42
10:42
Both teams are becoming increasingly entangled in hard duels and small disputes in midfield – that is not necessarily conducive to the flow of the game.
40
10:39
At the moment, however, the match is only dragging towards the half-time break. Both teams are apparently not completely dissatisfied with the intermediate result.
37
10:37
Nevertheless, it remains the same: After a hesitant start, the Scandinavians found their way into the game and took over more of the initiative.
34
10:34
Oops! An accidental cross from Nadine Riesen gets longer and longer and even hits the crossbar in the end – lucky for Norway.
33
10:33
Out of nowhere, the Swiss women sniff at the lead! Coumba Sow has a bit of time in midfield and serves Ana-Maria Crnogorčević with a fine pass. The striker then appears half-right in the sixteen and thrashes the ball from around twelve meters just over the crossbar.
30
10:30 a.m
The Northern Europeans have long had the say on the field. The Inka Grings team, on the other hand, hardly ever get to their transition situations.
28
10:28
In the meantime, pouring rain has set in in Hamilton, which of course doesn’t make the conditions on the pitch any easier.
25
10:26
The best option of the game! Frida Maanum pulls the ball softly from the right into the centre. There, Noelle Maritz is too far away from Sophie Haug, who beheads the case, but fails because of a strong reaction from Gaëlle Thalmann.
22
10:23
Vilde Bøe Risa delivers a corner kick from the right in for the Scandinavians. The Swiss are unable to clear the ball, which is why the ball remains in the six-yard box. Maren Mjelde looks surprised and shoots well over the box.
19
10:20
Tuva Hansen picks up speed on the left wing and runs behind the opposing line of defence, but hits the following cross into no man’s land.
17
10:17
Nevertheless, the Norwegians managed to gain more confidence over long passes.
15
10:15
Emilie Haavi lifts the leather from the left half field to the middle. Between the penalty spot and the edge of the penalty area, Sophie Haug climbs up to head the ball, but cannot create any danger from a long distance.
12.
10:11
As the Norwegian spokesman has just announced, Ada Hegerberg injured her groin during the final sprint of the warm-up and is therefore unable to compete.
10
10:10
The Swiss national team has gotten a boost for the moment and is now constricting the Norwegians at the back.
7.
10:09 a.m
Suddenly the first chance of the game goes to the Swiss! Seraina Piubel is not attacked in a central position and sends Coumba Sow to the right pentagon. The 28-year-old could already be looking for a degree there, but decides on the cross pass. But in the middle, both Ana-Maria Crnogorčević and Ramona Bachmann are too late.
4.
10:04
Hege Riise’s team builds up a lot of pressure in the first few minutes, pushing the opponents deep into their own half.
2.
10:01 a.m
What a drama! The Norwegians suffered their first setback just before kick-off, because Ada Hegerberg – apparently exhausted – went into the dressing room. Instead, Sophie Haug is now unscheduled in the central striker.
1.
10:00 a.m
It all starts at the Waikato Stadium – as referee, Stéphanie Frappart from France takes care of the rules!
09:39
Compared to the successful start of the World Cup, Inka Grings only changes once. Nadine Riesen takes over for Luana Bühler. At the other end, Hege Riise makes three changes, sending Vilde Bøe Risa, Amalie Eikeland and Emilie Haavi onto the pitch for Ingrid Engen, Julie Blakstad and Caroline Graham Hansen.
09:27
But the Swiss have not always presented themselves from their best side. After all, the German coach Inka Grings, who has been in charge since the end of March, had to wait eight games for her first victory before the long-awaited redemption came at the start of the World Cup. Despite the better start, the 44-year-old still sees the opponent at an advantage. “For me, Norway is still the top favorite in our group, despite the defeat against New Zealand,” explained Grings beforehand.
09:16
For the Norwegians, a trend has been confirmed with the opening defeat, because the Grasshoppene have not won in five games. Three of the last five games ended without a goal and at the start of the tournament the twelfth in the FIFA world rankings only created one big chance – an alarming result. In search of improvement, Hege Riise mainly formulated slogans to persevere. “We want to create more security in our game and thereby build something up again,” said the 54-year-old.
09:08
Quite surprisingly, the co-favorites from Norway let themselves be overwhelmed by New Zealand at the start of the tournament (0:1). Coach Hege Riise’s team now need at least one point to keep their hopes of progressing. Things have been better for Switzerland so far. Although the match between the Swiss and the Philippines was marked by enormous nervousness, in the end the team rocked a sovereign 2-0 win across the stage.
09:00
Hello and welcome to match day 2 of the World Cup preliminary round! In Group A, the Norwegians are already under pressure after their opening defeat and now meet Switzerland. Kick-off at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium is at 10 a.m.