france 1 england 1 (france 4-3 on penalties)
marathon today. england got the first chance within 30 seconds or so with kelly smith latching onto the throughball but not putting it away with her weak right foot.
france got into the game and started dominating it. fara williams, kelly smith couldn't get into the game at all. france were dominating and creating chances, but you felt that england could always steal that one goal with one chance. and they did just that in the second half.
the keeper deville was beaten too easily from jill scott's long shot. positioning was all wrong.
after that, france were clearly shellshocked but managed to recover and searched for the equaliser, which they finally did, with bussaglia blasting it from outside the box late in the game to force extra time.
ellen white shot wide in england's only chance in extra time, while france didnt convert their chances.
penalties came. and to my horror, abily's penalty was saved by bardsley. your best player missing. shes that one french player i least expect to miss.
kelly smith was limping but blasted hers home to put all the pressure on france. bussaglia, thiney, bompastor converted for france, carney and stoney for england.
then claire rafferty pulled hers wide. i was thinking: why was she taking that penalty? where was fara williams? where was jill scott? ellen white? why claire rafferty, the young leftback who has come on late in the second half for the tiring rachel unitt?
le sommer was as cool as a cucumber, rolling the ball into the other corner as bardsley dived one way.
faye white sent hers against the bar, and the french were through.
i know i have put faye white under scrutiny, but i can tell you that she was the last player i wanted to see miss that penalty.
france were the better team, by a lot. but i was so torn between the two teams that maybe you could say that penalties was the best way to decide it. lottery.
albeit a very cruel way.
france got into the game and started dominating it. fara williams, kelly smith couldn't get into the game at all. france were dominating and creating chances, but you felt that england could always steal that one goal with one chance. and they did just that in the second half.
the keeper deville was beaten too easily from jill scott's long shot. positioning was all wrong.
after that, france were clearly shellshocked but managed to recover and searched for the equaliser, which they finally did, with bussaglia blasting it from outside the box late in the game to force extra time.
ellen white shot wide in england's only chance in extra time, while france didnt convert their chances.
penalties came. and to my horror, abily's penalty was saved by bardsley. your best player missing. shes that one french player i least expect to miss.
kelly smith was limping but blasted hers home to put all the pressure on france. bussaglia, thiney, bompastor converted for france, carney and stoney for england.
then claire rafferty pulled hers wide. i was thinking: why was she taking that penalty? where was fara williams? where was jill scott? ellen white? why claire rafferty, the young leftback who has come on late in the second half for the tiring rachel unitt?
le sommer was as cool as a cucumber, rolling the ball into the other corner as bardsley dived one way.
faye white sent hers against the bar, and the french were through.
i know i have put faye white under scrutiny, but i can tell you that she was the last player i wanted to see miss that penalty.
france were the better team, by a lot. but i was so torn between the two teams that maybe you could say that penalties was the best way to decide it. lottery.
albeit a very cruel way.
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