France Advances to Semis on Penalty Kicks

France and England battled through 120 minutes of tough soccer, without settling a winner. And after all of the nailbiting anxiety of 120 minutes, the penalty kick faceoff offered even more drama. But in the end, France prevailed by a 5-4 margin on penalties and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

Elise Bussaglia became the French hero, scoring in the 88th minute to draw France even, when it looked like time would run out on them. Late substitute Eugenie LeSommer knocked home what proved to be the winning penalty kick as English captain Faye White would hit England's final kick off the crossbar, in a heartbreaking finish for the veteran English defender.

One would have to say that the better team won this match as France were certainly more dominant for much of the game. However, one had to feel for an English team that was only minutes from wrapping up the match in regulation and led on penalties 3-2 with only two kicks per team left.

By the time the overtime came around, Kelly Smith was barely able to walk, let alone run. Fara Williams was hobbled as well and Ellen White had run herself nearly into the ground. Karen Bardsley appeared to injure her shoulder, although it did not appear to affect the game in any way.

While France held an advantage in play throughout most of the game, it was England that had a chance just seconds into the match. Karen Carney played a perfect ball through to Smith, who dribbled around French keeper Celine Deville. But Smith's attempt from a bad angle was blocked by Laura Georges and France had averted early disaster.

In the 25th minute, Marie-Laure Delie sent the ball to Gaetane Thiney who struck a beautiful volley that was heading inside the right post, but Bardsley made a diving save to keep France off the board. Bardsley nearly got caught off her line in the 37th minute and Louisa Necib's free kick from 35 was headed on target. Bardsley had started forward and had to back up in quite a hurry to tip the ball over the bar.

France continued to create chance after chance, with Necib putting a shot over the bar, Sandrine Soubeyrand shooting wide, and Bardsley making a leaping catch of a corner kick at the back post. Camille Abily also had two attempts that missed their target in the first half.

Meanwhile, England rarely threatened after the chance in the opening seconds. The first half ended scoreless.

The second half continued the same pattern as France consistently pressured and outplayed the English. Delie had a chance from 14 yards on the right side and put it just high and wide of upper right corner of the net. Thiney sent one right at Bardsley just minutes later.

England finally came close in the 54th minute. Rachel Unitt sent a cross from the left wing and Jill Scott's header went just outside the left post. It may have been a sign of things to come for England.

In the 59th minute, Rachel Yankey sent the ball up the left side to Scott, who cut between French defenders Laure LePailleur and Sabrina Viguier to the middle. With open space in front of her, she dribbled to just outside the top of the box and seeing Deville off her line, drilled a shot over the keeper's head, giving England a 1-0 lead.

Play got a little contentious in the 64th minute as Sonia Bompastor took what quite frankly appeared to be a dive while fighting with Kelly Smith for the ball. Smith took exception to Bompastor's acting abilities and after conversing with one another with faces about two inches apart, Smith gave Bompastor a shove. Things settled down and soccer continued.

France continued to offer most of the offense in the match as Delie put one over the crossbar from 15 yards out on the right side. In the 69th minute, Elodie Thomis crossed one from the right wing and it appeared that Bompastor might be perfectly placed on her back post run, but Smith was able to touch the ball away at the last possible second. Bompastor later put her free kick from 22 yards off the wall and over the goal.

France nearly equalized in the 76th minute as a long ball was sent out of the French backfield to Thomis who had a step on the defense. She dribbled to within 12 yards at a steep angle, but Bardsley was able to push her shot away and England were able to block the rebound and clear the ball out of trouble.

Substitutions will certainly be one of the most talked about aspects of this match. Bruno Bini elected to replace Louisa Necib, who had perhaps been France's best player in the tournament, with Sandrine Bretigny in the 79th minute.

But Hope Powell's decision to replace both outside backs in the 81st minute will surely attract some scrutiny. Apparently she was concerned about the toll that French pressure had taken on the English defense and wanted to get fresh legs in to kill the final ten minutes. But she brought on two relatively inexperienced players to replace two solid veterans, bringing in Steph Houghton and Claire Rafferty for Alex Scott and Rachel Unitt. Later in the match, with Smith and Williams in pain and struggling to continue, I'm sure Powell would like to have had one of those subs back. Powell later made a very solid substitution, putting in Anita Asante for Rachel Yankey.

The substitutions nearly proved fatal in the 85th minute as Thomis got behind the left side of the English defense and in on Bardsley from the right side. Thomis attempted to go near post, but Bardsley punched the ball wide. England had temporarily dodged a bullet.

But just when it appeared that England might survive, Sonia Bompastor hit a serve into the English penalty area. The ball landed at about the penalty spot with Delie and two English defenders fighting for the ball. Delie was just able to push the ball back to Elise Bussaglia who teed up a shot from 22 yards. She could not have hit it more perfectly, as her solid strike hit the high off the inside of the left post and behind Bardsley, who had no chance on the shot. France had drawn level with just a few minutes remaining in regulation time.

It appeared that it would take a miracle for England to make it through the overtime with Smith barely able to walk, Williams limping, and Ellen White nearly gassed from continual running over 90 minutes. Bardsley and Faye White also were injured, but somehow continued on as England tried to hang on for all they were worth.

But in spite of all that, England had the best scoring opportunity of the first overtime. Smith flicked a ball onto Ellen White who was through on the right side, but her shot sailed just wide of the net.

