June 10 to 27, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. June 10 to 27, 2019
In
the African World Cup Qualifiers,
Guinea started their campaign towards a second World Cup appearance. Facing
Tanzania, who had lost in March to eSwatini by two goals but defeated Malawi by
five goal last week, Guinea sought to punish at any chance. However, it was Tanzania
who created the better early openings, with four shots throughout the match
flying wide of the mark. The might of Guinea, on the other hand, scored through
François Kamano around the half hour on the clock. Kamano had two more choice
opportunities, but could not finish the blow. Then, Kamano sent a low
right-footer into the netting, finalising the result and a solid start to the
Guinean campaign. Liberia
had gained a crucial away victory over Sudan in the first match, whereas
eSwatini had won by two goals. This match was crucial for both sides, having
had the break and not playing AFCON Qualifiers after Liberia lost 2-1 to
Madagascar and eSwatini lost by two goals on Senegalese soil. Liberia opened
the scoring in the 18th minute via Terrence Tisdell from left midfield.
From there, they attacked relentlessly, hitting the woodwork three times and
nearly gaining a second, only to be denied for being offside. Then, right
before the break, Alvin Maccornel headered from a cross into the goal, and with
the two-goal lead, Liberia felt safe. That safety net opened up the match in
the second half, as Liberia piled on five more goals, including braces for
Maccornel, Joel Johnson and William Jebor. The hapless players from eSwatini
had no answer as the Liberians walked all over them, and posted their greatest
victory in Global Futbol. In
Group B, Gambia had last drawn away to Chad in the Qualifiers, as well as away
to Angola in the Nations League, whereas this was Comoros’ first outing after
having lost at home to Sierra Leone and drawn at home to Niger in the AFCON
Qualifiers. Having a third home game paid off for the Comoros, as they attacked
constantly. However, the Gambians managed to absorb the onslaught, especially
with Modou Jobe saving everything that flew his way (eight saves in total).
However, the home side had other ideas. Youssouf Ibroihim came on and scored
with his first touch, a header from a corner, and sent the home crowd wild. The
Gambia could not rework their formation to pressure for an equaliser, and the Comoros
won with that solitary goal. Malawi
had last played in the World Cup Qualifiers with a severe loss to South Africa
and another severe loss in the AFCON Qualifiers against Tanzania, whilst Chad
had gained a point at home to the Gambia (World Cup) and the full three points
against Cape Verde Islands (AFCON). Chad felt they had the advantage despite
the closeness in rankings. However, some changes to the Malawian side meant
they were ready to tackle the challenge. In fact, the Malawians scored with one
of their replacements in the side, Gastin Simkonda, leading on to a pass from
one of the Malawian forwards and hitting it low into the bottom left hand
corner. Unfortunately, the Malawians were caught off guard as Chad swarmed back
and scored twice, first through Ezechiel N'Douassel and then via Constant
Madtoingué. After the break, Simkonda completed the same shot as before, only
this time it needed the help of both posts before slipping beyond the goal
line. From there, both sides had chances to win the match, most notably
Simkonda with a header from a corner. It was not meant to be for either side,
and a 2-2 draw was the end result. Ethiopia
looked to open their World Cup qualifications with a win over Zambia. Zambia
had a 3-1 win to their name, whilst they had recently lost 2-1 to Chad in
African Nations League B. Ethiopia’s last match was a Nations League win over
South Sudan. Momentum from that match seemed to help, as Ethiopia overcame the
Zambians by three goals. The 26th minute saw a goal by Giday. The Ethiopians
stepped up their pressing, and had a second goal via Yohannes, before Demte’s
long shot deflected off Zambia’s Kamanga and wrong-footed the goalkeeper. In
the first World Cup Qualifiers, the Burkina Faso team were involved in a
scoreless draw, whereas Gabon lost to Zambia 3-1. More recently, Gabon lost
their final Nations League match 5-1 to Cameroon, whilst Burkina Faso defeated
Madagascar by three goals. This became yet another draw for Burkina Faso, only
this time six goals were scored, largely thanks to braces from Burkina Faso’s
Prêjuce Nakoulma and Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Nakoulma leveled after
Aubameyang scored in the opening minutes, both from wicked crosses from the
left wing. Didier Ovono, the Gabonese goalkeeper, felt under pressure as the
away side attacked without fail. This led to the lead after Bertrand Traoré’s
push into the net when Ovono saved his initial shot. Jim Allevinah then brought
the match back all square after Aubameyang cut the ball back to him in the box.
After the break, Aubameyang’s header helped his side take the lead, only for a
last-gasp equaliser for Nakoulma ended the game in a 3-3 draw. Algeria
faced the might of Ghana, having beaten Angola 3-1 in the opening World Cup
Qualifiers Match Day. However, their most recent game, last week, was a loss
against Benin. Travelling nearby to Ghana, though, was no great feat, and they
were ready to tackle the Ghanaians, who had drawn away to Togo on the same day.
The Algerians started the match at a frenetic pace, and it took the home side a
few minutes to rise to the Algerian level. The same pace continued for much of
the first half, until Ghana were able to slow the game down before the break.
