A place for group play discussion; hopefully, it'll pick up around here. Its been so quiet. Times are local. Wed. August 3 in Belo Horizonte: USA v New Zealand, 19:00 France v Colombia, 22:00 Sat. August 6 in Belo Horizonte: USA v France, 17:00 Colombia v New Zealand, 20:00 Tues. August 9: Colombia v USA, 18:00 in Manaus New Zealand v France, 19:00 in Salvador
For you yewesayers, don't forget Brasil is not currently on daylight savings. (Doesn't start until Oct 16) So right now, Salvador = USA EDT (Pacific +3)
Still can't believe is just a matter of hours now.....we have a revenge to take on Colombia but one thing is sure is never easy to beat Latin teams in South-America...weather, fans, pressure etc...
predictions; Colombia looked good last year at the WC, but since then it's been at a bit of a turmoil after reports that their federation was way behind in paying their players. Their top player, Rincon(who sort of was a protegee of Carli Lloyd if I remember), is on the injury list. Their other well known player, Lady Andrade, has had spats with the NT coach recently and besides got cut from the Flash this season. France, they didn't look too good in their recent friendly vs Canada, but give them heads up at least for trying new players. That's been my problem in the past for me with France; using the same old, same old 8 Lyon, 3 PSG lineup, which does well at the beginning of tourney's, but plays with too much complacency later on. The injury to one of their starting cb's, Georges, might be a blessing in disguise as now it allows them to move their u17-u20 WC mvp, M'Bock, into the starting lineup. I'll pick France, 3-0 New Zealand finally got back their most lethal weapon, Wilkerson, after she suffered an acl. It's still probably not enough offense to be contenders, but their cb, Ercig, is having an excellent year with the Flash. Sometimes that could make a difference as the US in it's last friendly, had a frustrating time getting past the South African cb/last defender, Van Wyk. But over all, too much fire power should give the US a win, 1-0
So the crowd (part of it, probably the Brazilians) booed Solo and yelled "Zika" at her when she kicked the ball. Now that is funny. Solo is a big girl, It will not affect her at all. Maybe due to this pic. http://extra.globo.com/incoming/19764417-a75-abc/w640h360-PROP/hope-solo-1.jpg
G06.France - Colombia France (Philippe Bergerôo): 4-2-3-1? 9 Eugénie Le Sommer 14 Louisa Nécib Cadamuro, 10 Camille Abily, 13 Kadidiatou Diani 15 Élise Bussaglia, 6 Amandine Henry 7 Amel Majri, 3© Wendie Renard, 2 Griedge M'Bock Bathy Nka, 8 Jessica Houara D'Hommeaux 16 Sarah Bouhaddi Colombia (Fabian Felipe Taborda): Nearly identical to WWC'15. 11 Catalina Usme Pineda 10 Leicy Santos Herrera, 16 Lady Andrade Rodríguez, 4 Diana Ospina García 3© Natalia Gaitán Laguado, 6 Liana Salazar 9 Oriánica Velásquez Herrera, 13 Angela Clavijo Silva, 14 Nataly Arias Peña, 17 Carolina Arias Vidal 18 Sandra Sepúlveda Lopera
02' 1-0 Henry leads a jailbreak up centerline to 27m, rolls a diagonal pass through box top mid-right for Sommer outflanking down to 8m mid-right. Ground cross bounces at 5m right post, over Sepúlveda's arm, continues toward left post. RB #17 Arias tries to jump out of the way -- ball clatters off her windmilling legs, deflects into left side netting. Egad -- well, Beckie was faster 06' 1-0 Henry(?) chips up wide right, Houara chases to endline. LCB #13 Clavijo closes her down, bit too aggressive chest-bump to prevent a controlled settle, Houara sprawls into endzone. AR flags foul at 1m. 07' 1-0 France fk at 1m wide right, to 6-top center, Sepúlveda punches away and France backpass to Bouhaddi. 14' 2-0 France launch relentless waves of attacks. Colombia slide-tackling ok at own arc top mid-left, but the ball just sits there and they never get the 2nd touch. France press and regain, quick pass down box right for Houara, mooncross too high to 7m left post cleared way back. Henry(??) chips from 25m arc right -- off crossbar, bounces down to 6-top 1/3 right. Le Sommer is right there, dive-heads into center back low. Colombia can't string three passes together, nor calm the ball down enough to kick it away. 17' 2-0 France attack to box top right, diagonal pass to Cadamuro standing offside at 12m mid-left. She comes back to ball, offside no longer passive.
24' 2-0 Colombia dance down mid-right, backpass to 15m wide right. Quick cross to 4m left post, Bouhaddi jumps and misses, Usme(?) tucks and misses her header just behind Bouhaddi's hands -- ball hits M'Bock Bathy in the clavicle facing endline, bounces over. 25' 2-0 Colombia left ck, short, fouled at 10m wide left. 26' 2-0 Colombia fk at 10m wide left, ground shot to 7m 6-left, blocked away. #6 Salazar collects at 24m center, steps forward around 1 to 22m, shoots right instep chip with medium power -- just high onto roof as Bouhaddi backpedals. 27' 2-0 Diani passes from arc top box right to Le Sommer at 16m center. Le Sommer puts head down (i.e. ignores Cadamuro to her left), drives around 1 to 14m 1/3 left, shoots left foot rising, Sepúlveda sprawls and double-blocks left. N.Arias(?) clears. 28' 2-0 France do fast ping, probe side to side across midfield before choosing a longball. There's more -- intent in their play, as the fast possession is designed to create runs and shots. 29' 2-0 LB #9 Velásquez shields off Diani at box top (her) left touch, gets bumped down onto shoulder or outstretched arm -- stays down with shoulder pain. Eventually resumes.
