Upsets

AUCKLAND — Pictures of Sweden fullback Jonna Andersson taking time out from celebrating her side's 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory over Japan to comfort Maika Hamano have spread quickly online as the pair's club connections became a talking point.

Hamano plays for Andersson's former club Chelsea, but the 19-year-old Japanese forward has spent the current season at the Swede's current club Hammarby in Stockholm.

The greatest story at the 2023 Women's World Cup belongs to South Africa after Banyana Banyana (The Girls), ranked 54th in the world, shocked 16th-ranked Italy, quarterfinalists back in 2019, to reach the Round of 16 for the first time ever.

South Africa entered the match having only just earned their first-ever World Cup point in a 2-2 draw with Argentina, but anything less than a victory over Italy would've condemned Banyana Banyana to group stage elimination.

BRISBANE - Nigeria advanced to the Women's World Cup knockout stages for the third time in their history after a 0-0 draw with Ireland in their final Group B match on Monday, with the African side finishing second in the group behind hosts Australia.

MELBOURNE - Hayley Raso scored a first half brace and Mary Fowler struck after the break as Australia crushed Canada 4-0 on Monday to storm into the last 16 of the Women's World Cup and send the Olympic champions spinning out of the tournament.

In front of a febrile crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Raso struck in the ninth minute with a low, right-footed shot and doubled down in the 39th from a goalmouth scramble as unused captain Sam Kerr cheered by the touchline.

BRISBANE - Nigeria produced the first major shock of the Women's World Cup as they stunned Australia 3-2 on Thursday to leave the co-hosts' tournament hopes on thin ice and home fans reeling.

Asisat Oshoala volleyed into an open goal in the 72nd minute to seal a deserved win for the Africans after Uchenna Kanu cancelled out Emily van Egmond's opener on the cusp of halftime and Osinachi Ohale nudged Nigeria ahead after the break.

SYDNEY - France's hopes of a winning start to their Women's World Cup campaign were thwarted by a hardworking Jamaican side in a 0-0 draw in the opening Group F clash at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.

The fifth-ranked French, semifinalists at last year's Euros, were unable to get their game going as the Jamaicans hassled and harried them throughout the 90 minutes to earn their first World Cup point after three losses on their 2019 debut.

It's over. The USMNT's Gold Cup, B.J. Callaghan's reign, Matt Turner's blessed existence in penalty shootouts... it's all over. The only constant that remains is Cristian Roldan's inability to put the ball in the back of the net.

Panama shocked the U.S. on Wednesday night in front of over 30,000 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego by triumphing 5-4 in a shootout, this after 120 minutes produced a 1-1 stalemate.

One of the best subplots to follow throughout the course of a Concacaf Gold Cup is the evolving power rankings of the nations looking to end the United States and Mexico's hegemony of the region. 

And with the USMNT sending a B Team under the direction of an interim manager and El Tri in disarray with their own interim boss, this summer looked as good a time as any for the likes of Canada and Jamaica to strive for glory.