brazil 1 australia 0

both teams have players who are comfortable on the ball and love to run with the ball, so the game started brightly, flowing from one end to the other.

australia looked really good. aggressive pressing, able to play football, passing their way out of tight situations. when building up, they are not afraid to pass the ball to a backtracking central midfielder in midfield which is something you don't see often because it is rather risky and requires alot of movement and composure from the midfielders, so most teams prefer to play the ball to the flanks or just pump it forward. they hold the ball well and release it at the right time, something which i always value: knowing when to do what.

australia were dominating the game after 15 minutes but brazil managed to carve out chances despite clearly not playing to their own and the spectators' expectations. it was a warning for the australians that any mistake could be costly.

0-0 at half time, no sign of australia's youth (and thus lack of experience). in fact, they played with such maturity that they more than matched brazil.

australia paid for a moment of carelessness in the 54th minute. christiane should never have gotten that space and time to set rosanna up for the goal; the ball should have been cleared long before that.

1-0 in the end. australia never gave up and could have gotten that equaliser from the goalmouth scramble from a corner in the last seconds of injury time.

it was a great match. australia really impressed but football can be very cruel.

norway 1 equatorial guinea 0

norway were very disappointing in the first half. attacks break down before even reaching the attacking third, passes easily cut out. they didnt put any pressure in midfield and equatorial guinea took quite a few good long shots, testing hjelmseth who was up for it. the norwegians were not in the game, both offensively and defensively. they were too static, not enough movement to create space, and not enough pressure to destroy space. the guineans caused problems with their pace and long shots. once again, hjelmseth was keeping her team in play.

norway started coming into the game in the last 15 minutes of the first half, but were playing too many long high balls into the middle.

norway took off giske for mykjaland at half time and started the second half better. mykjaland added some impetus to the attack though norway were still lacking in terms of creativity.

to be honest, equatorial guinea looked more likely to score, but in the 84th minute, norway cruelly grabbed that redeeming goal, emilie haavi getting on to the end of kaurin's drilled ball across.

norway triumphed 1-0 in the end, but equatorial guinea should have won this game.

it was basically ingrid hjelmseth versus anonman. and where hjelmseth was already stranded, anonma couldnt hit the target.

norway have gotten the 3 points, but not in the emphatic manner i was expecting. i was looking forward to this game, because this should be the game where norway shows if they have the attacking quality that you need to go far.

as it stands, it appears that norway will have problems even in defence, their supposedly strong suit.

they don't seem to have a plan. if you take off madeleine giske at half-time, then her replacement lene mykjaland on 70 minutes for leni laursen kaurin, then i have to wonder if the coach knows her team well.

and before that lisa-marie woods' blog entries seem to hint of massive politicking in the team, though she has since clarified and denied it.

these make me wonder if all is well in the norwegian camp.

equatorial guinea, on the other hand, can hold their heads up.

usa 2 north korea 0

the first half was an excellent contest, with usa controlling the ball, but north korea just as dangerous on the counter. amy rodriguez was a livewire in the first half, constantly popping up everywhere.

the americans started the second half stronger, using their athleticism to cause problems for the north koreans. the breakthrough eventually arrived and the americans never looked back. north korea did have a late rally, but the result was already beyond doubt.

the americans look like they are back in business. as i said, you can never write them off. amy rodriguez and abby wambach form a formidable strike partnership.

while north korea are the secret favourites for some, this game, just like the friendly against germany showed why, while they are a good team, a good opponent, they lack that mentality to go all the way. their game plan is based on defence. that's great if it's 0-0. your next counter could be that 1-0.

but once they are 1-0 down, they don't have that mentality to dictate play, whereas the opponents will sense that the wall has crumbled and they can plunder more.

defensive football, like greece in 2004 and mourinho's inter milan could pull it off sometimes, but attacking football will always triumph in the end... because to win, you need to score, and to score, you need to attack.

