All fun and games: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011

"The beautiful side of 2011!"

Where to find that beautiful place, you ask? Look no further: it's right here.

This was probably the best match I've seen the Swiss play so far. And well timed, too, because it earned them three well-deserved points in the World Cup qualification.

From the start, I realised that they meant business: A few weeks ago I went to a friendly in the same stadium and no one cared what I brought. This time, I had to open my bag and they confiscated my little plastic waterbottle. But this is Switzerland for you: When the same thing happened to me in Germany, I had the choice between drinking the contents on the spot, or throwing the bottle away full. Here, they had oversized paper cups ready and patiently waited until I had emptied my water into a cup.

The fans were in a similarly organised and official mood; the Swiss father next to me even surreptitiously took his fan kepi off when the anthems started playing. No hickups this time, and the Swiss had learned the words since the last match! A few valiant Irish fans were sighted as well:


But don't get fooled: what he is holding in his hand isn't a Guinness. There are limits to what the Swiss are prepared to do for their foreign guests. After all, this is a serious competition.

And the Swiss were really, really good. They defended well, and then didn't just put the ball out but used it to build attacks. Nice combinations, good technique. They ran and fought for all they were worth, every single one of them. Bachmann did her Bachmanns (mostly good), and Dickenmann was everywhere. Two players I hadn't noticed so much before stood out particularly, I thought: Nicole Remund in defense (more convincing than Abbé this time) and almost-newbie Selina Kuster as an attacking midfielder. And I was going to scribble down something less than flattering about goalie Brunner, when suddenly she made two excellent saves. It's not that the Irish didn't do anything. They had a few very good chances but, fortunately for the Swiss, didn't manage to convert them.

The only thing that didn't happen in the first half was goals. But the audience were enthusiastic nevertheless, every little Swiss success and even attempt at such was wildly applauded, the atmosphere was lively and happy (and 1280 was not a bad attendance by Swiss standards). Finally, in the second half, Moser scored, and then Dickenmann scored from a penalty. She got two chances - Byrne saved the first one but the ref decided that the Irish had entered the box too early, and Dickenmann got to try again. The two goals were well deserved, even though the Swiss were probably lucky that the Irish didn't at least score one in return.

Crnogorcevic (I've learned that it's "tsrno..." after all, and it means something like "her father is from a black mountain") played a good match... and when she gets a little older and more mature and less intimidated by the goalmouth, I'm sure she'll score, too.

As it was, Dickenmann and coach von Siebenthal were only too happy to face the TV people after the match. Dickenmann had to change her jacket on the fly before she was allowed in front of the cameras.


And you could also see the endorphines in the eyes of youngsters Stein and Crnogorcevic when they threw their shirts into the audience.



If you would like to read up on the Irish view of things, have a look here, but be careful:
Ref Christine Beck is German, not Dutch (and I didn't get the impression that she was making controversial decisions); the Swiss goalie was Brunner, not Graf, who is a defender (and did very well); the Duracell Bunny is "Moser" not "Moses"; and the worst: since when are the Swiss pros??

It wasn't an unfair match, but there were quite a few time-outs due to injuries. One Irish player was even stretchered off; she was seen walking around holding an icepack to her head after the match. I'd seriously enjoy watching matches more if there were fewer injuries involved.

Switzerland are facing Russia next. That's going to be harder, no doubt, but if they play the way they did against Ireland, they'll be able to leave the field with their heads held high whatever happens. Hopp Schwyz!

So this is for the qualifiers*? In that case... Some UEFA-babble about teams I remotely care about.

Finland are still on a post-EURO roll and beat poor Armenia 4-0 at the weekend. However, I forgot to see if I could watch it *duh*. Talonen scored two and I still can't get my head round the fact that she started on the bench during the EUROs . (Mind you, so did Landström for Sweden... Time to finally give in to the fact that I'll never understand football, perhaps .)

