England 0 - 1 Canada (Sinclair 81') Netherlands 2 - 0 Mexico (Miadema 24', Martens 43') Scotland 1 - 1 Chile (Cuthbert 11' - Araya 49'(p)) Spain 2 - 1 Brazil (Putellas 63', Torecilla 69' - Marta 32') USA 5 - 3 Australia (Morgan 14', Heath 53', Rapinoe 60', Pugh 67' 90+5' - De Vanna 29', Foord 47', Kerr 81')
Korea Republic 2 - 3 Iceland (Min-Ji Yeo 52', Geum-Min Lee 77' - Thorvaldsdottir 28' 40', Honnudottir 90+2') Funny 2nd goal for Korea - AR flaged offside (replay shows it was wrong call) which was waved by main referee but Icelanders didn't notice the wave off and stopped playing which allowed Korea to score easy (Iceland goalie reaction was priceless) Poland 1 - 1 Italy (Pajor 28' - Cernoia 25') France 3 - 1 Japan (Gauvin 3', Le Sommer 33', Diani 82' - Kobayashi 24') (-10 fair play points for Gauvin ) Portugal 2 - 1 Hungary (Marques 71', Monica Mendes 90+2' - Zeller 7')
or the score could of been 10-3/ This was a case where broso tactics don't necessarily work in woso. The newbie coach had his team way too spread out(obviously to get more variety into the attack upfront, which was a weakness of Staj) but in doing so, just one errand pass & the US had all the space to work. Other than Schweers clumsy tackle on Jakobsson(which gave the PK) I saw a vastly different game, one completely dominated by Germany. Don't know why it keeps happening in Woso, but it seems every time there's a big crowd, the home team fails to show. No different here as I don't think Sweden had not even one shot on goal. First half with Germany playing so high, you would think just one over the top long ball would do it(f anything ,just too excite the crowd, lol), But, nope not a single try, instead were mostly grounded, trying to play through the middle via short passing even though the playing field was so compact due to both teams high lines/ Best advise, Swedish super fan, Flax@, needs to bring a bouquet of flowers over to Pia's door & beg her to come back! lol Germany; their new coach, MVT, is proving to be way stronger, defensive coach than the Neid/Jones era who often left their back doors open as they recklessly send their FB's upfront(though the new Aussie coach seems to be a fan of that) while still maintaining the attractive combo passing that got them several dangerous counters. But their still missing that world class striker(though they didn't bother using their current leading scorers, Huth. Dabritz & Schuller). hard to argue though since Jorgie won the 2014 WC without one either. Can't help but think if Sam Kerr was playing for them, that would of been an easy hat trick & then some! Here's the full game
Cameroon 0 - 1 China (Wang Shanshan 39') Russia 3 - 0 Croatia (Smirnova 12', Korovkina 35' 61') Romania 5 - 0 Malta (Vatafu 19' 90+2', Dusa 36' 51', Olar 45')
Well, apparently it was not just a statistical oddity that Kadhija "Bunny" Shaw was the top-scorer of the whole, worldwide WWC 2019 qualification phase with 19 goals: this action in today's game vs South Africa shows a combination of power and technique that's rarely seen in a player. She took the ball while still in her half of the pitch and subsequently shrugged off or dribbled half South African team to end smashing the ball in the net. This article explains her nickname of "Bunny" with her love for carrots when she was a kid. The rest of her life was... not necessarily as much funny.
I watched a lot of Shaw's games the last two years when she was at the Univ. of Tennessee. She is a big woman--5'11 and stout--but has good speed, excellent ball skills and a good football IQ. She can score. I think she was the best player in U.S. collegiate soccer last year (but owing to a disgraceful vote didn't even make the semifinalist list for Mac Hermann Trophy). Have not heard anything about where she might play professionally--I don't think she has a club yet--but she will make a big impact wherever she goes.
Scotland 1 - 0 Brazil (Kim Little, 38') Brazil wasted quite some chances, and now they have 9 losses in the last 9 games!
France 4 - 0 Denmark Cascarino 31, 47, M'bock 54, Gauvin 66 The Danish women are in financial trouble again with DBU. The budget is so tight the number of preparation days to the France game had to be cut short. That wave of positivity they were surfing on after the Euros is all gone.
Who are your favorite players for Japan? Who was the youth player which you raved about last year (the captain, I think, no)?
There are two players currently on the pitch who were U-20 World Champions last summer: CB Moeka Minami and FW Jun Endo, probably the one you've heard most from us. Captain Fuka Nagano has not been called for this two friendlies instead. 2014 U-17 World Champions Hina Sugita (#6 today) is a very good young player also, and it showed in the recent match vs USA at SheBelieves Cup.
Thanks. I was wondering who to keep an eye on. I was thinking of Fuka Nagano. Too bad she's not on this roster. Do you know why? What about the U-20 goalkeeper? Did she make this roster.
We wondered about that too, on the Nadeshiko Japan's thread (where we're following the game, by the way): we're not sure if this can have to do with Nagano's choice or signing for a Division 2 team for 2019 season, after leaving South Korean league... not sure, really. No: she's 2nd GK for one of the top Japanese club and probably coach Takakura thinks that she's not getting enough playing time and/or she doesn't have enough experience, despite her excellent dispplay last year in France. I personally think she could be given a chance, given the "meh" quality of our current starting choices of GKs.