5IVE: World Cup, Day 10
Corners are the theme of the day as France record a huge win against Brazil, Sweden finally show their potential and Jamaica survive without Khadija Shaw...
Take advantage of WFC’s special World Cup discount offer! 25% off annual subscriptions, now available for just £45, with the offer available until the day of the World Cup final!
Monthly subcriptions are still available for £10, with a 7-day free trial. Annual subscriptions are also available for just £30 if you subscribe with a group of friends or colleagues!
Sweden hit the target
It's fast becoming one of the biggest questions of the tournament. How do you stop Sweden on set-pieces? It turns out Amanda Ilestedt's last-minute header against South Africa wasn't a one-off, but a genuine tactical ploy.
With Jonas Eidevall looking on, presumably with a big smile on his face, Ilestedt scored two more against Italy, both from corners, both from headers.
Jonna Anderson's pinpoint deliveries caused chaos, with Fridolina Rolfö also scoring from a corner after Italy's chances of a result ebbed away in six first half minutes.
Milena Bertolin's side actually started well. A tactical tweak saw Sofia Cantore coming into the side and early on but her and Chiara Beccari did well at splitting and stretching Sweden's full-backs, and Zećira Mušović was tested on several occasions.
Sweden though had a little regroup partway through the half and even before the corner onslaught looked more threatening. Kosovare Asllani came more into the game and they started to find Rolfö and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd down the flanks, whic more often than not led to subsequent corners, or the third goal of the game converted by Stina Blackstenius.
Italy are still in pole position to go through in second, but they face a South Africa side who has looked good so far and they'll now be regretting more than ever throwing away their 2-0 lead against Argentina yesterday.
France show they have what it takes, both physically and mentally
It looked like it was going to get away from Les Bleues momentarily, but this was a huge win for France and Hervé Renard, and it was deserved too.
All the talk was about how France would recover from a sub-par opening game against a Brazil team which was free-flowing against Panama, but in the opening 20 minutes Pia Sundhage's side could barely get a kick.
Both sides playing 4-4-2 is something of a novelty these days, but France made it work, aided by the return of Selma Bacha, as well as Kenza Dali coming back into the side.
France worked neat triangles between full-back, winger and forward down both flanks, with Bacha, Sakina Karchaoui and Eugénie Le Sommer particularly dangerous early on.
The attack was aided by a sublime performance from both Grace Geyoro and Sandie Toletti in the midfield, and when Le Sommer headed home it was deserved. But they didn't build on it, and when Debinha equalised it felt like momentum would swing.
But it didn't. France came roaring back and were denied several times by Letícia, until Brazil somehow failed to pick up Wendie Renard who headed home a late corner.
France now control the group with Panama to play, and it's worth remembering neither goalscorer would have likely been at this tournament had the FFF not finally parted with Corinne Diacre.
Brazil blow the momentum they’d built up
Brazil meanwhile failed to capitalise on such a good first game, albeit against one of the lower ranked sides of the tournament, but Sundhage will be disappointed with how her team performed from the off.
Matching France's system, they couldn't cope with the early press from their opponents and were all over the place trying to keep out the quality, pace and intensity from Les Bleues.
Sundhage brought in Geyse for Bia Zaneratto, but it didn't have the desired effect at all and the Barcelona forward had an incredibly quiet game, completing just one pass, before she was subbed.
Kerolin was excellent in the midfield, both offensively and defensively, but you couldn't but feel with an attack that wasn't firing, they lacked the goals she has scored as a forward for North Carolina Courage while she was camped away in the middle of the park.
But you have to credit France's system and approach as much as you have to criticise Brazil's. They still have a great chance of qualifying, but top spot may be beyond them, which will very likely mean a second round clash with Germany.
And as mentioned above, the inability to pick up Renard for the late corner which clinched the game was bordering on criminal.
Jamaica get away with temporary Bunny loss
I suppose we should have known it would be a corner, it's been the theme of the day!
The big question for Jamaica going into a winnable game against Panama which would put them ahead of Brazil with a game to go was how were the Reggae Girlz going to adapt without their star striker?
Not that well, is the honest answer. Panama was generally on the backfoot throughout and their own inability to utilise some of Marta Cox's good runs and positions is another story, but they generally had enough from open play to stifle Jamaica, albeit with some help from Yenith Bailey and the crossbar.
Kayla McKenna it was who went up top, but for Jamaica it was largely Drew Spence in midfield who was driving them forward in Shaw's absence. But when the breakthrough did finally come, it was centre-back Allyson Swaby, and yes, it was a corner.
Jamaica weren't at their best, perhaps as expected without their talismanic forward, but they got the result they needed. Suddenly, after a sublime first game, Brazil drop to third, behind Lorne Donaldson's side, setting up a tasty final round clash between the two nations.
Now the real peril begins
Tomorrow kicks off the final round of group games, how quick has that gone?! While curiously Germany vs Colombia is after the final Group A games, we are really at the business end of the group stage already.
Group A is one of the closest fought, among quite a few to be fair, as Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand and Philippines all battle to qualify, and all of them can.
After getting off to such a good start, New Zealand now face an uphill battle against a solid if unspectacular Switzerland side who it feels like are in pole position to win the group. If they can, Norway will finish second if they beat the Philippines, and it’s not the unlikeliest set of circumstances to send through the team continuing to underperform and which hasn’t found the net yet in two games.
Beyond that, Monday’s Group B games are equally mouth-watering as Canada, Nigeria and Australia all fight for the two spots. If Nigeria get any sort of result against Republic of Ireland, either the well-fancied co-hosts or the Olympic champions are heading for a shock early bath.
Bring it on!