Brazil 3, Equatorial Guinea 0

Brazil remained undefeated in Group D action on the strength of three 2nd half goals as they shut out Equatorial Guinea 3-0. Brazil are the Group D winners and will move on to face the United States in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Today was Cristiane's day as she scored two goals for Brazil, after being shutout for her first two matches.

Equatorial Guinea hung tough for the first half of the match. They kept Brazil off the scoreboard with the game going into intermission scoreless.

While Brazil had the better of play, Equatorial Guinea did have one excellent chance. Anonman was able to work for a shot inside the penalty area, but Andreia came out and blocked the shot before it could get anywhere close to the goal.

Brazil started the scoring less than four minutes into the second half and what a beautiful effort it was. Cristiane beat a Laetitia up the left side of the field, dribbling to just outside the penalty are near the end line. Her hard chest-high shot forced Miriam to punch the ball away. The ball came to Erika on one hop. She chested the ball to her right foot, juggled the ball over a defender to her left and volleyed the ball inside the left post.

Just five minutes later, Brazil played the ball up the left side once again. Marta ran onto the ball and crossed from the left side to Cristiane, who was making a near post run. Cristiane just beat defender Dulcia to the ball. She reached back with her left leg and touched the ball past Miriam and it was 2-0. The goal had Cristiane turning somersaults as she put on quite a display after the goal as well.

Equatorial Guinea nearly got one back as a long free kick was sent into the box. The ball bounced in front of Andreia and nearly over her head, but she reached up at the last second to deflect the ball wide.

In stoppage time, Marta was dribbling on the left edge of the penalty area and was taken out by Bruna. It appeared that she may have had one foot into the penalty area when the foul occured and that's exactly what the referee ruled, awarding a penalty. Cristiane took the penalty and placed it lower right to make it 3-0.

Five yellow cards were handed out in the match, three for Equatorial Guinea and two for Brazil. Brazil outshot Equatorial Guinea 14-6 overall and 6-2 on shots on goal.

World Cup: Day 11

The two teams advancing from Group C have already been decided, with placement being the only thing left. The United States will meet Sweden to determine who wins Group C, with a tie going to the United States. Colombia and Korea DPR have been eliminated.

Group D is a bit more interesting. Brazil has qualified for the quarterfinals and will win the group unless they have a disaster against Equatorial Guinea. Australia and Norway will meet to decide the second team out of Group D. The winner advances to the quarterfinal, while the loser goes home. Australia would advance in case of a tie, based on goal differential.

Brazil vs. Equatorial Guinea (12 pm eastern)

Brazil has the luxury of only needing a tie to clinch the group and since they have a hefty edge in scoring differential, they would likely win the group even in the event of a loss. Equatorial Guinea is playing for pride at this point and they have made a good account of themselves in this tournament so far.

It will be interesting to see how many players Brazilian coach Kleiton Lima elects to rest, if any. They have clinched a quarterfinal berth and the chances of them not winning the group are very slim indeed.

There is no doubt that Marta was the dominant factor in Brazil's last match. She scored two goals and added an assist in leading Brazil to an easy 3-0 win over Norway. Rosana has two goals so far in the tournament and has looked very good to this point. Cristiane is the only one of the three forwards who hasn't scored yet and one would think she would be pushing to do so in this match.

Brazil has not surrendered a goal in two matches and Andreia has done a solid job in goal on the whole, posting both shutouts. The Brazilian three defender formation looked vulnerable at times, but as of yet, no team has been able to score against them. Brazil has dominated midfield play with Formiga, Fabiana, and Maurine.

For Equatorial Guinea, it has been Anonman, Anonman, Anonman. She single-handedly kept her team in the match against Australia, twice stripping a defender of the ball and scoring. She will take every opportunity to shoot and is always dangerous. Diala is another player that has shown flashes of strong play in the attack.

We are hoping that there are no more embarrassing moments from the back line, as when Bruna picked up the ball in the last match. Carolina has generally been the Guineans strongest defender. Miriam will start in goal for the African squad.

The Brazilians do not have a lot of pressure in this match and they should be able to handle Equatorial Guinea, if they do not let their guard down and take Anonman too lightly. She is world class. In spite of their two losses, Equatorial Guinea has had a respectable World Cup, but it is hard to see them winning this one.

My Prediction: Brazil 3, Equatorial Guinea 0

Australia vs. Norway (12 pm eastern)

This match has become a winner-take-all proposition for a quarterfinal berth. Norway dug themselves a deep hole on goal differential because of their three goal loss to Brazil. Now they must win to advance, while a tie would be good enough for the Matildas.