Taking charge in the second half, the Ghanaians scored through Lumor Agbenyenu
as he led onto a pass from Jordan Ayew and slotted with his left. But no more
goals were scored after this, as the goalkeepers dominated the match, with
fifteen saves between them. The solitary goal was the difference, and Ghana can
go with confidence into their second match later in the year knowing they have
three points under the belt. Angola’s
last match was in the Nations League against Gambia, with a scoreless home
draw. Meanwhile, Mauritania managed a one-all draw away to the Seychelles. This
was going to be a grand match between the two sides. However, it was only a
grand match for one side. Angola scored twice early through Wilson Eduardo and
Fredy Ribeiro and maintained pressure on the Mauritanian defence for much of
the first half. In the second half, Angola eased off, but kept going for their
third goal. It came off the inside of the post after Wilson Eduardo’s wild
shot, leaving the away side in disbelief and the home side with the perfect
three points. Niger
last won a home game in their World Cup Qualifiers, whilst this is Libya’s
first outing. Last week, Libya dispatched two goals at home past Lesotho,
whereas Niger drew away to the Comoros. Niger did not want another draw as they
started with a goal in the second minute via Mohamed Wonkoye. A frenetic pace
ensued in midfield, before the home side found a way to slow the game down, and
Ahmad Benali nearly scored right before the break with his header finding the
bottom of the post. However, Niger had other things in mind, and much like the
first half, scored again Modibo Sidibé. Libya needed to step up a few gears to wrestle
the match back, and they did so. Asnoni Ammar
came off the bench and scored with his second touch as he needed two
attempts with his head off the free kick. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi then scored
from the restart, bringing the match back all square. A last gasp effort in
additional time could not find the third goal, and the score finished 2-2. Zimbabwe
took on Benin at home, with both needing a win after Zimbabwe lost their first
game away, and Benin drew at home. Benin went into the match with a 2-1 win
over Algeria last week, whereas the week before Zimbabwe had lost to Tanzania. It
was Zimbabwe who scored first via Knowledge Musona, after Khama Billiat’s
perfect cross found him, and Musona slotted between the near post and the
goalkeeper. Zimbabwe continued creating realistic chances whilst Benin had a
couple of shots fly wide, except they nearly scored right before the break when
Steve Mounié hit the very bottom of the upright. The second half was a tight
tussle, with neither side finding an ideal way to goal. Then at the death, Tino
Kadewere worked his way down the left wing, crossed into Musona, who needed two
attempts at the ball to bookend the match with his brace. Ngamaleu’s
early goal proved the difference between Cameroon and Rwanda, as the away
side’s defence held against constant peppering into the Cameroon attacking
third. The shots were either straight at the goalkeeper, or to the right of
goal. Even though it was handy to grab the three points, Cameroon must improve
to be a formidable side in Group I. Their main rivals in the group are Morocco,
who needed a win after losing to Rwanda on Match Day 1. The Moroccans, led by
the change from last week’s draw against Egypt with the three B’s up forward,
in Boufal, Boutaïb and Belhanda. All three scored a goal, with the pick of the
goals a solo run by Belhanda leading to a curling left-footer just inside the
post. Guinea-Bissau
shocked Congo as they scored early and held on to take a crucial three points
away. Piqueti was the scorer for Guinea-Bissau in the 35th minute, and from
there, thwarted any major Congolese attacks for the remainder of the match. Meanwhile,
Botswana, who gained a point in their first match, flew to Tunisia playing
their opening Qualifier. Both had faced each other the week before on Botswana
soil, with Tunisia pulling off a 1-0 away win. Tunisia sought to win by far
more at home, and by halftime, striker Naïm Sliti had a hat trick to his name.
His first was a rebound header after Firas Chaouat’s fiery shot. His second was
a low shot wide of the goalkeeper, whilst a third came late in the half, a
leaning back header from a cross from left wing. After the break, Chaouat led
clear of his marker and slotted home a glorious goal, and Mohamed Dräger soon
followed suit with his left boot. Substitute Yassine Chamakhi’s goal became the
icing on the cake as Tunisia rousted Botswana 6-0. The
Match of the Round, deemed by many commentators prior to this week, came
between Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Nigeria had not played for a month, drawing
away to Cape Verde Islands in the Nations League B, and defeating Uganda 2-0 in
their first World Cup Qualifier. Côte d’Ivoire were opening their qualification
campaign at home, also not having played for a month since their 1-0 loss in
the Nations League A to the Congo DR. The Ivoirians scored early twice, first
thanks to a free kick from Jean-Philippe Gbamin, and then a wonderful header by
Wilfried Bony. Maxwel Cornet joined in the party as the game was effectively
over by halftime, with the experimental side of Côte d’Ivoire overshadowing the
experimental Nigerian side. In the second half, Ahmed Musa came off the bench
to score, and though they won the half, Nigeria still left Abidjan broken and
deflated at how disappointing their first half really was. Mauritius
flew to Uganda after having defeated Madagascar by four goals in the first World
Cup Qualifiers Match Day, whilst last week lost at home to Cameroon. Uganda had
also lost at home to South Africa in the AFCON Qualifiers and sought some
redemption. Uganda managed to bag a goal via Emmanuel Okwi in the 44th
minute after relentless pressure for most of the first half. In the second
half, the home side backed off, but still maintained their slender lead with no
real chances going the way of the Mauritians. Having
lost 2-0 to Mali last week in the AFCON Qualifiers, the Democratic Republic of
Congo wanted to get their first win for the World Cup Qualifiers. Senegal had
last week defeated Burundi at home by three goals, and had a solid win in their
first match for this World Cup campaign, but needed to rework their line up to
reflect their best eleven. That seemed to work when M’Baye Niang leveled with a
low shot under the goalkeeper, after Youssuf Mulumbu ran onto a low pass from
right wing and scored. The second half was a tight affair, with the Congolese
having the better chances towards the end of the match as they fought for a
home win. However, Senegal held on, and the match ended one-all. The
Seychelles needed a win this week, after Match Day 1’s massive loss to Senegal.
