Quarter Finals

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Quarter Finals

Former Winners Dominate Final Four In China

by Jeremy Ruane

Reigning champions Germany, two-time winners the USA, 1995 winners Norway and Brazil, who have reached this stage of the competition only once before, are the teams who will contest the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals this week, after winning their respective quarter-finals over the weekend.

The Germans were the first team to advance to the last four, dousing the challenge of North Korea before 37,200 fans, in far less emphatic fashion than the 3-0 scoreline would suggest.

The Asian champions, playing in their first Women's World Cup quarter-final, found themselves trailing to a Kerstin Garefrekes strike just before the interval, the lanky wide midfielder having jinked her way through three challenges before burying a fifteen-yarder beyond the fingertips of Korean goalkeeper Jon Myong Hui.

That proved the perfect fillip for Germany to take into the second half, and after they had survived a couple of close calls, the cup-holders struck twice in five minutes to end North Korea's hopes of progressing past a team which has yet to concede a goal at China 2007.

Renate Lingor played a one-two with Sandra Smisek before doubling her side's advantage in the 67th minute, while five minutes later, Annike Krahn converted from a corner to wrap up the first of two ties in Wuhan.

The other saw Norway go to the break a goal to the good against host nation China, Isabell Herlovsen taking full advantage of Wang Kun's inattention to smash into the roof of the net what proved to be the only goal of the game just after the half-hour mark in front of a full house of 52,000, almost all of whom were urging the Steel Roses on to victory.

It wasn't to be for China, however, despite out-shooting their Norwegian opponents convincingly. Indeed, it was the European combination who twice hit the crossbar in this contest, firstly via Ingvild Stenland's thunderous strike six minutes into the second half, and again in the dying stages of the game - the same player was responsible.

The Germans and Norwegians play their semi-final on Wednesday evening in Tianjin, the scene of the remaining quarter-finals. The first of them saw the USA eclipse England 3-0 in front of 29,586 fans, thanks to a three-goal flurry in twelve minutes just after half-time which extended their unbeaten streak to 51 matches.

An even contest was blown apart in the 48th minute when Abby Wambach headed home a Kristine Lilly header. Shannon Boxx then thumped home from distance nine minutes later before Lilly, playing in her fifth Women's World Cup Finals, tapping home from close range to conclude the

scoring in a contest many anticipated would be closer on the scoreboard.

America's opponents in Hangzhou on Thursday evening will be Brazil, who were denied on numerous occasions by Melissa Barbieri as Australia made the South American giants fight all the way for their 3-2 win.

The Matildas found themselves behind the eight ball after four minutes, which was all the time it took for Formiga to penetrate their defences. And when Marta potted a penalty half-way through the first spell following a foul on Renata Costa, a rout looked to be on the cards.

But in typical fashion, the Australians refused to accept the script. Despite the loss of captain Cheryl Salisbury to injury just prior to the second goal, they fought back hard, and Lisa de Vanna's goal nine minutes before half-time gave them a lifeline, racing clear to round Andreia and turn the ball home into an empty net.

Lauren Colthorpe then drew the Matildas level with a headed effort half-way through the second half, but fifteen minutes from time, Marta and Daniela Alves combining to set up Cristiane, who turned her marker and smashed a twenty-yarder into the top right-hand corner of the net to turn the tie Brazil's way once more.

This time they held on, and could have won by an even greater margin, but for Barbieri's defiance and the crossbar, which denied Marta's 84th minute free-kick, and a goal-line clearance which thwarted Daniela in stoppage time.

Diane Alagich could have taken the game into extra-time right at the death when volleying over the bar, but it was not to be for the Matildas, the Selecao marching onto just their second semi-final in Women's World Cup history, having previously reached this stage in 1999.

Both semi-finals and the final of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup will be shown live on Sky, the first time ever that the closing fixtures in women's football's showpiece event will have screened in this country.

The first semi-final, between Germany and Norway, screens from 11.45pm on Wednesday evening.

Quarter-finals review:

Brazil 3 (Formiga (4), Marta (23 pen), Cristiane (75)), Australia 2 (L. de Vanna (36), L. Colthorpe (68)) HT 2-1

Germany 3 (K. Garefrekes (42), R. Lingor (67), A. Krahn (72)), North Korea 0 HT 1-0

Norway 1 (I. Herlovsen (32)), China 0 HT 1-0

USA 3 (A. Wambach (48), S. Boxx (57), K. Lilly (60)), England 0 HT 0-0

Daily Reviews