FEM 2022--Day Twelve Recap

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Day 12: Recap

 

 

Bookie’s Stats—

Spread: 11-11

Straight up: 16-3-3

An action packed day indeed. Well done on the two women's football heavyweights to wake up just in time to add still more intrigue to this competition! Nine goals today from the "Giants of Group C"! Thinks that Germany, England, and France are the only real favorites to take this crown?

A Dutch side likely fed up with hearing that there have little chance of defending their European Championship just laid down a big statement about that. In particular, the next generation of Leuwinnen starters let everyone know that they're not interested in waiting. For the Netherlands, the future might begin now.

The future is now for a Swedish side that undeniably discovered their swagger. The Swedes steamroll into the quarters atop one of the most complete performances of the tournament. We're all headed for footballing heaven, friends. One of the best set of knockout rounds ever approaches.

 S.S.S. Tactical Breakdown  

Pretty much a tactical master class from Swedish trainer Peter Gerhardsson today. Entering the quarterfinals, the question of whether he can keep it up looms large. Holland gaffer Mike Parsons, on the other hand, finds some har questions suddenly staring him in the face. We've much to get to tonight.

Beginning with the Dutch.

 Lineup—Netherlands—Match Three (4-3-3) (7/17/22) 

Still more personnel and positional changes to discuss as Parsons got back two of his preferred actors from round one. Jackie Groenen returned from COVID quarantine. With no small amount of controversy, this meant that player-of-the-match from round two Damaris Egurrola had to make way. Groenen returned to the second axis. Sherida Spitse switched back over to the left.

Aniel Nowen also made a faster recovery from her injury in round one than anticipated. Even if the 23-year-old wasn't necessarily at 100 percent, Parsons felt he'd better shore up the left flank following Maris Olislagers problematic outing against the Portuguese. Noun thus started with Dominique Janssen swing back out to left-back.

Note that we're still dealing with a top axis that--in the absence of Vivianne Miedema--must continue to operate bunched together. Your friendly bookie is going to (yet again) stress this point as a means of emphasizing that this is one of the primary reasons why Lieke Martens had another quiet game.

No, after some reflection, I'm not prepared to give up on her just yet. She is reportedly carrying a light injury, meaning it might be a moot point. Parsons can leave her out of the next XI on that basis. Bookie himself doesn't want to judge the top axis too much when they must function without their most important cog. That's that for now.

When one considers how the Oranje couldn't establish superiority for much of this match, changes are most assuredly called for. Those who simply read the scoreline can already tell that the floodgates didn't open until the absolute phase. The players who broke through the dam nevertheless deserve some consideration for the next squad.

What shall we do with brace-scorer Romee Leuchter? What about Victoria Pelota and Esmee Brugts after splendid relief performance? Dan Damaris really be ignored after the buttressing attackers again had difficulty looking compelling for long stretches of this one?

These are questions the bookie must pose to himself as he sits tdown to project the next lineup when composing the next Lines sections. Thankfully, I'm not alone in having to face this quandary. All footballing nerds will have a ball figuring this puzzle out. 

Let's jump to the grades to help everyone get a baseline.

 Grades—Netherlands (Match Three) 

Sherida Spitse	A+
Daphne van Domeselaar	A+
Lynn Wilms	A+
Victoria Pelova	A+
Romee Leuchter	A+
Daniëlle van de Donk	A
Dominique Janssen	A
Jackie Groenen	A-
Lineth Beerenstyn	B+
Esmee Brugts	B+
Stepanie van der Gragt	B
Kerstin Casparij	B-
Jill Roord	C+
Lieke Martens	C
Aniek Nouwen	D

One big problem is that we've still got five outfield starters still at "A-Level". I personally happen to think that Groenen, while off in her timing on a few occasions, played herself back into top form as the match progresses. Martens and Roord may be in an undeniably pronounced form dip, but could still be too valuable to to sacrifice.

More thought on this shall be expended in the coming days. At this point, we actually don't have room for the budding stars anywhere really. Parsons would do well to have them all prepped for halftime substitutions against the French in the quarters. That's about it from the bookie's overloaded brain for now.

Some fine scenes today. Some of the best moments of then tournament. One can't wait for this side to emerge from its transitional phase, potentially as early as next Summer. If Parsons tries to force the issue now, it probably won't work....or so it seems to me initially.

Over to the match that the bookie had to watch on tape.

Hell's Bells, wasn't this something?

My initially selected tournament favorites are back in a big way.