32' 2-0 France do fast lateral pings in the back to pull Colombia out of their bunker. France seem to have the speed and energy advantage everywhere. Well, France are good. 33' 2-0 Abily snipes a pass down box right, too fast for Houara overlapping. Le Sommer fouls aat 25m mid-right. Colombia are losing a bit too many of these hard challenges, and they end up on the grass in pain. 34' 2-0 Le Sommer(?) chases hard to 3m mid-right, flicks past charging Sepúlveda across mouth -- ball deflects, trickles centerward as 3-v-2 arrive. Clavijo calmly takes it to 0.2m 6-left, bends a clearance between two attackers. 35' 2-0 Cadamuro chips down mid-left to 5m for Le Sommer -- she can't get there before Sepúlveda arrives, so again she toe-flicks ball sideways past Sepúlveda. N.Arias collects easily, but the point is that even when you think there's no further play on the ball, France are making 1-3 more plays. It must be infuriating, like trying to calm down eight puppies.
41' 2-0 Majri drives hard through box top mid-left, takes a bump and dives into box. Foul given just outside box -- no pk, yes foul. 42' 3-0 Abily fk at 17m mid-left, right foot bend into left 90, off Sepúlveda's fingertips and still in. 44' 3-0 Majri lures RM #4 Ospina to her at left touch, steps past her, Ospina lunges late and steps on Majri's plant foot. Foul, ref summons Ospina and gives her the "that's twice" lecture. +1'. HT 3-0. France look revitalized.
49' 3-0 Le Sommer chases 1-v-3 to a bouncing ball past spot, Sepúlveda finally dives out and smothers it. 49' 3-0 Abily mis-hits a pass down box right to nobody, flashes an ear-to-ear smile. That's France's mood. 50' 3-0 Colombia longball toward mid-right, Usme(?) gets pre-emptively bumped down at 27m. Foul, yellow card on Majri. 55' 3-0 France go up the left, Majri underhits a pass inside to Le Sommer at 30m. Le Sommer backpass to Cadamuro, gets undercut and goes down, climbs back slowly behind the play. Colombia disrupt and clear. 56' 3-0 Renard forward pass to Cadamuro, challenged, backpass. Renard chips past box top wide left, Le Sommer can't chase it down. 57' 3-0 Colombians continue to get bumped down in the run of play -- just not physically ready to run with France and give as well as get? Maybe this is just different from what they normally see. Majri floats a cross from 8m wide left to 3m 1/3 left, Sepúlveda catches.
59' 3-0 #11 Usme fk at arc top box right, left instep bend to bounce at 5m 1/3 right, not enough power to bother Bouhaddi. 61' 3-0 Majri nice aggressive left-outstep pass down wide left for Le Sommer willing to sprint 20m and smile afterward. Le Sommer catches up perfectly at 2m, one-touch cross to 6-top 2/5 left -- Sepúlveda dives and catches, no rebound for Abily. 63' 3-0 Majri right ck to 3m right post, Sepúlveda catches high. 66' 3-0 Cadamuro(?) forward ground pass to Le Sommer at 15m arc left -- slightly behind her run, Le Sommer tries the pirouette-cw but steps onto toes and loses own balance, no call for that. Colombia outlet to circle back right, try the quick pass up wide right for Ospina or Usme to beat Majri down the flank while outracing Renard. Poor idea, the runner concedes and Renard collects. 67' 3-0 Colombia subs in (1 of 3) #7 Ingrid Vidal Isaza for RM #4 Diana Ospina García.
70' 3-0 Majri(?) passes down box left, Le Sommer chases it down at 6m, retreats. Backheel down box left sends Majri between 2, to 5m alone! Cross to 6-top 1/3 right, headed away? 71' 3-0 France cross from box right to a 1-v-2 at 6-top right post -- deflects off Sepúlveda, rolls gently across mouth at 3m. N.Arias(?) collects and clears. 71' 3-0 Fisticuffs! Renard micro-bumps Vidal down into a forward roll. Vidal leaps up and shoves Renard?? Renard clearly double-shoves Vidal away. Ref intercedes, and ... yellow card on Vidal, nothing on Renard 72' 3-0 Panic! Ref pulls red card out of her back pocket and -- tucks it into her front shirt pocket Half of both teams were very frightened for a moment -- 72' 3-0 France subs in (1 of 3) #11 Claire Lavogez for #10 Camille Abily. 75' 3-0 France subs in (2 of 3) #18 Marie-Laure Delie for #9 Eugénie Le Sommer.
77' 3-0 Colombia subs in (2 of 3) #15 Tatiana Ariza Díaz for #16 Lady Andrade Rodríguez. 79' 3-0 Colombia high cross from box left to 8m right post, T.Ariza heads wide right. Foul on her? 80' 3-0 France subs in (3 of 3) #12 Elodie Thomis for #13 Kadidiatou Diani. 81' 3-0 Delie jukes with fresh legs at arc top mid-right, Velásquez makes a tired lunge and bump-trips her. 82' 4-0 Majri fk at arc top mid-right, left instep snipe to right 90 -- off right 90, down off the back of Sepúlveda's hand, off her back, and in at -0.2m right post, bounces straight up to the roof. Sepúlveda had the goalmouth corner sealed with her hand, but the ball wasn't trying to go straight in anyways