The match
At the start of the tournament, New Zealand may have been targeting this match for a historic first win at a FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Instead, they head to their capital aiming for more history – a win would see them take a huge stride towards securing maiden spot in the round of 16.
The Philippines, meanwhile, started their Australia & New Zealand 2023 campaign with creditable performance but a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Switzerland. For the Filipinas, a strong defensive display could be key to earning the team its first World Cup point. It would also add extra pressure to the tournament co-hosts in their quest to advance out of Group A.
Team news
New Zealand coach Jitka Klimkova will be relieved to have no new additional injury issues to be concerned about after a reasonably physical first outing. The side is expected to be at full strength, with the Philippines also set to have a full contingent to choose from.
Players to watch
CJ Bott The right-back produced a commanding and committed defensive display in the Football Ferns’ superb win over Norway. Bott’s combination with Rebekah Stott and the other New Zealand defenders snuffed out and frustrated the former champions at Eden Park. Bott’s speed will also be important against a Philippines team who are expected to play a high-tempo style similar to Vietnam, a side the Football Ferns defeated 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up in Napier. Bott has fond memories of that game, scoring a long-range goal to open the scoring.
Olivia McDaniel The shot-stopper was very impressive in the Philippines’ opening game, making a host of saves to keep her team well in the game against a talented Swiss side. The 25-year-old has a cool head on her shoulders and is already emerging as a strong leader for the Filipinas.
Facts and figures
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Hannah Wilkinson became the first Football Fern to score in three FIFA Women’s World Cups. She also scored in the 2011 and 2015 editions.
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At 31 years and 53 days, Wilkinson also became the oldest goalscorer for New Zealand.
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Philippines midfielder Jaclyn Sawicki (12.03km) ran for the longest distance in their opening match against Switzerland.
Quotes
“We enjoyed the moment [after beating Norway], and I think it was right for us to do that, but the focus moves on the next morning. One thing’s for sure: we won’t underestimate the Philippines. They’re a good team with a good coach and I have no doubts they’ll be really organised and tough to play against.” Rebekah Stott, New Zealand defender “I think we’ve shown that we’re competitive. That’s the main thing. We played New Zealand last year in a friendly and they won 2-1. So, we know that they’re a strong team as well and they’ve shown that against Norway. We know if we can improve a little bit, we can be competitive in that game.” Alen Stajcic, Philippines coach
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