(Brisbane, Australia) FC Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala burst into the game in the second half and immediately breathed life into Nigeria, who overthrew hosts Australia 3-2 at the Women’s World Cup.
The victory propelled Nigeria tied at the top of Group B with Canada, with both countries picking up four points each.
The result also means Australia, who are plagued by injuries to strikers Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler among others, will now have to beat Olympic champions Canada in Melbourne on Monday to maintain their chances of reaching the knockout stages. .
Oshoala took advantage of the confusion in the Australian defense in the 72nd minute to collect a loose ball and fire a right-footed shot from a tight angle that lodged inside the post on the opposite side of the net. She then took off her jersey and ran towards the sidelines, receiving a yellow card in the process.
After controlling the ball for much of the encounter, Australia were stunned by a nine-minute streak in which Nigeria – who had snatched a 0-0 draw from Canada in their first game in the tournament – scored two goals.
The Australians outshot their opponents 28-10 in shots attempted and 8-5 in shots on target, but sorely lacked finishing around the opposing net due, of course, to the absence of Kerr and Fowler.
“We missed a golden opportunity,” Steph Catley, the Matildas point guard in Kerr’s absence, said in a televised interview. We generated many chances to score, but did not take advantage of them. We were not patient enough, methodical enough.
“He (Nigeria) did well on the counter-attack and he converted his scoring chances,” she continued. We need to turn the page quickly on this result – and prepare for Canada. This is the World Cup. »
Australia dominated possession time in the first half and even led 10-1 in shots on goal, but retreated to the locker room at half-time with a 1-1 draw after the two countries traded one goal each in stoppage time.
The Matildas have played a major role in popularizing women’s soccer in Australia, and many expected at the start of the tournament that they would advance to the round of 16. Coach Tony Gustavsson must now revive his team quickly.
“When you hit a hurdle like you are now,” he said, “then that’s when you see what your team is up to. »
Telma Encarnacao scored a goal and added an assist as Portugal shut out Vietnam 2-0 on Thursday, ousting the Southeast Asian nation from the Women’s World Cup.
Portugal took the lead in the seventh minute following a fine play that caused confusion in the Vietnamese defensive front. Lucia Alves capped off the streak with a flawless cross pass to Encarnacao, who only had to push the ball deep into the Vietnamese cage.
“It’s the most important goal, scored in the World Cup. This is a historic moment for Portugal. I’m very proud,” Encarnacao said of his seventh-minute goal.
Portugal can still hope to advance to the next round, but they will first have to extract a draw or a victory against the United States, and hope for a defeat of the Netherlands against Vietnam next Tuesday.
In the 21st minute, Portugal turned a clearance by the Vietnamese keeper into a scoring chance, after collecting the ball in midfield and orchestrating a counterattack.
Encarnacao passed the ball to Kika Nazareth, who beat the defenders in speed. The 20-year-old striker then deftly beat keeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh with a precise shot to her left.
Portugal coach Francisco Neto opted to replace seven of the players who made up the starting XI in the 1-0 loss to the Netherlands, including 31-year-old captain Dolores Silva and goalkeeper Ines Pereira. Encarnacao and Nazareth had been called in for reinforcements in the defeat by the Dutch; they were game against Vietnam.
Earlier Thursday, Lindsey Horan, who had resented being knocked down by Danielle Van de Donk minutes earlier, scored the equalizer for the United States in the second half, and they played draw 1-1 against the Netherlands.
“Dan is the kind of player who when she’s on my team is amazing because she’ll fight until the very last second of a game, she’ll do anything to make that last tackle, and that’s what she did, summarized Horan. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it, lost my temper, and raised my voice. »
The Dutch scored the first goal of the match when Jill Roord hit the back of the net in the first half. The Americans, however, are undefeated in their last 19 games thanks to Horan’s goal.
Horan scored with a header in the 62nd minute from a corner kick. For the athlete, it was a 29th goal on the international scene, a fourth at the World Cup and his second in a row at the tournament.
“I don’t think anyone can get mad because I didn’t react in the right way,” Horan said. I want more. I want to win, I want to score more goals and I want more for my team. »
The game was a rematch of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, which the Americans won 2-0 in Lyon, France. It was a second straight title for the United States, as well as a fourth overall.
