5IVE: World Cup, Day 6
Things don't get much better for Norway. Philippines make history and land a huge below on the co-hosts, while Colombia impress...
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Colombia use their exciting front three to good effect
I wasn't surprised to wake up this morning and see Colombia had beaten Korea Republic.
In the build-up, Colin Bell's Korea Republic side hadn't inspired confidence with their results, despite a top 20 ranking in the world, and I'll come on to some of Bell's quite public post-match comments.
But this is about a Colombia side who were brave, exciting and while offering their opponents moments of hope, fully deserved the three points they took away.
I really like the team's front three, comprising of the experienced Catalina Usme, superstar Linda Caicedo - both of whom were on the scoresheet - and the quietly underrated Levante forward Mayra Ramirez, who admittedly didn't have her best game.
After riding out some early Korea pressure, Colombia put the game to bed with a scinitilating spell before the break as Usme fired home from the spot and Caicedo dazzled some defenders, although her shot from the edge of the box should never have beaten the goalkeeper.
Real Madrid's new star Caicedo was one of the more talked about young players coming into the tournament. The teenager is playing well beyond her years and took to senior World Cup football like a duck to water.
I backed Colombia to get out of this group and while Germany next will be a whole different test, they've put themselves in a group position early on to be best of the rest.
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Colin Bell makes his frustration clear
Not for the first time this year, Korea Republic coach Colin Bell called on the Korean Football Association to do more to help the national team succeed on the world stage.
A team which has several key players starring in Europe, as well as former Chelsea legend Ji So-yun, Korea Republic is the second seed in this group and a team as mentioned ranked in the top 20 in the world, but Englishman Bell made his frustrations clear at the build-up his team has had to the tournament, and he's not the first head coach to do so.
As he did when I spoke to him in an exclusive interview for WFC earlier this year, Bell discussed the lack of intensity in training and matches in Korea's domestic league, where a large percentage of his players play their football.
"People need to start listening in South Korea" was a comment which bore the frustration of a coach who clearly feels his constant pleas for improvements are falling on deaf ears.
Korea Republic weren't bad necessarily. They enjoyed good swathes of possession and created chances, ending the game particularly strong, but they did appear to lack the intensity of their opponents as Colombia scored twice in 10 minutes to put the game beyond Bell's side.
There appears to be a disconnect between the national team and domestic sides and one which they will need to fix if they are to fulfil their potential on the world stage.
New Zealand waste their big opportunity
It felt almost inevitable, didn't it? After the ultimate high of a shock win on home soil in the opening game of the entire tournament against a star-studded Norway, New Zealand came back down to earth with a bang, leaving qualification now firmly hanging in the balance.
This, sadly, was more the New Zealand people expected. The New Zealand which had won just one game since ironically a win against The Philippines last September.
Take nothing away from Alen Stajcic's side, who executed their game plan brilliantly, but there was an air of expectation and pressure on the hosts which wasn't there against Norway. Suddenly, they had something to fight for, knowing a win would send them into the second round, and they didn't really get out of the blocks in the first half.
When Sarina Bolden headed home, it got worse. Passes went astray, Hannah Wilkinson couldn't make anything stick up front, often dropping deep as the striker and her fellow forward Jacqui Hand were often standing on each other's toes.
It got better in the second half as Philippines began to drop back into their own half, understandably given how many of their players are semi-professional at best, as tired legs overcame a team desperately trying to hang on for a famous win.
They'd already become the first debutants to manage a goal, and while they rode their luck in that New Zealand hit the post and had a goal ruled offside by the narrowest of margins, this was a huge blow for the co-hosts who now face a fight to get out of a group where suddenly it looked like there was a second round spot with their name on it.
Philippines makes history
What a moment this was for the Philippines. The first of the debutants to score at the tournament, and in the end the first to get a vital and historic win on the board.
Philippines, structured well as you'd expect under experienced head coach Stajcic, showed signs of life against a strong Switzerland attack and could have taken the lead had it not been for an offside call.
They took advantage of a sluggish New Zealand start and deservedly took the lead when Sarina Bolden headed home, but the system they set up in was interesting as it was effective.
Firstly, they were technically good. Neat passing, some skilful play and solid at the back, they caused New Zealand problems early on before starting to retreat back into their shape as tired legs took hold towards the end of the game.
The most interesting role was that of Jessika Cowart, playing at the heart of a back three. When needed, Cowart pushed up into the midfield to create a five across the middle of the park and swarm across what was at times an all too static New Zealand side.
Cowart did this with such excellence and when she did her teammates slotted into the defensive roles they needed to in order to make up for her absence at the back, and it was a critical aspect of an effective game plan set out by Stajcic.
They did also have goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel to thank for a solid performance, particularly her spectacular save at the death to tip a volley around the post.
The scenes at full-time were what a World Cup is all about, as players flooded onto the pitch to celebrate a historic win and a huge moment for the nation as a whole. It's a result which has also blown Group A wide open with a game to go.
Bold calls backfire, Walti stars
Things don't really get much better for Norway. It was a better performance against Switzerland than it was New Zealand, but it couldn't have been any worse.
A 0-0 and another blank in front of goal somehow leaves Hege Riise's side in...not the worst place they could be. First is gone, but a win against the Philippines and hope Switzerland beat New Zealand will be enough to see them through to the second round.
It's not the most implausible set of circumstances the game has seen.
Riise made bold decisions in dropping Ingrid Engen and more so Caroline Graham Hansen - who made her displeasure for current circumstances clear post-match - but it never really had the desired effect.
Riise used Manchester United's Vilde Boe Risa, a well-known handy box-to-box player, as a sole defensive midfielder, and while she was good on the ball throughout, Switzerland still found gaps to exploit yet never punished them.
Guro Reiten was still playing in the middle, while Sophie Roman Haug, a late addition for the seemingly injured Ada Hegerberg, was at least industrious with her aerial threat, but to no real avail.
Riise did unleash Graham Hansen with half an hour to go and the Barcelona star injected some energy, skipping past polayers and forcing several saves from the impressive Gaelle Thalmann in the Switzerland goal.
The real star though was Switzerland's Lia Walti, who did an elite job at shutting down the Norway midfield and in particular a player she knows well in Arsenal teammate Frida Maanum.
Maanum all too often was back inside her own half and not where we've seen her so devastatingly good in the WSL over the past 12 months, and she too was unable to really influence the game.
While Philippines did their best to mark Walti out of the opening game, she had much more joy on this occasion and had already had more touches of the ball come half-time than she did in 90 minutes last week.
Switzerland were solid and a point means they just need a good result against New Zealand to seal top spot, which would be a huge result for Inka Grings in her first tournament in charge.
Norway meanwhile, remain uninspiring, and again appear to have an unhappy camp at their disposal.