What is this interference/offside rule you are referring to? I'm obviously not as conversant with all the particulars of "offside" as I should be. Is it legal for player to be offside if the ball goes to a different player, who is onside, first? That wouldn't be legal, would it?
It could be legal if the player who's off-side doesn't actually "interfer" with the action that's underway (for instance because he/she is on the opposite side of the pitch, maybe coming back towards the center of the pitch and not caring at all about the action). But, of course, I don't think this was the case for the goal we're talking about: the Chinese player who was off-side at the center of the box actually interferred with the action, to the point that her move to avoid touching the ball almost looked like a dummy. Defenders and GK couldn't ignore her presence so, even if she didn't touch the ball, I guess her off-side position should have been called.
The friendly match ended 2-1 for Italy: I only watched the last minutes of it, but, judging from these and from highlights shown after the game, it seems to me that the result was well deserved. Italy kept possession most of the time, Chile often had to recur to foul and Italy even scored all of the goals of the match! The goals were all scored in Second Half and Chilean one was actually an awkward own-goal by Cristiana Girelli (she's normally used to score in the opponent's goal instead): after a long siege, Ilaria Mauro finally equalized and then Stefania Tarenzi scored the winner in injury time. Coach Bertolini said that in this match and in the one vs Galles next Tuesday she wants to rotate the players with the aim of having a roster of "23 starters" for the World Cup. Anyway, despite many changes in the line-up, this Italy was quite convincing: if this was a general reharsal of what you would do if you were behind vs a decent team at group stage of the WWC, the test was brilliantly passed: Italian girls didn't panic, they were determined to get the result and they managed to win the game despite coming back from behind. Of course, the pressure would be much higher at the WWC, but I guess Italy showed good mental strength, the main weapon this coach gave to the team in this first year of her tenure, the same weapon, by the way, that led them to win their qualification group for France 2019 in style. I guess this Italy will be a dangerous opponent for almost every team.
Agree, although in this pre-season match today Azzure didn't look much too convincing (to me). Chile started game without 2 main defenders (Guerrero and Leyton both out injuried) and with 2 resevre players in midfield as well (Aedo entered for last 15min, Soto stayed on the bench). Tonite starters were Soruco with 2 caps, Zamora with 4, and DF's Pinilla and Gaez - 15 caps between them. All of those from last year frendly matches rather than Copa America qualifiers.
Montenegro 1 - 2 Bosnia&Herzegovina ( Šebek 71' - Minela 45' 75') Italy 2 - 1 Chile (Mauro 73', Tarenzi 73' - Girelli 52'(og.))
Italy is certainly an exciting team to watch with their 'shoot em up' style, but these friendlies are going to be duds if the best players aren't in it and we all know whom I'm talkin about!.....Guessing the #15 was her replacement & to be sure, came with some creds(current leading scorer in the Italian league). But she did miss read several passes as well as missed some close up shots. I liked the #7, very physically, strong build, you knew no Chliean was going to challenge her when she had the ball! The #23 has some nifty moves too. But the 2 CB's & the GK looked like they didn't work that well together.Despite the goal, Mauro probably not a 'world class' striker, but than, I've seen other teams have to do with a lot less/.Final analysis; work on more accurate shots!/not going to get that many chances at the WC!
Yes, that's for sure the main problem: Italy should have scored more for all the chances they had. As I mentioned, coach Bertolini wants to rotate players who have less international experience, so they will be available and ready for the World Cup, when they will be surely needed: I don't think any team can advance very far in the competition if there is no depth on the bench and since Italain league is not testing enough, some players need to get more international experience under their belts. Matches like these can look like duds, but what is the coach supposed to do if, in the middle of WWC, Bonansea picks up an injury or a double Yellow Card? I am with Bertolini: the starters had the time to perfect their chemistry during Euro-qualifiers; now, the subs need to accumulate playing time! Well, as you mentioned, #15 Giacinti was brilliant on the domestic scene. I've had the chance to see her play live at the stadium and I can assure you that she's a quality player. Yes, tonight she missed too many chances, but she's a sturdy physical player and she has a flare for goal: Italy needs to have her in the roster and I am sure she has in her the ability to decide matches, especially if she gets more playing time with the starting team. Alia Guagni has been a key-player during this last year: she can absolutely boss the Right-Side and Italy will need her runs at the World Cup! Well, it's worth mentioning that, as I have written above, Italy too was doing without a lot of starters: captain Sara Gama, Barbara Bonansea and Daniela Sabatino were kept on the bench, just to name a few of the most important ones in defense, midefield and offense. Manuela Giugliano only played 2nd half. And let's not forget that Martina Rosucci is currently injured with an ACL (although she could be back in time for WWC: March/April should see her back on the pitch). So, yes, there was probably anyway more overall experience on the pitch for Italy than for Chile, but it's not like Italians were deploying their best line-up either.
Don't think the tournament was held last year, but as far as I can go back, it looks like it ran from 2015-2017.
The Netherlands beat South Africa today, 2-1. Did not see game but seems the Dutch coaching staff wanted to get a look at at least three or four players with little or no NT experience or playing time in an effort to build depth.
It would be interesting to know who they are, if the U-20 we were talking about on the Netherlands thread or others.
Turkey 0 - 0 Slovakia South Africa 1 - 2 Netherlands (Kgatlana 34' - Spitse 2', Miedema 19') Attendance: over 27 000 Pelova played second half.
The good sis, Diani playing to her potential. Imma need her start passing sooner in the final 3rd though.
Inessa Kaagman, who plays for Everton, started today in the midfield, as did Jill Roord, who plays for Bayern Munich and has been on the NT for a while but not played much. In the back, Danique Kerkdijk (Bristol City) started at centerback while Merel Van Dongen (Real Betis) started at outside back.
France was a serious WC contender before today--but now that they've beaten the U.S. their confidence level will go up significantly, and that's a big thing for a talented squad that has underachieved in the past.
Honestly the USA were so short of match fitness and bite, that result is not a real indicator of the team's real potential. If they meet again in the WC QF I would expect the reverse result.
here's highlights; nice to see finally new faces step for France as I've mentioned previously, France is the best 'friendlies' team in the world(thanks to their built in chemistry form their Lyon dominated lineup), the trick for them is turning them into a top 'tournament' team. But at least this time; only 5 Lyon starters with all the scoring coming form the PSG players. I think their best option in winning the WC is to lay back & counter attack(but will they do that as hosts?) on the US side; I noticed Ellis didn't play her most powerful weapon, the high press. But France is the one team that it don't work against thanks to it's strong CB combos able to clear it out of the danger zones there's countless posts all over the web from American fans on what went wrong, but it's usual the same old 'we should of played Rapinoe(will be 34 year old at the WC) or we should of had Heath(will be 31) while neglecting their fav CB(Sauerbrunn, age 33) is way past her prime just wish American fans can take a 'hint' from France, whose best offensive players were; Diani(age 23, Cascarinoi (22) & Katato(20)
(Ihezuo 44', Ebi 63', Chikwelu 68', Umotong 83' - Pană 55') attendance: 7319 (Gu Yasha 15') https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=391507691424300 quite one sided highlights as China had real problems with Korea.
Scotland score at the end, but it ends with a 2-1 win for us! #dottir #fyririsland pic.twitter.com/aRTQlIJzfZ— Knattspyrnusambandið (@footballiceland) January 21, 2019
Denmark 1 - 0 Finland (Mille Gejl Jensen 73') Montenegro 0 - 4 Slovenia (Spašnikar 35', Kobl 52', Zver 60' 73')