colombia 0 sweden 1

sweden controlled the game. they showed some really good (surprisingly) combination play to move the ball around. they made use of the pitch well. key to this was dahlkvist and seger in centre mid, who were everywhere. sweden were compact without the ball and pressed very aggressively, especially the two fullbacks who made numerous interceptions just inside the colombian half, allowing them to counter from there.

lotta schelin was the player of the match. she was drifting out to the flanks, dropping back, making runs between and behind the central defenders.

the colombians are very skilful, but unfortunately don't use their skill intelligently enough. a nice piece of skill, and then nothing else happens after that because there was no coherence in their play. it was a bit like wait and see. they didnt know what to do after executing the skill, and then the window of opportunity(if it had existed) was gone.

sweden had all the chances, but couldnt get the breakthrough until the 57th minute, when schelin set up landstrom for a simple tap in after a great run to the byline before cutting the ball back.

the problem is always that when you don't get that second goal, you panick a little when the opponents come up with one or two half chances in the end. but sweden rode the game out.

i wasnt around for the first two days of the world cup, but have caught the highlights and read the match reports. here's a quick summary

france 1-0 nigeria
marie laura delie is a goal machine in the qualifiers and once again got that goal.

the interesting thing is that for the second match in a row, the captain soubeyrand was taken off at half time. i think they switched tactically from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.

germany 2-1 canada
germany had many chances but conceded a late goal to set up a nervy finish. that is the lesson for all teams playing against germany. get that one goal, and they will get nervous.

england 1-1 mexico
an england keeper howler resulted in shared points. england didnt start well in 2009 but went all the way to the final, so i think they will grow into the tournament, since the team is more or less the same team.

japan 2-1 new zealand
a wonderful free kick from miyama puts japan in a strong position in this group.

World Cup Preview Reloaded

now, what i have given in my previous post will probably turn out very wrong, not because i am no clairvoyant, but because the future is always changing in the biggest of ways, by the smallest of things.

it is really difficult to say so in advance how everything would play out.

but there are a few things we can be certain of.

the favourites (in this order):
germany
brazil
usa

the dark horses:
england
sweden

my dark horse:
france

teams that can hope to reach the last 4
japan
norway

teams that can hope to get out of the group phase
north korea
australia
new zealand
canada

teams that can really cause some upsets
colombia
mexico
nigeria

team that i really don't fancy having any sort of chance
equatorial guinea

i am personally rooting for france and england because most of my favourite players play for these two countries (such a shame that katie chapman, amandine henry and lara dickenmann are not in the world cup)

with this, i think the world cup can begin!

World Cup Preview: how it could unfold

with 4 days to go, here's how i think the tournament could unfold:

Group Stage

Group A
Germany
Canada
Nigeria
France

germany should qualify easily from this group as winners. nigeria have nothing to lose and may surprise with their energy. canada will look to impose their physical game on opponents. but i think france should have the quality to join germany in the quarter-finals

match of the group: germany-france
the last game could decide who wins the group. with 10 players from the lyon team that beat german champions potsdam(which actually only has 2.5 representatives in the german squad; lira bajramaj has since moved to frankfurt), france should fancy their chance at an upset.

Group B
Japan
Mexico
England
New Zealand

a rather open group with japan looking to finally come of age, mexico and new zealand looking to impress, and england looking to consolidate their rise in women's football.

on paper, japan and england are favourites, but mexico and new zealand cant be underestimated.

match of the group: japan v england
again the last game could decide who wins the group. the two teams drew 2-2 in the last world cup with kelly smith getting the equaliser. kelly smith could again decide this tie, though a certain mana iwabuchi may choose this game to announce her arrival on the biggest stage.

Group C
USA
North Korea
Sweden
Colombia

the group of death.
USA comes into this tournament on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over mexico and a 1-3 defeat to norway. nevertheless, usa have enough pedigree and experience and seem to deliver the goods when their backs are against the wall.
north korea has the youngest team in this tournament and look very organised and disciplined, although they are no longer the powerhouse they used to be.
sweden have a rather poor record at big tournaments considering their reputation, often starting with all guns blazing, only to crash out early.
colombia, like mexico and nigeria, know they have nothing to lose and will play with the pressure off.

i think usa and sweden will progress with sweden topping the group with an impressive group stage performance

match of the group: north korea v usa
the two rivals meet in their first game which should set the tone of the group.
i have a feeling usa, fired up to make amends for that defeat to norway, would fight hard to break down north korea and eventually get that breakthrough for a narrow, but vital win.

