AUCKLAND, Australia — As the Women's World Cup enters the business stage when the round of 16 kicks off Saturday, the surprises and shocks in the group stage have thrown up some stunning fixtures, starting with the clash of former champions Norway and Japan.
There is a sense that the expanded 32-team format has improved the tournament after heavyweights Germany, Canada, Brazil and China were knocked out while minnows like Morocco and Jamaica advanced for the first time.
While Japan came through their group unscathed, Norway lost to co-hosts New Zealand in the tournament opener, while a public spat threatened to derail their campaign before they eventually qualified.
"You can see the level of the World Cup is rising, so the women's game is growing fast," Norway Coach Hege Riise told reporters.
"Everyone said it was an easy group,” Riise said. “We knew it wasn't because it was a tight group for us. Playing the home team in the first game and not performing well was a little bit devastating for us.
"But after that we got better step by step, and when we needed a good win, we went on to play Philippines and won 6-0. So, confidence in the team is rising," she said.
Riise is no stranger to Japan, having played club football in the country in the mid-1990s. She praised how far the Asian side has come since.
"When I played in Japan, I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said. “Fantastic country, great players and the national team back then was not as good as they are now. Now, they have developed quite fast and become a strong team."
Japan Coach Futoshi Ikeda praised the teamwork that saw them keep three clean sheets in three wins to advance.
"Each player is performing their role,” he said. “They're not only performing to their own capacity, but they are working as a unit. It's all about the collective."
Switzerland advanced with two goal-less draws after a 2-0 win in the opener, and Coach Inka Grings has stressed to her team that it needs to be more assertive in attack when they play Spain.
"We have really understood that message, and we have helped to convey that with videos," Grings said.
"Spain has very strong players ... We look at them as a compact and strong team."