Their draw last week against Mauritania would give them a slight boost as they
faced Sao Tome and Principe. Sao Tome, in their first World Cup Qualifier, last
played two weeks ago and romped four past Somalia in the Nations League. Jude
Nancy’s goal was the difference between the two sides, as he snuck behind the
defenders before shooting low into the bottom left hand corner, beyond the
reach of the advancing goalkeeper. The Seychelles kept attacking, hoping for a
second goal, but one was enough to gain the full three points. Mozambique
held on to a lead, against Namibia, gained in the 62nd minute, after Witi won
the ball deep in the attacking third and slotted home a marvellous goal. Artur
Faife should have had Mozambique’s first just before half time, but in trying
to avoid the advancing goalkeeper, shot the ball wide of the goal instead of
chipping. Mozambique kept attacking for a second goal, but Namibia’s defence
held on. To try to level, the away side drove long balls to their attackers,
but the Mozambicans had an answer for each one. Meanwhile, Mali lost their
second game of the Qualifiers after hosting a Cape Verde Islands side that
scored twice against them, with no reply. Nuno Rocha opened the scoring right
on halftime when the Malian defence was pondering the talk at the break. Then,
with four minutes to go in the match, the Islanders found a second, more
crucial goal via Júlio Tavares, and they now have six points from two games
with a goal difference of plus six. In
the North American Qualifiers, Canada
hosted Suriname in the second leg of the Playoffs. Having won 4-3 and then lost
1-0 to the nation ranked 208th, Canada needed a draw, but wanted a victory
going into the next stages. Suriname had the pick of the chances in the first
half, but a stalemate ensued, completely different to the first leg. Finally,
on the hour mark, Dimitrie Apai slid in for a perfect goal after an initial
Milan Borjan save. Up by a goal, Suriname realised they needed a second goal to
progress, and sought about grabbing it. However, the Canadians remained
composed, and kept the Suriname side busy in defence. Canada’s best chance came
in the 83rd minute, with Samuel Piette’s brilliant volley only denied by the
Claidel Kohinor dive. Finally, Canada drew level on the day when Russell
Teibert passed through to Cyle Larin, who snagged the goal for the home side,
and a place in the next stage of qualification. Cuba
were down a goal early on aggregrate, but were full of confidence going into the
game against Antigua and Barbuda. Their confidence grew when Daniel Sáez first
scored in the fifth minute, with a quick one-touch onto his right and a
powerful strike beyond the goalkeeper. Cuba felt the win was theirs with a 24th-minute
goal by Luis Paradela. However, a defensive error helped Antigua and Barbuda
press forward, leading to a crucial away goal ably tapped into goal by Carl
Osbourne. Sáez had two attempts to nail his second either side of the break,
but as the game dragged on, it seemed Antigua and Barbuda could progress based
on away goals. Finally, with three minutes of regulation time left, Arichel
Hernández, pressured by Novelle Francis, kept his opponent away from the ball
as he strode towards goal, and pocketed the clincher that sent Cuba into the
next stage of World Cup Qualifiers. Dominica
needed to make up three goals to have any chance of advancing against Curaçao. Wade.
As Julian Wade tapped the ball into the box after thwarting Cuco Martina’s flat
pass, Jurich Carolina got in the way. As he cleared, goalkeeper Eloy Room also
sped out to stop the ball, only as he slid, he took out Wade, and the referee
awarded a penalty. Javid George coolly stubbed the ball to the right, whereas
Room dove the other direction. However, the second half became a long tussle in
the middle of the park, as neither side could find that elusive pass into deep
attacking territory. Finally, the game opened up, with George having three attempts
on goal, but to no avail, whilst Curaçao had a few chances go begging down the
other end. In the end, the game finished 1-0, and Curaçao celebrated qualifying
for the next stage towards the 2022 World Cup. Turks
and Caicos Islands hosted Puerto Rico in their second leg. In the first half,
the Puerto Ricans bunkered down in defence, and whenever they could, held onto
possession to annoy the home side. Player of the Match Cody Laurendi saved with
his feet the shot of Stevens Derilien. Laurendi did the same again in the
second half, before the ball trickled to Lenford Singh, who could not keep his
low shot on target. Singh tried again, only to fire overhead. As the game
petered out to a draw, the final whistle blew, a relief for Puerto Rico as they
advanced because of their only goal in the first leg. Guyana
put the aggregate result to bed when they scored away against St Lucia in the
sixth minute, with Kadel Daniel in his revised role as right back, scoring as
he had with the hat trick in their previous encounter. However, St Lucia did
not lose their cool as they pegged level late in the first half via Malik St
Prix. St Prix almost scored a volley from a corner in the second half, and
again from long range, but to no avail. Finally, with the final whistle nearing
the referee’s mouth, Player of the Match Ridel Stanislas stepped up and scored,
and although they did not progress, St Lucia left with a win and some sense of
pride in having defeated Guyana. Bermuda
only needed a win against the Cayman Islands after the first leg resulted in a
draw. Nahki Wells scored early to help ease any nerves with a brilliant chip
over the goalkeeper. Bermuda continued to pepper the goals, only for each shot
to fly wide. However, they were denying the away side much of the ball, so
winning seemed more and more likely. In the 58th minute, Lejaun Simmons won the
