
<p>The USA is, yet again, into the U20 World Cup quarterfinal. The Americans got there via a comfortable 4-0 win over New Zealand on Tuesday. This was the best performance for the young American side, usurping that title from a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-dominates-fiji-in-u20-world-cup-group-stage-win-20230523-WST-434305.html">3-0 win over Fiji</a> in group-stage play. Tuesday’s win maintained a perfect defensive record, as well. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/late-gomez-goal-gives-u-s-win-in-u20-world-cup-opener-20230520-WST-433961.html">Ecuador failed to score in the opener</a>, and Slovakia could not find a breakthrough on matchday three.</p>



<p>The United States was, perhaps, surprised to score the first goal. Given its success in the U20 World Cup thus far, scoring has been no issue. Six goals in three games is a strong return. However, the 14th-minute opener against New Zealand was one of the more unexpected. After picking up the ball 25 yards from goal, Owen Wolff, a midfielder for Austin FC, released a shot on net. </p>



<p>It took the ball a full second to reach the New Zealand net as it rolled along the ground. While the All Whites’ goalkeeper Kees Sims looked likely to save, he retracted his hands thinking it was going wide. However, it slid inside the keeper’s righthand post, giving the USYNT a lead.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THERE IT IS! <br><br>It&apos;s an ambitious effort from <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustinFC</a>&apos;s Owen Wolff that opens the scoring for the <a href="https://twitter.com/USYNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USYNT</a> 👏 <a href="https://t.co/ejW0ly7eet">pic.twitter.com/ejW0ly7eet</a></p>— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1663603908735021063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>That goal began a period of dominance for the United States. One of those chances was a deflection off the crossbar. </p>



<p>In total, by the end of the first 45 minutes, Michael Varas’s American outfit had three-fourths of the possession. That led to a spell of phenomenal chances at the end of the first half. Diego Luna made a terrific run through the midfield that produced a corner. On the following scramble, Daniel Edelman forced a strong save out of Sims on a volley from distance. The final chance was on a clipped cross from the right side. However, the American shot in the goal-mouth went wide.</p>



<h2>USA into another U20 World Cup quarterfinal with second-half display</h2>



<p>The United States continued that unfortunate trend just minutes into the second half. More well-worked play in the New Zealand end almost set up a goal. Caleb Wiley was in behind the defense, and he passed the ball into the middle for Jonathan Gómez. However, Gómez, who is in the Real Sociedad system, <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1663617692958437379" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">touched his shot wide</a> of the gaping goal.</p>



<p>The United States finally cashed in via the only player with multiple goals in the side at this tournament. Cade Cowell, who entered the game with goals in back-to-back games, fired a left-footed shot on the floor from inside the box. He dragged it across a helpless Sims. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HE&apos;S CLINICAL 🇺🇸<a href="https://twitter.com/SJEarthquakes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SJEarthquakes</a>&apos; Cade Cowell tucks it away for the <a href="https://twitter.com/USYNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USYNT</a> and doubles the United States&apos; lead! <a href="https://t.co/x6I54WrS6K">pic.twitter.com/x6I54WrS6K</a></p>— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1663620639331106818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Justin Che made it three not long after. Another strong run through the midfield from Diego Luna led to an odd-man rush for the United States. Cade Cowell, one on one with Sims, went wide. With his angle to goal shut, the San Jose Earthquakes talent squared the ball. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1663624497293828103" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Che was the one to pounce on the loose ball</a>, slamming it into the New Zealand net with 15 minutes left in the 90. Rokas Pukštas&nbsp;made it four six minutes later. A free kick swooping in from the left side met the 18-year-old’s head, who simply had to get it on target.</p>



<p>The win punches the USYNT into the quarterfinals of the U20 World Cup for the fourth-straight year. In each instance, though, the United States lost in the last eight. The Americans will play the winner of Thursday’s game between Uruguay and Gambia. </p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire</em></p>


The USA is, yet again, into the U20 World Cup quarterfinal. The Americans got there via a comfortable 4-0 win over New Zealand on Tuesday.

USA wins to reach fourth-straight U20 World Cup quarterfinal


<p> The 2023 Women’s World Cup could be the biggest edition of the tournament in history, with an increasing number of tickets sold. Even though the tournament kicks off in over three months, the tickets sold for the game are rapidly approaching record figures. </p>



<p>Right now, the ticket count for the tournament is at 650,000, according to <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12855064/womens-world-cup-in-australia-and-new-zealand-on-course-to-sell-record-1-5m-tickets-with-100-days-to-go" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Sports</a>. However, this does not include the last phase of ticket sales, which only just started. The <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/sales-phases-fwwc23-en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous two phases</a> had differing time scales. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/09/29/2023-womens-world-cup-tickets-go-on-sale-from-october-6th/">Phase one</a> was only around a week both for presale and general sales. Phase two ran from November through March for the general sale. Now, patrons to the tournament can begin purchasing tickets to the Women’s World Cup through the end of the tournament.</p>



