Women's World Cup Results 2015: Group Scores and Twitter Reaction from Tuesday
The 2015 Women's World Cup has already featured some truly enthralling games, huge performances and talented teams. Could Tuesday's action continue to thrill?
Of course it could. Below, you'll find the full results, recaps and Twitter reactions from the day's action.
Results
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| F | France | 1-0 | England |
| E | Spain | 1-1 | Costa Rica |
| F | Colombia | 1-1 | Mexico |
| E | Brazil | - | South Korea |
Brazil Cruises in Opener, Beats South Korea 2-0
South Korea didn't back down to Brazil, but they were also outclassed in this one, as Formiga's 33rd-minute goal and Marta's 53rd-minute conversion from the spot gave the Brazilian's a 2-0 win.
Marta's goal made history, per SportsCenter on Twitter:
Paul Carr of ESPN has more on the legendary career of Marta:
All in a day's work for the superstar.
Brazil controlled possession (68 percent), put up 15 shots (four on target), produced seven corners and created countless other opportunities they couldn't quite put away, especially in the second half when their devastating counter-attack was on full display.
With Spain only managing a draw earlier in the day, the Brazilians remain the clear favorites to escape their group on top. While they'll likely want to be a bit more clinical with their chances going forward, the Brazilians will surely be pleased with a strong opening contest.
Mexico Blow Late Lead, Draw With Colombia, 1-1
A game largely controlled by Mexico was taken from them at the very end, as a late goal and a questionable call resulted in a 1-1 draw with Colombia.
Daniela Montoya's rocket goal after some suspect defending from Mexico drew the game even in the 82nd minute, and a questionable call from the referee took a Mexican goal off the board in stoppage time. Charlyn Corral appeared to have snuck the game-winner past the keeper, but the play was called back on a questionable—if not phantom—foul called on Stephany Mayor.
Veronica Perez got Mexico on the board in the 35th minute off a corner kick in the first goal of the tournament to utilize goal-line technology. That goal wouldn't hold up, however.
And the loss was a disappointment for Mexico on a number of levels, per Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated:
Tom Marshall of ESPN FC added:
The officiating in general was pretty poor in this contest, and Colombian Fabian Taborda tried to dance around that subject in his post-match press conference, per Andrea Canales of ESPN FC:
He was more apt to praise Mexico's defense:
Mexico held 58 percent of possession, while the teams were even on shots (Colombia held the advantage on shots on goal, 2-1) and will surely feel as though they let a crucial three points slip away.
With matchups against France and England looming, taking all three points was vital for both countries. Advancing out of this group would have been a very real possibility for either side with a victory. After Tuesday's draw, the odds grew longer.
Spain Dominate, Only Draw 1-1 Against Costa Rica
Spain couldn't possibly have dominated Costa Rica any more thoroughly. They held 66 percent of possession. They outshot Costa Rica 19-3 (8-1 in shots on goal). They earned eight corners and didn't give up a single one.
And somehow, someway, they managed to only draw 1-1 with their overmatched opponents.
Vicky Losada gave the Spaniards a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute, but that only held up for about a minute, as Raquel quickly equalised for Costa Rica. Still, Spain appeared to have plenty of goals left in the tank.
And time...after time...after time...after time, they failed to capitalize on the many opportunities with countless missed shots that should have been clear goals. The second half, in particular, was a clinic in how to create scoring opportunities and a horror film about how to butcher them.
If Spain harbored hopes of winning this group, well, this game was a must-win, especially with dangerous Brazil and underrated South Korea looming. The Spaniards must be far less wasteful in their next two games if they are to advance.
France Get Past England, 1-0
The French opened their bid to top Group F by surviving a tough English team, winning 1-0. Eugenie Le Sommer's blistering strike in the 29th minute was the difference for France.
Despite the 1-0 scoreline perhaps suggesting otherwise, France was pretty dominant in this one. The French held 64 percent of possession, outshot the English 21-3 (3-1 on goal) and earned six corners to England's three.
They were quite clinical in their passing, per Paul Carr of ESPN:
As Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated noted, the French were never terribly bothered:
Barry Glendenning of Football Weekly, meanwhile, felt the English effort was uninspired:
"No hard high press going on here with England women. No discernible plan #analysis #muchlikethemen
— Barry Glendenning (@bglendenning) June 9, 2015"
The English did manage to take the sting out of a dangerous French attack, but they were never able to offer much on the counter themselves. The English didn't exactly park the bus in this one, but they certainly weren't driving a sports car either.
The key moment was Le Sommer's goal. After a poor turnover by the English just outside of their own box, Le Sommer raced forward and absolutely rocketed a shot toward the near post. English 'keeper Karen Bardsley dove and got her hands on the ball, but Le Sommer's shot simply had too much power behind it and found the netting.
Bardsley could have perhaps done a bit better—'keepers generally despise being beaten on their near post—but Le Sommer's strike was nonetheless a thing of beauty. The finish certainly impressed Wahl, and he noted that Le Sommer is a player to watch in this tournament:
That goal seemed to calm the French down after a few opportunities were left wanting early on, per Andrea Canales of ESPN FC:
They wouldn't find any.
The English should advance in this group, as they are more talented than Mexico and Colombia, but their margin for error certainly just diminished. France, meanwhile, should have little issue winning all three contests in this group if it plays up to its standards.
The French are a very real contender at this year's tournament. Taking their foot off the gas pedal after a win, even against the stiffest competition they'll face in this group, would be a big mistake and could cost them a lot of momentum heading into the knockout phase of the tournament.
