Amanda Ilestedt scored within the 89th minute to present Sweden a 2-1 win over South Africa in its Group G opener on the Women’s World Cup on Sunday and deny South Africa the primary main upset of the event.
South Africa shocked Sweden when Hildah Magaia scored within the forty eighth minute. But Sweden acquired on the board within the sixty fourth minute with Fridolina Rolfo’s equalizer. Ilestedt then produced an ideal header from a nook with a minute left to assist Sweden escape on the finish of an unimpressive opening recreation effort.
Sweden was anticipated to comfortably win the group and it is first match towards 54th-ranked South Africa appeared to be it is best. But after a scoreless first half, Sweden got here out of the locker room flat and South Africa capitalized with the primary objective of the match three minutes after the restart.
Thembi Kgatlana dropped behind the protection and struck a excessive shot that keeper Zecira Musovic may solely parry. Magaia hurled herself ahead with such drive she was carried into the objective together with the ball.
Sweden did not make the most of a dominant first half wherein it had 71% of possession, eight corners and 5 pictures on objective, three on the right track.
Finally urged into motion, Sweden pressed ahead and equalized when Johanna Kaneryd’s sweeping cross from the suitable aspect missed the top of Stina Blackstenius however fell on the ft of Rolfo and ended within the web.
South Africa performed in new all black uniforms, a departure from its typical inexperienced away strip, and the jerseys had been a stark distinction to Sweden’s all gold on a depressing, wet night at Wellington Regional Stadium.
The Banyana Banyana appeared energized and performed with a verve which regularly apprehensive Sweden when it was expressed on sudden, incisive counter-attack.
The South Africa gamers had been buoyant after settling a long-standing pay dispute with their nationwide federation which assured them they may obtain the $30,000 FIFA has promised each participant at this World Cup. Banyana Banyana gamers sang and danced as they stepped down from their staff bus and made their method to their locker room an hour earlier than the match began.
They sang and danced once more as they left the sector.
Rain started falling in Wellington about two hours earlier than kickoff and continued steadily, generally closely into the match, glazing the pitch and making it slick in locations. The wind, often omnipresent in Wellington and an element when Spain met Costa Rica on Friday, was absent and the harbor which flanks Sky Stadium on its jap aspect, was glassy.
Key second
Ilestedt’s 89th minute objective, a masterpiece on the finish of a match wherein Sweden seldom sparkled.
The ball was swept in for Sweden’s eleventh nook of the match and Ilestedt was completely positioned to go the ball down and into the web. It was a merciless blow to South Africa who performed with nice braveness and shocked Sweden with the primary objective of the match. But it put Sweden’s marketing campaign on observe, giving them an anticipated early lead in Group G.
Why it issues
Sweden hadn’t misplaced a World Cup group match since 2003 and for a second on Friday that file regarded in jeopardy. But objectives from Rolfo and Ilestedt, the second with moments left, allowed Sweden to seize an anticipated Group G win. It wasn’t spectacular and Sweden should enhance.
Italy and Argentina, the opposite groups in Group G, obtained a warning to not overlook South Africa after its plucky efficiency.
What’s subsequent?
Italy and Argentina meet within the subsequent match in Group G in Auckland on Monday. Both may have watched and famous South Africa’s efficiency. The group abruptly appears tighter than anticipated.
South Africa performs Argentina in Dunedin on Friday and Sweden faces Italy in Wellington on Saturday.
Netherlands scores early then shuts down Portugal 1-0
Stefanie van der Gragt scored on a header within the thirteenth minute, main the Netherlands to a 1-0 win over Portugal on the Women’s World Cup on Sunday because the 2019 finalists started their event run.
The Dutch defender gathered herself as teammate Sherida Spitse lofted a nook kick her approach, then headed the ball throughout the objective into the far aspect of the web. An offside assessment delayed the celebration.
The objective by the 30-year-old van der Gragt, who plans to retire after the Women’s World Cup, was the quickest first objective of the event. The Dutch managed the tempo of the sport — Portugal’s first shot of the match didn’t come till the 82nd minute.
The assembly with the Netherlands, ranked No. 9 on the earth, marked Portugal’s first-ever event look.
On hand had been 11,991 spectators, who had been sheltered from the rain inside Dunedin’s lined Forsyth Barr Stadium, often known as the Glasshouse, which has a capability of 25,947.
Though many of the crowd seemed to be Dutch followers, a small however vocal group of Portuguese supporters with flags and staff attire banged on drums all through the sport, the beat echoing throughout the venue.