For Norway's offense, it has been a frustrating World Cup so far. Only Emilie Haavi has scored and she has probably also played the best of any of the forwards or attacking players from the midfield. Elise Thorsnes and Isabell Herlovsen have not been able to find the net.

Australia has been a bit more successful, owing mostly to Lisa De Vanna's speed and determination. Leena Khamis also played well in her start against Equatorial Guinea and she has a goal to her credit.

The midfield battle should be interesting. Certainly, Australia's midfield, particularly Collette McCallum, has been very active in the first two matches. Ingvild Stensland is the driving force behind Norway's midfield.

Both defenses struggled in their last match. Servet Uzunlar had a nightmare with Anonman of Equatorial Guinea. Will Tom Sermanni make changes on his back line for this all important match? They were respectable against Brazil holding them to one goal.

Norway simply had no answer for Marta. They are not the fastest defense in any sense of the word and Marta's was able to run around and by them. De Vanna will pose a problem for Norway as well, although she is more direct and less crafty than the great Brazilian.

It is hard to give a goalkeeper's edge one way or the other. Both Melissa Barbieri for Australia and Ingrid Hjelmseth are solid keepers, with experience.

Australia is known for playing balls over the top of the defense and may try to do that here, leaving De Vanna and her speed to chase them down. I'm not sure if the middle is the best place to attack Norway, however, and the flanks might be a better option for Australia, using McCallum and Heather Garriock to serve balls into scoring position. De Vanna will need support from her fellow Matildas as well. Australia can simply not afford the mistakes that they made against Equatorial Guinea.

Norway needs to keep Australia's best weapons in front of them or to the outside. De Vanna can be prone to offsides, so they might be able to catch her a few times, but they must be careful. Set pieces are likely to be physical affairs in this match, with neither team backing down. Herlovsen, Thorsnes, and Pedersen need to put more shots on frame.

This is probably the most compelling match out of all of the final group stage games, with so much at stake.

My Prediction: Norway 2, Australia 1

United States vs. Sweden (2:45 pm eastern)

This match will decide first and second place in Group C, as both have already qualified for the quarterfinals. The United States has the edge in goal differential and will therefore win the group with a tie.

Key players for both teams are likely to miss this match. Sweden will definitely be without their star midfielder Caroline Seger, who will miss this match because of yellow card accumulation. She is the motor in the middle that makes Sweden run.

The United States will almost certainly be without wing midfielder Heather O'Reilly, who suffered a groin injury in the last match against Colombia. Abby Wambach continues to have nagging problems with her Achilles tendon and heel. Neither practiced on Monday.

The injuries will certainly hurt the American attack if neither can play. Lauren Cheney might ordinarily replace Wambach, since both are target forwards, but Cheney has been starting as an outside midfielder for the two previous games. Megan Rapinoe, who Cheney replaced in the starting lineup, will now have to take O'Reilly's place, leaving two forwards, Alex Morgan and Amy Rodriguez. One other possible option is Kelley O'Hara, a late addition to the team after Lindsay Tarpley went down with an injury.

The United States, after a slow start in the first half against Korea DPR, has played very well for the last game and a half. They have scored five goals in those two matches and their defense has shut out two opponents. Truth be told, Hope Solo hasn't had to make all that many saves to this point. But the back line is still the most suspect part of the United States' team and Sweden will likely be a tougher foe than either Colombia or Korea.

Meanwhile, Sweden has struggled through their first two games, deservedly winning both matches, but being less than impressive in doing so. One would guess that Lotta Schelin would give the American back line problems with her combination of speed and strength. It should be an interesting battle in the penalty area between Solo and the tall attacking players on Sweden, including Schelin and Jessica Landstrom. There should be some fierce battles on set pieces.

Sweden's defense has been solid to this point and they too have posted two shutous. Lindahl is very tested and experienced in goal for Sweden. One would suspect the United States might want to attack on their left, the right side of the Swedish defense. Charlotte Rohlin and Sara Thunebro generally don't make a lot of mistakes on Sweden's left side.

With Seger sidelined, one would think we would see more touches for Forsberg and Sjogran in the midfield. Lisa Dahlqvist has played well to this point in the tournament and has a goal to her credit.

I believe this game is about as even as it gets. It's probably going to come down to who can best compensate for their missing players. Wambach draws so many defenders to her and is so devastating on head balls, that her loss would hurt the American attack considerably. Without the active O'Reilly up the right flank, my guess is we will see more attacking up the middle from the US.

