Japan were beaten 2-1 by Spain while Australia were handed a 3-0 defeat by Germany on Thursday with both teams also keen to improve not only the result but also their performances.
Group B: Australia v Zambia
After the success of reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 was followed by consistent performances since, hopes were high for the Matildas to start strongly against Germany but it wasn’t to be.
With head coach Tony Gustavsson admitting his side were surprised by the tactics employed by Germany, the Swede will be preparing harder for Zambia, who lost 3-0 to the United States.
Against Germany, Gustavsson pushed midfielder Cortnee Vine further up the pitch to pair with Mary Fowler but after a subdued performance, could turn to Michelle Heyman or Sharn Freier in order to boost their attack.
Australia v Zambia
Venue: Nice Stadium, Nice
Kick-off: Sunday, 19:00 (UTC+2)
Group C: Brazil v Japan
Even though it was only a slim defeat suffered at the hands of Spain, Japan knew they were second-best in the match which saw the reigning world champions dominate with 69% of the ball possession.
The task will not be any easier with Brazil being their next opponents, with the South Americans picking up a 1-0 win over Nigeria on Thursday.
In the recent meeting between the two teams in the SheBelieves Cup in April, it ended 1-1 with Mina Tanaka scoring for Japan before Cristiane equalised for Brazil.
Futoshi Ikeda will have plenty to contemplate ahead of this encounter and the 53-year-old will also need to consider the replacement for right wing-back Risa Shimizu who picked up a knee injury in the Spain game.
Brazil v Japan
Venue: Parc des Princes Stadium, Paris
Kick-off: Sunday, 17:00 (UTC+2)
