Women’s World Cup Catch-up – Day Ten

The Sports Lowdown’s definitive Women’s World Cup catch-up continues as Day 10 saw the final games in Groups A and B. Who would get that most important result in the search to progress further in Canada 2015? 

HOLLAND 1 CANADA 1

The hosts started the game in a forceful fashion as Sophie Schmidt sent a looping header onto Holland’s crossbar but Ashley Lawrence’s 10^th minute goal looked to have secured victory for John Herdman’s side.

Canada’s Lawrence was a constant menace to the Dutch, however despite both sides’ maximum efforts, clear goal-scoring opportunities were limited in the second half.

Erin Mcleod, Canada’s goalkeeper, who was a spectator for most of the match, pulled off a very good save to deny Dutch midfielder Manon Melis with 6 minutes to go.

However, the Oranje Leeuwinnen would not be denied for long and substitute Kirsten Van Den Ven was sent free by Player of the Match Melis. Canucks’ McLeod was finally beaten to the disappointment of the home support.

Canada win group A and are through to the last 16, Holland will have to wait to see if they have done enough to qualify as one of the 4 best 3rd place teams before looking for their passports.

Holland:

Geurts, Van Lunteren (Janssen 13), Van Der Gragt, Van Den Berg ©, Dekker, Melis, Spitse, Miedema, Van De Donk (Van Den Ven 72), Martens, Van Dongen.

Canada:

McLeod, Buchanan, Moscato, Kyle (Tancredi 61), Belanger, Sinclair ©, Schmidt (Wilkinson 81), Chapman, Fleming (Scott 61), Leon, Lawrence.

 

CHINA PR 2 NEW ZEALAND 2

A flash header by Wang Shanshan nearly surprised Kiwis’ goalkeeper Erin Naylor but the New Zealander managed to keep the ball out of her net.

The Football Ferns were having the slightly better game but the first half remained a fairly even contest.

With her first goal for New Zealand, Rebekah Stott hammered home from a corner that surprisingly found the Kiwi centre-back in the middle of the box to give Tony Readings’ side the lead with the half-hour mark fast approaching.

However, China’s Wang Lisi equalized from the penalty spot, despite the efforts of Naylor after Betsy Hassett had handled in the area.

Both teams were evenly matched in the second half but China took the lead with half-an-hour remaining thanks to great service from Captain Wu Haiyan picked out Wang Shanshan and her brave header just beat Naylor to the ball and into the net.

But New Zealand leveled the match, 4 minutes later, after Abby Hearn’s deep cross found Hannah Wilkinson, who sent her header past Wang Fei.

The Chinese could have got all 3 points with Wang Shanshan’s 84^th minute effort but Naylor was equal to it.

China PR finish runners-up in group A but it’s a flight home for the Tony Readings’ Kiwis

China PR:

Wang F, Liu Sh Sh, Wu H Y ©, Li D N, Wang Sh Sh, Tang J L (Wang Sh 72), Zhao R, Han P (Lou J H 84), Tan R Y, Wang L S (Li Y 90+3), Ren G X.

New Zealand:

Naylor, Percival, Duncan, Erceg ©, Stott, Riley, Hearn, Gregorius (Bowen 46), Hassett (White 46, Yallop 89), Longo, Wilkinson.