– New Zealand may be the only side from Group A out of the competition; but despite winning the group, Canada too may be disappointed with their performance so far. They sat on their lead against Netherlands today, and were largely reduced to shots from outside the area; while Netherlands caused them increasing problems with the pace and dynamism of their wide players. Canada’s defending towards the end of the game was poor. Netherlands and China will be happier with their set of results. But the sides can start afresh in the next round.
– Canada will face a third-placed qualifier in the Round of Sixteen, in Vancouver on 21 June from 16:30 local time. China will meet the runner-up from Group C, in Edmonton on 20 June from 17:30. Netherlands should also qualify for the Round of Sixteen: four points with a goal difference of 0 should prove sufficient to see them through as one of the four best third-placed teams.
– So Canada top Group A, with five points. China, thanks to their victory over Netherlands, are second with four points; while Netherlands, also with four points, are in third. New Zealand finish bottom with two points.
The New Zealand manager, Tony Readings, refused to shake hands with his Chinese counterpart, Hao Wei, at the end of their game, possibly angered by that first-half penalty which brought China back into it.
* * *
Full time results: Netherlands 1-1 Canada, China 2-2 New Zealand
90 (+6) minutes: Full time too now in the game between China and New Zealand. It finishes 2-2.
90 (+3) minutes: All over in Montreal, but they are still playing in Winnipeg. A goal for New Zealand would still move them ahead of China, into third.
90 minutes: We move into stoppage time. Canada are still atop Group A, with China still in second. But Netherlands’ goal should at least see them win qualification as a best third-placed finisher.
86 minutes: As Canada attempt to clear the ball upfield, it is run down on the half-way line. With the Canadian defence in disarray, Van de Ven takes her time on the edge of the area and fires across McLeod into the top right corner of the goal. Netherlands 1-1 Canada
85 minutes: Sinclair just overhits a pass intended for Tancredi. Remember, if scores stay the same here in Montreal, a goal for New Zealand will see them overtake both Netherlands and China.
83 minutes: A ball over the top and Melis is suddenly through down Netherlands’ left. But as she tries to slip the ball past McLeod, the Canadian keeper sticks out her left leg and makes the save.
80 minutes: Canada make their final substitution, with a hobbling Schmidt replaced by Rhian Wilkinson. With ten minutes left, it is still Netherlands 0-1 Canada, and China 2-2 New Zealand. Canada and China are going through as things stand.
79 minutes: Netherlands have lost momentum over the last fifteen minutes, with Canada now pressing their back-line and hoping to force a mistake. But with Schmidt off the field, Buchanan is forced to concede a corner, which McLeod claws away.
72 minutes: A couple of bookings, first for Canada’s Josee Belanger, then for Netherlands’ Stefanie van der Gragt. And a substitution for Netherlands as Danielle van de Donk comes off for Kirsten van de Ven.
70 minutes: Adriana Leon shows good feet, and weaves her way between Netherlands midfielders before being brought down. From a long way out, Schmidt lofts the free-kick high over the bar.
64 minutes: But just minutes later, it is New Zealand’s turn to equalise. A cross from the left is headed back across goal, and Wilkinson forces the ball into the back of the net. China are still in second, but New Zealand are back in the contest. China 2-2 New Zealand
60 minutes: Meanwhile China take the lead. A cross is driven in from the right, and Wang Shuang gets her head to the ball ahead of the New Zealand goalkeeper. China 2-1 New Zealand
60 minutes: With Netherlands getting on top, Canada make a couple of substitutions. Kaylyn Kyle is replaced by Melissa Tancredi, and Jessie Fleming is replaced by Desiree Scott.
59 minutes: A free-kick for Netherlands from twenty-five yards out is fired straight into the Canadian wall.
57 minutes: Van der Gragt does well to clear the ball at the near post for Canada’s third corner of the game. Nothing comes of it; then the Netherlands break and it is three-on-three. But on the right side of the six-yard box, Van de Donk slices badly wide.
54 minutes: Again the ball is worked to Fleming on the edge of the Netherlands area, but this time she pulls her shot narrowly wide of the far post.
51 minutes: A cross from the left is brought down by Melis for Miedema, but the number nine volleys over the bar. She should have hit the target, and should probably have scored.
50 minutes: The pitch opens up for Canada’s Jessie Fleming, but she shanks her effort over the bar.
48 minutes: Sherida Spitse curls an effort into the chest of Canada’s McLeod; then at the other end, after the ball is teed up for her, Lawrence fires into the midriff of Netherlands’ Geurts.
45 minutes: We are back underway.
* * *
45 (+1) minutes: And it is half-time at both grounds.
The Chinese equaliser in Winnipeg will prove controversial. The penalty was given for a handball by New Zealand’s Betsy Hassett; but though Hassett had her arms raised, the ball in fact hit her chest.
45 minutes: Martens surges down the left and into the penalty area, but Kadeisha Buchanan gets back to make an important challenge for Canada. The resulting corner is punched away to safety; and we are into first-half stoppage time.
40 minutes: China equalise, through a penalty scored by Wang Shuang. That puts them back into second in Group A. China 1-1 New Zealand
37 minutes: A long cross from a Canada free-kick is firmly punched away by Loes Geurts in the Netherlands goal.
