Japan - France Women's Olympic Semifinal

A clash of truly tricky and skilled teams! A chance to see some of my favorite creative players in the women's game in action. 

France v Japan, naturally. 

France: Bouhaddi; Renard, Georges, Franco, Bompastor; Soubeyrand, Necib, Bussaglia; Delie, Thomis, Thoney

Japan: Fukumoto; Kinga, Iwashimizu, Kumagai, Sameshima, Sakaguchi, Miyama, Kawasumi, Sawa; Ohno, Ogimi

Japan should take it, but never count the Frenchies out - especially since they can match Japan skill for dribbling skill in team passing.What they lack, however, is that mental toughness and extra confidence that Japan has. 

3 - They've kicked off, and so far, both teams playing pretty cagey. Japan seeing most of the possession. 
5 - And Japan gets off a smooth pass to free a player - but she loses the race to the box as the French goalkeeper comes out. 
7 - Necib with an outside shot and the goalkeeper, Fukumoto, spills it, but it able to gather up the ball, as no French players were near to knock the rebound in. 
9 -Ohno nearly catches up to a long pass, but not quite. She's quick, but not fast, if that makes sense. 
10 -Japan controlling play more now, making ball possession the top priority, frustrating the French.  
 11 - Oui! No, no! How did Necib not shoot? She was in the box with the ball at her feet. No killer instinct there. See Morgan, Alex, for that. Too bad, because Necib is an artist with the ball. Still, the French team need predatory, not pretty, today. They set Necib up well with their passing, but then she dropped the ball with dallying. 
13 - Renard gets a yellow for kicking the pesty Ohno. 
14 - Bompastor with a cross that is enticing, but Japan clear their box nicely. 
17 - Japan still has most of the possession, but France definitely has opportunities to advance.  
19 - It's great to watch the nifty passing of the Japanese players. They're wearing blue, and France are wearing white. 
23 - Still, Japan not really threatening France, who clamp down when the blue shirts get near the box.
27 - Until just then, when Japan was right on the edge of the box, but France swarm in and clear before the shot comes off.  
30 - Thomis is especially shouldering a lot of the defensive work for Japan. 
32 - GOAL! Bouhaddi error! Miyama sends in one of her soaring free kicks and Bouhaddi fluffs it, letting it slip through her fingers. Ogimi takes advantage, as the French defenders seem confused after Bouhaddi's error. Her poke puts the ball in the net. 1-0 Japan leads. 
36 - Ogimi did what Necib did not, taking advantage of the moment, effectively, if not artistically. 
37 - Throw-in for France, leads to Fukumoto punching the ball out of her box, but France unable to follow-up on the chance.  

41 - France, meanwhile, are frustrated, working harder, but putting the final ball long far too often. That makes it easy for Japan.  
43 - Meanwhile, Markgraff, on the commentary with J.P., is frustrated with France's one-dimensional attack. The ball keeps going to Thiney and nobody else. 
45 - Now France has the ball in the box, but the shot by Delie is blocked.  

Halftime! Japan is on their way. 

Markgraff calls out the French for being timid.  

Seriously, NBC? You couldn't make the halftime trivia question remotely related to the sport the fans are actually watching? For those who always wondered, Bangladesh is the  largest country, by population, to never have won an Olympic medal. 

