Women on the Pitch

From July 20 to Aug. 20, Australia and New Zealand will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. This is the first time in its 32year history that the tournament has been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere and by two countries.

The Mini Page kicks off this big event with a look inside the competition.

Soccer or football?

What Americans call “soccer” is called “football” in other parts of the world. American football is a much different sport. What is FIFA?

FIFA (FEE-fah) is a French acronym for the International Federation of Association Football. It is the organization in charge of the World Cup and other international soccer tournaments. There are 211 “associations” that make up FIFA, each representing a different country’s national soccer team. FIFA was founded in 1904, and its headquarters is in Zurich, Switzerland.

Teams and play

Thirty-two nations will vie for the ninth Women’s World Cup title. The field has expanded from 24 teams in 2019.

The World Cup has two stages, or parts: group play and knockout play.

In group play, each team plays the other three teams in its assigned group. If a team wins, it receives three points; a draw, or a tie, is awarded one point. The two teams with the most points in each group then advance to the knockout stage, where a loss means elimination. USA is the reigning champion.

Mini Fact: In this 2019 Women’s World Cup game, New Zealand beat England 1-0.

World Cup groups

There are eight groups that start the group stage of play.

World Cup venues

There are 10 different venues, or settings, for the Women’s World Cup matches: six in Australia and four in New Zealand. This is the first time that two nations have hosted the games together.

The host cities are using their native names alongside their English names (for example, Brisbane/Meaanjin) to “reconcile and respect the original owners of the land.”

Meet Tazuni™

The official mascot of the 2023 Women’s World Cup is a penguin named Tazuni™. Her name is a combination of the Tasman Sea and “unity.” She’s a 15-year-old midfield player who learned to love soccer after playing with friends on the beach.

Keeping track

As the tournament goes on, use the bracket above to keep track of which teams win in the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

Quarterfinals take place on Aug. 11 and 12; semifinals are scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16. The final will be played Aug. 20.

Resources

On

• fifa.fans/3N3tqfU

At the library:

• “What Is the Women’s World Cup?” by Gina Shaw on

Quarterfinals take place

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Try ’n’ Find

Mini Jokes

Wendy: What is a ghost’s favorite soccer position? Warren: Ghoul keeper!

Cook’s Corner

Pepperoni Roll-ups

You’ll need:

• 1 (8-ounce) package crescent-shaped rolls

• 24 small round slices of pepperoni

• 4 slices of provolone cheese

What to do:

1. Position 2 crescent rolls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press seams together to form a rectangle with the dough.

2. Place 6 round slices of pepperoni on rectangle of dough. Top with a slice of provolone.

3. Roll up end-to-end to form a tube. (Cheese slice may be hanging over the edges.)

4. Repeat process, ending up with four tubes.

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

A new study finds that the ocean surface is now warmer than at any other time since accurate satellite records began, with the record heat energy threatening to supercharge storms around the world. Earlier studies revealed that the oceans are heating more quickly now than at any other point in at least the past 2,000 years. “Warmer ocean temperatures mean more moisture in the atmosphere … that leads to more energy available for tropical storms,” atmospheric scientist Andrew Watson at Britain’s University of Exeter said.

For later: Look in your newspaper for articles about the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

T Y L A N E M O W O R L D V E A K Y F W P U O R G P X C J U Z N T I G S O C C E R S P S N U O I F E R E H P S I M E H E N C N A T I V E I D R A W J V I K U P A U S T R A L I A A L D O A U M F O O T B A L L F G U U Q C Y W H C T I P Z Q J O P T N I U G N E P A S T A G E N E W Z E A L A N D L J V R W Brevity

BY DAN THOMPSON

By Jim Miller