Both teams have something to prove and will throw everything including the kitchen sink to win this game. It will be fast paced and very physical. Both teams are hungry for a win and will treat this as a gold medal match. Someone will win 3-2.
I hate to say this, but I think France has the better chance. For one, the Canadian team is coming from an emotionally draining time, and not exactly on the upswing. Two, the playing style of the French is quite possession-oriented and they are likely to control midfield for long stretches of the game. IMO, their passing is second only to Japan's and far above the previous rival of Canada. Very tough game. 2-1 to les Bleues.
Actually, FIFA did make an announcement, and that was any decision on penalties for comments after the match were to be deferred until after the Bronze medal match. So if she or anyone else are to be disciplined, it will not be until the Olympics are effectively over. Having a member from Quebec on the disciplinary committe might possibly have slowed things down, though maybe she had to recuse herself. I am not aware that FIFA even knows about the head stomp incident, nor is there any indication that the USA made any attempt to make FIFA aware, unlike with the punch by the Colombian player. I trust this is on topic. Both teams will be at full strength.
This brings me at least with the situations on both teams. France has shown itself to be suspect with both it's goalkeeping and it's defensive schemes. They also don't seem to handle high pressure well. We have seen that Canada is capable of providing that. And their stars have had a less than sterling cup so far, certainly not was it was last summer. Canada, on the other hand, has the double whammy to deal with of just having come off a heartbreaker, and you have to wonder if Sinclair and her team can put that kind of effort in two matches in a row. On top of that, Canada, like the USA, have to travel, and France didn't. Lots to anticipate in this match. My dollar goes down on the Canada pile.
Yes, you are right. Google shows that the distance from Coventry to Wembley is 93.8 miles. google also shows the travel time as about an hour and a half. It is open to discussion whether the team actually changed hotels. The distance from Trafford to Wembley is about 156 miles and 3.5 hrs. I'm pretty sure there was a change in accommodations involved there. But it isn't anything like it might be if the cup were in a country like the USA, where the change of venues might involve a couple thousand miles. And it isn't nearly the distances involved in the d Cup, nor is there the factor that one team in the bracket got an extra day's rest as they did in the World Cup. I think it is still a factor.
It's funny that there has been as much talk about travel as there has been this tournament for the women's games. My commute to work this morning was longer than that trip.
This Canadian side does not look like the same team that lost badly to les Bleues at the WWC. The principle difference appears to be psychological. They believe that they can beat anybody on any given day. On the one hand they have to be physically drained. On the other they are obviously in superb condition. My guess is that they will come into this game with blood in their eyes. Expect them to be pressuring high, coming at the French defenders hard and looking to score quickly. I doubt that they will be letting up until their legs give out. I don't know about this French team. They have some real talent on the team and sometimes they look very good, but they don't seem very tough mentally. The missed penalty in the semi is a case in point. You knew it wasn't going in before it was struck. Christine Sinclair has been quoted a lot since the Travesty at Old Trafford. One quote that hasn't received a lot of attention: "I don’t think I’d want to be the team that plays us next." Could be interesting.
Yeah, there is also that thing where Christine got her face smashed in by a German elbow. That tends to slow a body down. If Canada focuses, I think they are the better team, especially if you consider how both teams played us.
I totally agree. If Canada plays with the confidence they played with against the US, I think they win against France. Canada believes they can come back. It appears Herdman set a good game plan to play against the US's defense weaknesses. He will do the same thing and France's defense is worse. They have to tone down the fouling though, I think it will be more tightly called. Truly no game in this Women's Olympic tournament has been tightly called yet.
Well, that's in the refs hands. They all seem to have a pathological fear that if they call a foul, their assessor will jump all over them. Then there is no way to rein the players in. That is the trap Howard Webb fell into. By the middle of the match, a karate kick to the sternum was a yellow.
France woke up the last 20 against Japan Canada went through an emotional rollercoaster and are heartbroken/ emotionally shattered Played 120 minutes with only a 48 hour turnover France are a top top team. I just can't see it unfortunately As stated earlier, one of Sinclairs quotes immediately after the semi-final(minutes actually)- "But I tell you one thing, I don’t think I’d want to be the team that plays us next." Heartwarming and powerful, but I just can't see another super-human performance happening for the reasons outlined above.
You underestimate her. She finally has a bit of support. I have watched her for a long time, and she can deliver. Even if it isn't a hat trick, she can find a way.
The reason why I think this chick should be high on the list for POY award this year is because of her ability to come through for her team in the final stretch. Canada won the Pan Am Games last year because Sinclair leveled the score in the waning minutes of the match. Canada ended up with their first "major" title in the sport. She did the same several weeks back against a stronger Brasil squad in the tournament in Switzerland. Sinclair may not score a hat trick, but I can definitely see her scoring a game changing goal later on in the day; I say all this, as a person, who would prefer the French to win. Don't let the last couple of days get you down. The match can go either way. Let's just hope it's a fun one.
06' 0-0 Mostly France pressure. Canada are calmly defending, sporadically countering. 06' 0-0 #16 Filigno applies pressure just past midfield right. France long backpass under pressure, shanked wide right and Bouhaddi(?) cannot reach it through box (her) left foot. Goofball corner to cede like that! 07' 0-0 Canada right corner, cleared over left. 07' 0-0 Canada left corner(?). #8 Matheson chips from 24m box left, doesn't bend inward, floats over #4 Moscato's head (RCB) at 14m 6-right, and bounces over the right endline.
08' 0-0 France surge to box arc top center. #14 Necib shoots instep low, weak roller doesn't get past the wall at 13m. Lineups after I rescue my eggs ...
11' 0-0 France left corner, driven to 2m left post. Canada head clear, pops over box to 14m 6-right. France settle it out of the air nicely, hook a pass down to 5m mid-right, but #7 Franco (RB) is beached by the tide wall sweeping upfield, offside. 13' 0-0 Midfield ping, won by France. Canada look to be conserving energy.