WELLINGTON, New Zealand – The two places in the round-of-16 for Group A in the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup remain up for grabs and will be determined in the final day of the group stage on Sunday.
Switzerland and Norway ended in a scoreless draw on Tuesday night, setting the stage for a four-team fight for the two round-of-16 spots in Group A that includes the Philippines and co-host New Zealand.
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Switzerland needed the win in order to claim the round-of-16 berth outright following its 2-0 win over the Philippines last Thursday.
The Filipinas, on the other hand, remained very much in contention to advance after stunning host New Zealand, 1-0, earlier in the day here.
Switzerland leads the Group A table with four points, followed by New Zealand and the Philippines with three points, but the Football Ferns occupy the second position due to a superior goal difference of 0 compared to the Filipinas’ -1.
Norway, the highest-ranked squad in the group at No. 12, brings up the rear with a point, but is definitely not yet out of contention for a place in the Final 16.
Norway will play the Philippines on Sunday, 7 p.m. (4 p.m. Manila time) at Eden Park in Auckland, with Switzerland taking on New Zealand at the same time at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, the result will determine which teams will progress.
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