Belgium were slightly kinder to Wales, getting the only goal of the match in the 94th minute (mind you, is a last minute killer any kinder, really?). Belgium are up against Sweden on Wednesday. Yes, it was only Wales and only a 1-0 win, but the mess that Sweden have ended up in...The Belgium game could go either way. I'll be watching it from behind my fingers.

Some teams seem to have quite a dense schedule (Belgium and Switzerland, for instance), while others have matches more spread out. Does anyone have a reasonably basic explanation for that? The "luck" of the draw, special request...

* UEFA-speak => "play-offs"

Livestream of Switzerland-Russia tonight as from 7.30pm CET.

It's a Swiss webcast, it works from Germany, there is a chance it'll work from other countries too. Give it a few minutes to start up, maybe. (It crashes my browser at work, but I blame that on work. )

In case anyone doesn't know here is the breakdown of how many teams from each confederation may qualify.

Summary:

AFC: Top three teams

CAF: Top two teams

CONCACAF: Top two teams. The 3rd place team plays the 5th place UEFA team (last cycle the playoff was against an AFC team)

CONMEBOL: Top two teams

OFC: Top team

UEFA: Top four teams. The 5th place team plays the 3rd place CONCACAF team. Oh, and the hosts.

My guess is that most likely, there will be six UEFA teams in the tourny. It is conceivable that Canada (or the USA) could finish third in whatever qualifying tourny CONCACAF comes up with and then would face a UEFA team. I see those two having a "better" chance than Mexico vs a European team based on a style matchup.

Personally, I'd like to see Mexico's WNT make the WWC as I see a big tourny as the only way their fed will increase support for them.

Gee, thanks for letting us in too!

I suppose it is the least FIFA could do. Being defending champions and all

crap. I did the time change math wrong and had 7:30 CET = 2:30 eastern daylight savings time. I missed the entire 1st half. But the good news is that the link works in the USA.

eta: and Russia seem to have a different keeper than during the Euros. I've now exhausted my knowledge of Russian women's soccer.

You didn't miss as much as you thought - they had satellite problems for a while, and most of the first fifteen minutes were a black hole.

The good news is that they make the matches available online afterwards.

Here is last Saturday's Switzerland-Ireland match.

I'll keep an eye out for a recording of tonight's match too.

I was too traumatised by the 10 minutes of Swiss German that I got, that I don't know if I could go back and watch the first 80 . Caught the goal, though: nice touch by Meyer (her first goal for the national team, if I didn't mishear it ). Astound us with your knowledge then, Micol, and tell us all about her. Was Bachmann diving all night, or did she just save her most spectacular one for when I tuned in?

Somebody French-speaking please: Is "retour de blessure" = "injured again" or "recovering from injury"? In other words, what's the story on Sandrine Dusang, who wasn't in the squad for the Croatia match?

Fine, Ms. "Oh It's Moooooooooooser, Not Moses" . Be like that .

She played against Germany last year. Almost exactly a year ago, to be precise. Go watch for yourself.

Finally got around to following the link. You seem to have Brunner on the brain. The goalie fetish strikes again!

Back from injury, I would think they are trying Amandine Henry at right back at the moment. And she has just started playing back so International football straight away is maybe not the best thing.

Yea! A language I actually studied and I knew the answer!

Please forgive my glee. I remember so very little of the French and Italian I studied. I'm a mono-linguist and yet my interest in international women's soccer has grown to the point where I wish I could read/speak German, Swedish, and Norwegian. I am often envious of many of you & your language skills.

Okay, then, back up on that horse that threw me: here's a recap of the Sweden-Belgium world cup qualifier. I started the evening with a bad attitude—arms folded defensively, hunched in a chair, no intention of taking notes—but, as always seems to happen, I have changed my mind by the fifth minute. The detail that got me? Kosovare Asllani had her collar turned down, which speaks of a burgeoning, much-needed humility.

Do not miss the hilarity of seeing Nilla Fischer being a striker for a single play; it ends as you might suspect it will. Louise Fors fans might enjoy the wrestling match, and in any event I need a numerologist to tell me everything about the number 11.

