Women's FIFA World Cup

skully wrote:Good win by Colombia v Jamaica tonight.

My partner & family are ecstatic.

If they manage to see us off, you could face them in the last four…

Aye, beams. It could be on for young and old then.

I was asked tonight (by my "in-laws") who I'd support in such an outcome. I said "You're kidding, right??"

Oi, Oi, Oi!!! 🦘🦘🦘

Looks like Aus will face France.

They are flogging the Moroccans - up 2-0 after 20 mins.

Frogs up 4-0 with 10 to go.

Hope Sam Kerr is fit to head a few goals v French in QF.

France comfortably take care of Morocco , so Matildas vs France in Brisby.

The Frogs looked very slick.

Aus will have to be at their best to compete with them.

scraped through on penalties

Wow, what a day!

Been at the Olympic stadium all arvo and night.

Watched the Matildas on the big screen outside the Stadium play a gripping game v France. Both teams had chances but none better than Mary Fowler in the 2nd half for Aus with virtually an open goal.

Not to be, it went to penalties. 3 times Aus had a chance to seal it but it ended up taking 20 kicks, with Cortnee Vine slotting the winning penalty for Aus to go to the semi. Homebush erupted!!

Then watched Colombia v England in the Stadium. We were surrounded by very raucous Colombian fans who made up the majority of the 76,000 crowd. But they couldn't get their team home, beaten 2-1 by a superior England side.

Aus will have to be very good to beat England for a spot in the Final, in the Ashes semifinal.

An obvious thing to say no doubt, but anyway ...

The more substantial Sam Kerr's input can be in the semi-final, the greater the likelihood of the home team (or one of them) progressing to the final and winning it.

Aus don't have a one-player team of course: but it's not only the goals she scores, creates and sets up simply by opening space for others. She is pretty talismanic. One of those players who raises the rest of the team and its performance.

England's squad have improved during the tournament - sometimes it's as if they did not lose their two best players before the tournament even began (perhaps three, if you include the injury-prone dynamo that is Kirby). Their playmaking defender captain Williamson has not (yet) been missed as much as expected (Bright and Bronze have risen to that challenge - Earps has kept them in it); whereas Beth Mead certainly has been a big loss in the centre and left side of the attack. ...

And then a foolish moment of temper by Lauren James.


If Kerr has much to do with it, this will surely be the end of the road for the Lionesses.

If Sam can only play a bit part, then despite home support, it must be about even money?

But what do I know.

Sam Kerr did her best, but her defenders let her down. She did score one of the goals of the tournament to lift the roof off the Club I was at.

3-1 to England which was a fair reflection of their dominance. They were far better on the ball than Aus, and controlled the ball for big chunks of the game.

Lauren Hemp had an immense game for England, as did Lucy Bronze, who kept Aus's player of the tournament Caitlin Foord quiet.

Well done England. Too good on the night. Good luck v Spain in the Final.

I was at AAMI (or as I still prefer to call it, Gosch's Paddock) watching on the big screen - Australia dominated the five minutes before & after Sam's goal, but most of the rest of the time England looked more skilled, more cohesive and more dangerous. Mary Fowler for Oz could be anything and had her moments, but needs more of them.

Another remarkable run from England, overcoming key injuries and an untimely red card along the way… and must be clear favourites against a Spanish side who have overcome a near mutiny and an opening 4-0 defeat to Japan. Can they hold their nerve? Not many teams, male or female, can have done a World and Euro double.

I thought it was a very close match, two very similar sides battling it out.

Always a sickener (esp when it's the home team) to be hunting the equaliser late on, a chance missed, ball goes up the other end on the break, and the two-goal buffer seals it. It might easily have gone to ET, esp if Kerr had put away a chance easier than the wonderstrike she hit.

The difference was, in the end, quick chances taken by skilful linking play and hot shots on the break, three to one. Hemp really stood out.

The Aussie players and fans were dismayed, but their women's team has come on in leaps and bounds and is nearly there.

England have certainly not won the cup yet - Spain are also made of stern stuff - but they will be buoyed by the return of James with fresh legs. Hopefully as a sub. Toone certainly deserves to start, if fit.

Hola! Hola!

¡HOLA!, ¡HOLA!, ¿shirley?


It's almost diacritical we are punctilious in these matters.

Though e.g. ¡ arriba* España ! might be more apt than just saying hi ...


*speedy gonzalez style...

Mareeba Mareeba!!

Aussie chicks need to learn to dive, on field.

Wasn’t to be. 4th is probably an overachievement by the Tillies.

Well done them. Congrats to Sweden on 3rd place.

Vuelve a casa!!

Congrats to Spain on winning the World Cup.

They were dominant in the 1st half then held on as England pressed in the 2nd.

The Rugby World Cup and World Cup cricket are the next opportunities for the most conspicuous English fans to anticipate an inevitable win.

lardbucket wrote:The Rugby World Cup and World Cup cricket are the next opportunities for the most conspicuous English fans to anticipate an inevitable win.  

If we could move on from the class of 2019 in both cases we might have more of a chance.

Only thing going for us in the rugby is a remarkably favourable draw, but even beating Argentina, Japan and Samoa to get out of the group looks a long shot right now.

lardbucket wrote:The Rugby World Cup and World Cup cricket are the next opportunities for the most conspicuous English fans to anticipate an inevitable win.  

another moral victory trophy in the bag

Nath wrote:

lardbucket wrote:The Rugby World Cup and World Cup cricket are the next opportunities for the most conspicuous English fans to anticipate an inevitable win.  

another moral victory trophy in the bag

I haven’t seen anyone saying we’ve got a chance in the rugby, other than maybe a 2007-style run where we scrape our way to the last four without beating anyone half-decent and then have a stroke of luck. Worst team we’ve had since then, at least. Fourth or fifth-best in the NH, if we’re being generous.