Philippines W vs Switzerland W prediction: WORLD: World Cup Women betting tips on match 2023-07-20 05:00.
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) featuring 32 teams for the very first time, there is no lack of debuting sides. The Philippines (FIFA Rank: #46) are amongst the eight nations making their maiden voyage into this competition, and they will be hoping for a dose of beginners’ luck, with only four Asian squads ever reaching the semi-finals since the inaugural 1991 WWC edition.
This is also the first time a senior-level Filipino side has featured in any FIFA international competition. They are here by virtue of their run to the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup semi-finals, which was completed via a shootout spot kick against Chinese Taipei from Sarina Bolden. Perhaps feeling more at home than most here, she is one of seven amongst the Philippine contingent to play on Oceanic soil at club level.
Some Filipinos in attendance here in Dunedin would probably take a draw after 90’ against a Switzerland side making just their second-ever appearance at the WWC after debuting with a run to the quarter-finals in 2015. The Swiss go into this matchup ranked 26 places better than their opponents in FIFA’s current rankings, but a run of eight games without a win inside 90 minutes (D6, L2) casts some doubts on their ability to get off to a winning start.
The sight of three goalless affairs in that cold streak suggest that Switzerland will not do to the Philippines as they did to Ecuador in their own WWC debut match, and thrash them 10-1. That said, La Nati were the only team in their qualification group to breach (and beat) Italy, while they never conceded more than once in any qualifier (W8, D1, L1).
Players to watch: At just 18, Isabella Flanigan is the youngest outfield player in the Philippines squad and her two prior competitive international goals have been match openers. Exactly twice Flanigan's age, Fabienne Humm knows this is her last shot at WWC glory. She scored last October’s 121st-minute extra-time winner (vs Wales) in the qualification playoffs to put Switzerland here.
Hot stat: Three of the Philippines’ four all-time losses to UEFA-region opponents have seen them fail to score.