I doubt the US and Canada would finish out of 1-2 in CONCACAF. Morace has turned Canada into a defensive machine, and Sinclair is still one of the world's best strikers. Mexico has little to compete with that, but it would be nice to see them triumph in Mexico over the UEFA fifth place team.

Oh, I think USA and Canada do finish 1-2 but it is within the realm of possibility that one of the teams could have a disastrous qualifying tourny. That's all I'm saying.

No guarantee but worth trying:
24 October, 4.30pm CET, France-Iceland: livestream if we're lucky

Finland's squad for the next qualifiers:

G
Minna Meriluoto, Hammarby
Tinja-Riikka Korpela, FC Honka

D
Petra Vaelma, Klepp
Tuija Hyyrynen, HJK
Maija Saari, Umeå IK
Miia Niemi, Amazon Grimstad
Tiina Salmén, Amazon Grimstad
Maiju Hirvonen, NiceFutis
Sanna Malaska, Amazon Grimstad

M/F
Essi Sainio, AIK
Katri Nokso-Koivisto, VfL Wolfsburg
Laura Österberg Kalmari, AIK
Anna-Kaisa Rantanen, Djurgården
Susanna Lehtinen, KIF Örebro
Annica Sjölund, AIK
Anna Westerlund, FC Honka
Jaana Lyytikäinen, FC Honka
Linda Sällström, Djurgården

Most notably missing from the list is Sanna Talonen, who scored two goals in Finland's latest qualifier against Armenia. Unfortunately she's out for the rest of the season . An injury she picked up in Örebro's away match against Piteå a couple of weeks ago turned out to be a combined knee fracture confused and ligament tear.

Staying in the general Nordic area, here's Dennerby's latest attempt at a Sweden squad:

G
Kristin Hammarström, Kif Örebro
Hedvig Lindahl, Göteborg

D
Sara Larsson, Linköping
Lina Nilsson, LdB
Anna Paulson, Umeå
Charlotte Rohlin, Linköping (currently the token invalid)
Stina Segerström, Göteborg
Linda Sembrant, AIK
Sara Thunebro, Frankfurt (aaaahhhhhhh!!!!)

M/F
Lisa Dahlkvist, Umeå
Nilla Fischer, LdB
Louise Fors, AIK
Petra Larsson, Linköping
Caroline Seger, Linköping
Therese Sjögran, LdB
Kosovare Asllani, Linköping (a back-up invalid, in case Rohlin perks up)
Jessica Landström, Linköping
Linnea Liljegärd, Göteborg
Sara Lindén, Göteborg
Lotta Schelin, Lyon.

Note the now complete lack of Djurgården and Hammarby players.

The French squad for the qualifier against Iceland on 24 October:

GARDIENNES : Laëtitia Philippe (Montpellier), Bérangère Sapowicz (Paris-SG)
DEFENSEURES: Sonia Bompastor (Paris-SG), Laure Boulleau (Paris-SG), Sandrine Dusang (Lyon), Laura Georges (Lyon), Ophélie Meilleroux (Yzeure), Siga Tandia (Soyaux)
MILIEUX : Camille Abily (Paris-SG), Elise Bussaglia (Paris-SG), Corinne Franco (Lyon), Eugénie Le Sommer (Saint-Brieuc), Louisa Nécib (Lyon), Sandrine Soubeyrand (Juvisy)
ATTAQUANTES : Marie-Laure Delie (Montpellier), Candie Herbert (Hénin-Beaumont), Gaëtane Thiney (Juvisy), Elodie Thomis (Lyon)

So Dusang is back this time, while Bouhaddi and Henry are out injured. Contrary to Neid, Bini is bringing two new players to the team: Boulleau and Tandia.

(Can I ask what has happened to my little OL favourite and last year's U20 international Alix Faye Chellali? Haven't seen her name anywhere in months. )