Kuala Lumpur: The curtains came down on the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 on Sunday after the tournament saw a record overall attendance of more than 1.9 million in the stands and Spain crowned the new world champions on the pitch after beating England in the final.
The tournament was also a landmark event for Asian football as co-hosts Australia won hearts as they battled their way into the semi-finals while former world champions Japan inflicted a stunning 4-0 defeat on eventual winners Spain and both the Philippines and Vietnam debuted.
With the dust now settled on the ninth edition of the tournament, the-AFC.com takes a look at the players that stood out from each of the record six nations that represented Asia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
Japan: Hinata Miyazawa
Hinata Miyazawa took her debut World Cup by storm and won the Golden Boot with five strikes, joining as the third member of an elite club of Asians who have bagged the honour alongside compatriot Homare Sawa who did it during the Nadeshiko’s victorious 2011 campaign and China PR legend Sun Wen in 1999.
The attacking midfielder, who plays for Mynavi Sendai in Japan’s WE League, made her international debut in 2018 as an 18-year-old, but it was only last year that she became a key player under Futoshi Ikeda, who also coached her during the country’s triumphant 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign in France.
With an abundance of pace and a composed finisher, the 23-year-old kicked off the World Cup with two goals against Zambia and then added two more against Spain in a memorable 4-0 win over the eventual champions. She then netted and forced an own goal in the 3-1 win over Norway in the last 16 to bow out as the top scorer.
Australia: Mary Fowler
With Australian icon and captain Sam Kerr missing the early parts of the tournament with an injury, the Matildas needed someone to rise up to the occasion and deliver for them at their home World Cup. And fortunately for the them, among many others, they had Manchester City forward Mary Fowler in their ranks.
Making the Matildas squad for the second World Cup running but still only 20 years of age, Fowler netted her first-ever World Cup goal in the 4-0 must-win game against Canada as Australia advanced, before a standout performance against Denmark in the last 16 when her defence-splitting pass to Caitlin Foord led to Australia’s opener to send them on the way to a 2-0 victory.
The youngster was also one of Australia’s star players in the quarter-final against France and calmly slotted her penalty past French shot-stopper Solene Durand in the shootout victory that sent the Matildas to the World Cup semi-final for the first time. For Fowler and Australia, the only way from here is forward.
Vietnam: Tran Thi Kim Thanh
Tran Thi Kim Thanh take a bow!! 🧤
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 22, 2023
The #VIE keeper has had a sensational first half and now saves an Alex Morgan penalty on the stroke of half-time! 👏#BeyondGreatness | #FIFAWWC
It is not every day that you save a penalty from Alex Morgan, one of the best in the business. Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh has that bragging right – and it came in her country’s World Cup debut in front of more than 41,000 fans in Auckland against the United States who were considered one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Thi Kim Thanh only conceded thrice against the two-time defending champions in Vietnam’s first-ever World Cup game despite the US having 17 shots on target. The 29-year-old also was at the top of her game between the sticks as Vietnam suffered a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in their second outing in Hamilton.
The Ho Chi Minh City FC custodian wrapped up a memorable World Cup campaign for her and her country with an incredible 16 saves from just three matches. For context, that is the same amount of saves England goalkeeper and Golden Glove winner Mary Earps made in seven outings as the Lionesses finished as the runners-up.
Philippines: Sarina Bolden
Sarina Bolden was the Philippines’ biggest goal threat heading into their maiden World Cup campaign. So there was little surprise that when the Filipinas scored their first-ever World Cup goal, it was the name of the 27-year-old US-born striker that showed up on the big screen at Wellington Regional Stadium.
Bolden, who plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia, rose between defenders CJ Bott and Rebekah Stott to head a cross from Sara Eggesvik past goalkeeper Victoria Esson to score the only goal of the game and give Alen Stajcic’s side a historic 1-0 victory against co-hosts New Zealand.
Scorer of the penalty that took the Philippines to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup semi-finals and booked their place in the World Cup, Bolden had also scored six times to help the country become the Southeast Asian champions last year. There is no doubt she will be hungry for more success with the Philippines in the years to come.
Korea Republic: Casey Phair
When she stepped onto the field in the 78th minute of Korea Republic’s group stage opener against Colombia in front of almost 25,000 fans in Sydney, Casey Phair wrote her name into the history books by becoming the youngest-ever player – man or woman – to appear at the World Cup, aged 16 years and 26 days.
Born to an American father and Korean mother, she is also the country’s first mixed-race player. Phair came on as a late substitute in her first two World Cup matches before starting against two-time champions Germany and was only denied a goal by goalkeeper Merle Frohms, who palmed her shot onto the post just three minutes in.
With several players of the national team including captain Kim Hye-ri, Ji So-yun and Park Eun-sun in the twilight of their careers, the 2023 World Cup was enough proof that the Taeguk Ladies will be pinning their hopes on teenager Phair to be their key player as they look to build their squad around her for the coming years.
China PR: Wang Shuang
With well over 100 international caps, the experience of playing around the globe and an AFC Women’s Footballer of the Year gong in her cabinet, Wang Shuang is one of the greatest players to come out of China PR. She solidified her legacy further last year when she guided China to their first AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ title in 16 years.
However, it took Wang until her third World Cup to score a goal in the tournament. That strike came from the penalty spot, which she herself helped win with a great pass to Zhang Linyan, in the 74th minute against Haiti as she led her country to their only win at the 2023 edition after coming on as a half-time substitute.
She also made no mistake from the spot in her only start of the tournament in the next game against England, but the Steel Roses fell to a 6-1 defeat and failed to reach the knockout stages for the first time in all their participations at the World Cup. However, it was still a campaign in which one of Asia’s greats finally got on the scoresheet at the global stage.
