On Tuesday, the Norwegian national women’s football team did not lose its second World Cup match against Switzerland, but neither did it triumph. Now, Norway must win Sunday’s match against the Philippines in order to advance.
The Norwegians have had a disappointing World Cup thus far. They lost their opening game in Auckland to the host country, New Zealand, which the Philippines later defeated. With so much at stake, Sunday’s match will not be simple for the Norwegian women either.
Caroline Graham Hansen is enraged that she was benched for the first 56 minutes of the match, and Ada Hegerberg departed the field with a groin injury just prior to the match’s start. Hegerberg reported to Viaplay that there had been an abnormal “acceleration” of pain: “I didn’t want to take any bigger risks with it.”
Despite bruised egos and sore muscles, head coach Hege Riise claimed the team had “more energy” and “more precision” than in the match against New Zealand. She acknowledged the lack of scoring but observed that “hope lives on” despite Norway’s current position at the bottom of its qualifying group with one point.
