This Weekend in the Women's World Cup

Group play in the Women’s World Cup is over.  Now the tournament is in the knockout stage.  It is literally “win or go home” time for everybody.  There were four Round of 16 games played this weekend in the Women’s World Cup.  I saw the Saturday games live, but I slept in on Sunday, knowing that those games were being recorded.  DVR is such a wonderful device. 😊 The Video Assistant Referee [VAR] didn’t play a part in Saturday’s games, but Sunday’s games are another story.  More on that later.

The first game on Saturday was Germany vs. Nigeria.  It was a controversy-free game as Germany cruised to a 3-0 victory.  They have yet to allow a goal in the tournament.  They’re currently the world’s #2 ranked team, behind the United States.  They await the winner of Sweden vs. Canada.  The most entertaining game of the weekend came in the afternoon, with Norway vs. Australia.  Like the Germany/Nigeria game, this game was fairly free of controversy.  VAR allowed the referee to overturn one call [correctly, I might add].  But more on that later.  In the opening minute the Australians threatened early. 

Australian forward Sam Kerr took a pass from Caitlin Foord and raced along the left side, beating her defender.  But, her shot on goal went left, barely.  The game’s first goal didn’t come until the half-hour point.  Norwegian forward Karina Saevik found forward Isabell Herlovsen, who right footed a shot from the center of the box to the bottom right corner.  Things remained thus until just before halftime.  A ball bounced off Norwegian defender Maria Thorisdottir's right shoulder in Australia’s penalty area.  The referee awarded Australia a penalty.  Sam Kerr placed the ball on the spot ready to take the penalty shot, and then came the VAR.  And the players and the spectators waited. and waited some more.  Upon further review, Thorisdottir had her right arm tucked into her side.  No penalty.  The score at halftime had Norway ahead, 1-0.

The score remained 1-0 until seven minutes from the end of regulation.  Australian midfielder   Elise Kellond-Knight scored on a corner kick to equalize.  The Australians were still alive.  At the end of regulation, the score was tied 1-1.  Under FIFA rules, there were two be two extra fifteen-minute periods.  There is no ‘golden goal’ in the World Cup.  If after the two extra periods and the score is still tied, then it’s on to penalty kicks.  Despite the extra time, the play was at a furious pace on both ends.  Australian goalie Lydia Williams seemed like she was singlehandedly keeping Australia in the game, She blocked shot after Norwegian shot.  She came up limping after one play.  I wondered how that would affect her if the game went to penalty kicks.  Australian defender Alanna Kennedy received a straight red card in the first extra period and was sent off.  Norway couldn’t capitalize on the one-person advantage, so the game ended 1-1.  It was on to penalty kicks.

Caroline Graham-Hanson took the first shot for Norway.  She made it look easy.  Sam Kerr took the first shot for the Australians.  Until this time, she hadn’t had a bad game, but she didn’t have a particularly good one either.  She took her shot and it ended up in the seats behind goal.   Norway ahead on PK 1-0.   Guro Reiten was up next for Norway.  She made it look as easy as Graham-Hanson.  Emily Gielnick for Australia was next.  She took her shot to the left, but Norwegian goalie Ingrid Hjelmseth guessed right and made the save.  Norway was up 2-0.  Norway’s Marin Mjelde stepped up and made it 3-0.  As the late Stuart Scott would say, the Norwegians were “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”  Australian Steph Catley needed to score to keep Australia in the World Cup, and she did just that for a couple of minutes.  Norwegian Ingrid Ergen stepped up and scored.  There was no need for a fifth penalty shot since Australia missed twice.  Norway won the PK shootout 4-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals.  They meet the winner of the England/Cameroon game on Sunday.

The England/Cameroon match was chaotic, and things got very ugly.  The first goal came at 14 minutes.  In something one doesn’t see very often, England were awarded an indirect free kick about six yards from goal because of a back pass to Cameroon’s goalie [it didn’t look deliberate to me].  Cameroon had almost everyone on the goal line.  But England’s Toni Duggan passed the ball to English captain Steph Houghton, who curled a low shot into the bottom right corner.  England led 1-0.  England dominated play in the first half.  Seven minutes of stoppage time was tacked onto the end of the second half.  Four minutes in, Ellen White scored the second goal for England.  The referee waved it off for offside.  Out came the VAR, and the ruling was overturned.  Cameroon players were furious. They argued that Toni Duggan was in an offside position for the goal [she was], but she clearly wasn't interfering with play. They acted like they didn’t want to resume play.  They did, finally, but the referee blew the whistle for halftime.  England led 2-0 at the break.  Cameroon players and coaching staff accused the match officials and FIFA of racism as they left the field at half time.

