Its been quiet around here, but hopefully it'll pick up tomorrow so I've started a place for group play discussion. Times below are local. Wed. August 3 in Rio: Sweden v South Africa, 13:00 Brazil v China, 16:00 Sat. August 6 in Rio: South Africa v China, 19:00 Brazil v Sweden, 22:00 Tues. August 9: China v Sweden, 22:00 in Brasilia South Africa v Brazil, 21:00 in Manaus
I just realized that italian public TV will broadcast all the 4 today matches live ! Probably when I'll wake up tomorrow I'll find the snow falling...
So ... Rio is happening!! E01.Sweden - South Africa 2016/08/03 Wed Sweden (Pia Sundhage): somewhat guessing. 9 Kosovare Asllani, 8© Lotta Schelin, 10 Sofia Jakobsson 13 Fridolina Rolfö, 7 Lisa Dahlkvist, 17 Caroline Seger 6 Magdalena Eriksson, 3 Linda Sembrant, 5 Nilla Fischer, 15 Jessica Samuelsson 1 Hedvig Lindahl
05' Fischer(?) chips from midfield circle right, Schelin chases through box top mid-right to 6-top right, ridden off ball. Ball bounces out to 14m mid-right, Jakobsson one-touch right instep rises across mouth, off left 90 hard, bounces away. 06' 0-0 Sweden right ck, #3 Vilakazi heads over endline. gk awarded #rio'd already
South Africa (Vera Pauw): 9 Amanda Dlamini, 11 Octovia Nogwanya 12 Jermaine Seoposenwe, 2 Lebohang Ramalepe, 6 Mamello Makhabane, 7 Stephanie Malherbe 3 Nothando Vilakazi, 5© Janine Van Wyk, 4 Noko Matlou, 15 Refiloe Jane 1 Roxanne Barker 40' 0-0 South Africa subs in (1 of 3) #10 Linda Motlhalo for #11 Octovia Shiwe Nogwanya (left ankle?). 42' 0-0 Scramble in RSA's box, Asllani collects at 13m center, cuts leftward around 2, quacks/slices wide left. RSA are being very compact and industrious, stifling the other team. We saw this same script in their Jul 09 friendly, "only" 1-0 at USA. 45' 0-0 RSA counter 2-v-4 past circle top left, long diagonal chip past #12 Jermaine Seoposenwe to left corner flag -- offside. +4'. 45+4' 0-0 RSA counter, diagonal pass from 25m box right to box top arc left, Samuelsson wins a 1-v-1. HT 0-0. RSA are a tough nut to crack. Sweden's backline alternates between long stretches of boredom and moments of frenzy.
46' 0-0 Sweden subs in (1 of 3) #16 Elin Rubensson for #7 Lisa Dahlkvist. 69' 0-0 Sweden subs in (2 of 3) #11 Stina Blackstenius for #10 Sofia Jakobsson.
WTF, that had to be weakest goal I ever saw in my life. I love how the whole entire coaching staff jumped up and down for that. Sweden has really degraded since Sundhage took over.
75' 1-0 Sweden left ck, to 4m 1/4 right, #1 Barker jumps but doesn't catch, ball squirts across to 2m mid-right. Seger settles, chips it back to 1m 1/5 right high, Barker jumps again but again fumbles it through her fingers -- ball drops to goalline 1/3 right, already trickling over. #9 Dlamini, inside goal, kicks ball away to goalline, Fischer arrives amidst 3 and lifts waist-high right knee to knock it into center back. Barker was solid for 74', but Sweden always gets a set piece against a team less surgical. 76' 1-0 Sweden subs in (3 of 3) #12 Olivia Schough for #13 Fridolina Rolfö. 83' 1-0 South Africa subs in (2 of 3) #14 Sanah Mollo for #2 Lebohang Ramalepe. FT 1-0.
Really sucks for RSA to lose this game on a crappy own goal. They held Sweden all game. Should of ended 0-0.
E03.Brasil - China PR Brasil (Oswaldo "Vadão" Fumeiro Alvarez): kind guessing in midfield 9 Andressa Alves da Silva, 11 Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva, 10© Marta Vieira da Silva 16 Beatriz Zaneratto João 5 Thaìsa de Moraes Rosa Moreno, 8 Miraildes "Formiga" Maciel Mota 6 Tamires Cássia Dias Gomes, 4 Rafaelle Leone Carvalho Souza, 3 Mônica Hickmann Alves, 2 Fabiana da Silva Simões 1 Bárbara do Monte Barbosa China PR (Bruno Bini): I think it's right 11 Wang Shanshan 12 Wang Shuang, 13 Peng Fengyue, 15 Zhang Rui 10 Yang Li, 8 Tan Ruyin 5 Wu Haiyan, 6© Li Dongna, 14 Zhao Rong, 2 Liu Shanshan 1 Zhao Lina
02' 0-0 China overlap up left touch, bad pass and Brasil counter fast up centerline. Already caught backpedaling 3-v-3 to own box top, China bravely sends LCB #6 Li Dongna(?) way up to challenge ball -- Brasil quick pass to Cristiane at 22m center. Standing shot tails toward right post, Zhao catches. 06' 0-0 Formiga fouled in center circle, stays down in pain. 10' 0-0 Trainers help Formiga walk into near touch. Brasil resume with 10, hoof long to Zhao. 12' 0-0 China probe at 14m left touch. #12 Wang Shuang bends a cross to 7m center, nobody there but Bárbara. Formiga returns. 14' 0-0 Brasil circulate up wide left, that characteristic little flick-pass to the instant overlap down left touch. Cross from 1m left corner arc outwsings to 9m center. Cristiane(?) whiffs/dummies on a header toward ball -- Beatriz, coming away from 6-top, hop bicycle-flick toward left post, Zhao Lina dives and blocks it wide. 20' 0-0 Formiga(?) chips from midfield box right to arc top mid-right-ish, Cristiane flick-heads on past LCB #6 Li Dongna, to 7m 6-right. Beatriz races RCB #14 Zang Rong, Zang just wins and blocks Beatriz's shot over endline right. 22' 0-0 #5 Wu Haiyan clatters into Marta, who rolls in pain. Foul, yellow card on Wu.
