World Cup NOW: Did Switzerland deserve penalty kick vs. Philippines?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup continued Thursday with Switzerland shutting out the Philippines, 2-0, at Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand.

The first goal of the night came from Ramona Bachmann, who converted a penalty kick in the 45th minute to put La Nati ahead 1-0 just before the break. Then, in the second half, midfielder Seraina Piubel clinched the match with a goal at the 64-minute mark.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the start that the Filipinas, which made their World Cup debut Thursday, were aiming for.

The “World Cup NOW” crew — Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne and Melissa Ortiz — was joined by former Australia captain Kathryn Gill and Ariane Hingst, a two-time World Cup champion with Germany, and together they discussed whether they believed the Swiss lucked out with the initial penalty call, which was confirmed after a VAR review.

Conrad: “I don’t know if it was going to change the end result. I think Switzerland would’ve created enough chances to win that game.”

Osborne: “I agree (with the call). That’s the beauty of VAR.”

Ortiz: “I do not think it was a penalty kick. … Philippines — they looked obviously complacent, couldn’t really string passes across. Switzerland had almost 75% possession in this match. Switzerland also had 16 shots in comparison to [the] Philippines’ three shots. Switzerland dominated this entire matchup. … I think there’s a clear difference between playing a replay in slow motion and then actually living it in real life. Real life, I think the timing … looked a little more aggressive.”

Gill: “I think it’s the context (this wasn’t a goal-scoring threat) that needs to be taken into consideration. She’s running away from goal effectively, and the result of that is so much greater than if it’s happened anywhere else on the field. The consequences are far more dire, but … as soon as she made contact, it’s gonna be a penalty any day of the week.”

Hingst: “In all fairness, she got a hit. It’s just painful for me … because she was tackling already. She’s on the ground; she’s not still standing, and the Philippine didn’t take her down. … It’s a fair call. That’s the rule, but it’s a tough one.”

Check out the full Women’s World Cup schedule and how to watch each match live here. Find the latest scores here.

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