Women's World Cup 2015: Day 1 Takeaways
Canada and the Netherlands share the lead atop Group A after the first day of action at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The hosts earned a narrow 1-0 win over China thanks to a controversial late penalty, and the Netherlands won by the same scoreline in the late match against New Zealand.
Group A continues on Thursday as Canada plays New Zealand and China faces the Netherlands. Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium will again serve as host for both matches.
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With the first day of action complete, there's a whole lot to discuss following Saturday's two matches in Edmonton.
Canada disappointed, but only the result mattered
In its long-awaited opening game, Canada disappointed for 90-plus minutes against an unfancied China team full of inexperienced players. The hosts dominated possession but struggled to break down their opponent with substandard crossing and a lack of incision in the final third.
But in second-half stoppage time, substitute Adriana Leon won a penalty after drawing a foul from China's Zhao Rong. The pressure was on Christine Sinclair with a huge crowd watching on, but the captain held her nerve and scored with a perfectly taken penalty.
It was Sinclair's eighth World Cup goal, and surely none of the previous seven meant more. Before the strike, Canada had gone scoreless in World Cup matches since their 2011 opener, and a draw against China would have been a poor way to start the tournament if Canada plans to make a deep run.
"The Chinese sat back and challenged us to come at them, and finally something went our way," midfielder Sophie Schmidt said, per CanadaSoccer.com. "Then Sincy [Sinclair], Oh Captain my Captain, came through and I’m just glad she put that in.”
Thanks to the goal, the disappointing performance can fade somewhat into the background. The result was all that mattered, and now Canada will focus on improving ahead of their second match, against New Zealand on Thursday.
China should be proud despite defeat
Defeat to Canada was harsh on China, who defended well for 90 minutes only to concede a late penalty and goal. After missing the World Cup four years ago, China sent an inexperienced team to Canada, with every player in Hao Wei's lineup making her World Cup debut.
It hardly showed as the Chinese executed their game plan effectively, limiting their hosts' chances and creating danger of their own on the counter. China came especially close to scoring on Wang Lisi's excellent first-half free kick, which struck both the crossbar and upright.
If the ball had flown an inch or two in another direction, the result could have been drastically altered, and Group A would have had a completely different feel after the first matchday.
"Overall I was very happy about our team performance, and I believe our team will be even better in the next match," Hao said, per FIFA.com. "It is a pity to lose in this way [with a late goal] but within a couple of days we can successfully adjust our mindset, I have no doubt about that."
Herdman made a positive impact for the hosts
Apart from Sinclair's late goal, Canada's performance left plenty to be desired for coach John Herdman. But the 39-year-old coach made the right moves in the second half to give his side the best chance to win.
With the hosts struggling to break down China's resolute defense, Herdman made three positive substitutions, introducing Leon, Kaylyn Kyle and Jessie Fleming, a teenager with exciting potential. The moves paid off, as did a tactical switch that SB Nation's Kevin McCauley noted on Twitter:
"Disappointing performance from Canada, but Herdman’s switch to 3-4-3 and all three subs were good. At least the coaching was positive.
— Kevin McCauley (@kevinmccauley) June 7, 2015"
Herdman's astute game management bodes well for Canada's chances in the final two group matches. Despite not playing particularly well for most of the match, the hosts had an advantage thanks to their coach's wise moves.
"I think it was a good start to the tournament for Canada," Herdman said, per CanadaSoccer.com. "We double the possession on China, outshot them, and only five years ago Canada would have been defending in a deep block against the Chinese who were arguably some of the best tacticians in the world."
Contentious penalty decision was correct
Referee Kateryna Monzul caused controversy with her decision to award Canada a stoppage-time penalty. On Twitter, former United States midfielder Michelle Akers provided an especially sharp critique, implying that Canada benefited unfairly because of their status as tournament hosts:
Akers' passionate commentary is welcome, but she's incorrect on this one. It is true that Zhao did not swing her elbow, but she did gain an edge by placing a high elbow to Leon's head. The decision might have seemed weak because of its timing, but a foul is a foul whether it occurs in the first minute or the final minute.
Zhao committed a foul inside the box, and the referee was correct to award the penalty.
Dutch debut was worth the wait
Saturday marked the first-ever appearance in the Women's World Cup for the Netherlands, and Lieke Martens made sure it was a memorable debut for the Leeuwinnen.
In the 33rd minute, the 22-year-old forward cut in from the left and, from the edge of the box, curled an exceptional shot around her marker, past New Zealand goalkeeper Erin Nayler and into the net. It was the tournament's first golazo and a goal that was vaguely reminiscent of Philipp Lahm's strike for Germany against Costa Rica in the opening match of the 2006 men's World Cup.
The placement of Martens' effort wasn't quite as impressive, but the two goals shared definite similarities in style and substance. Perhaps most importantly, both goals led to wins, and the Netherlands will be hoping Martens' strike leads to a similarly deep run in this tournament.
The artificial turf will be a factor
World Cup fans had their first look at the controversial artificial turf that will be on display throughout this summer's tournament. After one day and two matches, it's clear the surface will be a factor in matches.
Most readily apparent are some of the effects the fake turf will have on the ball, which runs faster than it would on a natural pitch. In addition, it behaves differently after falling from above, as Sinclair found out in an early chance against China. As the striker chased the ball in the box, she seemed put off by a bad bounce before firing wide from a tight angle. It's unclear whether Sinclair would have converted the chance on a natural-grass field, but it was clear that the ball behaved in a way she did not expect.
Other issues could include injuries and fatigue. With the heat radiating off the field on a warm day, players from both Canada and China appeared prematurely drained.
As the tournament continues, the turf will continue to influence matches in a fashion that does not occur in games played on natural grass.
Nerves played a part for Canada
Saturday's opening match drew an announced crowd of 53,058, the highest attendance ever seen in Canada for a national-team game of any sport, per Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press.
That is an impressive total, and it's a landmark for the women's game, but the crowd seemed to have a negative effect on the hosting team. From the first whistle, Canada appeared to be suffering from nerves, as a number of ill-advised back passes and rushed decisions would suggest.
"The girls have now had that experience of coming out and playing in front of 50,000 people, and that is not easy," Herdman said, per FIFA.com. "Some of the players that came on really stood up. We gave the crowd something to cheer about [at the end], which was really cool."
New Zealand must work to avoid a familiar fate
In each of its three previous World Cup appearances, New Zealand has departed at the group stage, scoring just five goals in nine matches before Saturday. Close defeats to Japan and England four years ago, as well as a draw against Mexico, seemed to represent progress in Germany, but the team's opener in Canada followed a familiar script with no goals and another loss.
The defeat placed extra importance on Thursday's fixture with Canada. Another defeat wouldn't be fatal, since New Zealand could still have a chance to finish third with a win in its final group game. But if the Football Ferns want to reach the knockout stage, they will have to come up with a way to score goals and claim points.
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