Women's World Cup 2023

    Anyone been watching? Here in Scotland the live matches are televised in the morning and I've been enjoying cramming as many in to each morning, including getting up at 2am last night to watch USA v Netherlands. I like the expanded group stage, with nations you wouldn't normally have seen in the tournament before showing what they can do, and not all of them being pushovers. Australia v Nigeria was a hell of a match today.


    I'm out all day tomorrow so will be recording England v Denmark and seeing if I can avoid all mention of the result until I get home and can watch it.

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    We've been watching, but the hype over the Matildas (Australia) turned out to be misguided. They are totally dependent on one player, who is injured (Sam Kerr, of Chelsea). It has been good seeing teams like Vietnam & Zambia, as BD said, who will never feature in the men's version.

    I just watched co-hosts NZ disappointingly exit the tournament in a frustratingly dull 0-0 draw with Switzerland. Usually I support the European teams but I really wanted NZ to go through (which would've eliminated Switzerland). It takes something out of the heart of the tournament when a host nation departs so early on. It's worse when instead of going out in a blaze of glory they go out in a muted puff of mediocrity. They didn't look like they were even interested.

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    I would love to watch whole matches if I had any time. I watch highlights here and there and am keeping up with the reports. I just saw Linda Caicedo's goal against Germany - astonishing skill. Seems like a very entertaining tournament so far.

    Quote from thewatcher

    I would love to watch whole matches if I had any time. I watch highlights here and there and am keeping up with the reports. I just saw Linda Caicedo's goal against Germany - astonishing skill. Seems like a very entertaining tournament so far.

    An astonishing match, what an ending.

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    Glad to see Australia go through and ensure one of the hosts is still in. The BBC commentator unfortunately had saved her remark for this eventuality: "The Matildas go waltzing through to the final 16." Yeeuugggh.


    Happy that England finally sprang properly to life and scored some goals. USA looked lacklustre in scraping through. If Portugal's late shot that hit the post had been a couple of inches further in it would've been bye-bye USA for this tournament. I think they're on a transition point between the strong multi-tournament-winning team and a new younger squad. I still wouldn't write them off though.


    As there have been pairs of group matches running at the same times I've been watching each pair on the TV and laptop simultaneously. I'm glad being between projects has coincided with the tournament, I'm loving it.

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    I'm amused that the stadium in Perth is called the Perth Rectangular Stadium. It's pleasingly factual in terms of location and shape. They should've gone further with the Perth Big Rectangular Stadium.


    Even better, it used to be Perth Oval. I wonder if they'll go with other shapes in years to come. We've got an Oval cricket ground in London, and a Reading Hexagon. I'd love there to be a Manchester Rhombus or Leeds Trapezium.


    There used to be a chain of food shops called Wavy Line. Its logo was the words 'wavy' and 'line' either side of, er, let me think... oh yes that's it - a wavy line. That graphic designer really earned their fee.

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    Quote from Backdrifter

    I'm amused that the stadium in Perth is called the Perth Rectangular Stadium. It's pleasingly factual in terms of location and shape. They should've gone further with the Perth Big Rectangular Stadium.


    Even better, it used to be Perth Oval. I wonder if they'll go with other shapes in years to come. We've got an Oval cricket ground in London, and a Reading Hexagon. I'd love there to be a Manchester Rhombus or Leeds Trapezium.


    There used to be a chain of food shops called Wavy Line. Its logo was the words 'wavy' and 'line' either side of, er, let me think... oh yes that's it - a wavy line. That graphic designer really earned their fee.

    They are using the names 'rectangular' because they are not allowed to use the stadium name with the sponsor. That stadium is usually called HBF Park. Similarly the Sydney Football Stadium, where my beloved Roosters play, is normally called Allianz Stadium.


    The 'waltzing Matildas' stuff is cringeworthy and as usual makes this country look like backward rubes. I've been most impressed with Japan.

    Quote from Backdrifter

    I'm amused that the stadium in Perth is called the Perth Rectangular Stadium. It's pleasingly factual in terms of location and shape. They should've gone further with the Perth Big Rectangular Stadium.

    Australians don't mess around with their place names. They call a thing what it is. Someone looked at a great big sandy thing a couple of hundred years and said "let's call it the Great Sandy Desert"

    Quote from Mr.Farmer

    Australians don't mess around with their place names. They call a thing what it is. Someone looked at a great big sandy thing a couple of hundred years and said "let's call it the Great Sandy Desert"

    Hahaha! Although see FeelItComing 's subsequent explanation (there's a Melbourne 'Rectangular' Stadium too).

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    Another 4 entertaining matches this 'morning'. Italy and Brazil eliminated! Admirable that S Africa and Jamaica have progressed to the final 16. Many of the SA squad have risen up from the townships and tough circumstances with a battle to get women's football recognised. The Jamaica team was de-funded and disbanded in 2008 due to poor results, and only resurrected in 2014 thanks to personal funding from Bob Marley's daughter Cedella, who also campaigned to get girls into football. Now here both teams are in the knockout stages of the World Cup. They might not make it further but it's still an achievement.

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    Quote from Mr.Farmer

    Australians don't mess around with their place names. They call a thing what it is. Someone looked at a great big sandy thing a couple of hundred years and said "let's call it the Great Sandy Desert"

    See also:


    Great Dividing Range

    Great Barrier Reef

    Great Australian Bight

    Blue Mountains

    Snowy Mountains

    Northern Territory

    Australian Capital Territory


    Writing them out like that makes you realise just how unimaginative the place is. Anyway... yes, good to see some of the less heralded teams progress to the round of 16.

    So...How did Big Island Continent end up being called "Australia" after all? :/


    On topic: I really got to catch up with the tournament. Haven't seen any match yet and I keep seeing the news. It would be a welcome distraction right now.

    Quote from FeelItComing

    Germany out, Brazil out, Spain out...

    When you include Canada that's 4 of the top 10 in FIFA's rankings gone, and the number 1 team (USA) just about clung on thanks to a goalpost.


    There's been an element of those teams performing below par but also some of the lower-ranked teams visibly improving.


    No matches 'tomorrow', I'm going to miss my morning fix so I'm looking forward to the knockouts starting Saturday. We can't say we won't see other top-ranked teams falling by the wayside.

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