Six teams were fit to be tied in Tuesday’s trio of first-round matches of the Women’s World Cup.
That may have felt a little like kissing your brother to some of them, especially Team USA after its 2-2 draw with North Korea in a pulsating, entertaining match.
For the sisterhood of women’s soccer, though, there is every reason to feel passionate about the results. It means all the teams that tied are fit to be in a world championship.
Parity is the best thing that could happen to the sport, especially after Germany’s embarrassing 11-0 win over Argentina in the tourney opener.
“This is not good,” international soccer federation president Sepp Blatter said of by far the worst rout in tournament history, “(especially) when we look forward to the future to perhaps have 24 teams.”
There were 12 teams in the first two women’s world championships and 16 in the next three, including this one. Of the 16, only five have been consistently competitive: the United States, Germany, China, Norway and Sweden.
North Korea, a 3-0 loser to the United States in the last two World Cups, clearly was the better team Tuesday.
Nigeria, winless and scoreless in the last World Cup, may have been outplayed by Sweden for much of Tuesday’s match, but the African women rallied for a 1-1 tie.
England, whose women are treated like second-hand football citizens in a country mad for the sport, rallied from a goal down, only to be tied 2-2 by Japan with seconds left in extra time.
The upset ties by Nigeria, ranked 24th in the world, and North Korea (5), mean the United States suddenly finds itself in a heap of potential trouble in Group B.
The U.S. entered the match with an 11-0-1 record in World Cup group play. The only other tie was also in an opener — at the 1995 tourney, where the U.S. wound up third.
“A draw seems like a fair result,” U.S. coach Greg Ryan said Tuesday.
Unless his midfield, missing in action against North Korea, reappears for Friday’s match against No. 3 Sweden, parity might be the best the top-ranked United States can hope for.
A loss, and the United States might as well kiss off the tournament.
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phersh@tribune.com
