Women’s World Cup: The Stage is Set for the Oranje

Netherlands vs Portugal

All eyes will be on the Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand on Sunday, as the Netherlands kick off their Women’s World Cup campaign against Portugal in the standout Group E clash.

The winner will take a big step towards the knockout phase of the competition, most likely alongside the USA who meet Vietnam on Saturday. The Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds back the Stars and Stripes to win the tournament, but the Netherlands are in a cluster of teams with a chance of upsetting the odds.

So far the eye-catching Women’s World Cup results have been 1-0 wins for the two host nations and a brilliant draw for Nigeria against Olympic Champions Canada. And Portugal will be hoping to cause a stir in Dunedin by topping their expectant opponents.

The Netherlands are currently ninth in the Women’s FIFA World Rankings while Portugal sit in 21^st. Both teams come into the game in handy form. The Netherlands thrashed Belgium 5-0, while Portugal beat Ukraine 2-0 in their warm-up.

Talking Points

Jonker is no plonker

The Netherlands flopped at Euro 2022, and the Dutch footy authorities reacted by bringing Andries Jonker in to lift the Oranje women, and the move has worked perfectly.

Jonker has been toiling seven days a week, visiting players at their domestic clubs and rotating his teams to give weary players a rest during international breaks. And now the team is fit and firing, full of energy and optimism.

But the one disappointment is the absence of star player Vivianne Miedema, who is missing with a cruciate ligament injury, an all too often problem in the women’s game.

Midfielder Jill Roord will be a key player in Miedema’s absence since she is a brilliant passer of the ball, and the Manchester City star has 21 goals in 86 appearances.

And keep an eye out for 19-year-old dazzling winger Esmee Brugts, who will give opposition full-backs a torrid time.

Portugal’s tight-knit team

Seven of the Portugal squad have made over 100 international appearances, and they came together in a fantastic qualifying campaign which spanned 13 matches before Carole Costa scored a penalty in a play-off against Cameroon deep into injury time to book their place at the finals. The defender, who has 151 caps said that it is the happiest day of their lives.

Portuguese football in the women’s game is developing nicely after two appearances at European Championships, and now they have a chance to show a wider audience just what they can achieve.

Coach Francesco Neto, who was just 32 years old when he took charge of the women’s team, knows he can rely on his players, 12 of whom were at the 2017 European Championships:

“We know we will often be under pressure, and it is impossible to spend 90 minutes just defending,” he said.

Midfielder Tatiana Pinto, another centurian, is a creative outlet for the team. She is a high-energy player with quick feet, able to run at defenders, and with a lovely range of passing. Last season, she scored 12 goals and made three assists for Levante.

Sporting striker Ana Capeta is worth watching. She has five goals in 21 international appearances, but there is a lot more to come from the 25-year-old, who has plundered 70 goals in 95 appearances for her club.

History

The Netherlands were European Champions in 2017 and World Cup runners-up in 2019.

Portugal, meanwhile, are a younger nation in the women’s game and they have qualified twice for the European Championships, but this is their first appearance on the world stage.

The Oranje have beaten Portugal in all three of their previous meetings and will be confident of making it four from four. They came out on the right side of a five-goal thriller on the last two meetings, latterly in the 2022 Euros as Danielle de Donk scored the second half winner.

There is little to choose between the two nations in terms of recent form. The Dutch have won four and lost two of their last six games, while Portugal have won three, drawn two, and lost one.

Betting Tip

The tournament has been brilliant so far, and this is another game to capture the imagination of football fans worldwide.

The Netherlands have more depth in their squad and some world-class players, while Portugal have a togetherness which will make them hard to beat.

But I think the Oranje will have too much quality for them and 2-0 to the Netherlands, at SBOTOP odds of 5.60, shouldn’t be far from the mark.

 

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