46 - Miyama skies a shot over the bar. She did that a lot while playing for L.A. She's got serious skills, but sometimes would get the yips in front of the goal. 
49 - Miyama is money on freekicks, however. She punts it perfectly to Sakaguchi, who heads it perfectly into the corner in the midst of befuddled French defenders. 2-0 Japan. 
50 - France finally earns their first corner, but it's probably too little, too late. Yes. It leads to two shots by France, but the first is blocked and the second way high and wide. 
52 - Frustrated France is now getting a bit pushy. 
53 - Oooh, a shot by France! Saved, but out for a corner. 
54 - Doesn't lead to a decent shot, though. 
60 - Injury on the field. Japan's 17 limps to the sideline, but she looks fine.  
63 - Another decent chance for France wasted as the shot from Necib goes way high.  
67 - LeSommer goes too high as well. 
68 - Ohno in the box, with some nice cutback moves, but George finally makes the stop. 
69 - Another high shot from France.
71 - Necib in the box - this time she shoots, but  Fukumoto is on it, with no rebound. Nicely done. 
72 - France shooting at everything now, but rather wildly. Japan stoically is weathering the storm.  
76 - GOAL! Until now. LeSommer takes a quick one touch on a Thomis pass and it's all net. 2-1 - Japan still leads, but with a small cushion.  
78 - Penalty! LeSommer draws one from Sakaguchi, the veteran. The French player put on a wily move in the box. 
79 - Captain Bussaglia takes the penalty - yikes! WIDE! France dies a little. So much for the miracle comeback. 
80 - LeSommer with a half-bike in the box - almost a goal as the rebound is barely stopped by Fukumoto.  
82 - Bouhaddi out of the box,  half clears the box. France goes right back o the attack, gets a corner. 
83 - Japan are backed in, but they finally clear it. 
86 - France flailing away, finally without timidity, but still without accuracy, as yet another shot goes high.  
89 - Time is running out for France.  
90 - After France takes another corner, Japan spring an outlet, but the final shot goes off the near post. Japan nearly shut the door. 

Quezalti Alvarado of Mexico is almost ready to blow the final whistle. France is out on one last attack, but Necib's tame shot is an easy catch for Fukumoto. France has a couple of final shots blocked, but finally the whistle peeps. It's over. 

Japan goes to the gold medal match. It's expected, and deserving, but France will rue missed chances for quite a while.

WWC - England v France - Quarterfinals

Kickoff!