France then dominated the second overtime, sending shot after shot at Bardsley, but somehow couldn't score. Eugenie LeSommer, who subbed in to start the second overtime period, was particularly dangerous in the final 15 minutes, sending a shot over the crossbar in the 116th minute. But LeSommer's time had not quite come yet.

England managed to make it through the 2nd overtime and forced the game to penalty kicks, where their rapidly tiring team had a better chance.

France opened the penalties, sending Camille Abily to shoot first. Her shot was hit to the left side, but did not have great pace. Bardsley guessed right and made the save. The next five attempts were converted, with Smith, Carney, and Stoney scoring for England and Bussaglia and Thiney converting for France. In the 4th round, Sonia Bompastor placed hers perfectly into the left side drawing France even 3-3, but with England having a shot in hand.

Second half substitute Claire Rafferty stepped up to take the fourth try for England and put her low shot wide of the right post. Things were now even with one kick left for each side.

LeSommer was up next for the French and placed her shot lower right, easily beating Bardsley who had guessed wrong. Next up for England was England's captain Faye White. White hit a hard shot which caromed of the top of the crossbar and over. For France, it was a thrilling victory and a berth in the semifinals. For England, it was a heartbreaking defeat in a match that they were so closed to winning.

France will now play the winner of the Brazil-United States match on Wednesday. Except for their defeat by the Germans, the French have been dominant in their other matches and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with as the World Cup heads into its final week of action.

Quarterfinals - Game One

England (#10) vs. France (#7)
Leverkusen (12 pm eastern)

Last Meeting: England 2, France 2 (March 7, 2009)

England
Coach: Hope Powell
Matches: Tied Mexico 1-1, Defeated New Zealand 2-1, Defeated Japan 2-0.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (3 gms, 0.67 gaa, 1 shutout), Rachel Brown, Siobhan Chamberlain.
Defenders: Alex Scott (3 gms, 1 ast), Faye White (2 gms), Casey Stoney (3 gms), Rachel Unitt (3 gms, 1 ast), Sophie Bradley (3 gms), Claire Rafferty, Dunia Susa.
Midfielders: Karen Carney (3 gms, 2 ast), Jill Scott (3 gms, 1 goal, 1 ast), Fara Williams (2 gms, 1 goal), Rachel Yankey (3 gms, 1 goal), Anita Asante (1 gm), Laura Bassett (1 gm), Stephanie Houghton.
Forwards: Kelly Smith (3 gms), Ellen White (3 gms, 1 goal), Eniola Aluko (3 gms), Jess Clarke (2 gms, 1 goal).

France
Coach: Bruno Bini
Matches: Defeated Nigeria 1-0, Defeated Canada 4-0, Lost to Germany 2-4.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Celine Deville (1 gm, 8.18 gaa), Leticia Phillippe, Berangere Sapowicz (3 gms, 0.74 gaa).
Defenders: Wendie Renard (2 gms), Laura Georges (3 gms, 1 goal), Laure LePailleur (3 gms), Sonia Bompastor (2 gms), Ophelie Meilleroux (1 gm), Sabrina Viguier (1 gm), Corine Franco.
Midfielders: Sandrine Soubeyrand (3 gms, 2 ast), Camille Abily (3 gms, 1 goal, 1 ast), Elise Bussaglia (3 gms), Louisa Necib (3 gms, 1 ast), Laure Boulleau (2 gms), Caroline Pizzala.
Forwards: Gaetane Thiney (3 gms, 2 goals), Marie-Laure Delie (3 gms, 2 goals), Elodie Thomis (3 gms, 1 goal), Eugenie LeSommer (3 gms, 1 ast), Sandrine Bretigny.

Goalkeepers
France will have the disadvantage of having to play their backup keeper, Celine Deville. Berangere Sapowicz was red carded in the match against Germany. Deville was thrown into the fire last week, when she had to come into the match to face a penalty kick and then play the final 22 minutes with her team a player down.

Deville is certainly not inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination. She has over 40 caps and has played in four matches this year. She gave up the two goals to Germany and also two goals earlier in the year in a loss to Holland at the Cyprus Cup. She does not have a lot of big match experience. Other than her 22 minutes against Germany, her most significant match might have been in the 2009 Euros, when she shut out Holland for 120 minutes, only to be defeated on penalty kicks.

Karen Bardsley has not been the English starter all that long, but her WPS experience has helped her and she now seems quite comfortable with being England's number one keeper. She did appear to be caught a bit off guard on Monica Ocampo's bomb in the match against Mexico, but has played very well otherwise. She is very athletic and mobile for such a tall keeper.

Advantage: England

Defenders
This area has been labelled England's Achilles heel, but they came out and played a solid match against a very strong technical side in Japan. They will be facing similar technical prowess in France. There is little doubt that Alex Scott and Rachel Unitt will start outside, and probably Faye White and Casey Stoney in the middle.

England will have to deal with the experience of Thiney, but probably their biggest problem will be the pace of Delie and Thomis. Additionally, they will have to deal with Necib on the outside. The Scott vs. Necib matchup could be one of the best. The back line will certainly need help from their midfield in this match. Offensively, Alex Scott is one of the best in the world at attacking from her right back position.

France has a very experienced back line as well. I'm guessing their probable starters will be Wendie Renard and Sonia Bompastor outside, with Laura Georges and Laure LePailleur inside. Renard's height could offset England's strong air attack, especially on set pieces. Overall, Georges has had a very solid tournament and scored a goal against Germany. Bompastor is a crafty veteran who rarely makes mistakes and does a lot of the little things to help her team win.

