Japan's lack of strength, power attack in the box and their less athletic backline finally caught up to them. Great technique is no longer enough these days.
We all know football is not a transitive game, but just for fun, I want to compare how AUS and CHN fared against the others: vs JPN : AUS 1 goal better vs DPK : AUS 1 goal (and 2pts) better vs KOR : AUS 1 goal better vs VIE : AUS 7 goals better Would not look good for AUS to lose their last game in light of that consistency!
What happened to Japan other than the age problem? Why didn't Iwabuchi get more time when they need a win so much?
It's also no secret now that the formula to beat them is to get up in their grill, pressure them like mad, and make things uncomfortable for them in terms of their possession build-up. I was calling for this all the way in 2011. This has been more disastrous for Japan in this tournament, even more so than the 2014 Algarve Cup was for the US. Just an absolute disaster.
Laura Bassett's own goal became a curse. Carli Lloyd's house full of goals (brick by brick) also didn't help Japan.
Japan vs. Vietnam full highlights Malaysian ref was super funny with some of her decisions, including penalty call
but AUS don't have Zhao Lina! Besides with both teams making it to Rio, who knows if they just will rest their main stars use the subs(who didn't get to play much) instead?
Bini doesn't allow players to go to foreign leagues for better preparation. Also he was not pleased with her form.
does any of the three Matildas have a win(or shutout) vs the US? she only was the 3rd sting gk at Lyon. She still didn't get much playing time. After the WC, China(with Fei as the gk) played in something called the East Asian games(not sure about the exact name) where they ended up an disappointing fourth out of 4 teams competing. The coach was fired after that and his replacement Bini has preferred Lina over Fei ever since. Since Bini took over, it's been a remarkable turnaround for China, with upset wins over England, Japan & the US, and of course making into the Olympics when they were NOT favored
Take that result with a massive grain of salt. That game was pretty much a one-off special. If it hadn't been Abby's last game, the lineup would have been different and the result would have likely been different as well. I would still take Arnold or Dumont over Zhao, and definitely Williams over Zhao.
China 1, Australia 1 And here's the Australia vs. Japan match, in the best video and sound quality on the world wide web. Australian commentary.
9.03 Korea Rep. vs. Vietnam 4:0 (2:0) (Lim Seon Joo 6' 18', Lee Geum Min 69', Jeon Ga Eul 85') 8 Corner Kicks 2 0 Yellow Cards 1 15 Shots 0 6 Shots on Goal 0 64% possession 36% Australia vs. China PR 1:1 (0:1) (van Egmont 85' / Ma Xiaoxu 16') 3 Corner Kicks 5 0 Yellow Cards 1 6 Shots 10 2 Shots on Goal 2 53% possession 47% Japan vs. Korea DPR 1:0 (0:0) (Iwabuchi 80') 4 Corner Cicks 9 1 Yellow Cards 0 14 Shots 10 5 Shots on Goal 4 58% possession 42% Final standings:
Former France coach Bruno Bini has done a great job with China. Will former England coach Hope Powell do the same with Japan?
Also, China has extended Bruno Bini's contract ........... http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=322674
You forgot to mention that he led China in a win over Abby Wambach and friends. Team's are studying that film meticulously, so that his successful results may be repeated.
That game was a total fluke. The USWNT played the whole game by sending virtually every ball to 'Molasses' Wambach. It was not a pretty sight to see. That game did not feature the USWNT operating anywhere near capacity.
now I thought they're hiring Cueller?(he's got more experience!) not really, cept for the Abster, and the horror that is Horan, they did have the rest of the starters from the WC finale the only thing other coaches need to be studying from China is...............
ok, so Australia won this gig, but do they hand out an mvp? if they do........well obviously I'll go with Zhao Lina(I mean can you name one other Chinese player on the squad without looking it up?) but the winner should take it all, baby!..............so my pick, most likely Kellond Knight. While not sure if she was the leading scorer of the team, she scored the big one's when it mattered. Some might go with LDV, but the genius of their coach, Staj, finally realized that Catlyn Foord got just as much speed and responded with the last 3 Matildas assists. Then you got to recall that Kennedy was a wrecking ball vs on their first game against Japan. anybody else got a choice for mvp?(Kellond-Knight's my pick)
I'm going to select Kyah Simon as she was able to get a hat-trick in one game and passed an important threw ball on another goal. I wasn't able to watch all of their games, but whenever Simon is on the pitch she gets results.
thanks WWC, your the bomb! In the last game vs China, the Matildas actually start a 15 year old named Gail Carpenter at right fb. I've watched that one and the South Korean match where the Matildas got especially physical with. But this might be food for thought(especially you wild n crazy Japanese fans) even China coach Bruno Bini mentioned(well, according to the Aussie commentators) that he's trying to turn his NT into a more athletic & physical one. So that his team as well defeated the favored Nadeshiko is showing that an new era of woso is beginning to form shape which is away from the technical side(which a lot of fans used to say Japan was by far the most advanced) that's more physical one that's more about pressing at full tilt for 90 minutes long