Group D
Brazil
Australia
Equatorial Guinea
Norway

the mathildas are the reigning asian champions, although their squad has somewhat been decimated by injuries. brazil have marta while norway come into the tournament off an impressive 3-1 win over usa. equatorial guinea are the lowest-ranked team and have withdrawn their two key players due to gender controversies.

brazil should have the quality to win the group. norway should just about squeeze past australia for the 2nd place.

match of the group: australia v norway
last game of the group could see a straight fight between two teams looking to join brazil in the next round.

quarter finals
germany v japan
japan could give germany a run for their money, but germany would ultimately prevail.

sweden v norway
a potential repeat of euro 2009, where norway somehow saw off their rivals who had impressed in the group phase.

england v france
a very close match. the girls of lyon could yet break english hearts again.

brazil v usa
a match between two heavyweights with usa finally finding their tournament form to send the brazilians home.

semi finals
germany v norway
once again, norway would hold the germans at bay, but the germans eventually find the breakthrough in the last 15 minutes or so, and score a few rapid goals to add gloss to the victory.

france v usa
usa overwhelms france with their physical game, but france can take pride in their achievement at having come so far.

final
germany v usa
the first time these two teams meet in the final. possibly a titanic battle, with germany eventually triumphing in berlin to complete the sommermärchen.

why i watch women's football

with the world cup coming in 6 days, i thought i would shed some light on why i follow women's football and debunk some myths as well.

the number one reason why i follow the women's game is because i think it reminds me of a time when football is a sport, a passion, and not an obscenely-bloated circus.

most of the players juggle a day job and football. that's really passion and commitment for you.

some people say that the standard is poor. well, there are different levels. i would advise those people to watch a team like olympique lyonnaise. frankly, players like necib and abily will kick our balls.

some people say women's football is boring. i find man utd boring. and i am not talking about their ladies' team, because they havent even got one.

the women's game is less based on power. it looks slower. that is true. but i think you can better appreciate the technical and tactical aspects of the game.

so all in all, i don't believe the women's game is any less entertaining.

what i do like is that there is very little play-acting. watching some barcelona players really put me to shame. and to think the sacked sexist sky commentators could make the comments that they made?

the girls just get on with the game.

unfortunately, much as i would wish otherwise, there are player struggles and players forcing moves.

what is different from the men's game however is that there are only 3 reasons: money, another challenge and disagreement with the coach/club

these 3 reasons in the women'S game are acceptable to me, even if i may not be happy about some of the moves. let me explain.

money: you must understand that there is really very little money in the women's game, and if they can go to the WPS in america to play professionally in a 'super league' (even if in my opinion, it is a mickey mouse league, but more on that later), they will jump at the opportunity. i won't call them greedy, because the money they are getting is what someone else doing a normal job would be receiving, not the obscene amount the men get.

another challenge: again the WPS where they have succeeded in attracting some top players from around the world. seriously when you are kelly smith or camille abily, playing in a league where you go into every game knowing you are going to win..you are going to need a new challenge.

conflicts: happens quite a lot in the german game.

the major difference i think is that agents don't really play a very big role in transfer dealings. which is really good, because i have realised that agents are the ones who fill the players' heads with silly ideas for their own interests. agents have their own interests first, then the players'. let's don't kid ourselves that the order is the other way round. so it's less of a circus in terms of transfer dealings.

the players whom i have seen moved on from arsenal ladies to the WPS all moved on because they needed a new challenge and better wages. much as i am disappointed by the departures, i really can't fault them for that when you look at the state of the game in england.

of course, with the new Super League, they are looking to change that.

why i think the WPS is a mickey mouse league:
there are only 6 or 7 teams. sorry, franchises. and they really come and go at such a frequent rate that i am no longer sure which are the franchises still in the league.

