Alexandra Popp yesterday scored twice as Germany thrashed Morocco 6-0 to launch their FIFA Women’s World Cup title bid in style, while Italy triumphed in a feisty encounter with Argentina thanks to an 87th-minute winner.
The lower-ranked teams at the first 32-team Women’s World Cup have generally held their own so far, indicating a closing of the gap in women’s international soccer, but two-time champions Germany blew away Morocco — the first Arab team at a Women’s World Cup — in Melbourne to record the biggest win of the tournament so far.
The Germans are among the favorites once again, along with holders the US, England, Spain and France, and they showed why with a clinical performance in front of a near sell-out crowd of more than 27,000.
Photo: AFP
In their 32-year-old skipper Popp they have one of the best goalscorers around and she took full advantage of some poor Morocco defending with simple close-range finishes.
Klara Buehl made it three straight after halftime to end the match as any kind of contest, before two own-goals and a late sixth from Lea Schueller.
Argentina had never won a game at the Women’s World Cup after appearing at three previous finals — and the wait goes on after going down 1-0 to Italy in a fiery clash that yielded six yellow cards.
Juventus veteran Cristiana Girelli was Italy’s heroine, coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute and scoring the winner with a superb header just four minutes later in front of nearly 31,000 fans in Auckland, New Zealand.
“I am really happy for me and my teammates because we deserved the victory,” said Girelli, who scored a hat-trick against Jamaica at the 2019 World Cup.
“To win in that way, even though we had to suffer, is important,” added the 33-year-old, surely now a contender to start the next match against Sweden, even if she had no complaints about being an impact substitute.
“If all the games are like this then there is no problem,” she said. “Honestly, obviously every player wants to play 90 minutes, but I will settle for every game being like that. The main thing was the victory.”
Argentina coach German Portanova felt the result at Eden Park was harsh on his side.
“It was a very even match,” he said. “At times we controlled it and they did not have many opportunities. The result was somewhat unfair. A draw would have been the right score.”
In yesterday’s other match, Brazil defeated Panama 4-0.
South Korea and Colombia play today, before cohosts New Zealand face debutants the Philippines in Wellington.
South Korea coach Colin Bell is keen to protect 16-year-old US-born attacker Casey Phair from “hype” ahead of her potential debut.
Phair is not expected to start against Colombia, but could be a secret weapon off the bench if they are chasing the game.
“She did very well when she came in training with two other young players that we had,” the 61-year-old Bell said. “So now she’s in the squad, then we just take it day by day, so I don’t really want to hype up a young player too much before she’s even played.”
New Zealand defeated Norway 1-0 in the tournament opener, while the Philippines lost 2-0 to Switzerland in their first game, but were not outclassed and their Australian coach Alen Stajcic is relishing silencing the home crowd.
“We want to crash the party. It’s not really their party — it’s everyone’s, ours as well,” he said.
In the third match today, Switzerland play Norway in Hamilton, New Zealand.
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