Four teams booked passage to the round of 16, with a fifth potentially set to join them, after Groups A and B concluded play on Monday at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In Group A, Canada took an early lead but could only draw 1-1 with Netherlands. The result sent the hosts into the next round as group winners, and with four points and an even goal differential, the Netherlands will likely join them as one of the best third-placed sides.
Elsewhere in Group A, China and New Zealand played to a thrilling 2-2 draw that included a bit of controversy. With the point, China moved on to the round of 16 as Group A runner-up.
In Group B, Germany took top spot with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Thailand. Norway joined the two-time champions in the round of 16 following a 3-1 win over Ivory Coast. Third-placed Thailand, with a goal differential of negative-seven, likely will not advance.
Here are the key takeaways from Day 10 at the Women's World Cup.
Germany, Norway underline Group B superiority
Germany and Norway eased to comfortable victories in Group B, beating Thailand and Ivory Coast, respectively. Neither outcome was the least bit unexpected, but if anything, the scorelines were slightly tighter than most would have foreseen.
In Winnipeg, Germany clinched top spot in the group with a 4-0 win over Thailand. But with coach Silvia Neid making seven changes to her starting XI, the world's top-ranked team scored just once in the first half, via Melanie Leupolz.
At half-time, Neid introduced Lena Petermann and Anja Mittag, and Germany quickly improved. Petermann netted a pair of quick headers in the 56th and 58th minutes, and Sara Dabritz added her side's fourth goal with a close-range finish.
While the final margin of victory was perhaps lower than some might have expected, Neid will be pleased with the improvement her team showed in the second half. After breaking Thailand's goal line just once before the break, Germany played more quickly and more intelligently in the final 45 minutes.
"At 1-0 we kept worrying, but our strategy was implemented better in the second half," Neid told FIFA.com. "We're happy this win means we won the group, but everything starts again in the round of 16."
Meanwhile, in Moncton, Norway took second place with a 3-1 victory over Ivory Coast. Coach Even Pellerud made five changes to his starting XI, and his side also scored just once before half-time through Ada Hegerberg. After the break, Hegerberg netted a second, and Solveig Gulbrandsen added a third to put the result beyond doubt.
Ivory Coast's Ange N'guessan, the tournament's shortest player at 4'7", pulled a goal back for her side with an impressive long-range finish in the 71st minute.
With Group B playing out as expected, top-ranked Germany advance to the round of 16 to play a third-placed team from Group A, C or D. Norway will play the runner-up from Group F, which could be any of Colombia, England, France or Mexico.
After easing to victories against the two World Cup newcomers in their group, Germany and Norway have reached the knockout stage with a minimum of fuss. By rotating their lineups for the last group match, both managers were able to rest key players while still securing positive results. With the artificial turf taking a toll on players from every team, the latter could prove a wise decision ahead of the round of 16.
However, if both teams have a concern, it's that the level of competition was not as high as perhaps some other groups. In beating Thailand and Ivory Coast easily, Germany and Norway did not face stern tests. In the latter stages of the tournament, that could serve as a negative factor for one or both.
Canada goes through but still can't entertain
Canada clinched top spot in Group A with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Montreal. But while the hosts will enter the round of 16 as group winners, they still haven't fully convinced, nor have they played the type of attractive, attacking soccer that the home fans crave.
Through three games, Canada have scored just twice. One of those goals was a stoppage-time penalty after 90 scoreless minutes against China. Ahead of the match, Globe and Mail columnist John Doyle had some blunt words for coach John Herdman and his side, arguing that Canada's performance is directly tied to the popularity of soccer in that country:
The long-awaited, much promised transformative moment for women’s soccer in Canada just hasn’t happened. Slinking into the next round, all excuses and more promises, won’t cut it. The Canadian team hasn’t sold itself or the sport to the country with any validity.
There has been a lot of running. A lot of diligence and sometimes, desperation. Herdman can call it “flair,” but there hasn’t even been fluency and craft, the elements that sell soccer to the agnostic. Canada has not looked potent in attack or counter-attack. It doesn’t score goals. This is more than puzzling. The time and date of this tournament were known in advance. Another insipid display and interest will peter out.
"Slinking into the next round" might be harsh, with Canada winning their group and allowing only a single goal. But Doyle was correct to call out Canada's toothless attack. Through 270 minutes of World Cup football, Herdman's team have scored just once from the run of play.
During that time, the hosts haven't entertained so much as survived, and as Doyle argues, they might lose casual fans if their scoring difficulties continue. But the good news is that they still have time. By winning the group, Canada will face a third-placed side from Group C, D or E in the round of 16, and that game will serve as another chance to kick-start the attack.
Of course, now that the group stage is finished, the safety net is gone. With another underwhelming offensive performance, Canada will likely be out of the tournament.
Another bad call costs New Zealand
New Zealand played perhaps the best football of any of the four teams in Group A, but after drawing twice and losing once, the Football Ferns are out. An exciting 2-2 draw against China in Winnipeg sealed their fate, a result that sent China through to the round of 16 as Group A runner-up.
It could have been so different. Late in the first half, China won a penalty after referee Katalin Kulcsar whistled New Zealand's Betsy Hassett for an apparent handball in the box. Replays clearly showed that the ball had struck Hassett's torso, not her hand or arm.
It was simply a bad call. To make matters worse for New Zealand, China then converted the penalty to draw level at 1-1 heading into half-time.
To blame New Zealand's exit on one bad call would be irresponsible. The Football Ferns scored only two goals in the tournament, with both coming in their final match. In the final analysis, Tony Readings' side didn't score enough to advance.
But one can't help but feel for New Zealand. Without that penalty decision, the score likely would have remained 1-0 at half-time. From there, the Football Ferns might have been able to finish off a win, though of course that's far from certain.
Bad calls have hurt other teams at this tournament, notably Mexico and France. But for New Zealand's players, who now face a long trip home after a disappointing exit, the pain will carry an extra sting.
Follow @MiguelCominguez.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2496464-womens-world-cup-2015-mondays-day-10-takeaways
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