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.
Showing posts with label Miriam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miriam. Show all posts
July 3, 2011
June 29, 2011
Norway 1, Equatorial Guinea 0
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Anonman, Carolina, Emilie Haavi, Equatorial Guinea, Ingrid Hjelmseth, Ingvild Stensland, Isabell Herlovsen, Leni Kaurin, Maren Mjelde, Miriam, Norway
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Anonman, Carolina, Emilie Haavi, Equatorial Guinea, Ingrid Hjelmseth, Ingvild Stensland, Isabell Herlovsen, Leni Kaurin, Maren Mjelde, Miriam, Norway
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.
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.
June 27, 2011
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)
Recent Matches:
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.
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.
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