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Day 11: Recap
Bookie’s Stats—
Spread: 9-11
Straight up: 14-3-3
Yes, we're leading with the perfect photo this evening!
Allow the bookie to hit you with the wide angle shot.
There may not be a more beautiful shot in the long history of this sportsbook.
No, I haven't forgotten Spain. We'll get straight into them below.
S.S.S. Tactical Breakdown
The group that didn't shake out quite as expected. The slumbering giant that is German women's football took advantage of two key injuries to the Spanish striking corps to top this group with ease. Bookie now most assuredly feels dumb for suggesting that the Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso injuries wouldn't hurt this team.
Sigh. They've practically killed this team.
Spain first. Germany below.
Lineup—Spain—Match Three (4-1-4-1) (7/16/22)
No false-nine this time as Jorge Vilda embarks on a somewhat desperate attempt to find some sort of reliable target forward. All this possession and all these whip-ins into the box remain embarrassingly useless if no one is there to meet them. Lucia Garcia could not fulfill this need in the opening 45 minutes.
Vilda even went for a triple change at the half, yanking both Garcias in favor of Esther Gonzalez and Mariona Cardona. Leila Ouahabi (booked) also got the yank in favor of Olga Carmona Garcia. This seemed overly desperate and drastic, considering that La Roja had generated some quality chances.
Del Castillo, Bonmati, Caldentey, and Paredes all had looks on goal in first half. The triple change actually seemed to decrease the overall level of play. It was far too quintessentially Spanish. Passing. Possession. A forceful enough press that did generate turnovers, yet had no rushing striker to lead the way.
A draw would have been good enough.
Thankfully, we got the late Cardona winner.
When it comes to the latest set of marks, we've just as many "A-Level" performers as in the opening match against Switzerland. Much good might that do us. One genuinely feels for these girls having to face England next round. After having to play the States in the first knockout round of the 2019 World Cup, now they must square off against another behemoth.
Honestly, it really wasn't supposed to be this way. Your friendly bookie wasn't the only one tipping the Spaniards to top this group. We all thought this to be the year that the program really broke through, particularly given the inherent strength in the squad.
Grades—Spain (Match Three)
Aitana Bonmati | A+ |
Athenea del Castillo | A+ |
Patricia Guijarro | A |
Marta Cardona | A |
Olga Carmona | A |
Irene Parades | A |
Sheila Garcia | B+ |
Mariona Caldentey | B+ |
Mapi Leon | B |
Sandra Panos | B- |
Leila Ouahabi | C+ |
Ona Battle | C |
Esther Gonzalez | C |
Lucia Garcia | D |
There's a lot of great talent here that the supportive fans of Spanish women's football can look forward to catching for years to come. Extremely tough call as to which youngster--del Castillo, Bonmati, or Guijarro--should have won the "woman-of-the-match" award. Olga Carmona was very effective up that left flank as well.
Bookie supposes they went the right way with Bonmati. She served up many of del Castillo's (who should definitely start the next match) chances. There is good news in that Vilda probably has his desired lead striker in the form of Cardona. Sheila Garcia, though subbed off, had her best game of the competition.
The Spaniards broke the jinx of conceding anearly goal in this one, something they absolutely can't afford to do against the Lionesses. Maybe a stroke of luck that Mapi Leon and Ona Battle got their "off game" behind them in this one. They can now refocus on the task ahead.
If Vilda's girls can hang tough with the hostesses for a little while, there's always hope. The English don't have a proven track record against a possession-based team such as this one. Somehow, there must be a flicker of hope. The bookie has quite the quarterfinal section to write!
Over to my Mädels now. With the full match report already written, it's time to bask in the glory of some more full-color close-ups. Honestly, have you seen a better footballing shot in the last few months? Hold off on answering that.
The Bundesrepublik, thanks to reliable contributions from benefactor Nation-States, remains the best country humans have founded. Bookie will entertain no arguments to the contrary. In point of fact, he'll debate you into the ground if you even try.