Sweden has a number of quality midfielders, so while the loss of Seger will hurt them, I believe they have experienced options at their disposal. Schelin has been largely frustrated to this point, but she seems to relish in facing the US.

My Prediction: Sweden 2, United States 1

Korea DPR vs. Colombia (2:45 pm eastern)

This match features the two youngest teams in this year's World Cup. Both of these teams have been eliminated as far as advancing to the quarterfinals. Both teams will look to this game to build toward the future.

Korea is known for their strong technical abilities and they will try to break down Colombia with a methodical attack using short passes to work their way up the field. Colombia is more likely to be impatient. They will look to target their young attacking players where they can go one-on-one against Korean defenders.

Colombia will likely start Yoreli Rincon in this match after starting her on the bench against the United States. Their young star will likely try to find space in the middle of the field and look for shooting opportunities whenever possible. Look also for Cataline Usme and Carmen Rodallega, a dangerous player on the left wing, to also cause Korea problems. Orianica Velasquez looked very good in limited minutes against the US and she might get more opportunity in this match.

Defensively, Natalia Gaitan has probably been Colombia's best player. Sandra Sepulveda started both of the first two matches in goal, but injured her hand against the United States and looked shaky on one of the goals scored after that.

Korea's Jo Yun Mi will be the focus of their attack. She is an extremely talented player and this may be a game that she will have a breakout performance. Ra Un Sim is also dangerous on the attack for Korea. Also beware of defender Song Jong Sun, one of Korea's most experienced player and one that likes to jump into the attack. Hong Myong Hui will probably be in goal for Korea.

Not only are these two teams the youngest, but they are also two of the shortest teams in the tournament. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see who wins the battles on set pieces in this match.

It is hard to judge what will happen when two very young teams meet each other in what is essentially a meaningless match. But while this match has little meaning as far as standings or advancement are concerned, I'm sure both teams will fight hard to win this one.

My Prediction: Korea DPR 1, Colombia 0

Australia 3, Equatorial Guinea 2

In what surely will go down as one of the stranger games of this year's World Cup, Australia was able to hold on for a 3-2 victory over Equatorial Guinea. The victory keeps Australia well alive going into their final Group D match against Norway on Wednesday. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, are on the brink of elimination pending the outcome of the Brazil-Norway match later today.

But what this game will probably be most remembered for is one of the most bizarre missed calls one will ever see. Australia was robbed of what should have been a penalty kick early in the match on what was a very strange play indeed.

Australia opened up the scoring in the 8th minute of the match, as Emily Van Egmond sent a ball into the box on the left side. Heather Garriock's original shot was hard and low, with Miriam making the save, but unable to secure the ball. Leena Khamis put the rebound into the net and the Matildas held a 1-0 advantage.

Then, in the 15th minute, absurdity came to the forefront. The play started with Heather Garriock's cross from the left side, which was perfectly placed for Leena Khamis' run at the near post. Khamis hit the left post from close in and then, for some strange reason, Equatorial Guinean defender Bruna grabbed the ball with both hands...and held it for two or three seconds while everyone looked on in disbelief.

But unfortunately for Australia, the only people in the stadium that didn't see it were the refereeing crew. While Khamis and several of the Aussie players pointed at Bruna and she continued to hold the ball, the referee and AR's apparently had a lapse, because no call was made. Bruna dropped the ball and eventually it was cleared, with Equatorial Guinea escaping what should have been a clear penalty opportunity for the Matildas.

The only reasonable explanation that one could see is that Miriam's orange goalkeeping jersey was somewhat similar to the red kits that the rest of her team were sporting and the referee mistakenly thought it was the goalkeeper who had handled the ball. The non-call seem to change the momentum of the game, as Australia had clearly dominated the match up until that point.

Anonman continued her shooting rampage, putting two shots wide right of the net in the 17th and 19th minute. But her persistence paid off in the 21st minute.

Australian defender Servet Uzunlar got a bit too casual as she was working to pass the ball back to keeper Lydia Williams and Anonman came up behind her, stole the ball, faked around Williams and deposited it into the net and just like that, it was 1-1. Anonman had struck like lightning and Australia was surely stunned by what had just happened.

However, the goal seemed to strengthen Australia's resolve and they went back to attacking over the remainder of the first half. Van Egmond hit a low bouncer from 16 yards that was handled by Miriam. A few minutes later, Khamis headed McCallum's free kick wide just wide of the near post and in the 40th minute, another McCallum free kick went loose in the box, but Miriam was able to cover up.

In the 41st minute, Anonman received a yellow card, apparently for wagging her finger in the referee's face one too many times. Play on both sides was becoming more contentious by the end of the half and tempers were beginning to flare.