For this tactics-head, the journey of Swedish trainer Peter Gerhardsson's evolving constellations has been by far my foveate of this tournament. After debuting with an unequivocal piece-of junk 3-4-3 in the opening round, he switched over to a much more effective, yet still somewhat clunky at times, 4-2-3-1 against the Swiss.

To my eyes, it looks like we're still in it. 

 Lineup—Sweden—Match Three (4-2-3-1) (7/17/22) 

Precisely the right attacking adjustment from Gerhardsson after the last match. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd came on in place of the ineffective Lina Hurit and (it looked to me) Rolfö switched flanks. Caroline Seger--looking leggy as hell in the previous fixture--apparently picked up a knock and could not start. Not sure I'm buying that.

Jonna Andersson took Seger's place in the XI. Very intelligently, Gerhardsson moved Nathalie Bjørn up to pair with Filipp Angedahl in the double-six set-up. Magdalena Ericsson (mercifully) moved over into central defensive while Andersson slid in at left back. Not sure why--after her splendid performance in round one as a left-wingback--we didn't do that sooner.

Anyways, this took about 20 minutes or so to get into gear. Much of it had to do with the fact that our beloved Portuguese actually came out playing good football for a change. The keeper error and injury didn't help Francisco Neto's side out much, but the tide was already clearly turning against them.

Excellent set-piece designs and a general drilled quality of approach play helped Gerhardsson's girls get this one decided before the half. They deserve quite a bit of credit for keeping their foot on the gas pedal with a 3-0 lead after the half. Out there turning cheeky tricks and visibly enjoying their football.

Loved it.

Not too many weaknesses to identify. It might be the case that Gerhardsson showed too many of his better dead-ball designs to the next opponent. I'm also not sure that it was a wise idea, despite the fact that she scored that late goal, to leave Blackstenius on the pitch for the full 90; not in that heat.

We've got the multiple offside problems and Nathalie Bjørn's injury as light issues headed into the next round. Blackstenius did have some difficulty not starting too soon. Oh well. She still gets top marks, along with several others.

 Grades—Sweden (Match Three) 

Kosovare Asslani	A+
Stina Blackstenius	A+
Jonna Andersson	A+
Nathalie Bjørn	A+
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd	A
Olivia Schough	A
Filippa Angedahl	A
Hedvig Lindahl	A
Magdalena Eriksson	B+
Amanda Ilestadt	B
Fridolina Rolfö	B-
Hanna Bennison	B-
Hanna Glas	B-

No one on C-Level in this one. Definitely looks like the semis for this incarnation of the Blaugults. Your friendly German bookie, after taking this performance in, is personally quite glad to avoid them on the other side of the bracket.

Don't want to face her for the second consecutive tournament in the knockouts. Big time bullet dodged there. Next to Popp, Kosovar Asllani is the most valuable squad captain left in the competition.

 S.S.S. Salute to Fallen Comrades 

 Switzerland--"La Nati"

-3 Games played

-4 Goals scored

 Previous Switzerland Coverage

--Group C Preview

--Day Four Recap

--Day Eight Recap

Well. Your friendly bookie must certainly give his southern neighbors credit for performing far better today than anticipated. They went down swinging. That's for sure. A performance full of heart and grit. Regrettably, not one with enough skill. They have no one but themselves to blame for this elimination.

Watching this one live, the bookie had the profound misfortune of watching Ramona Bachmann and Coumba Sow screw up perfect scoring opportunities with heavy touches so amateurish that it actually hurt my women's football loving soul. Damn. One can't operate like that at the highest level.

Nils Nielsen did earn bookie plaudits for ditching finally ditching his total crap 4-4-1-1 and lining the exact same personnel from round two up in a much more sensible 4-1-4-1. It was such that the "Swiss Misses" turned in a fairly decent offensive performance for the first time in this competition. 

Sigh. If only Nielsen had implemented the superior system earlier.

 Grades—Switzerland (Match Three) 

Gaelle Thalmann	A
Geraldine Reuteler	A-
Eseosa Aigbogun	B+
Viola Calligaris	B
Coumba Sow	B
Ramona Bachmann	B
Riola Xhemali	B
Sandy Maendly	B-
Rahem Kiwic	C
Noelle Martiz	C
Lia Wälti	C-
Luana Bühler	D
Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic	F

Two of the five substitutes (Xhemali and Kiwis) were mildly influential. Absolutely loved that crack from the former, an SC Freiburg girl that the bookie has always had his eye on. Wish I could mark the members of the defensive corps up higher, but that meltdown at the end showed that they all lost drive and focus.

