Quarter-final line up starts to take shape

SHANGHAI, 18 September 2007

The USA finished top of their group after narrowly defeating Nigeria in a rain-soaked encounter in Shanghai. They now face Group A runners-up England in Tianjin on Saturday. Despite losing their last game to Sweden, North Korea qualified for the last eight for the first time in their history. They will face the formidable Germany, who, despite again failing to reach the highs of their first match, defeated Japan comfortably in their final group game.

Instant Predictions (aka “preparing for egg on face”):

USA – England: If they defend like they did against Germany, then England could hold the USA’s three-pronged frontline for some time. However, impressive though Kelly Smith has been so far, England probably don’t have enough speed and guile going forward to break through the fierce US defensive-line. It could come down to how well each side uses their wing-play and who wins the aerial battles. The USA will probably prove too strong.

Germany – North Korea: I haven’t seen as much of Korea as I would have liked, but they are building a reputation as being not only fast, but tough as well. Germany are as tough as they get, but have shown a few surprising weaknesses in the first round. Against Argentina some slack passing went unpunished, while their forwards seemed subdued against both England and Japan. Most money will be on Germany to prevail, but an outside bet on North Korea might not be totally unreasonable.

Match Report:

    

USA 1 Nigeria 0

Greg Ryan, USA team coach, was in diplomatic but confident form after a hard-fought victory in the pouring rain in Shanghai confirmed his side’s to placing in Group B. Praising Nigeria for their strong performances throughout the Group stage, he said of next opponents England “I expected them to make it. In the game against Germany they showed how strong they are.” But Ryan has no doubts about the abilities of his young squad: “Our team defending makes it very difficult to beat us. We’ll be able to take that into the next round and the one after. This team has what it takes to win this World Cup.”

A lucky deflection from a long-throw set-piece allowed them to take the lead on 54 seconds. For most of the game they looked sure of holding this, but Nigeria gave them some scares in the second half and in the end the Americans were glad of the final whistle.

The playing surface, which was of decidedly patchy quality before a single drop of rain had fallen, did no favours for either side. The weighting of passes was very difficult to judge as sometimes the puddles held the ball up, sometimes the slickness of the grass carried the ball faster than expected ahead of the onrushing players.

Nigeria in particular seemed to struggle at first to find a way to play their preferred fast, short passing game and somehow break down a strong, organised US defense. For the US, Abby Wambach and captain Kristine Lilly both came close, but could not extend their lead.

The last ten minutes saw sustained Nigerian pressure, with the tireless Pepetua Nkwocha setting up an excellent chance for Stella Mbachu that Hope Powell had to do well to get down and save at her near post.

Nigeria coach, Ntiero Effiom, praised his players’ performance, heralding them as proof that Africa deserves more qualifying places for the Women’s World Cup. With a little more luck or a stronger final product, they may have had the scoreline tonight to back that up.

England step up

England 0 Germany 0

SHANGHAI, 14 September 2007

After steamrollering Argentina 11-0 in the first leg, Germany coach, Silvia Neid, said they expected a much tougher match against England. They got it. Hope Powell’s young England side can now genuinely be regarded as a serious proposition in the women’s game.

This tournament has already shown that women’s football can be as exciting and spectacular as the men’s game, but this game showed that it can be as methodical and tactical too.

Both sides began with a clear game plan and both sides can claim it worked. Germany shaded the game and certainly had the better chances, but then England can easily retort that those better chances were blocked or saved in spectacular fashion. Picks of the bunch were a flying block by Katie Chapman to deny Kerstin Garerfrekes on 74 minutes, and the stretched-leg save by Rachel Brown, again from a Garerfrekes shot, seven minutes later.

An evenly matched first half created few clear cut chances, though German hearts were in mouths when goalkeeper Nadi Angerer inexplicably tried and failed to head the ball clear even though she was in her area. Fortunately, it drifted wide of the goal, but England rattled Germany in a way Argentina never did.

England switched to a deeper 4-5-1 in the second half and this invited more German pressure, but the defense held firm. This deeper line made it slightly harder for England to replicate the movement that had caused problems for the Japanese defense earlier in the week. Karen Carney had a great first half, including a sensational backheel-to-backheel one-two with Kelly Smith – but seemed to tire in the second. Quick as she and Alex Scott on the other wing were, Germany’s full-backs were quicker.

A goal for either side early in the second half could have really opened the game up, and Germany always looked the more likely, despite never hitting the fluid highs of their first match (but how could they?). There were occasions when both sides launched weak long range efforts when they might have sought other avenues of attack and neither made the best use of the many free kicks awarded around the penalty areas.

This result leaves both sides looking to get something out of their final game (England must win to stand a chance of going through). Both will be confident after this determined display, befitting the noisy, partisan atmosphere created by large sets of fans from each nation.

Woman of the match: Faye White. Captain Fantastic marshaling England’s solid back line.

Miyama strikes late to deny England a dream start

**written at 01:00, Septembr 12 – please forgive any typos/errors until editing can be done after I’ve got some sleep!**

Japan 2 England 2

SHANGHAI, 11 September 2007

Japan grabbed a dramatic equaliser with the last kick of the game, but England will be kicking themselves for failing to kill the game off earlier.