ball in an attacking position and fired off a long shot. The ball smacked the
inside of the right hand post and into the goal. Donte Brangman then capped off
the win with an additional-time goal from a similar distance to Simmon’s shot,
but the other side of the goalkeeper. Bermuda will take a hefty amount of
confidence in the next stage of qualification knowing they bumped off a side
well and truly above them in rankings. The
US Virgin Islands started well to wrestle a two-goal deficit from the first leg
by Aaron Dennis’ goal, assisted by Mack. However, two goals three minutes apart
by Ricardo McPhee effectively confirmed the Bahamas’ entrance into World Cup
Qualifiers at the next level. The home side tried valiantly, but the Bahaman
defence held firm, and ended up winning the match 2-1. From
the outset between Aruba and Montserrat, the home players were the ones aiming
to score and score big. In their attempt to make up the two-goal deficit after
the first match in Montserrat, the Arubans worked hard, having plenty of
opportunities on goal. However, the Montserrat defence held firm against the
odds, only allowing Aruba to finally score in the 57th minute by a lucky low
drive into the bottom right hand corner. Goalkeeper Corin Brooks then made two
crucial saves. The second save rebounded to an Aruban right midfielder, only he
was offside. Overall, Brooks made eight saves, and each was enough to keep
Aruba from scoring a second, and keeping his team in with a real chance of
jumping up the rankings and into World Cup qualification contention. Belize
needed to make up a three-goal margin to have any hope of progressing to the
next qualification stage. That seemed unlikely when an error between Ian
Gaynair and goalkeeper Woodrow West gifted a goal to Dominican Republic’s
Vinicio Espinal. Belize worked hard, trying to find a way to the goal line, but
could not protrude beyond the defence with any real prowess. Finally,
substitute Mike Atkinson went on a long run and shot from distance to level the
day’s score. Belize, buoyant at the prospects of coming away with a result,
continued to attack. Again, another substitute came to the fray, with Daniel
Jiménez leading onto a low pass into the box and spanking it into the net. With
that, the Belize side felt a little satisfaction, but will readdress their
weaknesses away for future tournaments, whilst Dominican Republic will recoup
and fly to Colombia for the CONMEBOL Qualifiers. Anguilla
should have scored against St Kitts and Nevis, since their first half consisted
of four shots, but zero on target. The trend continued as the home side
struggled to get anything toward the goal. Eventually, one shot on target found
its way in the 88th minute, but petered into nothing of substance. St Kitts and
Nevis did enough to hold onto their lead and will now travel to Paraguay for
the CONMEBOL Qualifiers. Manning’s
penalty was the only goal separating British Virgin Islands from Barbados for
the second leg. However, neither side showed any great flair in the middle of
the park, as tackles and turnovers were the order of the first half. That all
changed after the break, with a Mario Williams’ goal for Barbados two minutes
into the restart. The need to score three goals to have any chance of
progressing propelled the British Virgin Islanders into gear. First Carlos
Septus powered into the top right corner. Then Leo Forte cut back into the box
and curled the ball around the keeper. A few minutes later, the dream of three
goals came true with Forte’s power into the net, and an upset was on hand.
However, the football gods had one more twist as Haden Holligan’s pass found
substitute Kishmar Primus in front of goal, and he made no mistake, as Barbados
leveled the score across the two games, but had the advantage of more away
goals. North
American Qualifiers next take place in November. Women’s
Friendlies prior to the Nations Cup continued this fortnight in preparation for
the big tournament. Switzerland v Poland (neutral) POL GS (og): #1 Thalmann SUI GS: #3 Mégroz POL GS: #10 Zawistowska SUI YC: #4 Rinast Both
Switzerland and Poland kept their starting eleven as they played on neutral
soil. A physical match ensued, particularly towards the end where the match was
up for grabs. Ewa Pajor had a hand in Poland’s first, where she advanced on
goal, only to be stopped by the Swiss defence. However, the ball became
something of a pinball, and Gaëlle Thalmann’s last touch trickled backwards
into goal, and the lead for the Polish. Against
the run of play, Switzerland fought back and equalised two minutes before the
break via Naomi Mégroz’s shot whilst being watched closely by three Polish
defenders. In the second half, Poland took charge of the match and worked their
way to a second goal. Weronika Zawistowska ran onto a brilliant chip pass by
Pajor and kicked with the outside of her left boot into the open net. From
there, Poland held on, though they should have had a penalty when Rachel Rinast
fouled just inside the box, only for Poland to be awarded a free kick. Bosnia/Herzegovina v Netherlands
(neutral) NED GS: #8 Spitse NED GS #14 Groenen BIH GS: #9 Medić NED GS: #9 Miedema NED GS: #9 Miedema The
Netherlands made two changes to their starting eleven compared with the
previous match, with Sari van Veenendaal returning with the gloves, and Anouk
Dekker slipping in central defence. Bosnia/Herzegovina remained with the same
eleven. Perhaps a shift in defence would have helped, as by the 29th minute,
the Dutch had two goals via Sherida Spitse dribbling around defence and Jackie
Groenen running straight for goal and toeing beyond the keeper. Merjema Medić
managed to claw one back for Bosnia/Herzegovina by chipping her opposing Number
1, but Netherlands had a reply straight away via Vivianne Miedema. After the
break, a tighter match ensued, with desperate defence from the Bosnians.
