2012 Olympics - non-Canada matches [R]

[DJT]

All matches can be watched live at ctvolympics.ca.

Matchday 1 - July 25

Group E
Great Britain 1-0 New Zealand
Cameroon 0-5 Brazil [Marta 2 goals]

Group F
Sweden 4-1 South Africa [Schelin 2 goals; South Africa's goal scored from edge of centre circle]

Group G
United States 4-2 France [Morgan 2 goals; France led 2-0 within 15 minutes]
Colombia 0-2 North Korea [Kim Song-Hui 2 goals]

[DJT]

Colombia 0-2 North Korea [Kim Song-Hui 2 goals]

The start of this match was delayed for about an hour when the South Korean flag was mistakenly used for North Korea on the big screen at Hampden Park and the North Korean players left the field in protest!

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/soccer/st...orea-flag.html

[Lord Bob]

South Africa is appalling. Herdman better be loading up and looking for goal differential in that one.

[DJT]

Matchday 2 - July 28

Group E
New Zealand 0-1 Brazil = Brazil advance to quarterfinals
Great Britain 3-0 Cameroon = Great Britain, Japan and Sweden advance to quarterfinals

Group F
Japan 0-0 Sweden

Group G
United States 3-0 Colombia = United States advance to quarterfinals
France 5-0 North Korea

[mtlfan]

North Korea are taking a beating 5-0 on 89 minutes, they have to play the US next.

This helps Canada as they, Korea are at minus 3 while Canada is at plus 2 GD.

Canada is best third place team after today's results.

[DJT]

Wow, the France vs. North Korea result suprised me. I was half-watching the first half and it seemed fairly even (though highlights showed that France had the best chances) until France scored in the last minute. Then I left the computer for most of the second half and just as I came back near the end of the game France scored their fifth.

Anyway, things are a bit clearer now. Third-place table:

Canada 3pts +2gd
North Korea 3pts -3gd
New Zealand 0pts -2gd

So we will definitely advance with a draw against Sweden, and should advance even with a small loss. In these cases we would most likely play Brazil (or Great Britain if they beat Brazil in their final group game) in the quarterfinals. We should avoid the United States in the quarterfinals because they should beat North Korea and New Zealand should beat Cameroon, giving New Zealand the other third-place spot, and the knockout draw is set so that the third-place team from New Zealand's group must play the first-place team from the USA's group.

If we beat Sweden then we would most likely play Great Britain (or Brazil if they are beat by Great Britain in their final group game).

[Lord Bob]

Japan 0-0 South Africa; quietly the upset of the tournament. Wow. Between that and Sweden, as well as their goals against Canada coming off either dazzling individualism (the backheel) or blatant gaffes, one wonders if Japan's just taking it easy before the games start to count or if they really are down on firepower.

[Vic]

When your best player and World Cup MVP is on the bench all game, and one of your players let's it slip in a post-game interview the team was playing to stay in Cardiff...

[Lord Bob]

When your best player and World Cup MVP is on the bench all game, and one of your players let's it slip in a post-game interview the team was playing to stay in Cardiff...

Yeah, I saw that after the fact. Less of an upset now.

[DJT]

The Japanese coach even admitted their play-to-draw strategy. Earlier today Kara Lang tweeted "Beijing'08 coach wanted us to play for draw with Sweden- thinkin match up v USA was preferable." She also tweeted her opinion: "Play to win. ALWAYS."

Meanwhile, four women's doubles badminton teams (including the first and third seeds) played to lose (for a 'better' draw in the knockout round) and were disqualified today. (Off topic: those disqualifications allowed Canada's team to advance, and in the first knockout round they defeated another one of the teams that had advanced due to the disqualifications, so they are now one win away from a medal!)