Australia came close yet again just before intermission. McCallum's free kick from just outside the box rattled the crossbar and with Lauren Colthorpe waiting for the rebound, the ball took a high bounce over her head and Equatorial Guinea survived the first half with a tie score.

At the half, Tom Sermanni subbed in Lisa De Vanna for Sally Shipard and the move paid dividends. De Vanna was menacing for much of the second half and she injected new energy into the Australian side.

Play had been getting progressively chippier and the second half began with De Vanna being taken out on the left sideline on what bordered on a brutal tackle by Ana Christina. De Vanna came up limping and was clearly incensed, while her teammates tried to calm her. But she certainly used it as incentive to cause Equatorial Guinea problems throughout the second half.

It didn't take long for Australia to get the go ahead goal. Elise Kellond-Knight released a long pass up the left side, which Khamis used her great speed to track down just before it crossed the end line. Her one touch cross came back across the center of the box, but it was just a bit out of De Vanna's reach. However, Van Egmond was making a late run and was in perfect position to put the ball into the left side of the net from 10 yards out and Australian had regained the lead.

Australia increased their lead in the 51st minute. Just as EG's Diala was down on the pitch injured, McCallum recovered the ball at the center line and found De Vanna making a run to the top of the box. De Vanna used her left foot to touch the ball down and underneath Miriam into the net. At that point, it appeared that Aussies had the match in hand with a 3-1 lead.

In the 70th minute, Anonman hit a shot from the right side of the box from 15 yards which may have been headed for the upper left corner of the net. Lydia Williams leaped, barely getting a fingertip on the ball and force it wide. The referee incorrectly ruled a goal kick and Equatorial Guinea was denied a corner opportunity.

Not only was chippy play the order of the day, but apparently so was arguing with the referee. After being taken down by Sinforosa from behind, De Vanna was carded for pushing her complaint too far in the 72nd minute.

Australia came up with two more chances as they nearly widened their lead. McCallum, who was dangerous with free kicks all day long, tried to curl a left-footed shot inside the left post, but Vania was able to get a glancing header on it from the wall and the ball sailed just wide. A McCallum cross landed on top of the bar and bounced over in the 77th minute.

Anonman continued to pressure the Australian back line and she was able to bring Equatorial Guinea back into the match in the 83rd minute, with Uzunlar being the unfortunate victim again. Uzunlar made the mistake of trying to dribble around Anonman out of the back and the Guinean striker picked her clean. Anonman walked in alone and hit a well-placed shot into the lower right corner of the net and it was 3-2.

Surprisingly, only two minutes of stoppage was given, considering there were three goals, a couple of injuries, and a few yellow cards in the second half, not to mention several discussions between the players and the referee. Equatorial Guinea's last opportunity came in stoppage time. Laetitia effort from 25 yards went well wide of the net and Australia had held on to a 3-2 victory.

For Uzunlar, it has to be a day she'd just as soon forget, but it was somewhat softened by the Matilda's victory. De Vanna's energy and fire helped inspire the Aussie's in the second half. Khamis, McCallum, Van Egmond, and Garriock had very strong games for Australia and except for the two mistakes, Australia's defense was solid.

One cannot say enough about the play of Anonman. She was perpetually running at the Australian defense with seemingly endless energy and her efforts were the only reason they were able to stay in the match. However, it just wasn't enough for Equatorial Guinea to win on this day.

For Equatorial Guinea, only a miracle would prevent them from being eliminated. They will face Brazil on Wednesday.

Australia will now meet Norway in what could be a winner take all match for a quarterfinal berth on Wednesday. At this point, Australia and Norway have one goal victories over Equatorial Guinea, with the Aussies also suffering a one goal defeat by Brazil. Norway and Brazil both have three points and they will meet later today.

If Brazil should beat Norway, the goal differential could have major implications for that final match. A tie would mean that Australia would need to defeat Norway to advance. A Norwegian victory complicates matters further.

World Cup: Day 8

Australia vs. Equatorial Guinea (8 am eastern)

While it is mathematically possible that the loser of this match will still have a chance to advance to the quarterfinals, it's not very likely. Both teams lost close low scoring matches in their first game and both teams are still looking for their first goal in the 2011 World Cup. Both teams pushed their first game opponents to the limit.

In spite of Australia and Equatorial Guinea going scoreless in their first match, this one could very well be wide open. Certainly neither has any reason to hold anything back.

Australia certainly had their chances against Brazil and it took one heck of a goal to beat them. Maybe this not exactly a do or die game, but very close to it. It will be interesting to see if Tom Sermanni makes any changes to his lineup. He surprised a lot of people by starting young Caitlin Foord in the first game and on the back line at that.

