AUCKLAND: Germany’s shock exit and the United States’ plodding performances were just two of the surprises of a wild Women’s World Cup group stage, with England and Japan now leading the charge when the knockouts begin on Saturday.
It has been the story of the World Cup: the lower-ranked teams have dramatically closed the gap on the sides traditionally regarded as the best.
Last year’s European finalists Germany became the highest-profile victim yet, dumped out in the group stage for the first time in their…