Multiple chances went awry as the keeper saved one whilst the follow up shot
smacked the bar. Finally, as the game drew to a close, Miedema scored her
second and the Dutch’s fourth, setting up a wonderful run towards the Nations
Cup. Bosnia/Herzegovina, on the other hand, have two losses fro two friendlies,
and must rework their tactics to have any impact on the Nations Cup next week. Jordan v Morocco (home) The
first half between Jordan and Morocco saw only one shot, with that single shot
flying wide of the mark. For a while, the ball ricocheted back and forth along
the Jordanian left wing, before the home side took over possession-wise and
played along their back four. The second half did open up towards the end, with
Morocco’s Ghiziane Chhire heading towards goal, only for goalkeeper Salma
Ghazal to parry it away. Jordan’s first shot, in the 60th minute, was a free
kick by Shahnaz Jebreen, but it flew way over the bar. Rand Abu-Hussein was
subbed on, only to sustain an injury, and was replaced immediately. Jordan had
two more decent attempts, both from Stephanie Al Naber, but they were also not
on target, and the game finished in a scoreless draw. It seems like Jordan will
not have a huge impact on the Nations Cup unless something changes drastically
between now and the opener against Ghana. Romania v Uruguay (away) ROM GS: #7 Giurgiu ROM GS: #9 Bătea URU GS: #21 Suárez ROM GS: #8 Vătafu URU GS: #9 Aquino (sub) Uruguay
found it hard going after giving away a goal in the ninth minute to Romania’s
Adina Giurgiu. Their two attempts in the first half were both saved by
goalkeeper Andrea Părăluţă. Then when Mara Bătea slotted a beauty in the top
right hand corner of the goal, Uruguay needed a boost to resurrect any chance.
They did so as Stefany Suárez caught onto a Felipe cross, steadied, and found
the back of the net. However, Romania replied immediately thanks to a brilliant
dribbling display and finish by Ştefania Vătafu. Uruguay pegged one back via
substitute Belén Aquino, but it was too little, too late. Still, Uruguay would
gather before their opener against South Korea after their final friendly was
cancelled in honour of Florijana Ismaili’s passing. Ireland v Mali (away) MLI GS: #12 Dicko Ireland
hosted Nations Cup Qualifiers in Mali. Three shots apiece befell in the first
half, but it was the Malians who were getting their shots on target although
Ireland seemed more dangerous overall. In the 57th minute, Denise O’Sullivan
had Ireland’s best opportunity, but Adoudou Konaté made herself as large as
possible and the shot bounced off her chest to safety. From there, Mali took
control of the game and the shots on goal. Fatoumata Diarra had a chance on her
left, but it sailed overhead. Finally, a goal came from left wing where Aissata
Traoré chipped the ball into Lala Dicko, whose header found the back of the
net. From there, Mali held on to the win, and will grow in confidence,
confidence that would have helped with a good win over the now-cancelled
friendly against Ghana. Ghana v Vietnam (home) GHA GS: #3 Eshun GHA GS: #7 Sumaila GHA GS: #10 Addo VIE GS: #11 Thai Thi Thao GHA GS: #10 Addo VIE GS: #9 Huynh Nhu GHA GS: #9 Suleman GHA GS: #5 G. Asantewaa GHA GS: #10 Addo GHA GS: #18 Ayieyam (sub) Mali
would have to have been at their best after Ghana romped eight goals against
Vietnam in Accra. It was clear from the outset, as Sherifatu Sumaila needed
three shots to score Ghana’s second after Linda Eshun opened the scoring. When
Elizabeth Addo scored off a corner, the game’s result was assured. However,
Vietnam found weaknesses in Ghana’s left side of defence, and scored twice via
that path, thanks to Thai Thi Thao and Huynh Nhu. In between those goals was
another for Addo, before Samira Suleman and Grace Asantewaa joined the fray.