France will have to deal with a physical English side featuring Ellen White, Kelly Smith, and Jill Scott. They will have to be on the alert on set pieces and they had problems defending against another tall side, Germany, in the air. Bompastor will get forward into the attack when the opportunity presents itself and she is very good at serving the ball from the flank.

Advantage: France.

Midfielders
France has an excellent midfield and they are playing very well right now. Louisa Necib is having a fabulous Cup and her work rate to this point has been exceptional. Camille Abily is always a threat and can score from anywhere inside 30 yards. Soubeyrand is the experienced veteran of the French squad and is often called upon to attempt their set pieces. Elise Bussaglia is a solid player and one of the better defenders in the midfield. We will also likely see Laure Boulleau in a substitute role, a defensive specialist.

The French are masterful in technical play and that is one of their advantages over England. To this point, they have overwhelmingly favored Necib's side of the field, with good results to show for it. They will look for opportunities to play through to their speedy strikers, but have the patience to break down the opposing defense by conventional means.

England's midfield is strong as well, but in different areas. Fara Williams is generally very active in the middle of the field and is excellent on set piece service. Jill Scott is often on the other end of those set pieces and could cause France problems in the air. The aging veteran, Rachel Yankey, has proved quite effective and opportunistic as of late, both in the friendly against the United States back in April and in the match against Japan last week. Karen Carney has also been very effective on attacking from the wing and her service from that position has been spot on.

England will have to beware not to give France too much space in front of their back line. They will have to track back quickly on counterattacks as France's speed will be a problem for them. It is important that they not waste their set pieces, which might be their best opportunity to score. Also look for Anita Asante, a great defensive player, to be involved in this match, either as a possible starter or a substitute.

Advantage: France

Forwards
Both of these teams are very deep at forward. France has an incredible amount of speed with Marie-Laure Delie and Elodie Thomis. Delie is already proving to be a scoring machine. Her pace will be a huge problem, especially for England's central defense. Thiney will look to make precise runs to receive passes from Necib and Abily. LeSommer has played well in relief for France.

Look for France to use its strong technical skills and passing to break down the English defense. They will look for opportunities to spring Delie behind England's back line. Also, look for France to take advantage of counterattacking opportunities, especially if they can catch England pressing too far forward.

England's advantage is their strength up front. Kelly Smith has been one of the best attacking players in the world for a number of years, but she has not had the huge effect on this tournament that one might have thought. She could be key in this match, because she can draw so many defenders toward her and then dish off to her forward partner, or out to her wings.

Ellen White is a blue-collar forward, not always pretty, but working constantly. It is sometimes the effort more than the skill that turns close matches. Eni Aluko, England's speed forward, has been less than effective lately after being one of England's stars at the 2009 Euros. Jess Clarke is also excellent from the wing and does provide England with a bit of pace up front.

Look for England to either try to get the ball to Smith in the middle, if she can find space, or attack from the wing with Carney and Yankey. There could be some epic battles on high serves into the French penalty area, an aspect that England has to dominate if they are to succeed.

Advantage: Even

Summary
England is making their third trip to the quarterfinals, while France is making their first. England has never made it as far as the semifinals.

France has been playing very good soccer and in spite of the loss to Germany, scoring two goals against the hosts was an impressive feat. England started slowly in the tournament, but has shown improvement in each match. They finally appeared to be hitting their stride against Japan.

Look for France to use their speed, technical advantage, and passing to break down Englands' often criticized defense. England's midfield will have to be mindful of the French attack, which could reduce their numbers going forward. Necib and Abily are key in the midfield and Delie has been one of the revelations of this tournament.

Meanwhile, England will try to get Smith opportunites in the middle and failing that, will attack from the flanks with Carney and Yankey. Set pieces might be their best weapon with Jill Scott, Smith, and White as the prime targets. Look for Alex Scott to make overlapping runs, but she must be careful not to get caught upfield on counterattacks. Defensively, she will have to try to restrict Necib's ability to cause havoc. Also look for England to test Deville early and often and try to rattle the substitute French keeper.

This could be a very physical match and one that will certainly feature contrasting styles and interesting matchups. My original prediction was England and it's tempting to stay with that in consideration that Sapowicz will not play. However, France has been playing very well.

My Prediction: France 2, England 1

This should be a very interesting match.

England 2, Japan 0

England did not tempt fate and decided to take care of business themselves, defeating Japan 2-0 in their final group stage match. England are through to the quarterfinals, placing first in Group B play. They will await the result of the Germany-France match, as will Japan who finished second in Group B.

While England could have played conservative, as a tie would have been good enough going in, they played attacking soccer and looked better than they had in their two previous matches. Hope Powell inserted four different players into the starting lineup...Ellen White, Anita Asante, Sophie Bradley, and Jess Clarke.

Japan took the first shot of the day, but Kozue Ando's shot from distance was right at Karen Bardsley and the English keeper had no problem with it.

England struck in the 15th minute as Karen Carney struck a long ball up the middle from just on the English side of center. The ball split two Japanese defenders, Saki Kumagai and Aya Sameshima, as did Ellen White. White ran onto the bouncer and chipped a lob over Ayumi Kaihori, who got caught off her line. The ball went into the upper right corner of the net, as Kaihori was unable to do anything about it. England 1, Japan 0.