1 - It's on as Kelly Smith slices into the box - even two years ago, that would have been a shot on goal, but she hesitates and her eventual shot gets blocked.
3 - France recover from their bobbling start, look more comfortable in midfield. 
4 - Abily from distance goes over, but not by much.  
5 - Fara Williams earns an early yellow for a late tackle. 
7 - Delie with a decent, but predictable cross that gets blocked and cleared by Jill Scott. 
8 - Corner for France, with another attack down the same side.  It's handled easily by England, who despite not having much of the ball so far, seem determined to get the job done. Their ball play may not be pretty, but I'm not betting against them yet. They look primed to squash the more technical French by following Germany's game plan. 
11 - Sure enough, England now have a corner of their own and it looks dangerous - until the referee whistle saves the day for France after the goalkeeper failed to collect. 
13 - France have a huge share of the possession, but they don't seem confident. Maybe it's because the backup goalkeeper is in goal.  
15 - France send a ball into the England box and really both teams just watch it until is goes out over the endline. 
17 - Yankey bends in a sweet cross and Deville leaps for it, comes down safely. That could give her teammates more belief in her.  
18 - Or not. France on the break, ruin the chance with an overexcited, overhit pass.  
19 - K. Smith is offside. She also looks tired, which is surprising, as the game isn't yet 20 minutes old. 
20 - Now it is. 
22 - Corner for England gets cleared. 
23 - France counter gets ruined by Thiney offside. 
25 - France finally more effective on the counter. With room, Delie crosses to Thiney, who cranks a shot that has Bardsley diving to save.  
27 - Necib goes down, but the  ref isn't impressed - waits for the next knock to whistle. 
29 - England attack wilts on offside call. 
30 - France corner earned by Delie - leads to a Necib shot that zings too high.  
31 -  One again, France ruin their excellent build-up with nerves - Thiney's pass for Delie is too hard. 
33 - And again. 
35 -  England with a chance on the long pass, but DeVille is able to get it. 
37 - France have a freekick, and Necib puts it on goal, forcing Bardsley to punch it over. 
38 - The corner is cleared by England, but France puts the ball back in - wide. 
39 - Wide shot from distance by Abily. They're just raining pain on England, but no kill shot yet. 
40 - Ouch. Bardsley, coming out to catch a corner, pins Lepailleur against the post as she falls. That hurt. 
43 - France's possession is getting ridiculous - which means England is probably about to score. That's soccer. 
44 - England work like crazy to deny France another look at goal - which is not the same as trying to mount an attack. 
45 - England defenders passing the ball in the final moments of the half - to each other. Kelly Smith is on the ball - oh, it's taken from her.  England do manage to eventually earn a corner. It's cleared. 
45 + The whistle blows and it's even only where it matters, on the scoreline, otherwise, England have been taken to the woodshed.  
47 - Yankey in the box, but DeVille catches her cross. Powell must have yelled at her players. 
48 - Delie in for France - but she isn't right on the ball - and no one else from France is there to help.
49 - Delie! Just wide.
51 - Well, it's back  to what was - England deep defending, France pressing, nothing quite coming off. 
53 - Seriously, Markgraf, a smile isn't going to instantly make Kelly Smith play better. I'll say what others seem too polite to mention - she isn't the player she was. She's tired. 
55 - Scott just over the top! England may steal this yet, even with a fading Smith. France has wasted too many chances.  
59 - GOAL! It's Scott! France's backline sags, and the long pass works perfectly (with some help from Smith's handball) and Scott gets a shot that she bends well around the out-of-position DeVille. 1-0 England.
61 - Numerous Les Bluettes in the box, but it's no good, no one gets a shot in on goal.  
63 - It's sad, but England's direct approach  is making France's slick little passes look like a waste of time. 
64 - Smith is pissed at Bompastor's embellishment of a foul. Um, hey, handball princess, worry about your own game.
65 - Bardsley hangs on to the Necib freekick. 
67 - Delie misses from close, but it was a tough angle. 
68 - Elodie Thomis is in for Soubeyrand.
69 - Thomis in the box and her excellent cross is cut out by Smith just before it reaches a teammate.  
71 - Sometimes the better team doesn't win. That's soccer.  
72 - Maybe even the ref thinks that's an injustice. England's practical defending - pushing Thomis away from the box even before she's into the box, gets whistled for a freekick here. Bompastor gets a corner off the deflection from the wall, but Bardsley eventually collects. 
74 - England corner cleared by France, who now look despairing of getting the equalizer. Seriously, this lack of confidence for them is depressing.  
77 - Thomis in the box, Bardsley saves, and the follow by Delie is blocked out. As France collect to attack again, Georges is upended by a late E.White tackle. Yellow.
78 - The handball princesses, plural, now - in that scramble in the England box, A. Scott blocked the ball with her hand as well. Ref missed it. 
80 - Bretigny in for Necib.  
81 - France is getting crabby. It must be depressing to have 80 % possession, nearly 20 more shots on goal, and not a single tally.  
82 - Getting pissy is not helping their passing game, however.  
84 - Yankey, the quiet workhorse, is coming out of the match.  
85 - Thomis breaks free to catch a pass - she's one on one with Bardsley - through the legs, Thomis! - put she puts the shot straight into the body. 
86  - Double corner for France and England repels both, the player on the post heading away one attempt. 
88 - GOAL! Off the crossbar from Bussaglia - the luckiest, most speculative shot of all - from the top of the box as the ball popped out from the pass going into Delie. 1-1 France equalizes! Delie celebrates with Bussaglia by buffing the shoe that saved the French team.
90 - Thiney almost with the winner as France gun to win in regulation.  France then get a corner that Bardsley misses, but France can't capitalize.
90+ J. Scott gets a yellow for holding. 
Fulltime!
Powell, who a minute ago was being praised for subbing players to kill time as the game wound down with England holding the lead, is now being criticized for burning the subs when K. Smith is apparently hurt. Hindsight and all that.
92 - France look lively, eager to win in extra-time, not wanting to take their chances with penalty kicks. 
93 - I don't know the France keeper well on penalties, but Bardsley is pretty good. Bretigney with a shot. Bardsley collects. F.White is down for a bit.
96 - Thomis doesn't seem to realize her teammates don't have her speed. The pass in front of goal is too far ahead for Delie.  
98 - Abily wastes a shot from distance. This is where France miss Necib setting up the play.  
101 - The field is essentially cut in half, now, as England isn't even trying to go forward and France is pushing up.  
103 - France is tired, too - England actually get into the box, but the turn and shoot by Carney is poor. 
104 - E. White in on goal - but her shot is just wide. So close for England.  
105 - Bompastor with a poor freekick. France gets the ball to Thomis, but she can't beat Raferty to send in a cross.
107 - France make final sub, Le Sommer in for Bretigny. What the ? A sub for a sub? Aren't there players  France's squad that are dead on their feet? Why not have more fresh legs in? I don't get it.
110 - France corner. Bussaglia misses on the follow-up shot. 
112 - Bardsley down for a bit, but she's fine now as a France corner is cleared.  
114 - Bardsley catches a good Thomis cross. 
116 - France with good buildup, but the final header by LeSommer is too high. So close.
119 - England stumbling around, but their subs are working hard to defend and doing just enough to hold off France.  
122 - Bardsley out, can't reach the ball, but the shot isn't taken, and Scott is down with cramps. France have a corner.  
123 - France have another corner, but Bompastor wastes it into the side netting. Time for penalties.  
I'm still picking England, though I think France deserve it more.  
France kicks first.
Abily versus Bardsley.
Bardsley catches it! Told you she was good. 
Smith versus DeVille.  
Smith nails it. 1-0 England. 
Bussaglia hammers it home. 1-1 
Carney kicks it low and in. 2-1 England. 
Thiney dinks it past a guessing Bardsley. 2-2
Stoney roofs it! 3-2 
Bompastor, my fave French player, gets it done. 3-3 
Rafferty breaks - she pulls it wide. 3-3 
LeSommer does it! 4-3 France 
Faye White - OFF THE BAR! 
France advance, and England heartbreak in penalties resumes. 