<p>Demand for tickets to the 2023 Women’s World Cup is unprecedented. For example, the opening match of the tournament <a href="https://justwomenssports.com/reads/fifa-world-cup-australia-stadium-ticket-demand-opening-match/#:~:text=The%20opening%20match%20of%20the,tournament%20in%20their%20home%20country." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moved to a bigger venue</a>. Originally, Sydney Football Stadium with a capacity of 45,500 had hosting honors. Now, Stadium Australia’s 83,500-seat stadium is hosting the opener between Australia and Ireland. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWWC</a> kicks off in just 100 days!<br><br>Tickets are on sale today at 12pm (AEST)/ 2pm (NZST)/ 4am (CEST) ⏰🎟️</p>— FIFA Women&apos;s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWWC/status/1645547513934405634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>Growing tickets at the Women’s World Cup</h2>



<p>At France 2019, the total tournament attendance was 1,131,762. However, there are some key differences between that competition and this one. For one, interest in women’s soccer continues to climb across the world. The 2019 Women’s World Cup brought in <a href="https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/france2019/news/fifa-women-s-world-cup-2019tm-watched-by-more-than-1-billion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1.12 billion viewers</a> across the span of the competition. This more than doubled the number of viewers of the 2015 edition. In the United States, almost 16 million people watched the Women’s World Cup Final alone.</p>



<p>Also, the 2023 Women’s World Cup is special in the sense that there is a record number of teams. That 2019 edition only had 24 teams. This year’s tournament bumps that up to 32. Consequently, eight teams are making their Women’s World Cup debuts.</p>



<p>Surely, the rise in ticket requests is due in part to these new teams making their debut at the tournament. After all, the Philippines and Vietnam are making their Women’s World Cup debuts, and they are not far from the host countries of Australia and New Zealand. Therefore, those countries may be in on the market for tickets.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Xinhua</em></p>



<div style="background:#ffcc66;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to World Cup 2023</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in women&apos;s soccer!
</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/"><strong>Schedule:</strong></a> All the info on <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-watch-the-womens-world-cup-on-us-tv/"><strong>TV Coverage:</strong></a> <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-watch-the-womens-world-cup-on-us-tv/">How to watch</a> the games on TV
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-womens-world-cup-commentators-for-wwc-2023-20230609-WST-436709.html"><strong>Commentators:</strong></a> Find out more about the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-womens-world-cup-commentators-for-wwc-2023-20230609-WST-436709.html">studio talent and announcers</a>
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-bracket-free-download/"><strong>World Cup Bracket:</strong></a> Map out the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-bracket-free-download/">entire tournament</a>, from the groups to the final
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/womens-world-cup/"><strong>World Cup News:</strong></a> Latest news and info for<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/womens-world-cup/"> Australia &amp; New Zealand 2023</a>
</div>
</div>


Tickets to the 2023 Women's World Cup continue to grow. By the end of the competition, there could be a record number of ticket sales.

Women's World Cup could break 1.5 million tickets sold


<p>A deal between FIFA and Saudi Arabia could end due to vehement opposition from Australia and New Zealand. The two nations are hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup in the summer. Part of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/saudi-arabia-to-sponsor-womens-world-cup-raises-questions-20230130-WST-417654.html">sponsorship for that tournament</a> was from Visit Saudi, even though Saudi Arabia has no part in the tournament. </p>



<p>Saudi Arabia has a notorious record against women, both in sport and outside of it. Women only earned the right to attend soccer matches in 2018. Saudi Arabia then hosted a four-team friendly involving women’s teams to get an official FIFA ranking.</p>



<p>According to the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/fifa-poised-to-scrap-visit-saudi-sponsorship-for-women-s-world-cup-20230305-p5cpjk.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sydney Morning Herald</a></em>, a number of critics could see FIFA reshape its agreement with Visit Saudi. For instance, the football federations for Australia and New Zealand both demanded clarification on what FIFA’s deal with Saudi Arabia means. Then, some of the name’s most recognizable faces in the women’s game criticized the plan. USWNT stars <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/morally-it-doesn-t-make-sense-us-star-alex-morgan-slams-fifa-s-saudi-sponsorship-20230209-p5cjai.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe</a> called the sponsorship ‘bizarre’ and totally outrageous. Also, Dutch international Vivianne Miedema said FIFA should feel ‘deeply ashamed’ for allowing this to happen.</p>



<p>Now, FIFA could, at the least, be looking to reform how its deal may happen. That includes looking into targeting a different aspect of Saudi Arabia to advertise for. Or, it may face the consequences of the current sponsorship deal.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will FIFA scrap its Visit Saudi sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup 2023? <br><br>FSA: "The only reason the deal can’t be described as a total embarrassment to FIFA is that they are an organisation which is beyond embarrassment."<br><br>A thread on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWWC2023</a> &amp; sponsorship… <a href="https://t.co/CWHFXSb8gO">pic.twitter.com/CWHFXSb8gO</a></p>— The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreTheFSA/status/1632750525417390081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>FIFA deal with Saudi Arabia after Australia, New Zealand opposition</h2>



