Cohosts Australia yesterday surged into the FIFA Women’s World Cup last 16 with Hayley Raso scoring twice in a 4-0 battering of Canada, as Nigeria joined them in the knockout phase.
Olympic champions Canada were dumped out at the hands of a fired-up Australian team who knew they had to win in Melbourne to progress.
They did it in style, their big victory put them through as Group B winners, meaning they would probably avoid European champions England in the next round.
Photo: AFP
That is likely to fall on Nigeria, who were held 0-0 by already-eliminated Ireland in Brisbane and finished second.
Tony Gustavsson’s Australian team came into the clash with Canada under huge pressure following a stunning 3-2 loss to Nigeria that left their tournament hopes on a knife-edge.
Rather than wilt, the Matildas thrived, to the delight of a raucous 27,706 fans who were kicking every ball.
Star striker Sam Kerr, who missed Australia’s first two games with a calf injury, declared herself fit, but remained on the bench as her teammates more than compensated for her absence.
Real Madrid’s Raso put them ahead in the ninth minute, then made it two half an hour later with a close-range tap-in.
A shellshocked Canada made four changes at halftime as coach Bev Priestman attempt to salvage their World Cup.
The comeback never materialized and Mary Fowler bagged Australia’s third from a counterattack before Steph Catley sealed victory with an injury-time penalty.
Earlier, Japan sent a World Cup warning with a clinical 4-0 thrashing of Spain.
The 2011 champions Japan were 3-0 up by halftime in Wellington as they romped to a victory that allowed them to finish top of Group C and set up a last-16 tie against Norway.
Hinata Miyazawa scored twice either side of a Riko Ueki goal, with Mina Tanaka wrapping up a stunning win late on.
Their first victory in five attempts over Spain was so comprehensive it suggests 11th-ranked Japan might be contenders to win the tournament.
They finish the group stage with 11 goals, more than any other team, while they are yet to concede.
Miyazawa, who was substituted at halftime, is also the tournament’s leading scorer with four goals.
“I never imagined it. All of the goals are because of the other players giving me the right passes. So it’s everybody’s goal, not just me,” she said.
Spain, who like Japan had already qualified for the last 16 before this game, finish as runners-up in their group and now play Switzerland in Auckland on Saturday.
In the other Group C game, Zambia won a Women’s World Cup match for the first time with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica as they ended their tournament on a high.
Today, the US and England are seeking to seal their last-16 spots.
The Americans are pursuing a third consecutive World Cup title, but have been far from their best and were held 1-1 by the Netherlands last time out.
The US might need a big win to finish on top of Group E ahead of the Netherlands, but a shock defeat would almost certainly end their tournament.
“The most important thing obviously is getting in the knockout stage first and foremost and that is our main focus right now,” their coach, Vlatko Andonovski, said. “We don’t want to look two, three or four steps forward. If we start thinking too far ahead, our chance may never come.”
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
RSS