Fifa Women’s World Cup - Norway v Switzerland: What the Football Ferns need to advance to second round

Nadine Riesen, of Switzerland, brings down Norway's Thea Bjelde during their Group A in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport

A goalless draw between Norway and Switzerland has left the Football Ferns needing victory in their final pool match to guarantee a place in the second round of the Women’s World Cup.

If they draw their match against Switzerland on Sunday, the New Zealanders will need Norway and the Philippines to also draw.

The result leaves Group A up for grabs. The Swiss lead with four points, New Zealand and the Philippines each have three and Norway have one. But there are scenarios under which each of them could make the knockout stage.

Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann shielded her side against the Norwegians, who played without star striker Ada Hegerberg because of injury.

Hegerberg was initially listed to start, but the team announced during the match that the Ballon d’Or winner was unable to play after experiencing “a feeling in the groin” toward the end of her pre-match warmups.

The Norwegians could have used her to break open a scoreless game. In her place, Sophie Roman Haug started the match as a striker. But Roman Haug’s Women’s World Cup debut proved to be a fruitless one. She was substituted in the 73rd minute for Karina Saevik.

Switzerland and Norway each had their share of opportunities to score a decisive opener throughout the match, but it was Norway that forced Thalmann to come up with four saves.

Thalmann made a number of key saves, but her sternest test came with 15 minutes left in regulation time.

Norway substitute Caroline Graham Hansen released a powerful curving shot from the top of the area, but Thalmann parried the low shot out for a corner.

Sitting at the top of Group A, Switzerland will duel with second-place New Zealand in Dunedin. In need of a win, Norway will travel to Auckland to face a Philippines lineup emboldened after upsetting the Football Ferns 1-0. Both matches will be played on Sunday.

Despite a constant drizzle for most of the match, 10,769 fans were in attendance for the Group A match in a Waikato Stadium that holds just over 18,000.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg was seen walking back into the tunnel moments before the match started, despite being named to the starting lineup.

Initially listed as a possible substitute for the match, Sophie Roman Haug started in Hegerberg’s place as Norway’s striker. The team’s official Twitter account quoted national team doctor Trygve Hunemo saying that “Ada Hegerberg got a feeling in the groin on the last sprint during the warm-up”.

Last year’s European Championship marked Hegerberg’s return to international soccer after previously not appearing for Norway in five years. Following the 2017 European Championship, Hegerberg left the team in protest of the unequal treatment of the men’s and women’s squads by the Norwegian federation.

Hegerberg has the most goals of any current Norwegian player (16) and has appeared for her country 32 times.