In the 35th minute, Japan was awarded a free kick. Japan caught England napping, with Miyama taking a quick short ball out to Yukari Kinga on the right wing. She hit a dangerous cross into the box, but Alex Scott just barely beat Ando to the header and English defender Sophie Bradley cleared the ball out of trouble just in the nick of time.

Two minutes later, Jill Scott stole the ball from Sameshima, but could only take a weak shot right at Kaihori. Then in the 38th minute, Jess Clarke's cross from the left side found Ellen White in the center of the box. White's bicycle kick nearly looped over Kaihori, but the Japanese goalkeeper made a great recovery, tipping the ball over the net at the last possible moment.

Japan came right back in the 40th minute. Karen Bardsley came out to punch the ball away from the goal on a Japanese cross, but the ball went right to Kinga. With Bardsley on the ground, Kinga had a golden opportunity, but her drive from 15 yards went well over the crossbar. It may have been Japan's best opportunity of the day and the game went into halftime with England leading 1-0.

England subbed in Rachel Yankey for Jess Clarke at the half and that move turned out to be fortuitious for England.

However, as the half started, Japan appeared to take over the initiative. Aya Miyama's free kick in the 49th minute was placed beautifully over the English defense, but Yuki Nagasato's sliding effort went wide of the post. In the 61st minute, Miyama's corner found Kinga 22 yards out in front of the goal, but her blast was blocked by Rachel Unitt. It appeared that it was only a matter of time before Japan might draw even.

But England would be the team to get the next goal. Unitt crossed the ball from the left side, with Rachel Yankey cutting in front to deflect the ball to the left side of the six yard box. Kaihori attempted to come out to block, but Yankey beat her to the ball and hit a clean shot over Kaihori to put England up 2-0.

In the 79th minute, Karen Bardsley twice came up big, punching out Japanese crosses on consecutive plays within seconds of each other. Bardsley was heading for her first shutout in World Cup play.

Japan would have two more opportunities in the closing moments. Azusa Iwashimizu's shot went wide of the right post in the 89th minute and then Nahomi Kawasumi's effort from 10 yards went over the crossbar in stoppage.

England had gotten the job done on this day. Hope Powell seemed to be pushing all the right buttons today and her decision to start White and sub in Yankey both proved to be excellent moves. England was able to shake off two rather average efforts to play a good match when they needed to. Alex Scott had a very strong match and the English defense as a whole quieted some of their detractors with a solid effort.

As for Japan, they played well, but throughout the match, they seemed to want to make the extra pass, often losing possession before getting a shot off. Their defense showed a few holes as well, which will cause them problems against either Germany or France, whichever turns out to be their quarterfinal foe.

England wins the group with seven points, with Japan finishing second with six points. Both England and Japan will play their quarterfinal matches on Saturday with their opponents to be determined later today.

World Cup: Day 10

There will be four matches played on Tuesday, the final group stage matches in both Group A and Group B. In Group A, the only thing left to be decided is placement. Germany and France have already booked their quarterfinal berths, while Canada and Nigeria have been eliminated. France had the goal differential advantage, so a win or a tie for the French and they will take Group A

In Group B, things are a bit more interesting. Japan has clinched a quarterfinal spot, but not the top spot. England could finish anywhere from first to third in the group. Mexico has slim hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals, but a lot of things will have to go right for them. New Zealand will be playing for pride when they face Mexico.

Germany vs. France (2:45 pm eastern)

France is coming off an impressive 4-0 victory over Canada, while Germany had to struggle through an extremely physical 1-0 win over Nigeria. Because of those results, a tie would mean France wins Group A and Germany would finish second.

But much of the talk around the German team hasn't been about their victory over Nigeria or the upcoming match against France, but about Birgit Prinz. One of the all-time greats in women's soccer, she made a fairly early exit in the 53rd minute in Friday's match against Nigeria and appeared to be none too happy about it. She was criticized by many in the German press for her actions.

Also in question for the Germans is midfielder Melanie Behringer, who came off injured in the match against Nigeria. While this match against France isn't essential to Germany winning the Cup, it is doubtful that they would want to lose to anybody, let alone to neighboring France, a team they thrashed by a 5-1 margin the last time they played them in the 2009 Euros. There will be a certain amount of pride at stake for this match.

France is coming off one of their most dominating performances in recent memory, maybe ever against a team as good as Canada. Normally, the Germans have a midfield advantage against every team they play, but France can put a strong midfield group on the field as well. Louisa Necib has to be considered one of the top players in the tournament so far. After a rather average first match, Camille Abily looked very good against Canada.

Germany probably has the edge in attacking players, mostly because they have so many good ones. Even with Prinz struggling and Grings not starting, German has a potent attack. Young Okoyino da Mbabi came to the forefront in the first two matches for Germany. Midfielder Kerstin Garefrekes is one of the best in the world in the air. Young midfielders Simone Laudehr, the goal scorer against Nigeria, and Kim Kulig make Germany as strong as any in the center.

Two of the best young forwards in women's soccer will probably have a lot to say about who wins this match. Alexandra Popp for Germany and Marie-Laure Delie for France will be among the next wave of great attacking players in the world. Gaetane Thiney is a dangerous scoring threat for France as well.

Both teams have solid, veteran back lines. Germany is led by Linda Bresonik and Babett Peter at the outside back positions, with Saskia Bartusiak and Annike Krahn in the middle. The French have the great veteran Sonia Bompastor at one outside position and Laure LePailleur got the start at the other outside position after Wendie Renard was injured in the opener. Laura Georges will definitely be one of France's central defenders, with the other being between Ophelie Meilleroux and Sabrina Viguier.

