Teams: New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Philippines
After some defensive breakdowns in last summer’s European Championship, Norway will be out to prove themselves on the world stage with a new coach, while New Zealand, with a history of coming into world tournaments with a defensive gameplan, have set expectations that they’re ready to attack and earn their first World Cup win on home soil. The teams will open the tournament on July 20th in Auckland, and as far as we can see, it’s anyone’s game.
A win over Wales securing their place following the European playoffs sees Switzerland come in to their second-ever Women’s World Cup, having made their debut in 2015 and missed out in 2019. Switzerland will face World Cup debutantes the Philippines in their first match of the tournament.
The Philippines qualified for the World Cup by defeating Chinese Taipei in penalties in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup quarterfinal, and in a tournament where anything can happen, a team with confidence and experience in such high-pressure situations is always one to be wary of.
Players to Watch:
Michaela Foster has earned her place at left back, first joining the Football Ferns in February of this year. Keep an eye on New Zealand’s lineups, as Foster could very well shape up to be a defensive steal at $250,000. While New Zealand has struggled to maintain clean sheets as of late, the return of Ria Percival will bring some stability to their backline. Percival’s veteran experience is sure to benefit the younger and fresher talent joining the Ferns, such as 24-year-old Foster. Despite the lack of clean sheets, being a corner kick specialist would likely produce fantasy points in Foster’s favor, increasing her chance at assists and chance creation.
Goals will be expected from the likes of Norway’s Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen, but their $1,000,000 price tags may turn you away. In that case, look to Guro Reiten ($900,000) and Frida Leonhardsen Maanum ($700,000) who both have a knack for assists and chance creation. Both midfielders were fantasy points powerhouses in the WSL this past season (totaling 241 and 240 points respectively, placing them sixth and seventh overall on the season), and both are more than capable of finding the back of the net themselves when the opportunity presents itself, having scored 9 goals each. Maanum outpaced Reiten in points earned for offensive and defensive actions in the past year, while Reiten proved efficient in assisting prowess. The difference in this World Cup will likely be the result of how the two are utilized by Head Coach Hege Riise.
Forwards Ramona Bachmann ($450,000) and Fabienne Humm ($300,000) both scored 3 goals each during the 2015 World Cup. With no doubt that both hope to do it again and help Switzerland advance to the Round of 16 a second time, when it comes to fantasy productivity I give the edge to Bachmann. For earning potential, we want to consider defensive efforts from our forwards, and Bachmann’s tackle success rate shouldn’t be overlooked.
Forward Sarina Bolden plays club for the Western Sydney Wanderers, is in a constant battle for top all-time leading goal scorer for her country with midfielder Quinley Quezada, and at $350,000 isn’t a bad shout as a lower-priced option to back up your premium players. Bolden scored the opening goal in the Philippines’ 2-1 loss to New Zealand in September 2022, and will be eager to get another past the hosts.