Wow. What a weird day in Germany

Wow! What a weird day in Germany

by Kara McDermott

Group A followed Group B in finishing their first stage of play in the World Cup, and they made sure to go out with a bang. Germany and France put in one of the most exciting fixtures yet and Nigeria finally got a win.

France 2 : 4 Germany

Germany and France battled for top group honors with the highest goal-scoring game of the tournament thus far. The hosting team was able to finish with a two-goal differential, but France certainly didn’t make it easy for them, even after their goalkeeper was red-carded for a rough foul in the second half.

Germany drew first blood in the 25th minute. Kerstin Garefrekes tallied her second goal of the tournament off of a free kick by Babett Peter from about 40 yards out. Garefrekes headed the ball into the top left corner from the far post to put the defending champions ahead.

They followed up with another seized opportunity in the 32nd minute. Simone Laudehr crossed from the left edge of the penalty area to Inka Grings who finished with another header.

France countered in the 56th minute to cut Germany’s lead. A corner kick lead to a cross from Sandrine Soubeyrand to Marie Laure Delie, who tallied the third headed goal of the match, and a second one for her in group play.

Germany preferred a cushier lead though and took full advantage when in the 65th minute France’s goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz badly fouled Fatmire Bajramaj, earning a red card for herself and a penalty kick for the Germans. Grings scored her second goal of the right by shooting past replacement Celine Deville to the right corner.

France went down a player and a goal, but was able to replace at least the goal shortly after in the 72nd minute. Following the pattern of the day, Laura Georges headed in a close-range shot from a cross by Camille Abily. The play started with a corner kick, making it the third goal of the high-scoring match to come from set pieces.

But Germany still was not going to give up on a two-goal victory. In the 89th minute, Alexandra Popp crossed the ball to Grings at the penalty spot who headed it on to Okoyino da Mbabi at the right side of the box, who finished across the goal to the bottom left corner.

In a game where a 1-0 result over a full 90 is common, fans never went more than 25 minutes without seeing a goal. The home town crowd will certainly enjoy see their team take top seeding from Group A and should pack the stadium to see Germany take on Japan on Saturday for the quarterfinals. France will also play Saturday against England.

Canada 0 : 1 Nigeria

The lights went out today on Canada’s World Cup campaign, both literally and figuratively. Unluckily drawing placement into one of the strongest groups, they were sent home by Nigeria without a win and only one goal over three games. This consolation match was also the final fixture for Nigeria, but they at least take one hard-fought victory as a souvenir.

It was an exciting day in Germany between England overtaking Japan in Group B, New Zealand coming back to tie with Mexico by scoring two goals in the 90th minute and stoppage time, and the back and forth between France and Germany. It seemed fitting then that around the 72nd minute mark, the stadium lights turned off and forced a nearly 15 minute delay in play.

But within a few minutes of the game resuming, Nigeria got the only goal of the game from Perpetua Nkwocha in the 85th minute, shooting into the left corner from the center of the box.

Our neighbors from the north will have to console themselves with just the memory of their set-piece goal off of Germany in their first game of group play.

Kara McDermott also writes for her blog, Waving the Rave. (www.wavingrave.wordpress.com)