Germany has one of the best keepers in the world in Nadine Angerer. She has given up only one goal in eight World Cup matches. Berangere Sapowicz will be the French goalkeeper and it may well come down to her play if France is to win.

In spite of the injury to Behringer and the distraction regarding Prinz, one has to think that the Germans have the most depth of any team in this tournament. Angerer gives them an extra edge in goal. I expect this to be a close match, but I think Germany will want to send a message.

My Prediction: Germany 2, France 0

Canada vs. Nigeria (2:45 pm eastern)

This game has very little meaning except that both teams would like to end this World Cup on a positive note and come away with a win here.

Canada will be looking for some measure of redemption after a poor outing against a very good French squad. It was just one of those days when they were outmatched and nothing seemed to go right.

Considering the physical nature of the Germany-Nigeria match on Friday, one wonders whether Carolina Morace will want to play Christine Sinclair, who is suffering from a broken nose and also appeared to get cut near her eye in the second match against France.

It will be interesting to see whether Morace will make many changes to her lineup, given the performance against France and the relative unimportance of this match. And she might want to get some of her younger players experience in a World Cup match, although it must be said that the Canadian squad is one of the oldest in Germany.

Nigeria will be looking for their first World Cup victory since 1999, when they qualified for the quarterfinals with two group stage wins. They are led by great veterans in Stella Mbachu, Perpetua Nkwocha, Precious Dede, and talented young players like Desire Oparanozie and Ebere Orji.

It will be a hard match to predict, because it is uncertain how each coach will approach the match and the lineup.

My Prediction: Canada 1, Nigeria 1.

Japan vs. England (12:15 pm eastern)

Japan has already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, but England has a little work yet to be done. A tie gets England into the quarterfinals and a victory gives them Group B. In the event of a loss, the result of the Mexico-New Zealand match will decide if they qualify for the quarterfinals and it could come down to goal differential, where England has a healthy advantage.

Certainly, this will be a contrast in styles. Japan will rely on technicals skills, using their passing game to break down England's defense and Aya Miyama's set pieces to given them scoring opportunities. But England will not be so easy to score on as Mexico was on set pieces. England has a tall physical squad and it is doubtbul that Homare Sawa will get uncontested headers in this match.

The Japanese have a great midfield, led by Sawa and Miyama. They also have both speed and creativeness up front with the likes of Shinobu Ohno, Yuki Nagasato, and Mana Iwabuchi. They play a patient game, waiting for opportunities to exploit their opponent's defenses. But four goal outbursts like the one against Mexico have been the exception, rather than the rule. Most often, Japan plays low scoring matches decided by one goal.

On defense, the Japanese start Yukari Kinga, Saki Kumagai, Azusa Iwashimizu, and Aya Sameshima. Kinga is a great veteran defender who also gets involved in the offense. It was her hard work that set up one of Sawa's goals against Mexico. Ayumi Kaihori has been the keeper in both matches for Japan.

Japan have given up only one goal so far. However, that one goal was on a header, which brings us to Japan's weakness on their back line, their size. Tall striker Amber Hearn from New Zealand was able to score on a header against Japan and the Nadeshiko can be exploited on set pieces, something that England, particularly Jill Scott, are very adept at.

Indeed, Scott headed in a goal against New Zealand and is the prime target player on set pieces for England. Another English midfielder, Fara Williams may not quite be as good as Miyama on placing free kicks, but she's darn close.

However, Kelly Smith will be the center of attention for England and rightfully so. Smith is still one of the best in the world and she draws multiple defenders every time she touches the ball. As for English forwards, Jess Clarke came off the bench to get the game winner against New Zealand and it wouldn't be a surprise to see her start this match. Eni Aluko, who got the starting assignment in the first two matches, has been unable to find the scoring touch as of late. Ellen White is another possibility at forward for England.

Karen Bardsley has good height and has been the starting English keeper over the past few months. She is generally very solid, but was caught off guard by Monica Ocampo's strike in the match against Mexico. The English defense may be suspect. They have given up two goals at the World Cup, certainly not bad, but the Japanese team will be the most skilled passing team they will face in Group B. Alex Scott is an excellent attacking player from the outside back position and she assisted on Jill Scott's goal against New Zealand.

Because of the goal differential, I believe England will go through to the quarterfinals, no matter what happens here. While they have posted a win and a tie, they have played rather lackluster soccer at times. After a tough first match, Japan put on quite a show against Mexico.

My Prediction: Japan 1, England 1

Mexico vs. New Zealand (12:15 pm eastern)

In many ways, it was disappointing to see New Zealand mathematically eliminated because they had played two close matches against two quality opponents. The Ferns would really like to get a victory in their last match in Germany. Mexico is still clinging to thin hopes of advancing, but they will have to score a lot of goals to make up the huge goal differential deficit after their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Japan.

The last time these two teams met was at the Cyprus Cup in March with Mexico winning by a surprising 5-0 margin. New Zealand will surely remember that as well and want to make amends.

Mexico will need to throw everything into the attack in this match. It is unrealistic to believe that England will lose to Japan by anything more than a goal, so Mexico will need to score at least four to have any chance.

That means their will be a lot of pressure on their best scoring options Maribel Dominguez, Monica Ocampo, Veronica Perez, Dinora Garza, and Stephany Mayor, to create offensive opportunities. Will young Charlyn Corral get a chance for action in this match?