Tactically speaking, Bundestrainerin Voss-Tecklenburg gave us an even bigger shocker than Sarina Wiegman going with her regular XI in a completely meaningless fixture last night. Though our coach did make four personnel changes, she also put together a straight-u p cutthroat 4-3-3
One has little choice but to label this what it is: a even-planed attack engine for three prominent strikers. This wasn't the 4-3-3 from the initial round. No sir. The constellation was specifically designed to end this match early. Get it done without mercy. Get it to "Poppi" and get it over with.
We got there eventually following a first significantly too inelegant and brute force for the bookie's footballing tastes. Popp actually went the full 90 minutes and kept hustling like mad. She noticeably wanted to get a gaol in for all of her teammates. Leah Williamson take note. We've got a true skipper!
Nicole Anyomi isn't merely a pretty picture to through up there either. The 22-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt winger has some real skills. In what later turned into a 3-5-2 press after Anyomi replaced Gwinn at the half, we've got a real dangerous rover who can flit between both flanks.
Christ, what an athlete she is. Sam Mewis and Lindsey Horan rolled into one for you USWNT enthusiasts. Watching her attack the ball from pivot to pivot all over the place proved quite the treat. She pops up all over the midfield and cans trip a ball away with pinpoint accuracy.
As you can easily infer, we've got excellent marks all around this time.
Alexandra Popp | A+ |
Giulia Gwinn | A+ |
Nicole Anyomi | A+ |
Svenja Huth | A+ |
Sara Däbritz | A |
Linda Dallman | A |
Kathrin Henrich | A |
Sofia Kleinherne | A- |
Lena Lattwein | A- |
Jule Brand | B+ |
Laura Freigang | B |
Tabea Waßmuth | B |
Merle Frohms | B |
Sara Doorsun | B |
Marina Hegering | B |
Bookie has some real difficulties finding points of criticism. Even if there was a lot of sloppy, directionless crossing in the box during the first-half, most everybody made up for it once they got on the same page later on. Däbritz had problems with her finishing touch, yet was just too good in her distribution after getting settled.
Not sure how to mark keeper Frohms as I honestly don't remember her name being called once. The same applies to all three center-halves used, though Hendrich and Hegering did put in some good work going forward. One could dock Lena Lattwein a bit for not being Lena Oberdorf. Of course, that's just cruel.
In all likelihood, there's probably not too much for Voss-Tecklenburg to think about heading into the knockout round match against Austria. Congrats to Kleinherne on her maiden Bundesliga goal, but Rauch is the better left-back. Lattwein also won't be displacing Oberdorf in midfield.
There's one of our "replacements" with the "woman-of-the-match" award. Linda Dallman, who started over the round one "player-of-the-match" Lina Magull (light injury) mostly tells you what you need to know.
Not saying that the high-flying Austrian girls won't be going down without a fight, but our place is in the Final. The bookie once again admonishes the English lasses with a warning. This is our crown!
-3 Games played
-1 Goal scored
Well. Unfortunate to report that your friendly bookie still doesn't find himself in the mood to draw it up for Lars Søndergaard's 3-4-3; by far the worse tactical formation in the tournament. This country's program (finalists 2017) proved an enormous flop. A hard group to be sure, but the amount of good footballers on this team meant they should have done better.
Compounding the bookie's disappointment, we have the fact that Søndergaard ran the only natural back-three in the entire tournament. A part of me, having already spoken of how this might be a set-up that doesn't work so well in the modern women's game, wanted to see it succeed. No such luck.
Søndergaard made four personnel changes this time. Simon Boye, Rilke Madsen, Karim Holmgaard, and the recently returned from suspension young phenom Kathrine Møller Kühl replaced Nadia Nadim, Sanne Troelsgaard, Sara Thrige, and Signs Bruun. Some bold choices in there, but it just didn't work.
Lene Christensen | A |
Simon Boye | A |
Nadia Nadim | A |
Ricke Sevecke | B+ |
Stine Ballisager | B |
Sofie Junge Pedersen | B |
Kathrin Møller Kühl | C+ |
Pernille Harder | C |
Janni Thomsen | C- |
Kathrine Veje | C- |
Rikke Madsen | D+ |
Sanne Troelsgaard | D |
Karen Holmgaard | D- |
It could have been worse. The bookie didn't see the need to accord any one player failing marks, though Søndergaards woefully ineffective late 5-4-1 tactical shift did leave Troelsgaard and Holgaard straddling the line. Those two were totally lost in the final half hour. The gaffer deserves most of the blame.