Lisa De Vanna had a fairly frustrating day, but she certainly wasn't the only forward that's had a problem putting the ball on frame in this World Cup. De Vanna is almost essential to Australian attack, because opposing defenses simply must respect her blazing speed.

One wonders if veterans Clare Polkinghorne or Lauren Colthorpe might get a start in match two. Lisa Barbieri will probably again be the keeper for Australia. She really had no chance on the goal scored against her.

For Equatorial Guinea, Anonman certainly kept Norway busy. She launched over 10 shots for the match and she will likely be a thorn in Australia's side on Sunday as well. Like De Vanna, Anonman had trouble getting shots on frame. Diala is another player that could give Australia some problems.

Equatorial Guinea gave up 13 corner kicks in their first match and they will not want to repeat that against the Aussies. Carolina had a solid match against Norway on the back line. Miriam will be the starting goalkeeper and she gave up just one to Norway in the opener.

Equatorial Guinea surprised a lot of people in the first match, playing Norway to a one-goal match, especially considering they were missing several players that helped them qualify for the World Cup. Now the question is can they get their first victory in the World Cup.

Look for Australia to play the ball into space for their speedy forwards, particularly De Vanna, to run onto. Kyah Simon was very effective at times against Brazil. Australia will want to mark Anonman closely. If they can force her to take long shots, it may frustrate her. Equatorial Guinea needs to have a lot of energy and continue high pressure on the Australian back line, hopefully forcing a mistake.

This should be an entertaining match to watch and a very hard match to predict.

My Prediction: Australia 2, Equatorial Guinea 2.

Brazil vs. Norway (12:15 pm eastern)

This one is unique in that it is the only game where two teams that won their first match are meeting in the second match. Brazil and Norway will do battle with the winner being in the driver's seat to advance to the quarterfinals. The loser will do a lot more sweating in anticipation of their third match.

This will be a match of contrasting styles, South American vs. European if you will, and contrasting formations as well. That alone would make this an interesting match. But because of what may be on the line and the fact that they are meeting early enough in the tournament where neither has clinched a quarterfinal bid makes this compelling soccer.

Marta has played in 11 World Cup games and scored in seven of them, but has been shut out in the last two, Wednesday's match against Australia and the 2007 World Cup championship against Germany. One would think it highly unlikely for her to be blanked again. While Marta had her moments in Brazil's opening match, it was Cristiane and Rosana that provided the magic.

Formiga will be a pivotal factor in the midfield. One thing to look for in this match is to see how many touches she is getting and how well she is distributing the ball. If she is effective, Norway could be in for a long day.

Will Brazil play a true 3-4-3 against Norway? That could be another interesting aspect of this match, because the Brazilian back line did appear to be vulnerable at times against Australia and Norway has some skilled young attacking players in Elise Thorsnes and Isabell Herlovsen that could exploit any weakness.

Even without her goal, I thought Emilie Haavi had an excellent match against Equatorial Guinea. She will have to play a big role in this match as well if Norway is going to win.

Norway's back line against Brazil's three forwards will be another thing to watch closely. The Norwegians are sound on the back line and they have a great defensive-minded midfielder in Ingvild Stensland to help them out.

I would call the matchup between goalkeepers, Andreia for Brazil and Ingrid Hjelmseth for Norway to be fairly even. Both are veteran keepers that have seen a lot of action.

This game may be one of the more fun matches to watch in the World Cup. Brazil has to be the favorites, but the Norwegians could certainly pull an upset. However, I think this will be Marta's match and it's hard to bet against her.

My Prediction: Brazil 2, Norway 1.

Norway 1, Equatorial Guinea 0

Emilie Haavi's goal in the 84th minute sent Norway past Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in the opening match of Group D on Wednesday. This game was in doubt from the opening moment to the very end.

If anyone expected Equatorial Guinea to be overmatched, they were certainly mistaken. They traded blow for blow with Norway, but in the end, they could not score. EG's star Anonman attempted shot after shot, double figures in all, but to no avail.

Norway came close to taking an early lead. Haavi hit a low shot off the left post from the right side of the box and Isabell Herlovsen put the rebound well over the net. A few minutes later, it was again Herlovsen sending one over the crossbar from 10 yards out.

Equatorial Guinea had their first good chance in the 20th minute as Diala sent Dulcia through, but Haavi made up ground and slid to block the shot just in the nick of time. A couple minutes later, Dorine came around the left edge clear, but her shot went right to Ingrid Hjelmseth.