Key moments
Van der Gragt’s first-half objective gave the Dutch a lead and allowed them to play lockdown protection. Both groups performed a bodily recreation, however Portugal was unable to match the Netherlands’ technical mastery.
Why it issues
The Dutch victory raises the stakes for his or her upcoming rematch with the two-time defending world champion Americans, who beat Netherlands 2-0 in that 2019 remaining. A winner in that match will achieve management of Group E and will very properly wrap up a berth within the knockout stage.
Portugal failed to interrupt by means of and grow to be the primary of the eight newcomers within the Women’s World Cup to get a win.
In their very own phrases
“It’s an important goal. I’m proud of the team and it’s a good win. The first game is always the important game of the tournament and I think these three points are really good for us.” — Stefanie van der Gragt, Netherlands defender.
“What the Portuguese players did today is of utmost courage, utmost character. To play the vice-champions of the world (2019 runners-up), the Portuguese players managed to break their rhythm. We just need to play more matches and get used to this,” Francisco Neto, Portugal head coach.
What’s subsequent?
Netherlands heads to the Group E showdown towards the U.S. on Thursday in Wellington. Portugal faces Vietnam, which did not get a single shot on objective in its 3-0 loss to the Americans, additionally on Thursday. That match is in Hamilton, with the loser seemingly out of rivalry for the spherical of 16.
Jamaica holds France to a stunning 0-0 draw
Hervé Renard is aware of all about World Cup shocks. He additionally is aware of an early setback might be overcome in worldwide soccer.
With that in thoughts, the France coach was not unduly involved by his staff’s 0-0 with Jamaica on Sunday, which was one of many greatest surprises to date on the Women’s World Cup.
Renard led Saudi Arabia to a well-known win towards Argentina on the males’s World Cup in Qatar final yr, earlier than Lionel Messi’s staff rebounded and went on to elevate the trophy for his or her nation.
“I’ve already won competitions after drawing my first two games,” mentioned the two-time Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach. “Let’s talk about the World Cup 2022. I don’t think that we should be getting ahead of ourselves.
“There are lots of people, lots of teams that start with the fanfare and are not there come the final and others are maybe slow to get out of the starting blocks.”
While there is no need for France to panic, this was still an unexpected result for the fifth-ranked team in the world and one of the tournament favorites.
By contrast Jamaica is ranked 43rd and entered the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand having lost all of its games at its World Cup debut in 2019 with a goal difference of -11.
“We always tell our players just don’t worry about the rankings,” said Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson, who declared his country’s first point ever in the competition as its greatest achievement in soccer.
“I think it is the No. 1 result I have seen men or women,” he said. “I would put it there. If you go by the rankings you would say that result on this stage has to be No. 1.”
Jamaica’s players ran onto the field after the final whistle as if they’d been crowned world champions. It would have been a very different story had Kadidiatou Diani’s 90th-minute header not struck the bar.
In a game of few chances, Diani had France’s best opportunities to score a winner, but could not find a breakthrough at the Sydney Football Stadium.
She forced a save from Jamaica goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer in the first half and saw another effort deflected wide.
Another header in the second half also went wide of the target before her late effort came back off the bar.
The French were expected to be too strong for Jamaica, but favorites have not had everything their own way so far in the tournament. The 2019 quarterfinalists were the latest to struggle against an underdog.
Australia needed a penalty to get a 1-0 win against Ireland, while European champion England also needed a spot kick to overcome Haiti 1-0. Nigeria held Olympic champion Canada 0-0.
“The French are used to having the upper hand during the opening games, but this is something that is going to change because things are getting a lot closer,” Renard mentioned. “We must hold our heads up excessive and we have to hold our confidence excessive.”
Jamaica did properly to disrupt a France staff that struggled to place collectively fluid strikes.
In one in all France’s few moments of high quality within the first half, Diani noticed a low effort bundled across the put up by Spencer. From the ensuing nook, Wendie Renard headed over from shut vary.
Kadidiatou was fractions away from giving France a halftime lead when firing from the sting of the world. Chantelle Swaby managed to get one thing in the way in which of the shot, which deflected narrowly large with the keeper crushed.
After seeing one other header go large after the break, Kadidiatou virtually got here up with the decisive second when hitting the bar.
On an in any other case joyous evening for Jamaica, it might come to remorse the purple card for star ahead Khadija Shaw, who can be suspended for the subsequent recreation.
What’s subsequent
France performs Brazil in Brisbane on Saturday. Jamaica travels to Perth the place it would face Panama.