Women’s World Cup Briefing: A Win With Downside

Plus: Australian TV Deal Has World Cup Viewers Asking: Where Are the Games?

ADVERTISEMENT July 28, 2023, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time Keira Walsh could be a huge loss for England.Franck Fife/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By Andrew Das Keira Walsh knew right away. England's doctors will do the scans and the tests and maybe, just maybe, it won't be as bad as it looked. But as Walsh sat on the grass in Sydney holding her right knee, she already had her own diagnosis. "I've done my knee," she told the trainers. England can only hope she's got it wrong. As Rory Smith of The Times wrote before the tournament began, knee injuries have stalked this World Cup like a virus, crippling one team after another. Vivianne Miedema of the Netherlands. Beth Mead and Leah Williamson of England. Catarina Macario, Sam Mewis and Mallory Swanson of the United States. Roughly a dozen top players are absent from the World Cup after sustaining serious knee injuries or failing to come back from them in time. And on Friday it was Walsh — and England — again fearing the worst. There are any number of theories and hunches of what plays into this epidemic — biology and physiology, overwork, poorly fitting shoes — but Walsh had sadly predicted this day would come for her. After seeing three other England regulars go down with knee injuries, she told a reporter: "I would be lying if I say it's not a worry for me every time I go on the pitch that I'm going to get injured next." Now that worry, it appears, may have come true. And that is too bad — for Walsh, for England, for the next knee injury that's probably just over the horizon. It should have been a good night for the Lionesses, who beat Denmark to all but seal their place in the knockouts. Instead they'll have spent it wondering about their friend, and their title chances, and how, and why, this keeps happening. Featured Today Hannah Mckay/Reuters   Australian TV Deal Has World Cup Viewers Asking: Where Are the Games? When FIFA sold Australia's World Cup broadcast rights to a streaming service, it made it harder for casual fans to find the matches. Read this story Latest Results Group D FULL TIME England 1 Denmark 0 FULL TIME China PR 1 Haiti 0 Group G FULL TIME Argentina 2 South Africa 2 Next Matches Group F SATURDAY 6:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | BRISBANE STADIUM France Brazil SATURDAY 8:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME | PERTH RECTANGULAR STADIUM Panama Jamaica Group G SATURDAY 3:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME | WELLINGTON REGIONAL STADIUM Sweden Italy More World Cup Coverage Women's World Cup: England Beats Denmark but Loses Walsh to Knee Injury Keira Walsh became the latest England player to go down. Argentina rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie South Africa. And China beat Haiti with a penalty kick. Flash of Anger Led to a Moment of Brilliance for U.S. Lindsey Horan's tying goal against the Netherlands saved her team at the World Cup. But it came from a dark place she knows well. Women's World Cup: Nigeria Stuns Australia; Portugal Gets First Win Portugal scored two first-half goals to get its first win and eliminate Vietnam. A surprising Nigeria squad beat the host nation Australia, which was without some key players. See more stories Receive alerts about the latest sports news as it happens with the New York Times app. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Women's World Cup Briefing from The New York Times. To stop receiving Women's World Cup Briefing, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018