CANBERRA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's star winger Hayley Raso has declared that the host team need to seize the chance at the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup as any of the teams in the round of 16 could deliver some unexpected results.

Raso, who scored twice in Australia's do-or-die 4-0 win over Canada, on Friday said there was no clear favorite to lift the World Cup on August 20, urging her teammates to seize the opportunity in the tournament.

"There's really tough competition. Anybody can win in this tournament and you've seen that already with a lot of top teams being knocked out, some lower-ranked teams going through," she told reporters.

"It shows just how much women's football has grown, with how tough the competition is."

The Matildas trained in Brisbane on Friday before heading to Sydney on Saturday for their round-of-16 match against Denmark on Monday night.

If victorious, they will face either France or Morocco in the quarterfinals.

No Australian team has ever made it to the semifinals at the World Cup.

Raso, who became the first Australian ever to sign for Spanish giants Real Madrid in July, said the key to success for the Matildas was playing with the same energy they brought against Canada.

"We got really fired up for the last game and we need to take that same mentality and that same focus into this game against Denmark - and hopefully those after," she said.

Captain Sam Kerr did not join her teammates on the training ground on Friday as she continues to recover from a calf injury but is expected to play a significant role against Denmark.

The knockout stage will kick off on Saturday. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)