Throughout the first half, both teams tried several shots from distance with very few being even remotely dangerous. The African squad was especially guilty of attempting long shots, instead of holding the ball to allow teammates to join in the attack where they could use their speed and skill.

Later in the half, Norway had two more chances as Elise Thorsnes' shot went just wide, with EG's goalkeeper Miriam getting a hand on it and later Herlovsen put yet another over the crossbar.

Just seconds before the intermission, Anonman beat the defense to get in alone against Hjelmseth, but Norwegian keeper made a nice save on the shot from 9 yards out.

Herlovsen continued to have problems with accuracy into the second half. Thorsnes forced a turnover and sent the ball to Herlovsen who hit it well wide of the net.

Anonman continued to impress with her ability, if not her accuracy, in the 53rd minute. She spun on her defender and put on a burst of speed into the penalty area, but touched the ball wide of the right post.

The game seemed to be opening up as a couple minutes later, Herlovsen dropped a pass back to Lene Mykjaland, whose shot glanced off a defender and then went off the outside of the right post.

In the 58th minute, an Ingvild Stensland corner found the head of Thorsnes who headed the ball toward the goal. Miriam made the save, but the ball came loose in traffic. Herlovsen was able to hit a soft shot that hit the left post, but Equatorial Guinean defender Carolina was able to fend off Herlovsen's quest for the rebound and get the ball out of trouble.

Next, it was Equatorial Guinea that would have a couple of chances. Anonman's shot from distance in the 66th minute went over the crossbar. A corner kick caused Hjelmseth all kinds of trouble as she got caught out, but the ball was deflected out of traffic just wide of the post. Anonman again tested the defense in the 75th minute, but her weak shot went well wide of the left post.

Back came Norway. Haavi put one just over the crossbar in the 78th minute, followed by Cecilie Pedersen's left-footed drive from 20 yards which forced Miriam to push the ball over the bar with both hands.

Norway continued to increase the pressure and it finally paid off in the 84th minute. Maren Mjelde took possession and dribbled in from 45 yards out to just short of the penalty area. She deftly pushed the ball through to Leni Kaurin on the right side who took the ball to the end line and hit a low cross. Miriam was only able to get a hand on the ball as it came across, just enough to push behind Stensland who was making a run down the center. However, Haavi was making a run toward the back post and she finished into the center of the net as Miriam was unable to recover in time.

Equatorial Guinea was unable to get an equalizer in the remaining time and Norway got the three points, which clearly had to be a relief for Norwegian coach Eli Landsem.

It will be interesting to watch Equatorial Guinea for the rest of the tournament. They showed good skills and played very well at times. If they could be just a bit more patient, instead of trying 25-30 yard shots, they could be a force to be reckoned with. They could give their next opponent, Australia, quite a bit of trouble.

Meanwhile, one would think that Norway will have to be just a little bit better than this when they face Brazil on Sunday. While some players, especially Haavi, had very strong matches, the team's performance was uneven. Anonman nearly split their defense on several occasions and that's something that they will have to fix before they meet Marta and company.

World Cup: Day 4

Norway vs. Equatorial Guinea (9am eastern)

It some ways, Norway is in an enviable position. On Wednesday, they will face the lowest ranked team at this year's World Cup and that team is missing a few of the top players that got them there. But there is also the unknown to deal with and Equatorial Guinea certainly represents a bit of a mystery at this point.

Of course, to be fair, Norway is missing many of the players that got through qualifying as well. Lise Klaveness, Toril Akerhaugen, and Lisa Marie Woods were an integral part of Norwegian qualification for the 2011 FIFA World Cup and none of them will be playing for Norway in Germany. Nor will Solveig Gulbrandsen who has since retired.

Norway has had some trouble scoring goals this year. Their best options are a trio of young forwards Isabell Herlovsen, Elise Thorsnes, and Cecilie Pedersen. Herlovsen scored six goals in a qualification match against Macedonia. Thorsnes and Pedersen recently scored five goals between them in a friendly against Finland.

Norway looks to their midfield for experience, particularly the great Ingvild Stensland, who is among the best defensive midfielders in the world. Lene Mykjaland is another talented midfielder that Equatorial Guinea must deal with. It's more experience in goal for Norway with Ingrid Hjelmseth. Maren Mjelde is a very good young defender.

With Jade Boho out, the player to watch for Equatorial Guinea will be Genoveva Anonman. There will be a lot on the shoulders of Anonman in this match. She is one of the few players on the team with a generous amount of international and club experience.

