The US, Russia and Great Britain went goal-crazy at the Yingfeng Sports Park in Taipei yesterday morning, with all of the big three booking their spots in the Deaflympics semi-finals on Friday morning.
The US thumped Denmark 7-0 in the only game in three-team Group A, putting out an unchanged line-up following their first-round 4-0 victory over Germany. Denmark were playing their first match of the tournament.
The US took the initiative early on when Felicia Schroeder latched onto a poor defensive clearance by Denmark skipper Charlotte Brondum after four minutes. Schroeder buried the ball in the net past Denmark keeper Mie Pluzek.
Nine minutes later, a cross from the US right wing found a Danish hand in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot.
Schroeder made no mistake, putting the US firmly in control.
A 36th minute run into the area by Liza Offreda of the US was blocked off by the defense and the referee again pointed to the spot, although it looked more like obstruction. This time Kelly O’Steen stepped up to score with the spot-kick.
A minute before the break Pluzek came out for a cross and found herself stranded when Virginia Keeler headed the ball into the unguarded net, sending the teams into the halftime break with the score 4-0 to the US.
The Americans continued to dominate the second-half, and in the 53rd minute diminutive right-winger Katherine Ward scored a goal her good play deserved when she beat two defenders on the right edge of the penalty area and curled a left-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Seven minutes later, an O’Steen corner from the right was punched by Pluzek onto leftback Gopika Pararajasingam and into the net for an own-goal, although it was later officially credited to O’Steen.
O’Steen completed the scoring in the 65th minute when she hit a rocket from 25m out that flew past the diving Pluzek and into the top corner.
The result guaranteed the US top spot in Group A and a place in the semi-finals. Denmark need to beat Germany tomorrow morning to advance, while a draw would be good enough to put the Germans through on goal difference.
In Group B, Great Britain made sure they would be appearing in the semi-finals with an 18-0 demolition of Thailand, who let in 20 without reply in their first-round match. Britain made six changes to the team that defeated Japan 6-1 in their first match of the tournament.
Danielle Evans scored eight of Britain’s goals to take her tournament tally to 11, while Camilla Willis added another four to the hat-trick she hit against Japan. Lisa Nepean scored a brace and Britain’s other goals came from Lydia Docker, captain Esther Maycock, Damaris Cooke and substitute Chloe Lockey.
In the other match, Russia put themselves top of the table and into the semis with a 10-0 thrashing of Japan. The Russians made just one change from the team that put 20 past Thailand in their first match.
Svetlana Gagarina hit another six to take her tournament tally to 12, while Irina Degtyareva scored a brace. The other goals came from Tatyana Bol’shakova and Margarita Sayfutdinova.
A win for Britain in tomorrow’s match would see them top the group and avoid the US in the semis. Russia just need a draw.
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