Addo had a third, and her substitute Jane Ayieyam finished off Ghana’s eighth
goal, sending them full of confidence into the Nations Cup. Austria v Mexico (away) MEX GS: #10 Martinez MEX GS: #7 Espinosa MEX GS: #7 Espinosa AUT GS: #14 Dunst Mexico
travelled to Austria and took a while to settle in the game. Their first goal
came about after a few half-chances in the latter stages of the first half. Katty
Martinez was found free about the penalty spot and fired into the goal, sending
the away side into the break with the lead. Then the second half brought two
more goals, both from Daniela Espinosa’s cut back into the middle of the field
and firing with her left. Austria gained a consolatory goal when Dunst found
herself alone against the goalkeeper, but the game was effectively the Mexicans’. Israel v Argentina (away) ARG GS: #9 Jaimes ARG GS: #9 Jaimes ARG GS: #10 Banini ARG GS: #5 Santana ARG GS: #9 Jaimes ARG GS: #3 Stábile Argentina
travelled to Israel, switching Ruth Bravo to right back. The visitors slotted
six goals into the net over the course of the match. Sole Jaimes scored a hat
trick, with Estefanía Banini assisting the first two goals before the captain scored
one of her own via a header. Santana and Stábile also scored to give Argentina
a grand way into France, although their defence got very little pressure, which
could work against the Argentinians in the final stages of their Nations Cup
preparations. Denmark v Brazil (away) BRA GS: #8 Formiga BRA GS: #11 Cristiane BRA GS: #11 Cristiane DEN GS: #24 Svava DEN GS: #4 Sevecke Brazil
started in Copenhagen with a bang. Debinha’s shot in the third minute hit the
post. The ball rebounded straight to Formiga, who calmly slotted right in front
of goal. Brazil kept attacking, and Cristiane soon had a brace, first with a
brilliant chest down and win of the ball against defenders, and the second a
choice left footer that rippled the net. However, after halftime, Marta returned
to the bench, and the Danes worked back into the match. They scored twice via Sofie
Svava and Rikke Sevecke. Dangerous minutes ensued as Denmark sought a late
equaliser, only to have the Brazilian defence hold firm and not let another
goal past. Brazil will have to watch their second halves where their older
players tire. Belgium v South Korea (away) BEL GS: #11 Cayman BEL GS: #8 Onzia KOR GS: #7 Le Mi Na (sub) BEL GS: #8 Onzia South
Korea shifted to a 4-2-2 formation and significantly altered their back four.
However, the first half became a difference between the attackers, as Belgium
went up by two goals just after the half hour mark. First, Janice Cayman
slotted home with her left, before Lenie Onzia joined her on the scorecard.
South Korea should have had goals as well, only every shot flew overhead. This
trend continued in the second half, and the Nations Cup side wondered if they
were going to get a goal. One came via two substitutes combining. Son Hwa Yeon worked
down the left midfield and crossed to the penalty spot, where Le Mi Na attacked
the ball with her head and it sailed into the goal. Onzia then sought Belgium’s
third goal, and shot, only for Kim Min Jeong to save it. However, the ball fell
out of the grasp of the Korean goalkeeper, and Onzia poked it into the net. Son
Hwa Yeon and Le Mi Na combined again, this time in reverse, but the former’s
shot hit a defender and Evrard was able to easily save. The score: 3-1, and
South Korea must rework their side to find the most competitive starting
eleven. Trinidad and Tobago v Costa Rica (home) TRI GS: #3 Shade Costa
Rica flew to Trinidad and Tobago for their first friendly in the lead up to the
Nations Cup. The Costa Ricans had the better of the early chances, but it was
in the 37th minute that Mariah Shade stole the ball in an attacking position
and powered home the ball with her left foot. Both sides had chances to score
in the second half, where Shade had two more opportunities. For Costa Rica, it
was Cristin Granados who kept annoying the defenders. Only Player of the Match
Saundra Baron thwarted multiple shots, and took charge in running out to stop
Costa Rica from equalising. Trinidad and Tobago planned originally to take on
Brazil in another friendly the following week, but now will train for their
Nations Cup opener against the Ukraine. France v Nigeria (home) FRA GS: #6 Henry FRA GS: #20 Cascarino NGA GS: #13 Okobi FRA GS: #12 Laurent (sub) France
rested Le Sommer, Bussaglia and Diani on the bench as they played their final
friendly before tackling England in the Nations Cup opener. Nigeria, their
opponent, had the first attempt on goal, but France settled and soon scored via
Amandine Henry. Delphine Cascarino then stole the ball in a prime location and
fired the ball beyond the goalkeeper. However, Nigeria cut one back through
Ngozi Okobi before the break. The second half was a tight affair until
substitute Emelyne Laurent fought for the ball just outside the box, won it,
and snagged a third for France. England v Wales (home) ENG GS: #18 White WAL GS: #7 Ward England
trialled a 4-1-4-1 formation against Wales, though the Welsh seemed to be half
a pace ahead of the English as neither side could take charge. In the 25th
minute, Ellen White found herself alone in the box and chipped the goalkeeper
to give England the edge. However, Wales never gave up, and in a series of
attacks, the pressure built up to the point where Helen Ward’s shot hit the
post, rebounded out and off the goalkeeper and back into goal. England switched
to a 4-3-3 formation, but it was too late, and the game ended in a draw.
