New Zealand, the World Cup’s co-host, has an opportunity to take one other huge step ahead on Tuesday.

Days after it earned the primary World Cup victory within the staff’s historical past, New Zealand is aware of a win over the Philippines in Wellington would successfully guarantee that the Football Ferns, because the staff is understood, will attain the knockout rounds for the primary time.

In Tuesday’s different video games, Colombia and South Korea will grow to be the final of the 32 groups to take the sphere, and Norway — overwhelmed by New Zealand in its opener — will attempt to proper itself in opposition to Switzerland.

Colombia vs. South Korea

Colombia is coming off a powerful efficiency within the Copa América Championship, the place it beat Argentina within the semifinals and fell to Brazil within the closing, 1-0. Those outcomes counsel a readiness to contend on the world stage.

But that competitiveness might have gone too far in a latest exhibition in opposition to Ireland: That match was called off after 20 minutes for what the Irish labeled “overly physical” play from the Colombians. Colombia rejected that characterization and defended its model; it mentioned the Irish merely “preferred not to continue playing.”

Colombia will face South Korea, the runner-up to China within the 2022 Asian Cup, on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia, (10 p.m. Monday Eastern time). The South Koreans have made it to the knockout levels as soon as in three earlier World Cup appearances, in 2015. Four years in the past, the Koreans misplaced all three of their video games.

New Zealand vs. Philippines

New Zealand’s gamers shocked many individuals — together with themselves — by upsetting Norway, 1-0, within the opening match of the World Cup.

Now, the Ferns discover themselves in new territory: in a good place for a path past the group stage, a checkpoint not reached in 5 earlier journeys to the match.

The greatest impediment to advancing, in actual fact, could also be behind them. Norway entered the match twelfth in FIFA rankings, whereas the Philippines is forty sixth. New Zealand is twenty sixth, however now driving a wave of so-called Fern Fever, and looking out ahead to a different evening in entrance of a pleasant crowd.

The Philippines misplaced, 2-0, to Switzerland in its World Cup debut. Its staff attracts closely from the United States — 18 gamers on the squad’s 23-women roster, in actual fact, have been born in America — and makes no excuses about that.

“I don’t really care where they’re born,” the staff’s Australian coach, Alen Stajcic, mentioned. “If they have Philippines in their heart and in their blood, and they’re good at football, then they’re eligible for our team.

“They all play for their flag, they all play for their country, they all play for the people in the Philippines, wherever they reside.”

Switzerland vs. Norway

Norway is trying to bounce again from its opening loss and doubtless wants a win in opposition to Switzerland, after which one other in opposition to the Philippines, to make sure it goes by to the knockouts.

The Norwegians are led by Ada Hegerberg, the 28-year-old striker — and former world participant of the yr — who sat out the 2019 World Cup in protest of her federation’s treatment of women’s soccer. Hegerberg, among the best gamers within the recreation, was absent from the nationwide staff for 5 years earlier than returning for the European Championship final summer season. But she was surprisingly ineffective in opposition to New Zealand, and that gained’t do in opposition to the Swiss.

Switzerland dominated the Philippines of their opener, outshooting their opponents by 17-3. They are unlikely to have the identical benefit over the Norwegians. Ramona Bachmann, who performs her membership soccer for Paris St.-Germain, was the standout participant in her staff’s opening win. She will want an identical efficiency right this moment to maintain Switzerland shifting ahead.