After missing gilt-edged chances either side of half-time, England clawed their way back from 1-0 down thanks to two Kelly Smith goals in as many minutes. As they sought to wind down the clock rather than push for a third, they paid the ultimate price as a clumsy challenge 25 yards out allowed Aya Miyama to step up with her second free kick goal of the night.

The first half started poorly and hardly got better. If last night’s game teetered between the sublime and the ridiculous, this was decidedly dull. Stray short passes and aimless long ones became a depressing recurring pattern.

England set out their stall to flood the Japanese midfield and flummox their defence by employing Eniola Aluko as a lone striker with three forwards in a line behind her. After early unease, Japan responded by dropping deep when they were in possession and maintaining a frighteningly efficient off-side trap of which George Graham’s Arsenal would have been proud.

Few clear cut chances were created by either side, but neither England’s fans nor their bench could believe it when Aluko missed an open goal. Miho Fukumoto in the Japanese goal had raced out and missed the ball, pushing Aluko wide and closing down the angle, but the miss could prove costly in the race for second place in the Group behind Germany.

Kozue Ando came on for Japan in the second half and was given much more of a license to go forward down the right wing. She caused no end of problems and her surging runs led the attacks that forced both free kicks for the goals.

Having gone 1-0 down on 55 minutes, England rallied strongly and could have had a hat full of goals before Smith equalised – Japan defended in numbers and needed to as Aluko and Smith had efforts cleared off the line.

Eventually the pressure paid and Smith was able to stab home on 81 minutes. Just two minutes later, she found herself with room to run down the left and to take the ball around two Japanese defenders before smashing it into the back of the net at the second attempt. In celebrating her first, she kissed her own boot. Her team-mates were on hand to oblige this time around.

But the celebrations were premature. From a promising counter-attack position, England tried to play down the clock at the corner flag, but, as so often with both teams on the night, just could not hold onto the ball. A late knock for Sarah Brown was not excuse enough to be beaten again as much because of poor positioning as by the placement of the free kick. England applauded the crowd, but left the field looking and probably feeling as if they had lost, while Japan were able to bask in the delight of their many, many fans in the Hongkou Stadium.

Woman of the Match: Kelly Smith. She played an important role in a well-intentioned tactical ploy of switching forwards around all game. She was the spark in any England attack and, crucially, the only one with the clinical finishing necessary at a World Cup Finals.

The best or worst advert for women’s football?

Germany 11 Argentina 0

SHANGHAI, 10 Sep 2007. Group A.

It could be said that 11-0 is a flattering scoreline. Germany should have had more.

Aided and abeted by the ridiculous and the risible, Germany destroyed Argentina with as clear a statement of intent as possible about their desire and ability to retain their world title.

Two almost identical own goals from Argentinian goalkeeper, Vanina Correa, punching the ball into her own net from corners, bookended this opening match, while a Birget Prinz hat-trick showed that she has not lost any of the desire that propelled the German side to glory in the USA four years ago.

This was so one-sided nearly a third of the spectators left at half time and didn’t return. By the 85th minute less than half the announced attendance remained. They missed some goals, but the result was never in doubt.

Argentina huffed and puffed, but whenever they threatened a speedy break, Germany easily overwhelmed them with strength of numbers or sheer strength.

The Argentinian plan to woman-mark Prinz out of the game backfired spectacularly when the striker led her marker, Sabrina Barbitta, a merry dance around the field. Her tireless workrate created the space necessary for the German midfield to spray passes, make runs in and out of the channels and generally cause havock for the Argentinian defence. With winger Behringer and Garefrekes playing so far upfield, all Prinz had to do was drag her marker deep and leave Argentina three on three at the back.

Aside from the own goals (generously described on the PA as “a goal in the favour of the team of Germany”), there were some excellent moves: a 40-yard, Beckham-esque “Hollywood ball” for Garefrekes to volley in the second goal, a neat finish after a mazy run and cut-in from the left by Behringer, two trademark headers and a tap in from Prinz, a long ranger from Lingor, and a hat-trick from Prinz’s equally hard working strike partner, Sandra Smisek.

The goals looked impressive, the Germans strong and commanding, but in many ways this was like a computer game match on the “absolute beginners” setting. Not even a training session.

In the press conference afterwards, Prinz was asked what this said about the women’s game: “I think you should ask Argentina that question,” she replied, a little tartly, “This result was not our fault.” True. ‘You can only beat what’s in front of you’ as they say. But when the opening game of a World Cup ends 11-0, questions about true depth of quality will continue to hang around the women’s game. Sorry, Birgit…

Woman of the match: Birgit Prinz. It could really have been any of the Germans. Smisek ran the Argentians even more ragged than Prinz, Garefrekes and Behringer were constant menaces on the wings. But Prinz gave an exemplary performance in all the arts of forward play – holding the ball up, working a defence, creating space, clinical finishing – that few of her male equivalents could have carried off with such applomb. She responded to the Argentinian marking-plan by dragging poor Barbitta all over the pitch. Wide, deep, left, right. Her movement directly contributed to more than half of Germany’s total.

[pics and more detail to follow]