England must utilise the side that annihilated Australia, or France will defeat
them in the first match. Sweden v New Zealand (away) SWE GS: #10 Jakobsson NZL GS: #16 Duncan NZL GS: #11 Gregorius SWE GS: #9 Asllani SWE GS: #20 Larsson (sub) NZL GS: #12 Hassett (sub) Both
Sweden and New Zealand took the lead during this match, only for the game to
finish three-all. Sofia Jakobsson opened the scoring with a power shot into the
net. Then New Zealand worked back into the game, with Katie Duncan found alone
from a throw-in. She turned and struck for goal, finding the equaliser. The
Kiwis, full of courage, took the lead into the break via Sarah Gregorius’
lightning shot. Sweden
then fought back and scored twice more. Kosovare Asllani’s header from the
corner drew the scores, before substitute Mimmi Larsson repeated the move and
brought the Swedes ahead. Not to be deterred, the away team showed why they
will be formidable in the Nations Cup, with Betsy Hassett’s odd shot that just
chipped over a diving Lindahl and trickled into goal. The draw was sufficient
for both sides, and New Zealand feel prepared to tackle Spain next week. Spain v Finland (home) ESP GS: #22 N. Garcia ESP GS: #14 Torrecilla ESP GS: #10 Hermoso FIN GS: #20 Summanen ESP GS: #17 L. Garcia ESP GS: #9 Mariona FIN GS: #7 Engman Spain,
on the other hand, had three goals in half an hour to show their prowess
against Finland. The problem for the Spanish was the two goals conceded, which
will be a concern as the Nations Cup deepens. However, if they have five goal scorers
as they did against Finland, little will matter. Ukraine V North Korea (home) UKR GS: #17 Apanaschenko UKR GS: #17 Apanaschenko The
Ukraine found it hard going against North Korea. Their early shots flew
overhead multiple times, or were thwarted by defensive blocks. Finally, in the
second half, Daryna Apanaschenko’s header chipped the goalkeeper after a cross
from right wing by Yana Kalinina. Apanaschenko’s second goal was a beauty from
long range, low and out of reach. With this and Sunday’s three-nil win over
Chile, the Ukraine will hope to cause concern for the other teams in their
group. South Africa v Jordan (neutral) RSA GS: #6 Makhabane RSA GS: #9 Mthandi RSA GS: #21 Ndimeni RSA GS: #6 Makhabane RSA GS: #10 Motlhalo (sub) Three
goals in the first 35 minutes gave South Africa the upper hand against Jordan.
Two more goals, including Malello Makhabane’s second, towards the end assured
the divide between the two teams. One will wonder if Jordan will be able to
match it with anyone in the Nations Cup, particularly with the likes of Poland,
Mexico and Ghana in their group. Judging by their lacklustre performance in
this match, it seems unlikely. South Africa, on the other hand, take momentum
into their match against Croatia. Croatia v Vietnam (home) CRO GS: #3 Jelenčić CRO GS: #9 Dujmenovic CRO GS: #6 Horvat VIE GS: #9 Huynh Nhu CRO GS: #6 Horvat CRO GS: #13 Andrlić (sub) Croatia,
like South Africa, also scored five goals against an Asian team in Vietnam.
Mihaela Horvat scored a brace, helped by Jelenčić, Dujmenovic and Andrlić, the
latter who came off the bench to snag a header that hit the crossbar and bumped
off the back of the goalkeeper. The first half was all about shooting practice,
with 15 shots in total for the Croatians (23 for the match). Player of the
Match Maja Joščak, while not scoring, assisted with two goals and got in behind
the defence multiple times. Cancelled
friendlies included: Norway v Uruguay (away) Germany V Japan (home) Bosnia V Iceland (home) Argentina v Austria (away) Italy v Thailand (home) South Korea v Slovakia (away) Netherlands v Denmark (home) Mali v Ghana (neutral) Mexico v Iran (neutral) Switzerland v Australia (home) Poland v Costa Rica (home) v Romania USA (away) Brazil V Trinidad and Tobago (neutral) AFCON Qualifiers
took place on the 23rd, with Congo taking on Nigeria. Congo, having lost at
home to Guinea-Bissau in the World Cup Qualifiers, needed a victory, as did
Nigeria, who had lost to the Ivoirians 3-1. Both Ahmed Musa for Nigeria and
Prince Ibara for Congo scored their second goal for the tournament; however, it
was Oghenekaro Etebo’s netter that proved the difference between the two sides.
Meanwhile,
the Sudanese team bounced back from their 4-0 AFCON loss to Nigeria by
peppering the eSwatini goal constantly prior to and after the half time break.
The away side, though, managed to keep the ball out of the net through
brilliant goalkeeping and defiant defending. It took the side until the 87th
minute, where Al Sadig Adam lead onto a ball and placed it low into the net
from long range. That vital goal could help later as it will help the Sudan
chase second place in the group. In
Group C, both Burkina Faso and Angola had wins on the board, though Angola had
the momentum of a win in the World Cup Qualifiers as opposed to Burkina Faso’s
3-all away draw to Gabon. It was Angola, though, that surprised the home side
just before halftime. First, Djalma got his head onto a ball and snuck it past
Kouakou Koffi. Then, Gelson found himself free in a one-on-one battle against
Koffi. Dylan Ouédraogo managed to retrace his steps and tackle the ball away
from Gelson. At the same time, Koffi dove to collect the ball, only to instead
collect Gelson, and provide Angola with a penalty, and thus their second goal
in four minutes. It took until the latter part of the match for Burkina Faso to
work back into the game, but one goal via Abdou Traoré was not enough as the
away team grabbed the full three points. In
the other Group C match, Liberia scored in the first half via a solid Tonia
Tisdell finish. They nearly had a second when Joel Johnson hit the crossbar
right before the halftime whistle. Gabon scored, thanks to an Aubameyang penalty
in the second half. Ecuele Manga took a shot, which was saved, only for Alvin
MacCornel to collect him after. From there, both sides fought for the winning
goal, but the woodwork denied Liberia again, and the game ended in a draw. Group
D’s prior matches saw two teams already on three points in Côte d’Ivoire and
the Gambia face each other in AFCON Qualifiers. The Gambia had suffered a
narrow World Cup Qualifiers loss to the Comoros, whereas the Ivoirians had
defeated Nigeria. The home side looked set to win again when Mark Gradel scored
in the 20th minute, sending the ball along the grass with his right boot and
out of reach of the goalkeeper. However, the Gambians received a penalty when
Franck Kessié slid tackled Ebou Adams. Bubacarr Sanneh missed the spot kick as
he hit the post. From there, the Ivoirians dominated the game, quickly gaining
Gradel’s brace before Ibrahima Sangaré came off the bench to score his side’s
third goal. The Gambia snatched a late goal back via Ebrima Colley, but it was
too late as the full points went to Côte d’Ivoire. The
other match in Group D was a strange affair between Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. The
Ethiopian defence held on as 14 shots (11 of them on target) came in the first
half from Zimbabwe, only to not score a goal. The same relentless attacking
continued in the second half, but resulted in no goal for the home side.
