WWC19 | Final: USA v Netherlands

If Canada turn up with a blunt attack, I’d be happy enough. At 35 Christine Sinclair isn’t the same player she used to be. Cameroon have a decent backline with the recent addition of Estelle Johnson to a nice backline already stacked up with the experience of Manie and Awona. A draw would be a great result.
 
If Canada turn up with a blunt attack, I’d be happy enough. At 35 Christine Sinclair isn’t the same player she used to be. Cameroon have a decent backline with the recent addition of Estelle Johnson to a nice backline already stacked up with the experience of Manie and Awona. A draw would be a great result.

Are you from Cameroon then? I think the FA there have increased the funding/support to the team significantly over the last year or so.

It's a time in the women's game where converting just the national squad into fulltimers for a season can make a huge difference, if only to fitness and organisation. Which might not help a team to score goals but can certainly help a team defend. 46th ranked can be misleading!

Anyway, 8 minutes in and it's 0-0
 
Morning all. I’ve just seen the Japan v argentina highlights, great result for England! I think Canada are seriously camped in the Cameroon half at the moment but they don’t look particularly clinical.
 
Are you from Cameroon then? I think the FA there have increased the funding/support to the team significantly over the last year or so.

It's a time in the women's game where converting just the national squad into fulltimers for a season can make a huge difference, if only to fitness and organisation. Which might not help a team to score goals but can certainly help a team defend. 46th ranked can be misleading!

Anyway, 8 minutes in and it's 0-0
As you can guess from my “Supports” tag ;-)

Yep, since our good showing during the last World Cup (qualified from the group stages for our first WC participation, knocked out by China 1-0 at the round of 16) the local support for the game has increased markedly. We hosted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2016 as well.

The ladies haven’t yet won the continental trophy like the men regularly do but they enjoy similar levels of support as the men do (but still less funding).

However, the national team isn’t just full timers for a season, it’s a mix of a good number of seasoned pros who play in minor leagues around Europe (Finland, Turkey, Russia, Romania, etc) and some locally based amateur players.

Goodness, no! Was hoping we could get to halftime at 0-0.
 
Has anybody else been savaging all day about the BBCs choice of studio guests during England V Scotland yesterday? I assume you’ve all see the meme about diversity? It really winds me up.
 
As you can guess from my “Supports” tag ;-)

Yep, since our good showing during the last World Cup (qualified from the group stages for our first WC participation, knocked out by China 1-0 at the round of 16) the local support for the game has increased markedly. We hosted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2016 as well.

The ladies haven’t yet won the continental trophy like the men regularly do but they enjoy similar levels of support as the men do (but still less funding).

However, the national team isn’t just full timers for a season, it’s a mix of a good number of seasoned pros who play in minor leagues around Europe (Finland, Turkey, Russia, Romania, etc) and some locally based amateur players.

Goodness, no! Was hoping we could get to halftime at 0-0.

Canada is and has been solid, but I’m impressed by the energetic style of the indomitable ones. Johnson and Aboudi stands out.
 
Canada is and has been solid, but I’m impressed by the energetic style of the indomitable ones. Johnson and Aboudi stands out.
Yep, I agree. Those two have been our best performers tonight. Much better performance in the second half than the first. Pity we conceded from a defensive error, poor and needless back-pass to the GK which led to a corner from which the goal was scored.

Oh well, on to the next.
 
Yep, I agree. Those two have been our best performers tonight. Much better performance in the second half than the first. Pity we conceded from a defensive error, poor and needless back-pass to the GK which led to a corner from which the goal was scored.

Oh well, on to the next.

Good luck!

Much better quality in this game than Argentine vs Japan. I still think Canada have to raise their attacking game if thwy want to challenge teams like USA, France and Germany.
 
Good luck!

Much better quality in this game than Argentine vs Japan. I still think Canada have to raise their attacking game if thwy want to challenge teams like USA, France and Germany.
I agree but it is a long tournament, if they get results and preserve energy that’s a pretty good combo.
 
11th June
E: New Zealand v Netherlands 2pm - BBC red button
F: Chile vs Sweden 5pm - BBC red button
F: United States vs Thailand 8p - BBC Four

United factor - Jackie Groenen may start for the Netherlands.

The Netherlands are European champions but they had to qualify for the WC via a playoff. I still think they'll win this match and maybe even the group. We shall see.

Group F is the least balanced group in the tournament. Sweden and the (reigning Champions, top seeds, favourites) USA should win and win well.
 
