USL at the Women’s World Cup >>
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
As the traditional world powers showed their strength in the final day of the first set of group play matches, it was the Australians taking the headlines as four W-Leaguers led the Matildas to their first-ever Women’s World Cup victory.
Group C: Australia 4 :: 1 Ghana
HANGZHOU -- In a battle of two teams trying to make their breakthrough in the Women’s World Cup, the Matildas registered the first-ever victory for Australia 4-1 in the tournament with an impressive performance against the Black Queens. The two squads featured 10 former W-League players.
Five W-Leaguers started the match with Cheryl Salisbury (Memphis 2002) and Adjoa Bayor (Northern Virginia 2002-03) serving as captains. Former Charlotte Lady Eagle Joanne Peters and Boston Renegade Caitlin Munoz were in the starting lineup for Australia while Rochester Rhino 2006 star Mavis Danso was on the pitch for Ghana. Fellow Rhino Belinda Kanda would come on late for Ghana and the Washington Freedom’s Thea Slatyer entered the game in the final minutes for Australia.
In the 15th minute, Munoz set up Sarah Walsh’s opening goal when she got on the end of a cross at the corner of the six and while falling to the pitch laid it off to Walsh. The 1-0 lead would hold until the break with Salisbury clearing a shot by Ghana’s Anita Amankwa. Lisa De Vanna would double the lead in the 57th and Heather Garriock pushed it to 3-0 in the 69th. Amankwa would connect to make it 3-1 a minute later, but Australia cruised to the win with another De Vanna strike in the 81st.
Australia Full Report [+] FIFA Full Report [+]
Group C: Canada 1 :: 2 Norway
HANGZHOU -- Fourth-ranked Norway prevented the 2003 darlings of Canada, whose entire squad has played in the W-League, from getting off to another hot start despite an early goal set up by former Vancouver Whitecap Christine Sinclair. The star striker for Canada held off two defenders on the left side of the box before slipping the ball across the middle to a wide open Candace Chapman (Atlanta Silverbacks 2005), who buried the shot from 15 yards for the lead 33 minutes in.
Canada’s long ball game plan was virtually shut down in the second half by the Norwegian’s who used their control of possession to pressure the Canadian defense. Whitecap goalkeeper Erin McLeod made numerous quick and acrobatic saves throughout the half to maintain the lead and the draw after Ragnhild Gulbrandsen tied the game in the 52nd minute. Her efforts were not enough, however, as Ane Stangeland Horpestad got above a Canadian defender in the 81st minute to head in the winner from eight yards out, putting them on top of Group C with Australia.
FIFA Full Report [+]
Group D: Brazil 5 :: 0 New Zealand
WUHAN -- Former Hampton Roads Piranha Daniela started things off for the Brazilians with a fantastic 30-yard blast 10 minutes in that soared under the bar. Daniela and star striker Marta, along with former Sky Blue and Wildcat midfielder Formiga, helped lead Brazil to a dominating performance over the youthful Kiwis, who featured
FIFA Full Report [+]
Group D: China 3 :: 2 Denmark
WUHAN -- The Steel Roses won a thrilling 3-2 affair against sixth-ranked Denmark to put the tournament hosts, ranked 11th, on level terms with eighth-ranked Brazil at the top of the group with a win each. China led 1-0 at the half and took a 2-0 lead five minutes into the second frame only to see Denmark immediately cut the deficit back to one within the next minute. The visitors tied the match in the 87th, but the celebration of a potential draw was short-lived as China replied just a minute later with the game-winner.
FIFA Full Report [+]