and boston breakers play their home games on an american football pitch. what an insult.

the fact is that aside from some dodgy dealings that are always present in american sports (such as the draft pick system, which i still don't quite understand), they do have infrastructure in the sense that the game is well-supported, there is tv coverage, there is sponsorship, there is a certain standard of football.

in europe, the only leagues that can be considered comparable are the WSL and the Frauenbundesliga.

i am not even sure if the lyon players will stay at lyon, now that they have fulfilled their ambition of being european champions.

lara dickenmann is wanted by turbine potsdam(ironically the very same team she helped lyon defeat in the final). why would she want to go there? because the level of competition is much higher in germany than in france, where lyon won all 22 of their games this season.

so, lest i digress into a lengthy tract arguing for the formation of a European Super League as a better alternative to the WPS, i shall reiterate that some unpleasant stuff happens in women's football off the pitch, but they are not as absurd as what we get in men's football, and thoroughly understandable.

on the pitch, the games are more affordable and sometimes even more entertaining. but you always know that the players out there are playing because they love the game, and not strutting about like spoilt brats or rolling around like wussies.

i think it is great that germany is hosting the world cup, because women's football is big here, so the players will be cheered on by big crowds. it is something they deserve, really, having been so put down by some people.

as i said, some of these girls can really kick your balls, so you ought to show them some respect.

Dream Team

here's my starting XI not based on the World Cup roster.

gk: emma byrne (arsenal, ireland)
dl: ingrid ryland (arna bjonar, norway)
dc: katie chapman (arsenal, england)
dr: alex scott (boston, england)
mc: anouk hoogendijk (bristol, holland)
mc: julia simic (bayern, germany)
mc: caroline seger (west new york, sweden)
aml: lara dickenmann (lyon, switzerland)
amc: kelly smith (boston, england)
amr: louisa necib (lyon, france)
fc: lotta schelin (lyon, sweden)

this is a lineup that won't work on the field, because it is too attacking, and the fullbacks are really fullbacks. and katie chapman, while she can play in central defence, is essentially still a central midfielder. but pretty centre backs are rather hard to find.

squad updates

France:
Amandine Henry, to my great disappointment, is on the backup list. now, i am really interested to see what the other midfielders called up by bruno bini can do.

England:
no real surprises from Hope Powell. but bassett made the squad instead of buet. though i doubt it will make much of a difference.

Australia
Australia called up 7 teenagers due to injuries and retirements.

Sweden
no place for Kosovare Asllani and Louise Fors. i am really surprised by the exclusion of the former.

Norway

Group D: Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Australia

Background: another traditional powerhouse, but their star has somewhat fallen with lacklustre performances in the recent Euros and World Cups. somehow reached the semi-finals of euro 2009, beating sweden 3-0 with something like 3 shots.

Tactics: 4-5-1, focusing on keeping things tight at the back before trying to launch a counterattack.

strength: physical presence

weakness: no ideas in attack, lack of creativity

key players:
trine roenning
it seems like roenning will be playing in centre midfield for this tournament. norway's most experienced player. norway will count on her to organise the midfield pressing and launch the counters.

ingrid hjelmseth
solid keeper who has already saved her team on countless occasions. good shot-stopper and reads crosses well.

maren mjelde
only 21 years old, but i think she is already the senior member in central defence, with her partner in euro 2009 moving up to midfield. lots of heart and commitment. courageous defending will be needed and she will provide that.

players to watch
cecilie pedersen
20 year old forward playing in the 3rd division, but hailed as the great talent. she has lots of confidence, attempting an audacious lob in the friendly against germany. a lot of burden is resting on her young shoulders, being the lone striker.

lena mykjaland
making her return to the international team after a self-imposed exile following a disagreement with the former coach. hopefully she will be raring to go.

starting lineup

based on what i saw in the game against germany, i would play
hjelmseth
berge-lund-mjelde-knutsen
roenning-stensland
kaurin-mykjaland-giske
pedersen

i do think norway has good attackers in pedersen, giske, kaurin and mykjaland. the problem is that they don't have someone who can playmake and bring out the talents of these 4 attackers.

