Women's World Cup 2015: Saturday's Day 22 Takeaways
The FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal quartet is set after England and Japan claimed quarterfinal wins on Saturday.
England kept its historic run alive with a 2-1 victory over hosts Canada in Vancouver. Earlier, Japan continued its title defense with a 1-0 win over Australia.
Japan and England will play each other in the semifinals on Wednesday in Edmonton.
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Here are the key takeaways from Day 22 at the Women's World Cup.
England's trailblazing run continues
In a cauldron of noise at BC Place, England overcame the host nation and more than 54,000 home supporters—a near sellout—for a historic 2-1 victory over Canada. Just days ago, the Three Lionesses had never won a knockout match in the Women's World Cup. But now Mark Sampson and his players are in the semifinals and dreaming of further glory.
England took control of the match with two quick goals early in the first half. In the 11th minute, the tireless Jodie Taylor, who played brilliantly all night, pounced on a mistake by Lauren Sesselmann and kept her cool to send a tidy finish by Erin McLeod for the opener. It was 2-0 just three minutes later as Lucy Bronze slipped free of her marker and headed in from a Fara Williams free kick.
Christine Sinclair pulled a goal back for Canada late in the opening half, but the hosts were unable to find the equalizer despite mounting wave after wave of attacks in the second half.
And so, a familiar pattern reasserted itself: England won 2-1 for the fourth straight match, and Bronze netted the winner for the second outing in a row. More importantly, however, the Three Lionesses once again improved, as they have in every contest since an opening loss to France.
In that defeat, England offered very little going forward. But since then, Sampson's team has found its attacking groove, scoring both beautiful and opportunistic goals. It hasn't always been pretty, and England hasn't truly dominated any of its five opponents, but it's been amazingly effective.
And that, for the footballing nation of England, will be a strange sensation. The senior men's national team bowed out of the World Cup at the group stage last summer and has not advanced past the quarterfinals of that tournament since 1990. Meanwhile, the Under-21 men's side just crashed out of the Euros after finishing last in Group B. Yet here is the women's team, already making history and on the verge of making more.
Just two years ago, the Three Lionesses exited the European Championship at the group stage and parted ways with longtime manager Hope Powell. Now, under Sampson's guidance, the team stands one win away from the World Cup final.
Japan, the defending champions, will be favored to beat England and advance to a second straight final. But the Lionesses have shown immense improvement at this tournament and will fancy their chances.
"This team just won't give in," Sampson said on television after the match (via Fox Sports 1). "I don't know where they've found their energy. I don't know how deep they've dug today. But it was just there. And we got ourselves through and I can't be any prouder of my staff or my players."
As multiple observers noted on Twitter, it's impossible not to believe that women's football in England is on the rise.
The Lionesses undoubtedly have inspired countless young girls in England to play football, and their progress in Canada will surely bring an uptick in participation back home.
This team's progress at this World Cup has been an inspiration to watch. But perhaps the best is still yet to come.
Defending champions do just enough, again
Japan's run of narrow victories continued with a 1-0 win over Australia in the day's first game in Edmonton. The defending champions were worthy winners, as usual, but once again they did only just enough to move on.
Mana Iwabuchi scored the game's only goal in the 87th minute, tucking in from close range after Australia was unable to clear a corner. A scramble ensued, with Azusa Iwashimizu having a point-blank shot blocked. The ball rolled directly to Iwabuchi, who swept into the net.
With that, Japan maintained its 100 percent record in the tournament and remained on course to retain the title. But as has been the case throughout the tournament, it's tough to know exactly what to make of this team.
Consider this: Japan is the only team to win all five of its games in Canada. But all five of those wins have come by one-goal margins, and four were over tournament newcomers. And against Australia, replays suggested Iwabuchi might have been offside for the winning goal.
If it's possible for a defending champion to fly under the radar into the semifinals, this team has done it. But despite that, we all know for certain that Japan will be difficult to beat in the semifinals, and potentially in the final, no matter the opposition.
Australia will go home full of pain after losing on such a late—and avoidable—goal. But the Matildas should take pride from their performances in Canada, having upset Brazil and won a first-ever knockout match in the World Cup.
"Most of our players are young, and it is a heartbreaking moment for them, but sometimes you learn from these experiences," Australia coach Alen Stajcic told FIFA.com. "We don’t want to compete with the best, we want to beat the best, so now it is a case of taking further steps. There is a lot of room for growth moving forward."
Against Japan, Australia was unable to press effectively and, in turn, to create danger on the counter. That had as much to do with Japan as anything. The defending champions hold the ball extremely well and were largely unbothered by Australia's attempt to press, which began in earnest in the second half.
This World Cup represented a step forward for the Matildas, but now the next step is to match teams like Japan for technical skill.
Hosts bow out in quarterfinals
Holding the Women's World Cup in Canada represented an opportunity for the host country. Much like their neighbors to the south did in 1999, the Canadians had a chance to give the sport a massive boost with a run to the title this summer.
That run is now over in the quarterfinals, and it's unclear just what impact this World Cup will have on Canadian women's soccer.
True, attendance has been strong at certain matches, especially those featuring Canada and the U.S. But when the U.S. won the World Cup in 1999, the members of that team became mainstream celebrities, immediately recognizable to any average Jane or Joe on the street, regardless of whether or not they watched soccer. Only time will tell whether Canadian players will enjoy similarly widespread appeal, but after reaching only the quarterfinals, it seems unlikely.
That said, Canada's players did themselves proud in this World Cup with a colossal effort under intense pressure, though they fell short of their ultimate goal. Perhaps the country will still show interest in the remaining games, but that is far from certain.
In his post-match press conference, head coach John Herdman struck a diplomatic tone, praising the home support and almost begging the fans to stick with his team.
Canada's players deserve support, both from their fans and the national federation.
One can only hope it continues beyond this summer.
Germany's Marozsan could miss U.S. match
News broke Saturday afternoon that German midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan could miss Tuesday's semifinal against the United States. According to the Associated Press (h/t Fox Sports), Marozsan hyperextended her left ankle Friday against France.
Marozsan's absence would be a blow for Germany. Her introduction at halftime clearly boosted Germany, and she is without a doubt one of the top playmakers in the world at present.
But the Germans have a deep roster and plenty of options in midfield. Lena Goessling and Melanie Leupolz have played well in the middle of the park. If any team can overcome the absence of a player like Marozsan, it's Germany.
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