So close for England, but honestly, it's a fair result for the better French team.
. 

Women's World Cup, Canada - France, Running Blog

Christine Sinclair is wearing an awesome face mask, but if it gets loose, it could be hard for her to do those quick turn and shoots.
Players are in the tunnel. The mask does look pretty snug on Sinclair. The camera is finding a lot of Canadian fans in the stands, as compared to the previous game versus Germany.
France's players are the underdogs here, though the teams are ranked close together.
"Oh, Canada, we stand on guard for thee!"
vs
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons!

1 - Oops, ESPN graphic was wrong - McLeod is still in goal for Canada.
2 - Bompastor is tricky player, in contrast to Canada's more direct attack.
5 -Sloppy France handball gives Canada a freekick chance, but desperate defending denies Sinclair on the attack that follows kick.
6 - On the other end, McLeod comes out for a France break.
8 - France trying to go over the top of the defense, but they're much shorter than the Canadian backline.
11 - It may be a weird sentiment, but I don't think Canada plays as well in their white unis as they do in their red ones.
15 - Matheson blows a chance in the box, taking an extra touch after reaching the ball, instead of just firing. Ruthless, Matheson, you have to be ruthless.
16 - Like Abily there, kicking on Schmidt while on the ground. Ruthless, though not very sporting.
19 - France is holding strong against Canada - who look frustrated.
22 - McLeod out of her box again to kill a France attack.
24 - GOAL! Thiney! Necib stole a ball and got it to Bompastor, I think, whose shot bounced up to a ready Thiney, whose header popped over McLeod as she came out. 1-0 France.
26 - McLeod might have done better to hold her line and try to stop the shot.
27 - Two losses and Canada is likely eliminated.
29 - Delie creating worlds of trouble for Canada's defense.
31 - Necib with a quality outside shot that forced McLeod into a great save.
32 - The ensuing corner leads to another. Canada's players are clearly shocked that they're in their own end so much. They finally clear it.
34 - Fantastic build-up play from France, but Delie just misses on the header.
36 - Chapman's freekick easily cleared - Canada just isn't threatening France right now.
37 - Seriously, this game is Exhibit A for how Morace's on the ground approach for Canada may not be as effective as Pellurud's direct approach was.
49 - Because so far, France is much better on the ground than Canada.
50 - Matheson with Canada's first shot of the match. It's wide.
40 - Sinclair from distance, misses even worse.
42 - France back near Canada's goal. They earn a corner.
43 - Canada escape that threat, but they look baffled by France, still.
44- Necib almost has an Olympic goal, bending it from the corner kick, but McLeod barely punches it out.
45 - France look closer to scoring a second than Canada does to equalize.