outlook: i think norway will be fighting with australia for 2nd place. i won't bet against them frustrating and holding brazil to a draw. to go far, however, they would either need to sort out their attack, or have everything go their way, like the game against Sweden in 2009.

look factor: i think norway are early favourites to be the cutest team in the tournament. what i mean is not that every player is super hot, but that when you look at the whole team, it is a group of very pleasant girls. the whole package. maybe it is barney stinson's cheerleader effect. but they do have cuties like madeleine giske, lene mykjaland, ingrid ryland, maren mjelde, guro knutsen mienna, leni larsen kaurin, ingrid hjelmseth and erika skarbo.

Germany3 Norway0

Germany started with a 4-2-3-1
Angerer
bresonik krahn bartusiak peter
kulig laudehr
garefrekas prinz okoyino
grings

celia okoyino surprisingly started on the left, highlighting her versatility.

norway started with a 4-5-1, with cecilie pedersen the young forward alone upfront. trine roenning played in centre mid.

0-0 at half time. norway matched germany physically for 35 minutes or so, but didnt have any idea going forward. they lacked creativity in midfield. the set pieces, normally their strongest weapon, were disappointing.

germany started carving out chances in the last 10 minutes, but hjelmseth was excellent to keep the score level.

bajramaj, popp and behringer came on for the second half, joining okoyino. these changes gave germany a more direct approach, with behringer loving to shoot from range and bajramaj..well we know all about her dribbling.

norway showed more in attack in the second half, leni laursen kaurin and lene mykjaland adding drive.

german pressure finally paid off in the 78th minute, laudehr arriving at the far post to head home a behringer corner.

a horrendous mistake from the subbed-in centreback Vikestad gave popp a goal on the plate.

then behringer's cross was met by popp for the third goal.

3 goals in 4 minutes.

norway's problem in the second half was that the central midfield went missing. they pressed up together with the attackers, leaving space in midfield because they couldnt or didnt track back.

the good news for them is that the last 15 minutes can't be taken seriously, because they substituted in their second choice keeper and the 2 last minute call-ups. they were really just letting everyone get a run-out. i think they made 8 substitutions. it was definitely more than 6. and by then, their game plan has lost all coherence, especially when you take off your key players roenning, giske and hjelmseth.

in the end, it was business as usual for germany, it seems.

wow moment: came from a norwegian player, trine roenning, who met a german high ball with her left heel, like a scorpion kick, but with right foot on the ground

First XI

here's my pre-tournament starting 11 based on looks.



gk: melissa barbieri (australia)
lb: ingrid ryland (norway)
cb: maren mjelde (norway)
cb: sophia bradley (england)
rb: alex scott (england)
cm: simone laudehr (germany)
cm: caroline seger (sweden)
aml: louisa necib (france)
amc: kelly smith (england)
amr: eugenie le sommer (france)
fc: lotta schelin (sweden)

and here's another picture of the girls off the pitch

germany 5 netherlands 0

i watched germany thrash holland 5-0 yesterday.

holland played well for the first 40 minutes or so, having numbers behind and really stifling the german attack, which found little joy.

they did score with probably their only clear-cut chance in the first 30 minutes, birgit prinz slipping a perfect pass into the path of celia okoyino who clinically slotted it home. then on the 43rd minute, holland failed to clear the ball from the box, and the ball fell to laudehr at the edge of the box, who promptly curled it brilliantly with her left foot into the far corner, beyond loes guerts' despairing reach.

the problem with trying to defend against a team like germany is that sooner or later, you will start making mistakes and will pay the price.

indeed, it became much easier for germany to carve out chances in the 2nd half, though holland did produce 2 promising moves. but you could argue that it was late in the game, and germany had already taken a foot off the pedal.

for teams up against germany, i have good news and bad news.

the bad news is that they have 18 quality players.

the good news is that only 11 can play at any one time.