Defensively, Mexico had a rough outing against the Japanese and were quite frankly horrible on defending set pieces. That has to improve against New Zealand or they will be in for another long day. Another question is whether or not Mexico will stay with their young keeper, Cecilia Santiago, or might they go to a more veteran option in either Erika Vanegas or Pam Tajonar.

New Zealand will try to use Amber Hearn's size to duplicate Homare Sawa's efforts against Mexico. Look for the Ferns to test the Mexican back line with balls over the defense, using speedy Sarah Gregorius as a target. Note that New Zealand has scored on both opponents so far.

The back line for New Zealand has held up fairly well so far. Ali Riley is very talented at outside back and look for her to attack frequently in this match. Rebecca Smith is the experience on the back line, while Anna Green usually is their set piece specialist. Jenny Bindon is very experienced in the goal for New Zealand.

Second halves have not been kind to the Ferns. They were even to Japan and one up on England at halftime of their two matches, only to lose both. Meanwhile, Mexico appeared to wear England down somewhat in the second half of their match. New Zealand has very little pressure on them, while Mexico will be the desperate team. I could see this match having a lot of scoring.

My Prediction: Mexico 2, New Zealand 2

England 2, New Zealand 1

England came from behind to edge a game New Zealand team by a 2-1 margin. It was the first come-from-behind victory of the 2011 World Cup and it put England in control of their own destiny as far as advancing to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, it erased any possibility of New Zealand making the quarters.

England got the first good chance of the match in the 12th minute. Ellen White stole the ball from Rebecca Smith and dribbled toward the goal, but Abby Erceg was able to block White's shot. A minute later, a 30-yard effort from Fara Williams was saved by Bindon.

But it was New Zealand that would draw first blood in the 18th minute. Ali Riley sent the ball into space deep on the left side and Amber Hearn was the first to track it down. Hearn crossed the ball from the left side, just shy of the end line. Sarah Gregorius was able to work her way between Casey Stoney and Rachel Unitt to somehow get her foot on the ball and put it by English keeper Karen Bardsley. A stunned English team had watched the Ferns take a one nil lead.

New Zealand probably should have been up by two in the 38th minute. A beautiful was sent through to Gregorius, who had a four yard lead on the nearest defender. Unfortunately, she made a bit of a mess of the dribble, allowing Rachel Unitt to catch up to her and defend her just before she could release a good shot.

In the 44th minute, England threatened but Kelly Smith's shot was deflected by a defender and Bindon easily covered on the play.

New Zealand came close again to start the 2nd half. Gregorius crossed the ball from the right side to Hearn whose header went mere inches over the bar and landed on top of the netting. England had to feel quite lucky not to be down by two or three goals at that point.

England starting to gain mementum after the 60th minute. Finally, Alex Scott's cross from the right side was perfect for Jill Scott, who easily skied over the defender and headed the ball into the upper left corner of the net. England had drawn even and New Zealand had to be kicking themselves for the missed opportunities.

England continued to pressure in next few minutes. Another Alex Scott cross led to another Jill Scott header. Ferns' goalkeeper Jenny Bindon made the saved, bobbled the ball a bit, but was able to secure it just ahead of Ellen White who was making a run at the goal. A minute later, a Kelly Smith shot was deflected just wide right of the goal.

New Zealand regained the momentum as the game moved into the final 20 minutes. Ali Riley's cross was just behind Rosie White, who had perhaps gotten in too close to the goal. White couldn't quite get her foot solidly on the ball and another chance slipped away.

England seemed determined to get the winner in the 80th minute, but Bindon made a diving save on Ellen White's shot from 12 yards to keep her team even.

However, in the 81st minute, Rachel Unitt sent a long ball into the box. Bindon came out to attempt to punch the ball away, but didn't get enough to clear it out of trouble. The ball came to Jill Scott, who touched the ball across to second half substitute Jess Clarke and she made no mistake on her finish. For the first time of the day, England held the advantage.

Bindon kept her team close with a fantastic kick save on Fara Williams in the 88th minute. Williams' low shot from 18 yards out appeared to be headed just inside the right post, but Bindon kicked her left leg out just in time to deflect the ball away from the net. England was able to waste away the final minutes and hold on for the victory.

For England, it was a great comeback win when it looked like they were in deep trouble in this match. They now have the inside track on the second position out of Group B and could win it if they are victorious over Japan on Tuesday.

Sadly, New Zealand has been eliminated from any chance of the quarterfinals. They have put forth two solid efforts against very good teams and came away empty. They can somewhat play the role of spoiler against Mexico, who still is in the running for the quarterfinals.

World Cup: Day 6

Japan vs. Mexico (9 am eastern)

This promises to be a truly interesting matchup, as the young Mexico squad will take on the technically strong Japanese team. A victory for Japan would put them into the quarterfinals. If Mexico should win, things could get very complicated in Group B heading into their final matches next Tuesday.

Mexico has to be riding a wave of confidence following their draw against the world's 10th ranked team, England, in their opener. Meanwhile, Aya Miyama's free kick saved the day for Japan in their win over New Zealand.

One might note that Group B is the only one where all four teams scored in their first match. This game has no shortage of good attacking players.

For Mexico, Maribel Dominguez is a very clever and experienced forward that can get behind opposing defenses that take their eye off her for a split second. Monica Ocampo's stunning strike from over 30 yards gave Mexico a tie in their opener. Dinora Garza is also dangerous out of the Mexican midfield. And Mexico will have Veronica Perez back, who missed the match against England, serving her one game suspension for a red card in the Concacaf final.