Halftime: The problem with some teams with a big star player like Sinclair is that they take their cue from that one star so entirely, that they don't regroup well when that star is hobbled for any reason. Canada should have another plan of attack besides Sinclair.
That said, Canada could just be really tired. They toiled mightily versus Germany. France had an easier start, though Nigeria is a lively team.
Pia talking openly about here lineup options again - Lory Lindsey might come in for Boxx or Carli Lloyd. It could be that Boxx needs a rest.
46 - Teams are back on the field - let's see if Canada can regroup.
47 - Thiney holds the ball well against one of Canda's best players, Schmidt.
48 - Sinclair clatters into the goalkeeper Sapowicz
49 - Delie in the box again, but she can't catch up to a long pass.
50 - Canada with a long shot. Wide. They're rushing everything, not building up play.
51 - Necib in the box, but a Canada defender takes the ball away.
52 - Sapowicz gets Matheson sliding into her face in the box, which gets Matheson a yellow. Sapowicz is tough, most goalkeepers would have cleared that ball with their feet, instead of risking their face by diving in there.
54 - Delie in the box with a driving shot, but right at McLeod.
57 - Kyle with a poor shot ruins a good Canada buildup.
59 - Sinclair charges into the box, but for some strange reason, doesn't shoot and ends up passing to no one.
60 - GOAL! Thiney again! A bad clearance out of the box, provoked by a pesky Delie, falls to Thiney, who cracks a shot that ricochets in to the goal off the right post. No chance for McLeod. 2-0 France.
64 - Canada look far more defeated than they ever did versus Germany.
65 - Ugh, Feligno beats her defender into the box, then straights slips on the ball itself, and balls down before she can shoot.
66 - GOAL! Abily heads in a great ball from a France corner. Goodnight, Canada. Nice knowing you. 3-0 France
67 - Feligno in the box again, gets ball to Sinclair, who shoots, and misses. Nothing going right for Canada now.
68 - Sinclair in the box again, but France's swarming defense won't let her shoot. The pass to Feligno gets cut off.
73 - Canada can't buy a final pass to save their lives.
75 - Freekick for Canada is ruined by an offside.
77 - Canada look clueless. France is playing a blinder of a match.
79 - Hero Thiney is out, perhaps to rest her up for that third game versus Germany. Bolleau comes in.
80 - OUCH! Bompastor cleared a ball off Sinclair's face mask. She goes down, takes off the mask, and bleeds on the field. That's got to hurt.
83 - GOAL! I'll bet this hurts worse. Necid with a perfect pass over the defense for the speedy Thomis, who takes a touch past McLeod, then rolls the ball into goal. 4-0 France.
85 - - France look more likely to score a 5th than Canada looks to get a consolation.
87 - Tancredi in the box, Bompastor prevents the shot.
88 - Corner bounces dangerously in the box, but France clear.
89 - DeCicco with great insight on how France has been "the better team". Uh, 4-0, ya think?
90 - Les Bluettes have dominated, no doubt about it. Canadians, should Morace stay on?

Final whistle sounds! Boy, was that a beat down for the 2015 hosts. Allez France.