Portugal will take on the United States, the Netherlands and Vietnam in Group E of the final leg of the 2023 Women’s World Cup if they surpass the intercontinental ‘play-off’, the draw dictated this Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand. was held.
When they beat the winner of the Cameroon-Thailand clash in Hamilton on February 22, the ‘quinas’ formation will find exactly the finalists of the last edition, played in France, in 2019.
Then, on July 7, in Lyon, the Americans won their fourth title and second in a row, repeating in 1991, 1999 and 2015, beating the Netherlands 2-0, with goals scored in the second half by Megan Rapinoe, from the penalty spot and Rosemary Lavelle.
If the United States has four world titles, the Netherlands will have the 2017 European Championship as their big win, and in the 2022 edition they ‘fell’ in the quarters, against France, in a competition in which Portugal stayed ahead of the group stage.
For its part, and unlike these two powers, Vietnam will play its first World Cup in Australia and New Zealand between July 20 and August 20.
In Group E, based in New Zealand, Portugal will start against the Netherlands, in Dunedin, on July 23, then Vietnam, on July 27, in Hamilton, to finish with the United States, on August 1, in Auckland.
The team led by Francisco Neto reached the Intercontinental ‘play-off’ by finishing second in European Group H of qualifying, behind Germany, then beating Belgium and Iceland in the continental ‘play-off’.
Being the top ranked team of the 10 that will compete in the intercontinental ‘play-off’, Portugal was seeded on October 22 as the seed of Group A to go head to head with either Cameroon or Thailand.
As for the other groups in the final, A is co-hosted by New Zealand and also includes Norway, Switzerland and the Philippines, while B is co-hosted by Australia and also has Ireland, Canada and Nigeria.
Group C included Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia and Japan, D made up of England, Denmark, China and the Group B winner of the Intercontinental ‘play-off’ and F made up of France, Brazil, Jamaica and the Group C winner of the Intercontinental play-off.
For their part, Sweden, Italy, Argentina and South Africa will share Group G, while Group H will have Germany, Morocco, Colombia and South Korea.
The 32 teams present, a record, are thus divided into eight groups of four, with the best two of each going to the round of 16, which Portugal will play, if they qualify, in Sydney or Melbourne, Australia.
Source: DN
