Norway vs. Switzerland
Round Two of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup gets set to kick off tomorrow! After Colombia and South Korea officially conclude the first round of play in the early fixture, the four teams contesting Group A will round out the sixth day of the tournament with their second round of matches. Co-hosts New Zealand look to build on their fairy-tale start to the campaign with another three-point-capture against the Philippines. The European scalp claimed by the Kiwis, meanwhile, hope to avert disaster.
Hege Riise’s Scandinavians certainly have their work cut out for them as they prepare to face an upstart Swiss side that furnished some impressive performances in their tournament opener. Two nations that opted for new head-coaches following disappointing Euro campaigns last Summer prepare to do battle in what should be a very intriguing encounter at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. Norway’s Riise possesses an exceptionally talented roster of players, many of whom have been in fantastic form for their clubs.
Changes are likely.
Norway
Riise’s initial XI reserved starting slots for two domestic league players – Mathilde Harviken and Thea Bjelde – with just 16 international caps between them. The young tandem performed well in a recent friendly against Sweden and the coach opted to stick with them in the opener. More experience on the bench for both the midfield and defensive chain exists in the form of Manchester United’s Vilde Bøe Risa, Reading’s Amalie Eikeland, and Brighton’s Guro Bergsvand.
Additionally, forward Caroline Graham Hansen has had to skip a Saturday presser with a sore throat. Riise may opt for a different approach in attack. Matters often seemed confused and crowded on the top three axes during Thursday’s loss. A 4-2-3-1 may help clear the attacking lanes for Ada Hegerberg and Guro Reiten. Moving Julie Blakstad back to the full-back position can also add an additional attacking threat out of the back. A partner for Ingrid Syrstad Engen might stabilize the midfield.
Riise will obviously be keen to avoid the mistakes of her predecessor.
Hence:
Lineup—Norway—Match Two (Projected) (4-2-3-1)
Some more experience in midfield and defense to help aid work against the ball and the forward link-up play. The press, in general, tends to also be more coherent in such a constellation. Starting Haavi on a yellow entails some risk, but this is immaterial when a team is playing for their tournament lives. Moreover, Riise still has Eikeland and Karina Saevik to turn to if she requires more attackers. Young phenoms Sophie Roman Haug and Anna Jösendandal constitute solid options as well.
Switzerland
So far so good for Swiss national team trainer Inka Grings. Her opening 4-3-3 yielded quality performances from all ten outfielders. As diverse as Grings’ formations have been over this past year, tinkering doesn’t appear to be on the agenda. The unpredictability of the Norwegian manager’s next XI probably means that Grings won’t chance making changes in the interest of winning specific positional battles. The formation seems specifically built around captain Lia Wälti’s abilities. On her way back from injury, the captain should keep improving.