Can I just say that I am ever impressed with your ability to do play-by-play on multiple games? Its much appreciated.
33' 0-0 Brasil left ck(?) drops to 6-top left, China defensive flick header bounces to 4m 1/4 left. Cristiane lunge-stabs past Zhao upright not getting down -- cleared off goalline 1/3 left, Cristiane spin-hops in frustration. Brasil circulate to 15m center, soft right instep chip just wide right, skims post. 36' 1-0 Brasil fk from 22m left touch, to 6-top right post, Zhao Lina wades through traffic and flaps at ball, neither catches nor punches, falls down (and gets back up). Cristiane(?) twist-heads down off defenders' heads, soft pop-up to 4m right post, CF #11 Wang Shanshan (defending in own 6-box!!) heads away to 11m 1/3 right. Mônica standing-pike heads across mouth to 2m 1/4 left, Zhao screened by own players (and not moving rapidly anyways) -- defender sit-lunges, can only poke ball into own left side netting. HT 1-0. I actually cannot follow two streams at once
47' 1-0 #11 Wang Shanshan dribbles to spot, Formiga challenges and takes ball -- some contact, Wang goes down, no call. 49' 1-0 Brasil outlet up left touch to circle top, Beatriz chases a defender sideways. Awful hop-volley only flicks ball onward down wide left, Beatriz bends her run and catches up to it, alone down box left to 5m. 1st cross blocked down mid-left to 2m, Beatriz 2nd chip cross pops too high over mouth, to 1m 6-right. Header back toward 6-top, blocked over. 51' 1-0 Cristiane two step-overs at box top left, stumbles past RB #2 Liu Shanshan, stays up. Tap square left, one-touch cross floats to 4m 1/3 right, Zhao catches high. 51' 1-0 China pass left to Wang Shanshan at box top mid-left, one-touch left foot shot deflected over endline left. Bad ck, instantly cleared. 56' 1-0 China maintain huge pressure in Brasil's 1/2, numerous scrambles in box just-cleared away.
Brazil puts in another one...the first really good goal of the tournament, imo (as opposed to goals from defensive errors).
58' 1-0 Brasil subs in (1 of 3) #17 Andressa Cavalari Machry for #5 Thaìsa de Moraes Rosa Moreno. 59' 2-0 Brasil quick-chip from circle front right lets Marta back-cut the high line down mid-right, alone to 3m 6-right. Marta turns away looking to cross, left outstep(!) backpass to 6-top right post. #9 Andressa Alves lifts knee-high right instep, block-volleys past frozen Zhao Lina, into 1/3 right back high. Lightning, with flair. 64' 2-0 China PR subs in (1 of 3) #9 Ma Xiaoxu for #11 Wang Shanshan. 66' 2-0 Marta z-dribbles through arc tangent right and 3 defenders, shoots left foot hard from 17m left post. Zhao dives (her) right and blocks it wide. 67' 2-0 Brasil left ck, short? Andressa crosses from 15m wide left to 6-top right post, Zhao leaps into the back of the scrum and catches high.
79' 2-0 China subs in (2 of 3) #17 Gu Yasha for LM #12 Wang Shuang. 80' 2-0 Brasil subs in (2 of 3) #7(©<=) Débora "Debinha" Cristiane de Oliveira for #10(<=©) Marta Vieira da Silva. 85' 2-0 Brasil subs in (3 of 3) #12 Poliana Barbosa Medeiros for #2 Fabiana da Silva Simões. 90' 3-0 Brasil fk from ~30m mid-left, Andressinha chips to the scrum at 8m 1/3 right. Zhao Lina comes out but not even close, Cristiane jumps turning away and back-heads over her hands, softly into center back low. It was the beautiful serve she's Andressa in Houston, but on this team she's still the kid FT 3-0.
If South Africa can upset China, I think they'll go through to the knock out round(vs. USA). Neither Colombia or New Zealand played well, so I think the third place teams going through will be from Groups E(South Africa) & F(Australia). Seeing the quarterfinals as follows: Brazil vs. Australia United States vs. South Africa Germany vs. France Canada vs. Sweden
They all count the same. It seems it is becoming a common theme already; if you can't clear the ball from your penalty area well and efficiently, you will suffer the consequences.