32 minutes: Spitse plays a teasing ball into the Canadian area, and Van de Donk and Miedema battle to get on the end of it, but the referee blows for a free kick to Canada.
29 minutes: Stott puts New Zealand ahead against China. As things stand, New Zealand are in second place in Group A. China 0-1 New Zealand
29 minutes: Melis charges down the right hand side for Netherlands, and whips the ball into the box. It evades the defender, but Van de Donk fails to control it with the goal gaping. It comes off her ankle into McLeod’s arms.
19 minutes: Netherlands have an effort on goal, as Lieke Martens chests the ball down outside the area, and fires wide on the volley.
14 minutes: A forced early change for Netherlands, with Dominique Janssen coming on for Desiree van Lunteren.
12 minutes: Lawrence goes close, shooting narrowly wide from the edge of the Netherlands area.
10 minutes: Joy for Canada. A throw deep in the Netherlands half is flicked back to Schmidt, whose shot deflects to find Lawrence free at the back post. She keeps her cool, and Canada take an early lead. Netherlands 0-1 Canada
7 minutes: A ball played across the face of goal forces Netherlands to concede the first corner of the game, but Canada make nothing of it.
5 minutes: Netherlands overplay on the edge of their area, and after Ashley Lawrence’s shot is blocked, a header from Sophie Schmidt goes just over the bar.
2 minutes: An early free-kick for Netherlands is pumped into the box, and evades everyone to drop wide of the post.
0 minutes: We are underway in both Montreal and Winnipeg.
* * *
– We’ll follow Netherlands vs. Canada, while keeping an eye also on New Zealand vs. China. The line-ups are as follows:
Netherlands XI: Geurts, V.Lunteren, V.der Gragt, V.den Berg (c), Dekker, Melis, Spitse, Miedema, V.de Donk, Martens, V.Dongen
Substitutes: Van Veenendaal, Christ, Hogewoning, Bito, Janssen, Hoogendijk, Middag, Van Erp, Van de Ven, Roord, Lewerissa, Van de Sanden
Canada XI: McLeod, Buchanan, Moscato, Kyle, Belanger, Sinclair (c), Schmidt, Chapman, Fleming, Leon, Lawrence
Substitutes: Labbe, LeBlanc, Zurrer, Gayle, Wilkinson, Matheson, Sesselmann, Scott, Tancredi, Filigno, Iacchelli, Nault
and:
China XI: W. Fei, L. Shanshan, W. Haiyan (c), L. Dongna, W. Shanshan, T. Jiali, Z. Rong, H. Peng, T. Ruyin, W. Lisi, R. Guixin
Substitutes: Zhang Y, Zhao L N, Pang F Y, Li J Y, Xu Y L, Ma J, Li Y, Wang SH, Lei J H, Lou J H, GU YS, Zhang R
New Zealand XI: Nayler, Percival, Duncan, Erceg (c), Stott, Riley, Hearn, Gregorius, Hassett, Longo, Wilkinson
Substitutes: Rolls, Lichtwark, Green, Pereira, Yallop, White, Bowen, Moore, Bott, Millynn, Cleverley, Kete
– So it is day ten of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and we have our first two qualifiers for the Round of Sixteen. Following the final round of Group B fixtures earlier today in Winnipeg and Moncton, Germany topped the group with Norway finishing runners-up by virtue of goal difference. Thailand will have to wait and see if they finish among the four best third-placed teams, but their outlook is bleak. Meanwhile attention turns to Group A, with Netherlands vs. Canada and China vs. New Zealand. Both matches are set to commence in ten minutes.
Canada, the hosts of the World Cup, opened their tournament a week last Saturday with an injury-time penalty-kick 1-0 victory over China. An anxious start in front of an expectant nation, things got worse when they drew their second match 0-0 against New Zealand. That game was postponed for thirty minutes owing to thunder; and when play restarted, New Zealand won a penalty but could only find the crossbar.
That gives Canada four points, and as things stand they top what is a fairly tough Group A, with all four sides ranked within FIFA’s top twenty: Canada 8th, Netherlands 12th and making their World Cup debut, China 16th, and New Zealand 17th. New Zealand lost their opener against Netherlands 0-1, so they lie at the bottom of the group with a single point. But in their second match, Netherlands in turn fell 0-1 to China: leaving the two sides separated only by virtue of that result, sharing the same number of points, goals scored, and goals conceded.
Again, the group phase of the competition has comprised six groups of four teams. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the Round of Sixteen, along with the four best third-placed teams. Qualification depends first on points, with three points for a win and one for a draw; then on goal difference; then goals scored; before the results of matches played between sides are considered.
A point will be enough to see Canada finish in the top two, thereby securing their qualification for the next round. If they and Netherlands draw and China lose to New Zealand, both Canada and Netherlands will progress. But a win for China and Netherlands will have to not only equal their result, but better it by virtue of goal difference. New Zealand can still go through today provided they beat China and Canada beat Netherlands. In short, it is complex, and all is still to play for.
Netherlands vs. Canada will take place in Olympic Stadium, Montreal; China vs. New Zealand in Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg.