Japan is also dangerous in the attack. Their midfield is very skilled with Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama. Their targets will be speedy Shinobu Ohno, young Mana Iwabuchi, and Yuki Nagasato, who scored in the match against New Zealand. Karina Maruyama and Megumi Takase provide excellent depth.

The midfield battle will be one of the highlights of this match, with Sawa, Miyama, and Kozue Ando matching against Nayeli Rangel, Guadalupe Worbis, and Garza. Japan has a big edge in experience and probably an edge in technical ability as well, but the Mexicans are playing spirited football right now.

Defensively, Japanese size, or lack thereof, on their back line can be a liability and New Zealand scored their low goal against Japan on a header by tall striker Amber Hearn. Whether or not Mexico can take advantage of this is yet to be seen. Yukari Kinga and Azusa Iwashimizu are probably Japan's most experienced backs.

Mexico has a couple of veterans, Rubi Sandoval and Luz Saucedo, joined by a couple of American college stars, Alina Garciamendez and Natalie Vinti. They played solid soccer against England in the opener.

In goal, Mexico will likely stay with the hot hand and that is 16 year old Cecilia Santiago. It will be interesting to see if Japan stays with Ayumi Kaihori or if they opt for the 36 year old veteran Nozomi Yamago.

Japan is very dangerous on set pieces, as Miyama left no doubt about on Monday. Defensively, set pieces can also be Japan's vulnerability, although that isn't necessarily one of Mexico's strong points. Japan will probably have the possession edge for the day, but the important thing is by how much. If Mexico can hold their own, they might be able to wear down Japan as it appeared they were doing to England late in that match.

The younger Mexican team will need to avoid mistakes and try to be patient. Japan will want to get into a rhythm early on with precise passing. They will also try to force the Mexican defense into situations where they have to foul, giving Japan exactly what they want, set pieces in the offensive end.

My Prediction: Japan 2, Mexico 1.

England vs. New Zealand (12:15 pm eastern)

The last time these two teams met was back in October at the Peace Cup, a game that ended in a scoreless draw. New Zealand had to be pretty pleased in holding England without a goal.

It will be hard for New Zealand to repeat that feat on Friday. England has a lot of attacking options. Kelly Smith is definitely the first option. The great international scorer draws multiple defenders and while that could make things tough on her, it will open up space for her teammates.

As for who will be England's other forward, that's hard to say. Eni Aluko had a frustrating match against Mexico and Hope Powell might go with Jess Clarke or Ellen White instead.

For New Zealand, one would think Amber Hearn would continue to be their main target. She has over 20 career strikes, including a game tying goal against Japan on Monday. Interestingly, John Herdman went with Sarah Gregorius, who has had very few starts, in Monday's match. One wonders if Hannah Wilkinson might be given a shot against England.

England certainly has a strong midfield led by Fara Williams, the scorer of England's goal against Mexico. She is joined by Jill Scott, who is often Williams target on set pieces along with Kelly Smith. Karen Carney and Rachel Yankey played the outside midfield positions on Monday and both can be dangerous.

New Zealand decided not to start veteran Hayley Moorwood in the midfield, instead bringing her in as a 2nd half substitution. We will see if that might change for this match against England. Ria Percival set up Hearn's goal and showed good speed running down the ball in the corner.

Defensively, New Zealand has a lot of experience in the middle with Abby Erceg and Rebecca Smith. England's central defense has even more experience with Casey Stoney and Faye White.

This game features two excellent outside defenders in Alex Scott for England and Ali Riley for New Zealand. Both have good speed and are particularly adept at overlapping runs. Because England will put more pressure on, Scott will likely have more opportunities. New Zealand's success may depend on Riley's chances of getting forward into the attack.

Karen Bardsley started Monday's match and has been the starter for England over the past few months. I doubt that Hope Powell would change at this point. Jenny Bindon is probably the only starting choice for New Zealand. Both are capable of having great games.

This is an important match for both teams, New Zealand pretty much must get points in this match to stay alive in Group B. The tie against Mexico increases the pressure on England in this match. I see England as having too much experience and too many offensive weapons for New Zealand.

My Prediction: England 3, New Zealand 0

England 1, Mexico 1

England and Mexico battled for 90 minutes to a hard-fought draw in Wolfsburg. The match was well contested throughout, with both sides having several good chances to score, but the match ended in a 1-1 tie.

This is a much improved side we are seeing from Mexico these days and they stayed with the tough English team blow for blow in this match. They nearly went on top in the opening minutes as Maribel Dominguez was given a nice through-ball that put her temporarily behind the English defense, but veteran defender Faye White made a nice recovery and Dominguez was unable to get a shot off.

For England, early on, it was shots from distance that seemed to be the order of the day. Kelly Smith's near miss just past the right post was the first of many that England would try in the first half. Apparently, the English were trying to test 16-year old Mexican keeper Cecilia Santiago early and often.

With no score in the 21st minute, England gained a corner kick on the right side. Karen Carney took the kick with the ball going high to the right side of the box, about 15 yards away. English midfielder Fara Williams was able to get height over the Mexican defender and headed the ball into the upper right corner of the net, while Santiago watched helplessly. England led 1-0.

Santiago appeared unfazed just a few minutes later as she was able to make a diving stop on Williams' attempt from 22 yards and smother it without rebound.