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The Netherlands are going to be an interesting watch, after their varied and fluid play when they quite surprisingly became European Champions. Since then they showed in the qualifiers against Norway (losing 2-1 away and getting second in the group) that they can get frustrated by a solid defence.

Lieke Martens hasn’t been at her best form for Barca this year I believe, Shanice de Sanden and Danielle de Donk can challenge any defence on their day, and Super League top scorer Vivienne Miedema showed our back four what she could do with the brace that sent us out of the SF of the FA Cup this season.

Our Jackie Groenen could turn out to be important though, with her ability to tie defense and attack together behind these individual talents.
 
The Netherlands are going to be an interesting watch, after their varied and fluid play when they quite surprisingly became European Champions. Since then they showed in the qualifiers against Norway (losing 2-1 away and getting second in the group) that they can get frustrated by a solid defence.

Lieke Martens hasn’t been at her best form for Barca this year I believe, Shanice de Sanden and Danielle de Donk can challenge any defence on their day, and Super League top scorer Vivienne Miedema showed our back four what she could do with the brace that sent us out of the SF of the FA Cup this season.

Our Jackie Groenen could turn out to be important though, with her ability to tie defense and attack together behind these individual talents.
I’ve just seen their fans marching to the ground on twitter. They’ve brought thousands!
 
Never watched a women football match in my life but i am going to watch the Netherlands game in a minute.

Really curious to see the level of football.
 
Never watched a women football match in my life but i am going to watch the Netherlands game in a minute.

Really curious to see the level of football.

Hard with internationals, you get some countries who are absolute garbage, and others who are pretty good. Same as in men's footy, wouldn't be fair watching San Marino and expecting that to be the standard.
 
Hard with internationals, you get some countries who are absolute garbage, and others who are pretty good. Same as in men's footy, wouldn't be fair watching San Marino and expecting that to be the standard.

Well.. the Dutch are European Champion and i believe Lieke Martens won best female player in the world? So i expect our national team to be atleast above average in terms of the standard of women football?
 
Well.. the Dutch are European Champion and i believe Lieke Martens won best female player in the world? So i expect our national team to be atleast above average in terms of the standard of women football?
Yeah they have a good side and lots of support.

Hope you enjoy it mate.
 


Very impressive


That looks good.

Yesterday's Japan/Argentina match in Paris got over 25000.

The only disappointing turnout I've seen really was for the Scotland-England game, perhaps the, "it's a sellout," thing from the FA was taken too seriously by people - when it only applied to the FA allocation? Or maybe the match just didn't have much neutral appeal for the Nice fans? Anybody I hope the Japan/England group final game does better there.
 
That looks good.

Yesterday's Japan/Argentina match in Paris got over 25000.

The only disappointing turnout I've seen really was for the Scotland-England game, perhaps the, "it's a sellout," thing from the FA was taken too seriously by people - when it only applied to the FA allocation? Or maybe the match just didn't have much neutral appeal for the Nice fans? Anybody I hope the Japan/England group final game does better there.
The women did get the highest viewing figures for the 3 England games over the weekend though. But the nations league was on sky which accounts for part of that.
 
Never watched a women football match in my life but i am going to watch the Netherlands game in a minute.

Really curious to see the level of football.

Based on my memories of them at the Euros and watching some of them play for Arsenal and in the CL - Netherlands have a good team. New Zealand I know nothing about really apart from their ranking (19th) - this could be a defence v attack game :smirk:
 
The women did get the highest viewing figures for the 3 England games over the weekend though. But the nations league was on sky which accounts for part of that.

The 6.1m is the best UK TV audience ever for a women's game. Already better than when we made the semi-final stages at the WC and Euros. The audience in France for France's opening match went over 10m, which broke their previous record.
 
The 6.1m is the best UK TV audience ever for a women's game. Already better than when we made the semi-final stages at the WC and Euros. The audience in France for France's opening match went over 10m, which broke their previous record.
Fantastic to hear!
 
So close for New Zealand - hit the crossbar. Good warning that.

On a side note, every time I notice Groenen wearing 14 I can't help but smile. I hope she keeps that number at United :D
 
Well.. the Dutch are European Champion and i believe Lieke Martens won best female player in the world? So i expect our national team to be atleast above average in terms of the standard of women football?

Haven't men's teams won euros then been absolute gash the next tournament? Pretty sure that's happened. One player doesn't make a team.

It's also depending who they're up against. A team can drag another team down to their level sometimes.

This game has started pretty open though tbh, new new zealand with the best chance so far really. Definitely not just sitting back.
 
I swear I spotted a New Zealand player kick out a minute ago, either I’m going mad or everybody including VAR have missed it.