Women's Soccer

Sweden and Canada played a pretty dour match at the Women’s World Cup today, but given the added spice of knockout football at a major international tournament, the second half provided some immense drama despite the irregularity of attacking action.

The opening 45 minutes produced zero shots on target — a first at this World Cup — but things sprang to life in the 55th minute when Sweden grabbed the lead. The run and pass from Kosovare Asllani in the buildup to the goal was sensational, and Stina Blackstenius provided the finish.  

With the USWNT and Spain knotted at 1-1 after the hour mark at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims on Monday, La Roja’s Patricia Guijarro broke free on the left-hand side of the U.S. defense and fizzed a shot just wide of Alyssa Naeher’s far post. It was in this moment that a possible upset of historic proportions went from “there’s no way in hell” to “oh shit, this kinda feels like it’s happening.”

The USWNT overcame a spirited, physical and tactically disciplined Spain to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup and setup an enthralling match with France, but the manner of the victory was hardly assuring. 

The U.S. required two penalties from captain Megan Rapinoe — one in the seventh minute and the next in the 76th — to overcome a defensive error that allowed Jennifer Hermoso to score the first goal against the USWNT of this tournament. 

France’s 2-1 extra time victory over Brazil in Le Havre may well have spelled the end of Marta’s glorious World Cup career. The six-time FIFA World Player of the Year extended her all-time World Cup goalscoring record to 17 with two penalties in the group stage, but for the second consecutive tournament, Brazil crashed out at the Round of 16.

France survived an almighty scare from Brazil to win 2-1 after extra time and advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup, where they’ll play the winner of tomorrow’s match between the USWNT and Spain. The goalscoring hero was Amandine Henry, who got on the end of a set piece in the 106th minute to send France through.

England’s 3-0 defeat of Cameroon in the Women’s World Cup Round of 16 today will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons. The match threatened to descend into chaos on a number of occasions, and it left the players and managers of both nations fuming, albeit for very different reasons. 

The opening goal from today’s Women’s World Cup Round of 16 match between England and Cameroon was an epic tale involving back passes, indirect free kicks and saliva. Yeah, that kind of goal. 

The story begins in the 12th minute, when Cameroon’s Augustine Ejangue cushioned a cross straight towards her own goalkeeper. Instead of clearing it, Annette Ngo Ndom picked it up, putting Cameroon in violation of the back-pass rule. 

Norway’s Ada Hegerberg is the best player in the world, at least according to FIFA and the Ballon d’Or. But she has refused to to play for the Norway national team.

The best player at the Women’s World Cup is arguably Sam Kerr, Australia’s dynamic forward who entered the knockout rounds tied with Alex Morgan in the Golden Boot race with five goals.