<p>The first change the report takes into account is that FIFA may take the sponsorship away from Visit Saudi. Instead, it could promote something else in Saudi Arabia. This is because both Australia and New Zealand would use the tournament as a way to promote their tourism. Having a competing sponsor could take away from some of the effectiveness of hosting.</p>



<p>The report also listed out the potential ramifications of the Visit Saudi deal. FIFA runs the risk of protests at the tournament. After all, there is opposition from both the hosts and players at the tournament. Call back to the 2022 World Cup. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/england-and-wales-to-defy-fifa-and-wear-onelove-armbands-20221119-WST-409028.html">Players from eight countries</a> were going to wear the OneLove rainbow captain’s armbands. However, FIFA banned these just before the competition, telling players that anyone donning the armband would earn a yellow card. </p>



<p>The protests surrounding Visit Saudi could be just as vocal, if not more so, given the host of the tournament is already uncomfortable with this sponsorship.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Cover-Images</em></p>


Australia and New Zealand, the hosts for the 2023 World Cup, expressed opposition to World Cup sponsorship deal between FIFA and Visit Saudi.

Australia, New Zealand tell FIFA to reject Saudi World Cup deal


<p>The FIFA Women’s World Cup is now just six months away, and fans finally know the official match ball.</p>



<p>Nicknamed “OCEAUNZ,” it is the ninth successive ball produced by Adidas. However, it maintains some of the same technology from <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/world-cup-official-ball-qatar-2022-20220330-CMS-377637.html">previous balls</a> at the men’s and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/">Women’s World Cups</a>. For example, a CTR core allows for consistency, while the Speedshell improved aerodynamics. Then, the connected ball technology from a suspended sensor in the ball provides all the stats fans crave.</p>



<p>The ball arrived in Sydney today, the location of the final. However, rather than going to Syndney Stadium, the location of the Final, it wound up on Bondi Beach. It is, after all, still summer down under.</p>



<p>In terms of the aesthetics, the ball takes inspiration from the mountains of New Zealand and the waters of Australia. It featured designs by Aboriginal artist Chern’ee Sutton and Māori  artist Fiona Collis. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All eyes on OCEAUNZ 🌊<br><br>Inspired by the nature of Australia and New Zealand, your official <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWWC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWWC</a> match ball.<br><br>Available now in stores and online at <a href="https://t.co/wIHO15UkRf">https://t.co/wIHO15UkRf</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWWC</a> 🇦🇺🇳🇿 <a href="https://t.co/jyCkYdhud8">pic.twitter.com/jyCkYdhud8</a></p>— adidas UK (@adidasUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/adidasUK/status/1617813205216071682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura wanted the ball to embrace the inclusivity that FIFA aims for. </p>



<p>“adidas has created an iconic Official Match Ball for the FIFA Women’s World Cup that reflects diversity, inclusivity and togetherness, fitting themes for the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by two different countries from different confederations,” Samoura wrote. “This edition of the tournament will be extremely special and the rich cultures of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, as evoked on OCEAUNZ, are certain to take the experience of visiting fans and teams #BeyondGreatness.”</p>



<p>The name of the ball, OCEAUNZ, is part of that inclusivity. It represents Australia (AU) and New Zealand (NZ) coming together. </p>



<h5>Women’s World Cup ball for Australia and New Zealand</h5>



<p>This is the first Women’s World Cup to take place in the southern hemisphere. It is also the first to include the same number of teams as the men’s competition, 32. Therefore,  it is a time of change for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-soccer-tv-schedule/">women’s soccer</a> and the Women’s World Cup.</p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/what-times-are-the-womens-world-cup-games-played-20230118-WST-413603.html">The competition kicks off</a> on July 20 when New Zealand battles 1995 Women’s World Cup champions Norway. Australia is in action against Ireland later that day. Coverage in the United States is available through FOX Sports.</p>



<div style="background:#ffcc66;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to World Cup 2023</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in women&apos;s soccer!
</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/"><strong>Schedule:</strong></a> All the info on <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-watch-the-womens-world-cup-on-us-tv/"><strong>TV Coverage:</strong></a> <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-watch-the-womens-world-cup-on-us-tv/">How to watch</a> the games on TV
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-womens-world-cup-commentators-for-wwc-2023-20230609-WST-436709.html"><strong>Commentators:</strong></a> Find out more about the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-womens-world-cup-commentators-for-wwc-2023-20230609-WST-436709.html">studio talent and announcers</a>
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-bracket-free-download/"><strong>World Cup Bracket:</strong></a> Map out the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-bracket-free-download/">entire tournament</a>, from the groups to the final
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/womens-world-cup/"><strong>World Cup News:</strong></a> Latest news and info for<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/womens-world-cup/"> Australia &amp; New Zealand 2023</a>
</div>
</div>


FIFA and Adidas unveiled the official ball for the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand set for later this year.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "New Zealand"

U-20 World Cup

USA wins to reach fourth-straight U20 World Cup quarterfinal

USWNT

Women's World Cup could break 1.5 million tickets sold

Australia

Australia, New Zealand tell FIFA to reject Saudi World Cup deal

Women's Soccer

Official match ball for the Women's World Cup unveiled