what the game showed is that you need to attack against germany to have any chance.
and because you might not be able to attack much, you need to be really clinical and efficient. holland wasnt. they lacked the idea in the final third. they were capable of stringing nice passes from defence to midfield, but lacked that idea in the final third.

i still don't know who silvia neid will play, or if she will even have a fixed starting 11.

celia okoyino really impressed, playing from the start.

it has been argued that for germany, it is easier to play coming off the bench because the player you are replacing has already softened the opponent for you. there is some truth in that. but celia okoyino, making a rare start, grabbed her chance with both hands, impressing with her pace, runs, technique and strength.

to be honest, i have never really believed in the prinz-grings partnership. perhaps that's because in 2009 prinz was really a pale shadow of herself. this time round, grings hasnt been on top form.

i would play okoyino and prinz, since prinz is the captain and it is unthinkable that she won't start. and looking at yesterday, maybe silvia neid will play that too. that would mean bad news for the opposition.

i do think silvia neid knows who she wants to play, but is pretending that it isnt, to fire up the players and especially to shake things up a little, because maybe a few players were thinking their place in the starting 11 was safe.

the one player who really didnt make an impact was bajramaj. perhaps it was the pressure, but she hasnt have had a stellar season as well. yet, i won't write her off.

germany made an interesting change yesterday, switching to a 4-3-3 in the second half, but with a twist. a bit more like a 4-1-2-3.

it really gave them alot of impetus in attack, because you have okoyino and popp who are explosive forwards, and laudehr and behringer in central midfield who are capable of playing on the wing. so it's like you have 4 players ready to run up from midfield. it is a very direct approach, and because the germans are strong and fast, it plays to their strengths. they can overrun a weak opponent like this easily.

the last game against norway next week will be interesting, because they will be playing against a team that is playing in the world cup. italy and netherlands, both thrashed 5-0, arent.

my 16

come next week, the final squads for the world cup would be announced.

you know, barring injuries, you would expect a core of 16 players: the starting 11 and 5 subs who can come on and change things tactically during the game. the rest of the players won't get much playing time unless qualification has been assured and the coach decides to play the second team for the last game.. in fact, most coaches will have 11 starting players and 2 main subs.

but i think 5 subs is the right number. a defender to bring on if you really want to go all out defence, a midfielder to steady the ship a little, and 3 attackers who are different from the 3 you already have out there.

so here's my 16 from the 16 nations that have qualified:

gk: ingrid hjelmseth (norway)
i thought she was the best keeper in euro 2009 because she was constantly tested. she certainly kept norway in the game against sweden. she did what she could in the two games against germany.

leftback: sonia bompastor (france)
one of the most solid leftbacks around.

centreback: trine roening (norway)
versatile, ball-playing centreback who can play anywhere in defence and midfield. played euro 2009 with a knee injury. for me, that's really commitment. i have no idea where she will be playing in this tournament.

centreback: charlotte rohlin (sweden)
ball-playing centreback who is a threat at corners.

rightback: alex scott (england)
rightback who just loves to pop up in the opposing penalty box.

centremid: amandine henry (france)
played as defensive midfielder with so much style that it would be a shame if she doenst make the world cup squad.

centremid: caroline seger (sweden)
all-action box to box swedish captain.

attacking midfielder: camille abily (france)
france's most complete player.

left forward: louisa necib (france)
they call her zidanette in france.

centre forward: kelly smith (england)
the Robin van Persie of the women's game.

right forward: lotta schelin (sweden)
complete forward who can play both centrally and on the flank.

subs

defender: linda bresonik (germany)
playmaking rightback who can play in central defence and midfield

midfielder: katie chapman (england)
defensive midfielder with a lot of heart and a powerful long shot. big match player who comes up with big goals in big games. pity that she definitely won't be playing in this world cup.

attacker: karen carney (england)
pace, technique, eye for goal and always plays like a woman possessed.

attacker: mana iwabuchi (japan)
the teenage prodigy who reminds one of messi with her play.

attacker: alex morgan (usa)
the rising star of usa, a right-sided forward with a wicked left foot.