FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Five ‘under the radar’ players you must monitor – scout report

After what has felt like an eternity for womens football fans, the FIFA Womens World Cup is finally here, with action getting underway on Thursday in Auckland when joint-hosts New Zealand face Norway at Eden Park.

However, plenty of new fans will be tuning into the tournament and will be aware of the star names but not necessarily of the lesser-known talents in each squad. Yet, some outstanding players will be featuring for their countries who could go unnoticed. With that in mind, this tactical analysis will pick out five players who could perhaps go under the radar but who will be worth looking out for as the tournament goes on.

Alex Chidiac

New Zealands fellow joint-hosts Australia are among the favourites to reach the latter stages, and the fact that their squad contains star names such as Chelsea Women striker Sam Kerr, Arsenal Women left-back Steph Catley and Lyon Féminin full-back Ellie Carpenter means that they will be the focus of plenty of attention over the coming month.

However, another player who could have just as big a say in the Matildas fortunes is Racing Louisville midfielder Alex Chidiac. Featuring mainly as an attacking midfielder or a winger, she is not a new name on the international stage, having been a part of the squad since 2015, but she is not the first person that comes to mind when listing star players in their squad.

However, those who have watched her will attest to her importance both for Louisville and Australia, with her tending to operate in between opposing lines and helping to keep the ball moving and ensure that attacking chances stay alive for as long as possible. This situation against Houston Dash shows how problematic that can be for opposing sides, with Sam Laitys side, trying to close off as many passing routes as possible. However, Chidiac is still finding space to offer Paige Monaghan an option.

What is really crucial to point out here is how the Australian has held back rather than pushed forward because that is what she is likely to do a lot of during the World Cup, with head coach Tony Gustavssons tactics likely to revolve around Kerr playing as high as possible and offering an outlet and others falling in behind to provide links. It is worth noting that Kirsten Davis is moving towards the six-yard area here in much the same way as Kerr will do, showing how Chidiacs qualities will help her fit into the Matildas system.