2023 Women’s World Cup Cup, Semi-finals Day 1: Match thread and discussion

The World Cup semi-finals are upon us and presents a matchup of Sweden and Spain. The Swedes have been one of the strongest teams in the tournament having won their group with three victories, getting through the Round of 16 by a hair or less against the USA, and largely controlling their quarter final matchup against Japan by winning 2-1. They have allowed just two goals the whole World Cup and seem to be growing into the tournament nicely.

Spain has had a rockier path to the semis with a second place finish in their group, including a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Japan. That said, they’ve also scored 14 goals in the five games they’ve played including trouncing Costa Rica, Zambia, and Switzerland. In the quarter final round, La Roja met the Netherlands and came away with a 2-1 win in extra time.

The match brings together two sides with somewhat different styles. Sweden can seemingly do it all but a solid defensive foundation underlies their approach while Spain very clearly wants to attack and score as much as possible.

How to watch

Spain vs. Sweden

Location: Eden Park, Auckland

Kick-off time: 4:00am Eastern, 1:00am Pacific

Available TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish), Universo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports (App/Website), Peacock (App/Website), Telemundo (App/Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.