Instead, Ethiopia caught the Zimbabweans on a fast break and Adis Giday scored,
silencing the crowd. That lasted only a minute as Zimbabwe worked straight from
the kickoff and Knowledge Musona slid in to be first to Abel Mamo’s parry away
and into the goal. Both sides fought for the second goal, but in the end, a
draw ensued. A
goal by Lalaina Nomenjanahary in the 20th minute was the solitary goal that
separated the home side in Madagascar from Sierra Leone. Madagascar had the
better chances across both halves, only for solid goalkeeping saves to thwart
any additional goals. Madagascar now sits on three points, whereas Sierra Leone
only has the one draw from two games. Sitting in first place is Zambia after
their away win against Djibouti. The Zambians scored first through a Justin
Shonga free kick. Djibouti fought to remain in the game, and straight after the
break slotted a pearl of a goal by Mohamed Breik. Seven minutes later, though,
Zambia’s Ziyo Tembo restored the lead for his team, and they held on for the
win. Group
H saw the lead change multiple times between Lesotho and Kenya, with Lesotho
gaining the advantage in the latter part of the game and win 3-2. Kenya’s
Michael Olunga scored twice for his side, and Lesotho’s Tale, Sera and Toloane
slotted home to gain their second win and leave Kenya without a win from four
matches. The
top of the group clash between Rwanda and Libya saw the former overcome the
latter with a single goal, though there were chances for more. The goal came
via Meddie Kagere’s brilliant diving header from near the penalty spot after
some great team passing drew the Libyan defenders to the right side of the
park. This was brought on by constant attacking in the latter part of the first
half and into the second half. From there, the Rwandans held on for an
honourable victory and a chance against Lesotho to enter the halfway point six
points clear of the rest of the pack. In
Group L, the Central African Republic travelled to Mali and held the home side
scoreless in a droll match where the only highlights were offsides either side
of the break; one for each team. Four points from four games might not be
enough for the Central African Republic to reach the heights of the African Cup
of Nations. On the other hand, Mali sits in first place on seven points. Hot
on their heels is the Congo DR, who defeated Somalia away thanks to a corner
header from Chadrac Akolo. The visitors maintained early pressure on goal, only
for the Somalis to hold out. The momentum shifted as Somalia attacked, but
could not find any threatening approach on goal. Towards the end of the first
half, the Congo DR worked for goal, but could not get close enough. The
Congolese then had Ley Matampi make two sets of double saves, first from
Somalia’s right back Hassan Ba’baay, and the latter towards the end of the game
with Abdulshakur Mohammed’s shots stopped. Wedged between was Akolo’s goal as
his header guided the ball out of reach of the keeper and into the net. In
the CONMEBOL Qualifiers, Paraguay
breezed past the visitors in St Kitts and Nevis. Hernan Pérez opened the
scoring in the sixth minute with a drive from right midfield towards goal, and
a chip over the goalkeeper and into the net. Celso Ortiz nearly had Paraguay’s
second, only for his chip from the opposite pocket to bump the crossbar. In the
27th minute, Miguel Almirón’s header bypassed the outstretched arms of Julani
Archibald. Headers continued to be aimed at goal, before Junior Alonso led onto
a ball and slotted from the semi circle, giving Paraguay their third and final
goal. As
mentioned before, the Dominican Republic progressed in the World Cup
Qualifiers. Now they faced reigning World Cup champions Colombia. Colombia
dominated both halves, particularly the first with nine shots on target.
However, they struggled to find the netting, and as each minute passed, they
grew more desperate to find a goal. One finally came in the 88th minute, where
substitute Santiago Arias headered a corner after John Medina earned the corner
with a choice run down the right wing. Colombia then backed up immediately with
a second goal as James Rodríguez pounced on a goalkeeping parry and slotted
into the open goal. The Dominican Republic can hold their heads high, as their
defence was able to keep the champions at bay for nearly the whole match. Honduras
won their second game for the Continental Cup Qualifiers with a three-goal win
against the British Virgin Islands. The home side dominated the first half,
scoring twice through Roman Castillo and Luis Garrido. In the second half, the
Hondurans took the foot off the pedal, but still maintained a vice grip on the
match, and scored late via Player of the Match Alberto Elis’s brilliant left
footer. The
game between Bolivia and Antigua and Barbuda was far tighter, though Bolivia had
the bulk of the shots on target. In the end, having five Antiguan defenders
back helped, despite a 37th minute goal by Fernando Saucedo with the outside of
his left foot, curling beyond the reach of Molvin James.
© 2019 Steve Clark |
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Added on September 8, 2019 Last Updated on September 8, 2019 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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