carrying through so yeah it was beautiful it's a beautiful watch to a game to watch actually was with Maz Pacheco um in a bar in in Sydney who is part Filipino and watching her get a bar stool and sort of run around the bar with it above her head because she was absolutely buzzing to see her nation do well. So that was really special too. Yeah, I tell you what, Julia, they're really playing their part in making Group A very open indeed. How impressed have you been with them? It's been really interesting because, you know, when you look at Group A, one of the things that people would bet on was that, you know, Norway would be in the top of the group

and then the second position would be really open. And that's obviously not the case. It's been kind of a mess, really. I've been loving to watch it. I love when chaos reigns in the World Cup because, you know, that's what makes it fun. It's once every four years and you can enjoy

stories like the Philippines and what they are doing. And I don't know, I feel like they already did so much in the World Cup that if they get a win in the last game, it will be amazing. If they don't, they did enough already and they are going to be remembered because of that. So I'm really excited to see this last round, not because of who is going to qualify, but it's how they're going to behave in this last game that's supposed to be,

you know, the toughest game for them in this World Cup. And I don't know, they felt really confident in the pre-game conference, like press conferences. So I don't know, maybe they'll just enjoy themselves

and enjoy what they're doing and create a whole nother level mess that we love watching. Yeah, they were really solid at the back, Jessie, weren't they? And took their chances on their counterattack. Can you see the Philippines getting something against Norway, dreaming of the last 16? I mean, at this rate, I think I could go out there and get something against Norway, to be honest. They're in such a mess.

I mean potentially that it's hard isn't it because I feel like New Zealand have just shown the sort of taste of your own medicine thing you can be on this massive high from from getting a win and then it can all change very very quickly um I think Julia's right to say that the Philippines will feel like they've achieved more than maybe they could have imagined by by getting one win but I'm sure Norway will look at you know sort of the the performance Philippines had against Switzerland and and then the win against New Zealand and feel a little bit worried because they they've shown that they can sit back and defend and you know Norway will need to go for it effectively so there will be space you'd think at the at the back too although norway going for it

just looks like i don't know again normal people running around so it'll be an interesting it'll be an interesting one to see how it plays out yeah we're going to talk norway in a second but let's focus on new zealand quickly salon very unlucky really two disallowed goals but philippines goalkeeper olivia mcdaniel produced the heroics in injury time and was named player of the match you tweeted justice for goalkeepers how disappointed were you with New Zealand though I mean the crowd were really on their backs in in the second half which isn't very helpful a win would have seen them straight through to the round of 16 after two games and now they've got to get a result against switzerland yeah but olivia

mcdaniel deserves everything for that performance that save in the like what was it 90 plus two from jail like it's so point blank range and she gets down for it and i think gets her left hand to it and just palms it out the side and that you could see the way that her players celebrate with it it was like you deserve everything olivia you like to to have done that and I was actually talking to um so my teammate at Dulwich who played with her in America they were playing at college together in America and she said she wasn't even making the college team that time and then would she um really put her head down absolutely went for it to get her Philippines Nationals team spot and she worked super hard and my friend messaged me saying when

I was tweeting about Olivia um to say like yeah what a transformation and that is like how much hard work gets you and it's kind of reminiscent and it's annoying to make English comparisons all the time isn't it but of Mary Earps uh in terms of how she was told you know your career's not kind of going anywhere and then she worked really hard and changed it all and I think that sometimes we don't give goalkeepers the recognition that they deserve so that's why I'm in the goalkeepers union and was really happy she got player of the match um because I think Mary Epp should have got it in the England game as well but yeah New Zealand it was it was heartbreaking for them and they did really throw everything those two desolate goals I think one was for

like an inch of a shoulder which you've got you've got to be like all right luck is not on our side today when when things like that happen but i yeah i'm just delighted for the philippines and i'm quite glad that we've got such a cagey and exciting group at this point yeah the goalless draw between switzerland and norway sets up a really interesting final uh group match stage uh for these two it's out out of Norway's hands though and Jessie you mentioned just now how much of a mess they are. What exactly is going on? We've talked on this pod before that they're all playing like individuals. It seems like there is disharmony in that group. Yeah I think there's almost more than disharmony. I'm kind of impressed because I always thought about Hega Risa when she was at England and when she was at Great Britain, that she seemed like a perfectly pleasant woman who didn't necessarily know how to manage a football team. And it was

interesting that Frank Kirby and Kim Little were both on ITV ahead of the Norway game and were sort of saying, very diplomatically, I thought, thought oh she's like no one we've ever worked under but it seems like she's managed to really piss off Caroline Graham-Hanson which is probably the last play you'd want to piss off on your team um Graham-Hanson was dropped for this game she reacted by moaning about it on television for everyone and then was wheeled out today to do a statement saying how she was still annoyed, but she shouldn't have said it, and she just wanted what was best for the team, but also that she shouldn't have been dropped.

And then there was the photo, I don't know if anyone saw it, where Hager Riese is, like, peering round, just to really get that hostage situation vibe going. So off pitch, it's not looking great on pitch obviously we had ada hegerberg kind of dramatically walk off just before the game started because she'd picked up this injury and then everyone looked very confused about that happened apparently she was ill yeah ill now they're saying groin or something with groin her groin was sick your groin is sick um yeah so and and then on the pitch it just it's really bizarre it doesn't look like they've got any idea what

they're doing together and it's a lot of very talented players who suddenly seem to have had all their talent evaporate caroline Graham Hansen's exact words were, I feel like I've been stepped on for a year. I have not been shown respect. And actually, you know, we talk about Hegarisa and there are lots of question marks over her. She won the World Cup with Norway back in 1995 and clearly feels that, you know, she can take this side on.

