The head coach of the Super Falcons, Randy Waldrum, is not scared of facing the reigning European champions England in the next round of the 2023 Women’s World Cup currently ongoing in New Zealand and Australia.
Coach Randy Waldrum and his girls failed to defeat the Republic of Ireland in their last game in the group stage. The 0-0 draw forced them to finish second in Group B, a point behind co-hosts Australia.
Hence, they will face the team that will top group D and that team could be England who are currently topping the group with 6 points in two games, three points above second-placed Denmark.
Even if the European champions draw or lose to China in their last group stage game later today, August 1, they are most likely to finish top of Group D.
The Super Falcons who are striving to surpass their best achievement at the Women’s World Cup which was reaching the quarter-finals stage in 1999, now have a very big hurdle to cross in this year’s edition of the tournament.
However, coach Randy Waldrum whose team beat co-hosts Australia 3-2, drew 0-0 with Canada and drew 0-0 with the Republic of Ireland, argued that England are not different from all the teams they have faced in the group stage.
“They are going to be another great team if it’s England, the European champions, we have already played Canada the Olympic gold medallists, we have already played the host nation, it’s just going to be one of those matches that we’ve already been playing,” Randy Waldrum said.
If the Super Falcons had beaten the Republic of Ireland, they would have topped Group B with two points and probably avoided facing a strong team like England. In reaction to that possibility, the American tactician stressed how disappointed he is over Falcons’ failure to beat the Irish team but pleased that his team made it out of the group.
“I was actually disappointed in the second half because we could have won the match. It almost feels disappointing that we didn’t get the three points but all of us would have taken this result before the match which is to know we got through”, he said.