Then, what appeared to be a very innocuous play from Mexico resulted in a goal. The Mexicans gained possession in the midfield and after a couple of passes the ball came to Monica Ocampo, a good 35 yards away from the goal.

Ocampo touched the ball to the center of the field and then ripped a shot that curled under the bar and beyond a very stunned Karen Bardsley to tie the match at one. Bardsley appeared to be deceived by both the pace and spin on the shot and attempted to catch it two-handed instead of punching the ball away. As it turned out, it was just out of her reach and the match went into intermission tied at one.

Although they didn't score, the two great strikers in this match, Kelly Smith and Maribel Dominguez did not disappoint anyone with their play. Dominguez seemed to be perpetually on the run and menacing the English back line. Smith, as usual, controlled the center of the field, distributing well to teammates and taking a shot or two herself when the opportunity presented itself. Dominguez eventual developed a cramp late in the contest and was substituted out, but not before she threw a few scares into the English team.

While England had the better of chances and possession in the first half, Mexico gained confidence after Ocampo's goal. They nearly took the lead in the 49th minute as Dominguez struck her free kick from 22 yards just wide of the left post.

England took their turn just five minutes later as Rachel Yankey's cross to the back post was headed to the middle by Karen Carney, but Eni Aluko's swing at the ball from directly in front of the net produced nothing.

The English might have been a tad lucky in the 60th minute as Rachel Unitt's late challenge on Alina Garciamendez in the penalty area did not result in a call and the English defense were able to clear.

In the closing minutes of the game, both teams were presented with golden chances on free kicks. Smith's attempt from 25 yards went over the bar, while Ocampo's try from similar distance was even closer, just inches over the crossbar.

It appeared that Mexico had plenty of energy in the last few minutes, while England appeared to be worn out. Two minutes into stoppage, Mexico pressured inside England's penalty area, but Stephany Mayor's blast was blocked by Ellen White just yards in front of the goal to avert disaster.

While the result was a tie, the young Mexican squad had to be very happy with their performance and should gain confidence for the road ahead. They were able to strike back within minutes of falling behind in the match and showed more energy and greater possession as the match wore on.

Perhaps, a disappointing result for England, but their task against a very tough Mexican team was not that easy. England next faces New Zealand, a team that tied them in the Peace Cup last fall. Mexico will now face Group B leaders Japan. A victory against the Japanese would put Mexico in very good shape to advance to the quarterfinals.

World Cup: Day 2

Japan vs. New Zealand (9 am eastern)

These two teams met at the group stage of the 2008 Olympics with the match ending in a 2-2 tie. All four goal scorers from that match will be playing on Monday, Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa for Japan and Amber Hearn and Kirsty Yallop for New Zealand.

Japan played sluggish soccer in two matches against the United States in May. An early sign in this game will be how well they are passing the ball and maintaining possession. If they are on, especially Miyama and Sawa, it will be hard for New Zealand to beat them. Japan may also test the Ferns' back line early on as well. The speedy Shinobu Ohno could pose problems for New Zealand's defense, as could Megumi Takase.

Miyama is very accurate on free kicks and corners, so the Ferns will want to surrender as few of those chances as possible. It will also be interesting if young Mana Iwabuchi makes an appearance in this match.

Japan has a rather smallish back line, so New Zealand might want to try a few balls in the air, particularly with a pair of their tall forwards, Hannah Wilkinson and Hearn. New Zealand also needs to make the most of their set pieces.

New Zealand will need to keep their mistakes to a minimum and rely on the leadership of their more experienced players such as Hayley Moorwood and Rebecca Smith. Jenny Bindon is a solid keeper and she might give an edge to the Ferns in the goalkeeping department. Ali Riley is a world class defender and can be a threat to get into the attack as well.

I think this match comes down to technical ability and possession which will give an edge to Japan. If New Zealand has to spend the day chasing Japan, they will eventually wear down.

My Prediction: Japan 3, New Zealand 1

England vs. Mexico (12 pm eastern)

This could be a truly interesting match, with the young squad from Mexico challenging the strong English side. There is no doubt that the English have more weapons in their arsenal, but Mexico will seize on opportunities as they proved against the United States last November.

The game features two very good forwards. Kelly Smith is one of the best in the world and combines strength, ability, and brains to menace opposing defenses. She can draw the defense toward her and then release a pass to an open teammate. But any one of several other English forwards can be handful as well, including Jess Clarke, Eni Aluko, and Rachel Yankey.

Maribel Dominguez is also very talented and quick. She will probably have a more difficult task, because the English defense can concentrate on her, while England has several players that can score on the offensive end. Dinora Garza and Stephany Mayor will have to help their teammate carry the load. Nayeli Rangel will be an important figure in the Mexican midfield.

England is a big team with Smith, Jill Scott, and Faye White. Mexico will be better with the ball on the ground and must avoid giving up set pieces in their own end of the field, because Fara Williams is excellent in such situations and if within range, Kelly Smith can score off free kicks as well.

Watch to see how Mexico's back line, including Alina Garciamendez, Luz Saucedo, and Natalie Vinti hold up under pressure. Mexico needs to keep possession and the ball at their feet, where they can do the most damage.

The goalkeeping matchup should be an interesting contrast as well, with Karen Bardsley going for England and probably Cecilia Santiago going for Mexico.

England will be more used to the World Cup atmosphere than the young Mexican team and that should give them an advantage. I believe England has too many weapons and Mexico will have trouble dealing with English set pieces.

My Prediction: England 3, Mexico 1