When play resumed after the half, Cameroon players were still furious.  Ajara Nchout scored three minutes into the second half to bring Cameroon back into the game.  However, VAR came out and the referee ruled Cameroon was offside and the goal was disallowed.  It looked like a clean goal to me, and the person called for being offside wasn’t nearly as egregious what Toni Duggan had done [and was allowed] in the first half.  More fury from Cameroon ensued.  At 55 minutes Alex Greenwood scored a textbook goal after a corner kick, giving England the lead 3-0. Then things got uglier.

Cameroon players committed some bad fouls.  Elbows were thrown, players were spit on.  At 10 minutes into stoppage time Cameroon substitute Alexandra Takounda made a brutal challenge on Steph Houghton painfully high on the ankle [studs up].  It should have been a red card, but the referee only booked her with a yellow card.  This was not a fun game to watch.  As a result of England’s trouble, they get to play Norway in the quarterfinal.

France vs. Brazil promised to be just as hard-fought, but more entertaining.  It wasn’t a pretty game.  It was tough, but it had none of the chaos from the England/Cameroon game.  Neither team played exceptionally well, which was a disappointment.  Brazil had more movement with the ball as is their wont.  This was going to be one of those games where the winner was going to have to grind it out, and that’s what came to pass.

In the 23d minute French forward Valérie Gauvin scored what appeared to be the opening goal.  She and Brazilian goalie Barbara collided, both she and Gauvin went to the ground and stayed there for a while.  Meanwhile, the VAR reared its head.  Upon further review, the referee determined Bárbara had possession of the ball and disallowed the goal.  I saw the same replay the referee did.  It was a bullshit call.  Bárbara never had possession.  The ball was slipping though her hands when it bounced off Gauvin’s shoulder and into the goal.  But they don’t pay me to referee the games, and play continued until halftime, where the score was 0-0.

In the 52^nd minute French forward Kadidiatou Diani drove deep into Brazilian territory, fired a cross toward the Brazilian goal, where Gauvin capitalized and scored what should have been her second goal.  France led 1-0.  In the 63^rd minute Thaisa equalized for Brazil.  At first the referee waived off the goal.  The assistant referee called Brazil offside, but upon further review Brazil was not offside.  The goal counted, and the score was tied 1-1.  In the 85^th minute Brazilian defender Tamires put the ball in the net in the 86th minute.  But the goal was immediately disallowed because three Brazilians were clearly offside.  France had dodged a bullet.

Things got very exciting in extra time.  At the 105^th minute France got a real scare when Brazil’s Debinha was all alone and took a long pass from Brazilian forward Geyse.  She had the defender beat, and she had French goalie Sarah Bouhaddi beat as well.  But French defender Griedge Mbock Bathy kept her composure and deflected what was a wide-open shot from Debinha. The first 15-minute extra period ended without another goal.  Almost immediately after the second extra period commenced, Brazil committed foul [one of many in this game] and France was awarded a free kick.  Delphine Cascarino, who substituted on for Valérie Gauvin before extra time, fired the free kick into the Brazilian penalty area.  French captain Amadine Henry broke free and put the ball in the back of the Brazilian net.  France led 2-1.  Brazil pressed but couldn’t equalize.  The game ended with France on top, 2-1.  This game would not go to penalty kicks.

Tony’s take – Brazil committed more than their share of fouls to slow down the French.  I’m surprised they received only four yellow cards.  It should have been more.  They didn’t play dirty, but they did play rough.  France deserved the win.  They showed mental toughness despite the VAR going against them in the first half.  They’re the host country this year, so there’s a bit more pressure for them to do well, if not win it all.  Brazil looked like they were running out of gas in the second extra period.  It should never have gone to extra time.  The French await the winner of the USA/Spain game.