MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 21: Lee Geummin #23 of Korea Republic and Marie Laure Delie #18 of France battle for position during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Round of 16 match at Olympic Stadium on June 21, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. France defeated Korea Republic 3-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

2015 Women’s World Cup Recap: Round of 16 – Day 2

Posted by on Jun 21, 2015 22:55

The second day of the round of 16 of the 2015 Women’s World Cup has now ended and the quarter-finals are starting to take shape as three games took place today and there was a major upset that is sure to shake the women’s footballing world and the host’s magical run continues.

So let us now recap the day that was in the Women’s World Cup round of 16: Day 2.

1) Biggest Winner — Australia

Without question, the biggest winner from this match day was Australia as they managed to defeat the heavily favored Brazilian squad by a score of 1-0. This is a grand victory for not only the Matildas but, also, for women’s soccer in general as the Aussie squad demonstrated that a small team can beat a team that has been at the forefront of the women’s game for quite some time.

Kylah Simon scored the game’s lone goal in the 80th minute after a horrible blunder by Luciana led to a rebound that Simon capitalized on for the 1-0 Australian lead. Brazil tried furiously to obtain the equalizer, but eventually fell, crashing out of the tournament on an embarrassing low note as they had not conceded a goal in their first three games, until today.

At the end of the game, the Matildas celebrated as they knew the magnitude of this win for their country and according to manager Alen Stajcic this achievement is just the tip of the iceberg. “I think we are one of the most dangerous teams at the World Cup if not the most dangerous team in going forward,” said Stajcic.

Australia will move on to face the winner of the Japan/Netherlands match-up that takes place on Tuesday.

2) Biggest Loser — Brazil

Brazil has crashed out of the tournament after a humiliating loss to underdog Australia and now the team has to wonder where to go from here. Formiga, Rosana, Cristiane, and Marta are at or nearing the end of their international careers and Brazil will have to look to their youth players to inject enthusiasm on the attacking front.

As Canarinhas have failed to make it past the first round of the knockout stages in consecutive years, a far cry from the 2007 Women’s World Cup when they finished as runner-up of the tournament. Fans, experts, and players alike believed that Brazil would go further in the competition so this comes as a great disappointment to everyone that wanted to see Brazil, or Marta, go further in the competition and win a Women’s World Cup title.

3) Standout Performer — Marie Laure Delie, France

Marie Laure Delie was the standout performer of the day as she netted two goals in France’s victory against South Korea. France really impressed with a fantastic display of passing, as they dizzied South Korea’s defense into giving up three goals in the game.

Delie did not waste any time as it took her just four minutes to score her first goal, and after some slick passing by the French, Delie calmly slotted her first goal to the far post, just out of reach of Korean keeper Kim Jungmi.

In the second half, Delie scored her second goal of the game when Eugenie Le Sommer set her up and Delie powered though three Korean defenders to beat them to the ball and scored an uncontested goal. Delie was magnificent throughout the whole game and, as she came off in the 84th minute, received a standing ovation from the crowd in Montreal.

4) Results of the Day —

Australia 1 (Simon 80′) – Brasil 0

France 3 (Delie 4′ & 48′, Thomis 8′) – South Korea 0

Canada 1 (Belanger 52′) – Switzerland 0

5) Tweet/Social Media of the Day: Tom Hanks becomes United States’ #1 cheerleader for U.S.’s game against Colombia

Tom Hanks couldn’t contain his excitement for the U.S.’s upcoming game against Colombia and he tweeted a series of tweets that displayed his enthusiasm for the game.

6) Goal of the Day — Marie Laure Delie, France

France was the epitome of sensational passing today and Delie’s first goal for France was evidence of the magnificent passing the French displayed today.

[h/t: Psg juju 95]

7) Best Moment of the Day — Canada’s 51,000+ attendance against Switzerland

Prior to Canada taking the field for their first group game, headlines all over Canada said that soccer has a place in Canadian’s hearts, but they had to earn it first. They certainly have earned it as more than 51,000 spectators filled BC Place in Vancouver to watch the Canadian ladies march on to victory against Switzerland.

In a nation where hockey is the dominant sport, it is great to see that they are embracing the beautiful game, and more importantly the women’s game, as much as they have so far. No doubt that they will continue to win over fans the deeper they advance in the tournament and, hopefully, will bring more of a fan base to not only women’s soccer but soccer in general in Canada.

 

About Josh Espinal

I am a multimedia journalism graduate from the University of Texas at El Paso. Soccer is more than a passion for me, it's basically life. Follow me on twitter at @joshbruv and see me tweet about soccer in almost every language imaginable.

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