Hjelmseth should have the advantage in goal over Miriam, both in experience and ability. It is likely that Miriam will be subjected to more pressure than Hjelmseth as well.

Look to see how Equatorial Guinea comes out. If they appear nervous early on, this could be a very long day for them. Their lack of international experience and match play leading up to this World Cup could be telling. However, if they can string some passes together and get into a rhythm, perhaps they can give Norway a run for their money.

Norway is usually built on defense. If they can keep their defensive shape and keep mistakes at a minimum, they should be able to keep EG at bay. As in most matches, the midfield will be the key battleground. Anonman has a lot of experience in the Frauen Bundesliga, so she is used to European soccer.

Heat may also be a factor in this match. One would think that Equatorial Guinea would be more used to hot conditions than Norway. But Norway has played more soccer and may be more match fit at this point. We saw how conditions seem to bother the Nigerians more than France on Sunday.

One doesn't know quite what to expect from Equatorial Guinea in this match, but Norway has the edge in several categories, so it would hard to see them losing this match.

My Prediction: Norway 3, Equatorial Guinea 0.

Brazil vs. Australia (12:15 pm eastern)

This is a rematch of a 2007 quarterfinal match that Brazil won 3-2. In that match, Brazil jumped out to an early two goal lead. Brazil dominated for most of the match, but Australia stormed back and tied the match, before Cristiane scored the game winner in the 75th minute. Brazil has eight starters from that match back for 2011 and Australia has six, so you can bet there will be plenty of players that well remember that match.

This match features three of the top scorers from the 2007 World Cup, all of whom scored in that match, Marta, Cristiane, and Lisa De Vanna. Both teams are known for their offense more than their defense, so we might see a bit of scoring in this match as well.

The Brazilians are now a mature soccer team. Many of their players have been through at least one World Cup and an Olympics. They will certainly be one of the favorites in Germany. Australia has a young team by comparison and defense is one area where that youth is underscored.

The young Australian defense will have to play solid against the skilled Brazilians. They will have to withstand a lot of pressure and keep from being mesmerized by the superior technical skills of their opponent. At age 23, Kim Carroll is the senior member of that back line and the most experienced. Veteran keeper Melissa Barbieri will have to keep her young defense organized in front of her.

The Aussies certainly have attacking weapons and a pretty experienced group in the midfield led by Heather Garriock and Collette McCallum. They will need to shut down Brazilian passing lanes and hopefully, start counterattacks.

Lisa De Vanna is no doubt the most dangerous offensive player for the Aussies. In the absence of Kate Gill, her striking partner is likely to be Kyah Simon or possibly, Samantha Kerr. The Matildas will have to take advantage of their scoring opportunities which are likely to be far fewer than their Brazilian counterparts.

Brazil can methodically break down opposing defenses or they can strike lightning quick. Marta will undoubtedly draw numerous defenders toward her, leaving more room for Cristiane to attack. Formiga is a great organizer in the midfield and unless the Aussies can shut her down, they are in for a very long day.

Brazil's outside defenders, particularly Rosana, could pose problems as well. Again, Australia will have to look for good opportunities for the counter if Brazil's outside defenders get caught upfield.

The goalkeeping matchup should be interesting with both being very experienced, Andreia for Brazil and Barbieri for Australia. Neither can afford to make mistakes, but it is almost a given that Barbieri will see more action at her end of the field.

Look early in the match to see how sharp Brazil's passing game is. They haven't played very many matches lately and they might be a bit rusty early on. Australia will have to avoid 1 v. 1 situations as much as possible and it's a must when Marta is involved. The trick is to frustrate Marta, as we have seen happen on very rare occasion in WPS.

Australia is always a game squad. They won a very tough AFC qualification tournament without De Vanna, which is a laudable effort indeed. Once again, they will be without one of their best scorers in Gill. It may be too much for them to overcome against a team like Brazil, which has so many weapons and the world's best player. Brazil will likely have the possession edge and might be able to wear the Matildas down, although you'll never see them quit.