But don't ask Beth Mead about Hegarisa. She won even talk about her I think it's quite the opposite all Beth Mead does is talk about Hegarisa and how she was dropped yeah but but but always says she doesn't want to talk about her at the same time but obviously what you need from a manager is somebody who um looks after you and tells you what you're good at and what you can improve on. And it doesn't necessarily feel like, you know, that's, I mean, I don't know, I'm not in the Norway camp. I wasn't in the Team GB camp either, but I don't know. It just feels something a little bit off there. But the apology, you're right, Jessie, was just so weird. After the game yesterday, it got the better of me and I want to apologise for my statements.

I want to apologise to my teammates, the coaches, plural, and my country. I mean, yeah, she said, I know it causes unrest around the team when I speak out as I did yesterday. It was not the rational me. Interesting. Not ideal prep, I would say, for sure. But Switzerland seemed like the only team with no drama going on at the moment. So, you know, it's all chilled in Switzerland. Cal surprise. So maybe they will end up topping the group for that reason. But we shall see the next games in this group. Norway against Philippines Sunday at 8 a.m. and the same time for Switzerland against New Zealand.

Still no clearer as to who gets out and into the last 16. Group H, we're still on the first round of games in Group H. It feels like they're playing catch up just a little bit. But what a performance from Colombia to beat South Korea by two goals to nil. And it looked pretty easy for them, actually, Julia, didn't it? It did. And it's quite interesting because, you know, I love this Colombian team. They played Brazil in the final of the Copa America

and they have been fighting so much to get respect from the federation, to get respect from the media. And it feels like they are using that to fuel their performance in this world cup it was a interesting game to watch and to see linda caicedo is a 18 year old player who has scored in three world cups in one year it's amazing and i'm so happy to see that happening um because you know in women's football in south america it's

usually so overlooked um by the media by federations that to see them succeeding even if just for one game it's so awesome and i'm so happy for them yeah it was it was brilliant salon you were at this game and said that the colombian fans were the best you've seen so far what was the atmosphere like it was incredible honestly i am a colombian fan now it was so much fun I'm trying to get myself a ticket to go on Sunday night and watch them play Germany because they there were so many of them the stadium was completely yellow the national anthem was like goosebumps shivers down your spine material um and I just loved that these Colombian fans they don't just cheer the goals and the exciting bits and get off their seats for them someone makes a defensive header someone makes

a save someone makes a tackle and they go wild like it's a goal I was like this this is the crowd that I want to be in honestly it was so so much fun I think seeing that performance as well and like almost you felt that like they were completely charged up like quite wired and that was kind of matching on you know what was in the stands was matching what was what was on the pitch for a lot of that game they're kind of yeah I tweeted saying like they were definitely very much employing the uh if you lose the ball you win it back in five seconds rule they were like clattering those South Korean players and I think I think that was a beautiful thing to watch and definitely, yeah, my favourite fan base and team

probably of the tournament so far. Yeah, Jessie, it was a game for incredibly young players to make us all feel incredibly old. In fact, the whole tournament has made me feel like that. Caicedo becoming the second youngest player to score at a Women's World Cup after Brazil's Marta, who did so aged 17 back in 2003. And then South Korea's Casey Fair,

becoming the youngest ever player at a Women's World Cup at the tender age of 16 years and 26 days. I feel ancient. There are some serious, precocious young talent out there, aren't there? Yeah, although it is interesting because I do sometimes wonder what it says about the development of women's football and the age group system and not to say it's not fair because I think it's obviously amazing and you know if you're good enough you're old enough I think it is a reasonable

rule but I do think it will be an interesting thing to see how how these players and maybe how this changes over time because it's not something you see as much in the men's game anymore you obviously see one-offs but I think Casey Fair was the third 16 year old that we've seen play at the tournament so far and it it definitely I think you know obviously maybe speaks to to the fact that you can see all these very talented young players coming through but but maybe they they stand out for certain reasons but yeah I don't know I can't quite put it into words but it just there's something about it which I find it's something to celebrate but also I think it it's an interesting thing to ponder about how we bring young girls into into senior women's football and how that might change over time yeah I think it is going to change over time I think

we're going to see something vastly different in uh 2027 incarnation of the Women's World Cup for sure. As things start to improve across the board, we're already seeing that the teams are much more evenly matched this time round. I think maybe that will be the next step in 2027. Next games in this group on Sunday, round two, South Korea will face Morocco and Germany will face Colombia 5.30am for South Korea's match

and 10.30am for Germany's Jessie lovely to see you take care thank you very much thanks for having me Salon see you soon see you soon guys Julia wonderful opening debut from you

I'm channeling all your Philippines vibes instead. Thank you so much. Yes, I'm happy to be here. Brilliant stuff. We will be back on Friday. Women's Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Music composition was by Laura Iredale. And our executive producer is Max Sanderson.

Friday's our next pod, as I say, after England against Denmark. With its incredible camera and AI-powered technology, Google Pixel is bringing fans closer to the game this summer. Search Google Store to find out more.