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Chloe Digby·28 July 2024
🏅Dominant USA beat Germany, Australia crazy comeback; Japan shock Brazil
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Chloe Digby·28 July 2024
All of the Women’s Olympic sides have been in action on Sunday for the second match of the group stage.
Here’s what happened.
Scorers: Smith 11′, 44′, Swanson 26′, Williams 89′; Gwinn 22′
Emma Hayes made it two wins from two in charge of the USWNT, as they delivered an impressive 4-1 victory over Germany.
From the kick-off, Trinity Rodman was causing chaos with crosses from the right-hand side, and it wasn’t long before a fantastic square ball across the box paid off when Sophia Smith was able to tap home.
At that point, it looked like USA would go on to score more, but Germany regrouped and Giulia Gwinn found the equaliser with a low drive to the bottom corner.
They weren’t level for long though as a curling effort from Smith was well parried by Ann-Katrin Berger, only for Mallory Swanson to tap home her third goal of the tournament on the rebound.
And as half time was approaching, Smith’s shot from the edge of the area took a deflection and flew beyond Berger into the net.
In the second half, Germany kept pushing, and after striking the outside of the post with a shot, saw a Lea Schüller effort somehow scrambled off the line.
But USA were simply too strong, and in the dying moments, Swanson fed in substitute Lynn Williams who delivered an angled finish to make it four.
Scorers: Katoto 42′; Fleming 58′, Giles 90+12
Canada scored in the 12th minute of added time to secure a dramatic 2-1 win over injury hit France.
Les Bleues had the majority of the ball in the opening 30 minutes, but in truth neither goalkeeper was properly tested.
It was down to the prolific Marie-Antoinette Katoto to fire her side ahead, as some neat footwork saw her slot her shot between the two Canadian central defenders.
Canada – without their manager following the spying scandal – came out strong in the second half and found the equaliser when Jesse Fleming tapped home when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin had parried the initial cross into her path.
A clash with her own defender saw Peyraud-Magnin have to be substituted through injury, and things went from bad to worse on that front when captain Wendie Renard also had to go off after getting hurt.
Those stoppages meant that there was a mountain of injury time to be played, which allowed Canada to score on the rebound from a shot that was initially palmed away by substitute stopper Constance Picaud.
Scorers: Banda 1′, 33′, 45+2, Kundananji 21′, 56′; Kennedy 7′, Raso 35′, Mweeba (OG) 58′, Catley 65′, 78′ (PEN), Heyman 90′
Australia mounted the most incredible comeback as they came from 5-2 down to beat Zambia 6-5.
There was no holding back in this match as captain Barbra Banda gave her side the lead just seconds from the kick off when she let fly with a shot from well outside the box that clipped the underside of the bar and went in.
Australia were back level soon afterwards when a glorious ball in from a Stephanie Catley free-kick was headed home by Manchester City’s Alanna Kennedy.
The game was being played at a frenetic pace, and Zambia retook the lead when Racheal Kundananji – the world’s most expensive women’s player ever – took advantage of some hesitation by Australia, intercepted the ball and netted with a brilliant solo effort.
Banda then bagged another when Mackenzie Arnold had punched away a Zambia free-kick, only for her defenders to fail to get back and cover, which allowed space for the shot.
Just when it seemed like Zambia were pulling away, Hayley Raso headed home from a set-piece, putting the Matildas right back in the match.
As the half-time whistle approached, Caitlin Foord looked like she was about to score the equaliser, but Zambia ‘keeper Ngambo Musole made a fantastic one-on-one stop to keep her out.
Still, there was more drama to come before the end of the half when an Australia clearance fell to Banda, who made no mistake in claiming her hat-trick.
As the second half began, Zambia extended their advantage thanks to a fine header from Kundananji and seconds later Australia fired back again when a backheel from Michelle Heyman was inexplicably turned in on the line by Lushomo Mweemba.
Some more calamitous defending saw Caitlin Foord find the back of the net, however the goal was chalked off by VAR for a foul from Heyman on the goalkeeper.
But the Matildas were undeterred and Catley scored with a free-kick of her own, before sensationally converting a penalty that saw the sides tied at 5-5 with ten minutes to play.
This crazy contest had even more to offer as Heyman netted in the 90th minute to give Australia the lead in what was an unforgettable clash between two teams with very questionable back lines.
Scorers: Putellas 85′
Spain edged past Nigeria with a 1-0 win thanks to a late goal from Barcelona star Alexia Putellas.
Neither side could break the other down, but after almost an hour it looked like Spain had found a breakthrough, only for VAR to disallow Salma Paralluelo’s goal for a handball on the cross from Putellas.
It took until there was only five minutes to play for the reigning World Champions to break Nigeria down as Putellas netted from a fantastic free-kick taken from near the touchline.
La Roja now sit at the top of Group C after Japan’s win over Brazil.
Scorers: Jheniffer 56′; Kumagai 90+2 (PEN), Tanikawa 90+6
Japan stunned Brazil with two stoppage time goals that gave them a 2-1 win against all the odds.
A start for legend Marta meant that the 38-year-old has now recorded an incredible 200 appearances for the Seleção, but her side were almost behind just before half-time.
Japan were awarded a penalty for a handball in the area, but Mika Tanaka’s weak effort was saved by Brazil stopper Lorena.
Into the second half and a wonderful long ball forward from Marta created a counter attack that was capped off with a simple finish from Jheniffer.
Another VAR check for handball awarded Japan another penalty, and a chance to try again. The spot-kick was converted by captain Saki Kumagai after the longest of run-ups.
On a different day, Japan might’ve been happy with a point, but they pushed for the winner and Momoko Tanikawa came up with a world-class finish from distance to seal the win in the most dramatic of circumstances.
The final group stage game for the Women’s football at the Olympics will be played on Wednesday, before the quarter-finals on Saturday.