My Prediction: Brazil 3, Australia 1

Group D Preview: Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea (#61)
Region: CAF
Coach: Marcelo Frigerio
How They Qualified: Finished second in CAF Qualifying.
Prior Cups:
2007: DNQ
2003: DNQ
1999: DNQ
1995: DNQ
1991: DNQ

Roster (Average Age: 24.47)

Name	Pos	Club	Age	Caps/Goals
Miriam	GK	None	29	9/0
Yao	GK	None	31	9/0
Maria Rosa	GK	Inter Continental	19	6/0
Bruna	DF	Real Dona	27	8/0
Dulcia	DF	None	29	3/0
Carolina	DF	Estrellas del Sur	28	8/3
Laetitia	DF	E Waiso Ipola	24	2/0
Ana Cristina	MF	None	25	4/0
Vania	MF	Hyundai Steel	30	2/0
Dorine	MF	E Waiso Ipola	22	12/8
Anonman	MF	Jena	22	28/15
Natalia	MF	Inter Continental	24	17/1
Sinforosa	MF	E Waiso Ipola	17	14/6
Jumaria	MF	Inter Continental	32	13/1
Chinasa	MF	River Angels	23	17/9
Lucrecia	MF	E Waiso Ipola	22	6/1
Christelle	MF	E Waiso Ipola	16	7/2
Diala	FW	None	21	17/4
Emiliana	FW	Rayo Vallecano	19	?/?
Adriana	FW	None	28	3/4
Fatoumata	FW	Inter Continental	17	4/1

Recent Matches:

Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
6/18/11	Luxembourg	Friendly	W 8-0
4/17/11	Cameroon	Olympic Qualifier	W 2-0
4/2/11	Cameroon	Olympic Qualifier	T 0-0
11/14/10	Nigeria	CAF Championship	L 2-4
11/11/10	South Africa	CAF Championship	W 3-1
11/8/10	Ghana	CAF Championship	W 3-1
11/5/10	Algeria	CAF Championship	W 1-0
11/2/10	Cameroon	CAF Championship	T 2-2
5/23/10	Namibia	Friendly	W 5-1

Quite frankly, when speaking about Equatorial Guinea’s 2011 World Cup squad, there is more we don’t know than anything else. They will certainly be underdogs in this tournament. Controversial, well maybe, but probably not so much as after they qualified by finishing second in the CAF Championship last November, after which accusations regarding the gender of some of their players made the news, which is hopefully behind them.

They are certainly not so young as the other African qualifying team, Nigeria. They have been placed in a group with veteran squads from Brazil and Norway, as well as Australia, all of which will be hard to defeat.

They have played few matches that can be analyzed, the most recent being an 8-0 win over Luxembourg. They have played very few games against countries outside of Africa. They did win a recent two match series over Cameroon in the beginning stages of 2012 Olympic qualification.

Their performance in the CAF Championship was not overwhelming by any means, but they did earn their way through to the finals. An overtime victory over South Africa in the semifinals gave them their ticket to Germany. They then lost in the final by a 4-2 margin to Nigeria, the perennial power in African women’s soccer.

Ordinarily, one would talk about some of the top players that led the team through that tournament. The problem is that several of those players won’t be in Germany for the World Cup. One of their best players and a scorer of three goals in the CAF tournament, Salimata Simpore, wasn’t even on the preliminary roster that was released over a week ago. Nor were two other players that started all five matches in that tournament.

Now it appears that Jade Boho, a top player in the Spanish league, has been replaced on the roster by Emiliana in the 11th hour. Jade was the one player that gave Equatorial Guinea a world class goal scoring threat. She scored three times in the CAF Championships, including a key goal against South Africa in the semifinals and another against Nigeria in the finals.

So with so many players missing for Equatorial Guinea, what is left? Well, there is 22 year old midfielder/forward Genoveva Anonman who plays for Jena in the Frauen Bundesliga. She has scored double figures in goals over the past three seasons in Germany. She is a talented and physical player, who will have to carry a good part of the load for EG.

Then there is goalkeeper Miriam, who started every match in the CAF Championships. She gave up eight goals in five matches, but half of those were against Nigeria in the final, with two of those being own goals.

Defensively, Equatorial Guinea is led by veterans Carolina and Bruna. Carolina scored the other goal against Nigeria in the CAF Final, while Bruna played in all five matches in the tournament, starting four.

In the midfield is Jumaria, the oldest member of the team. She scored a goal against Cameroon in the CAF Championships. Chinasa, who plays club soccer in Nigeria, scored twice in that tournament including the game winner in a group stage match against Algeria. Another striker to watch is young Diala, just 21 years of age.

Ten of the 21 players on the roster play for two clubs in Equatorial Guinea, E Waiso Ipola and Inter Continental, so the lack of experience is somewhat made up by the familiarity of the players with each other.

This team does not boast a lot of international experience, so one doubts that they could go very far in the World Cup. Still, they are sort of the unknown in this tournament and have enough talent to pose problems for teams taking them too lightly. Anonman and Miriam are likely to be the keys for this team. Whether or not they have enough to pull off an upset remains to be seen.

Note: Some information for this article was obtained from www.fifa.com and www.cafonline.com.