Written by Jesus Martinez Placencia.
Amidst pleasant surprises and some not-so-pleasant ones, this year's World Cup has already exceeded all expectations! The women's World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand has completed its group stage, and to the amazement of the world, we have already witnessed some unforgettable matches.
The Highlight: Fans in the Stands!
Despite being in one of the most remote corners of the planet, the World Cup has seen some large numbers of fans at the stadiums. The opening matches of the two host teams alone broke world attendance records with over 117,000 spectators in attendance! For this tournament, FIFA's target was to sell 1.5 million tickets, and the total number of tickets sold has already surpassed 1.7 million (and counting!).
The Downside: Farewell to Marta, Brazil, and Others
In this initial first round phase, we saw the end of an exemplary career in women's world football: the legendary Brazilian player, Marta Vieira, announced her retirement from the national team after finishing third in Group F.
Marta became the ultimate female figure in world football, participating in six World Cups and becoming the top scorer for this tournament, including men's and women's editions. "In 2003, nobody knew me, and today I am a role model for many women around the world, not just in football," she said in her emotional farewell message.
Besides Marta's Brazil, other countries also exited prematurely in this stage, including the host team New Zealand, as well as Canada, Portugal, Italy, Argentina, and the powerful two-time World Champion, Germany.
The Good: Surprise Teams onto the Quarter-Finals!
The fact that important teams like the ones mentioned above being eliminated in the group stage is due to the fact that, in this World Cup, other countries have pleasantly surprised both locals and outsiders, achieving feats never seen before.
On the other hand, the host nation of Australia is in excellent form after finishing first in their group, as well as knocking out Denmark in the round of sixteen!
Other squads such as Japan, Spain, and France all reached the current stage without much trouble, while Sweden and England secured their spots by defeating USA and Nigeria in penalty shootouts, respectively. This World Cup has made it clear that anything can happen in the next round, and nothing is guaranteed. So grab a cup of coffee (Kickoff Coffee, of course) and get ready, the best of the Women's World Cup is about to begin!
