New Zealand received a sad milestone in the Women's World Cup

The 0-1 defeat in the second round against the Philippines forced New Zealand to beat Switzerland today to hope to continue. They were energized by the packed stands on Forsyth Barr Stadium.

But the host could not break the Swiss defense, which has not received a goal since the beginning of the tournament. Luck was not on their side either.

In the 24th minute, the best opportunity came to New Zealand, when Jacqui Hand smartly escaped and volleyed in a narrow contribution. The ball went out of reach of goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann but found its way to the post. For most of the rest of the time, New Zealand could not push up the attack speed and create a dangerous opportunity against the disciplined Swiss.

In the second half, coach Jitka Klimkova increased personnel for the attack, but the game did not change. From the 70th minute, Switzerland withdrew the entire squad to defend, which is also when New Zealand created the greatest pressure. In the 74th minute, Malia Steinmetz volleyed in the penalty area, but the ball hit Thalmann's chosen position.

Eight minutes of second half compensation was tense with the home side's corner kicks or direct free kicks. Goalkeeper Victoria Esson joined the attack three times, leaving a mark with a header wide of the goal.

Helpless in scoring, New Zealand accepted a 0-0 draw and became the first home team in the history of the Women's World Cup not to make it past the group stage. After three matches, New Zealand got four points, equal to Norway but less than the goal difference, so they only ranked third. In the match at the same time, Norway beat the Philippines 6-0. Switzerland leads with five points, while the Philippines is at the bottom with three points.

Australia also faces the risk of being eliminated from the group stage after losing 2-3 to Nigeria. The co-host team must win against a strong Canadian opponent in the last round to win the right to continue.