There were times when the Danish builds were simple, yet not entirely ineffective. The counters has slight bite to them on one or two occasions during the first half. The problem of course, was that the Spanish were able to strike back all-too-easily behind the wingbacks.
Grrr...that was the story the entire tournament.
No Danish dynamite this time. The last 30 minutes were pretty awful from their perspective, apart from Nadim's effort of course. Boye, Christiansen, and to a certain extent Secvecke and Ballisager still deserve credit for keeping the quarterfinals within striking distance.
Really like what I saw from one of my all-time faves Boye today. She should have probably been anchoring that back-line from the beginning. Nothing much more she could do in this one as the link-up play just left all her ball-wins stopped dead in their tracks.
We'll see these girls again at the FWM next Summer.
Hopefully, we've seen the last of that 3-4-3. If not, USE BOYE DAMMIT!
-3 Games played
-1 Goal scored
Damn. I guess this just wasn't the tournament to discuss the Boreal Owls. At least they scored a goal in the first five minutes of their first group stage game. Otherwise, the "These girls just can't Finnish" riff would be the only thing to fill this section with.
Bookie honestly wasn't expecting much of this team that we did lend an inordinate amount of coverage back to in 2013, despite the fact that they exited in the group stage back then too with only one group stage goal.
Our final goodbye to syndicate legend Tuck Hyyrynen thus comes with little fanfare. It's all over, gentlemen. In our final syndicate chapter, we bid farewell to the female footballer that captured (and invariably broke) all our hearts.
She didn't even play in the last game! Some anticlimax this has been. I guess that's basically the story with the conclusion every long-term love affair. Out it fizzles like a long-smoldering campfire.
Thrill is gone; gone away for good.
“Riffs of the Day”—Day Eleven
Reader: .....and I thought that Tiki-Taka died in 2014.
Vicey: A lot of things died back in 2014, 15-M. Your friendly bookie lost a good deal of his innards that year. It sometimes takes a while for that which is dead to germinate again. Jorge Vilda brought it back.
Reader: You were the one who told me to watch Spain-Denmark!
Vicey: My apologies, 23-M. How the hell was I supposed to know that Germany would perform well in green tricots? They almost never do!
Reader: With both Sofia Kleinherne and Giulia Gwinn in the lineup, I'm mandating Rapunzel braids for all German fullbacks.
Vicey: Syndicate Member 45-M just can't let it go.
Thankfully, these girls know how to let it grow!
Sniff. I miss you guys already.
Who will I riff with when this is all over?
Sniff. Seriously. Who else will waste time with me talking about hair?
Reader: ATTENDANCE!!!
Vicey: The German supporters were kind enough to put 19-M in a good mood. I've told you endless times that WE BACK OUR GIRLS! Any excuse to wave our flags around a bit works for us.
With no overt disrespect to the other fans attending these matches live, but one doesn't see this kind of thing at any of the other fixtures; not even for hosts England.
That's no stock photo. That's from this very day.
Blühe deutsches Vaterland!!
Twenty thousand plus over at the MK stadium too watch the Mädels today. A further 16,000 over at Brentford Community Stadium for Spain-Denmark.
Though there have admittedly been some sparsely attended matches thus far, a cumulative total of over 320,000 live spectators have come out to watch women's football already in this competition. That's an average of over 16,000 per match.
Yes, we've already smashed the previous record set for the 2017 tournament in Holland.
Onward we march!
DAY TWELVE--PREVIEW
Switzerland vs. Netherlands
vs.
Getting some action for the Swiss Mädels after what the ÖFB girls from "Kleindeutschland" accomplished yesterday. Best of luck to you, gentlemen. Have at it.
THE LINE: Netherlands +1 Goal (Rolling down soft from Netherlands+2)
Sweden vs. Portugal
vs. 
Big, big test for the bookie's selected tournament favorites. With Group C as it stands now, this is just going to be another one of those ultra fabulous days for women's football.
Impossible to decide which one to watch.
Keep the clicker at the ready.
THE LINE: Sweden +1 Goal (holding)
GENTLEMEN, ENTER YOUR WAGERS