As for the likes of Bachmann and Two, "B Level" is the best the bookie can do. Great interplay on the lone goal. Horrible screw ups on chances that could have sent them to the quarterfinals. A mite frustrating to see them do better than anticipated in so many areas, yet still look so unpolished when it counted.

 Portugal--"A Seleção das Quintas"

-3 Games played

-4 Goals scored

 Previous Portugal Coverage

--Group C Preview

--Day Four Recap

--Day Eight Recap

So glad Francisco Neto's girls could join us in this tourney. One just had a special feeling about them from the beginning and the absolutely did not disappoint. We ended up talking about them far more often than any of the other eliminated teams in this competition, largely thanks to the work of Jessica and Dolores Silva.

Pretty rough exit for them today with this rough outing. No matter. Neto & Company were mostly all smiles afterwards, save completely devastated keeper Patrica Morais. Yeouch. Horrible day for her in her first start of the tournament. Poor thing.

Cheer up. We we so happy to have you! We nearly got Russia in this tournament. Endless gratitude to those who joined us in place of the filthy dirty (not to mention anachronistically embarrassing) regime. 

“Riffs of the Day”—Day Twelve

Reader: (watching Switzerland-Holland) This VAR shit is about to drive me fucking nuts, Vicey. I don't want to hear from Cristina Unkel anymore! 

 

Vicey: 15-, 42-M, and 130-M with an amalgam! Yeah. They're all right. Have we taken this nonsense too far or what? It took so long to finish the Swiss-Dutch match that we all thought we were watching NBA garbage. As for the "Unkel Fatigue", it's absolutely not her fault. She's been thrust in overuse by this overly complicated system. 

Deep breaths now. Before we all fall in that footballing fandom trap of getting wistfully nostalgic for the days of subjective debates and bad calls, let's remember than an incorrectly called penalty (the stop of Lineth Beerenstyn in the first half) was thankfully pulled back by the Video Assist team.

Phew. Crazy match. Grateful for VAR and indelibly pissed at it all within the span of less than two hours. Football always sent you on the emotional rollercoaster, but the "lawyerly talk" ride a'int worth the price of admission.

Reader: (watching Sweden-Portugal) One more disallowed offside goal and I quit!

Vicey: I know, 53-M. At least we have automatic offside technology to look forward to in the coming World Cup. That should only lead to a dozen or so glitchy delays in the match while the ref and VAR team decide if the fucking "SAOT Bot" correctly judged whether a toenail was off. 

Joy, joy!

Reader: Will you accept a "Beerenstyn Bear" riff, Vicey?

Vicey: I absolutely will, 56-M. That's a certified.....ZING!

Reader: How about "Ramona Bachmann Turner Overdrive"?

Vicey: Er....no. Too prosaic. That's lame. I'm actually going to have to reach into the book and give you a yellow for that one, 56-M. Consider yourself cautioned.

Reader: What about "Victoria Pelova proves that sweaters can work in extreme heat."

Vicey: ...and with that you've been redeemed! A true piece of brilliance!

In a record-breaking heat-wave, temperatures are too high too high for what Germans call "The Pelova".

Afafafafa.

Reader: If you keep backing Lieke Martens, I swear!

Vicey: Uh-oh. Looks like 5-M better not ready the tactical section this time. Look. It took her some time to get into the 2019 tournament too. Just you watch. You'll be praising my auguries before too long. Like a true soothsayer, I have read the entrails of a slaughtered pigeon and can divine the future.

Reader: They say we've beaten another attendance record.

Vicey: That we have, 19-M. The 22,596 strong crowd that braved the sweltering heat to come out and watch Netherlands-Switzerland smashes the previous record for largest women's European Championship Group Stage match not involving a host country smashes the record set by Netherlands-Sweden on Day Four.

The Dutch can always be counted on for two things: supporting their women's team and reversing German vowel pronunciations for the sole sake of pissing me off. Okay. That last one was a low blow. As much as your friendly bookie touts German support of their girls, our clown-shoe neighbors are slightly better at it. 

DAY THIRTEEN--PREVIEW

Iceland vs. France

 vs. 

Opinion remains divided on whether the Marie-Antoinette Katoto injury will significantly affect the functionality of the French team. Bookie stands by his original opinion on the matter and holds the Line. 

THE LINE: France +2 Goals (holding)

Italy vs. Belgium

 vs. 

Man, is it ever going to be tough to pick out a match between the two simultaneous kickoffs tomorrow. Bookie really wants to watch this one first, but will probably stick with France and recommends that you do too.

Line holds

THE LINE: Italy +2 Goals (holding)

GENTLEMEN, ENTER  YOUR WAGERS