5IVE: World Cup, Day 11
Colombia stun Germany with energetic display, while Switzerland and Norway go through and Morocco record a first World Cup win...
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!
Key Morocco tweaks bring a big breakthrough
After taking the biggest loss of the tournament so far in their first game against Germany, Morocco needed a big response to keep their hopes of qualification alive.
They did so in style, not just turning around a hard defeat but walking away with three hard-earned points against a Korea Republic side ranked 55 places above them by FIFA.
Reynald Pedros made quite a few changes to his side and they had the desired effect. He tore up both his centre-back partnership and strike partnership and reverted Hanana Ait El Haj to her favoured right-back role, and the whole back four of El Haj, Nouhaila Benzina, Nesrryne El Chad and Zineb Redouani had excellent games in shutting down Korea Republic, particularly out wide as Colin Bell's side tried to stretch play in their 3-5-2, but lacked a final ball.
Up front, Salma Amani ands Ibtissam Jraidi were lively and the letter got the crucial goal to give Morocco their first ever World Cup win. One of their key players, Ghizlane Chebbak, showed her quality in the middle of the park, while wingers Fatima Tanganout and Sakina Ouzraoui combined with their full-backs to ensure Korea Republic had little joy down the flanks.
Morocco still has a tricky Colombia side to play, but they have at least given themselves a chance of qualification.
Korea Republic disappoint yet again
What to make of Korea Republic? The second seed in the group, but have lost to teams ranked below them without scoring a goal and in reality, without ever really looking likely to do so.
As the game against Morocco went on, the camera pans to the touchline showed a head coach in Bell growing more and more frustrated with his team's inability to find a final ball.
When they did, they put all 14 of their attempts in the game off target, which just about sums it up. Korea Republic is now out of the tournament and it's a real shame as over the past few years they have been on an upward curve, beating Australia and drawing with Japan at the Asia Cup last year on their way to the final.
Despite a similar player pool, the execution just hasn't been the same. Bell has criticised the lack of intense training his players get domestically and that may have had an effect, but key players such as a Ji So-yun who hasn't been fully fit have been off the boil too.
He may wish he'd turned to 16-year-old Casey Phair sooner who again looked lively off the bench, going close with a low left-footed effort towards the end of the game.
Bell will face a familiar opponent next after spending many years coaching in Germany, but given what they've faced so far, it may be mean a clean sweep of defeats for a team ranked inside the top 15 in the world.
In desperate times, Norway turn up the wick
There was plenty of anticipation from everyone as to how Norway would approach the final group game against the Philippines. The talent and resources level on paper makes it a no context, but Hege Riise's side hadn't scored in two games, players were already speaking out about several issues and it felt like one more poor result away from DEFCON 1.
But Norway did what was needed and they did it with some much-needed energy, intensity and passion. From the off, they were a threat and looked like a team who knew they had some wrongs to right, Caroline Graham Hansen in particular who leathered one home from range.
By then, Sophie Roman Haug had scored twice herself and showed a real aerial threat inside the box they'd lacked with Ada Hegerberg in the team. With Norway through, it will be interesting to see what Riise does if the Lyon forward is declared fit for the match against Spain or Japan.
There was an element of a poor opponent, but it was the manor in which Norway went about their business which at least offers some hope, and you still can't help but feel some of their star players against either Spain or Japan offers up a tantalising match if they can play with the same urgency they did today.
Vilde Bøe Risa stood out too, and her role will be interesting moving forwards. It hasn't really worked for Norway with one holding midfielder, but they were able to get away with it in such a comfortable game. Boe Risa has often been left out of the Manchester United side for a perceived lack of defensive attributes, and while Philippines did too often find space behind the Norway midfield, Boe Risa was dictating on the ball.
Whether Norway can do that against Spain or Japan is unlikely, with neither Guro Reiten or Frida Maanum offering much defensive protection, and potentially combining Bøe Risa and Engen may be the best call of action.
But, Norway are through, which is job done for now at least.
New Zealand will rue missed opportunities
Given New Zealand came into a tournament they are co-hosting with one win in 12 months, it's fair to say Jitka Klimková and her team would have been delighted if you'd told them they would beat Norway and draw with Switzerland.
If you'd gone on to tell them they wouldn't qualify despite those four points, their faces would have dropped, with Philippines the debutants of the group and ranked lower than the Ferns.
Sadly, in the end, it feels like that opening game shock vs Norway was the exception to the rule. Against both Philippines and Switzerland, New Zealand just lacked any sort of goal threat, with Switzerland happy to sit back for the point they needed to top the group.
Jacqui Hand went closest when she hit the woodwork, but even in the final minutes they created little, so much so it was goalkeeper Victoria Esson who went closest to the crucial breakthrough.
That surprise defeat to the Philippines proved crucial and undid so much of New Zealand's good work. Since Norway, it's been back to reality, but a draw and a win against two highly ranked European nations will hopefully be a springboard for a nation which has thoroughly got behind its team during this tournament, and the flat atmosphere at full-time said it all.
Switzerland meanwhile go through with back to back 0-0 draws!
Colombia cause a (deserved) shock
Who saw that coming? I have mentioned Germany's poor pre-tournament form, but that appeared to be put to bed against Morocco last time out, then Colombia showed up!
Firstly, this was deserved. Germany were poor, but part of why they were poor was Colombia executed their game plan. As a defensive unit, the entire starting eleven put in a huge shift defensively and they looked threatening in attack.
That's the beauty of Colombia right now. They have a solid base and an exciting front line, with Linda Caicedo once again the standout with her superb goal for the opener.
But Mayra Ramírez, Cataline Usme and Lady Andrade were all a huge threat to Germany's back line and Nelson Abadia's side have now put themselves in charge of the group, with Germany staring at a second-place finish.
It's not job done though and Abadia will have to rouse his exhausted troops for the Morocco game, and he'll be concerned to see Jorelyn Carabali go off at the end, who was a rock in the Colombia defence.
As for Germany, they just didn't offer enough of a threat in attack, but their nicest move of the game led to the penalty which looked like it had secured a point.
For me, I was really surprised to see how poorly they managed the game, as head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg aluded to post-match, for a nation with such experience and so many trophies.
At 1-1, Germany were back in control of the group with their superior goal difference, so to see them go all out and leave themselves two vs two at the back in an attack which led to the decisive corner was a real surprise, and it may now have cost them the chance of finishing first in Group H.