Match Thread: World Cup Group B - Matchday 1 - Nigeria v Canada - July 20, 2023 - 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT / 12:30pm local time (July 21)

[Colonel Green]

Yeeouch.

[gwsmith63]

That was a freaking leg breaker right there. Must be a red.

[dyslexic nam]

Right call.  
 

too bad it is so late.  

[El Hombre]

Yikes.  That looked full-on Joe Theisman there.

[Free kick]

I am surprised her leg isnt broken

[El Hombre]

They should rescind Lawrence's yellow for having to take that.  A red is not enough.

[dyslexic nam]

Meh.   Going to have to play better and be more threatening in front of goal if we have any hope of going deep.  

[Unnamed Trialist]

Folks, Viens left a similar challenge on a Nigerian defender, stepped on her when down, directly, when the ball was long gone. Not even a foul called.

As I say I dislike this ref, imagine, her reffing weekly in Finland, the kind of murderous fouling that goes on in that league.

[gator]

A little disappointing, we looked poor at times and the result could have been worse, we seemed to be more threatening with the final 11 we had out there with no real end product!

[Jack1997]

Sinclair is the greatest to ever do it but there’s no reason she should still be even playing at this level- Hutch vs Croatia vibes from her today

[TGAA_Star]

So disappointing...to draw with Nigeria 0-0 but at the same time their women were parking the bus in fairness which makes sense but Canada we had our chances to win this game but wasn't to be

[Big_M]

wouldnt be surprised if we dont make it out of the group stage

[Ansem]

I'm still waiting to see the 2nd highest paid NT in the world playing like it. No wonder Nigeria are celebrating the draw, we should have won that game

[Nick P]

That was a great game between Nigeria and Canada

[Gian-Luca]

Our midfield is really thin, we missed Fleming big time, especially given how good her decision-making is in comparison to so many wrong choices made out there today

[Unnamed Trialist]

If anyone thinks that was a bad performance: it really was not. 

I was at the Canada-Cameroon in 2019 in Montpellier, we won 1-0, but we looked much less offensive, we had no attack at all and just squeeked it out. And that rival was far worse than Nigeria, we were far superior and just barely won.

We had no attacking talent in 2019, and we struggled like hell in the Olympics, getting the right penalty calls and being tough defensively. This team has far more attacking options, we have players who can score and are used to scoring. Seeing Huitema, Viens and Lacasse on late, that was good. 

Overall, the team is going through positive changes as new players come in, we will continue to be competitive as the veterans move out. I feel positive, despite the draw.

 

[Free kick]

So that Red card ends up hurting us in a way.  

1) it was too late in the game to really have a meaningful impact and tilt the balance in our favour

2) That defender wont be available for the next match when Nigeria plays Aus.  And we would be helped greatly if Nigeria beat Australia or get a drawn against them

3) would have been better with a no call

This game/sport can be unfair in a lot of ways.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Free kick

[BearcatSA]

Not much craft out there in creating good chances.  All I saw in that final 20+ was crosses in the box, particularly those inswinging crosses on our left side.  Pretty predictable.

[Free kick]

2 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

Not much craft out there in creating good chances.  All I saw in that final 20+ was crosses in the box, particularly those inswinging crosses on our left side.  Pretty predictable.

Thats exactly what I saw.  a lot of hit and hopes and no height in teh box

[El Hombre]

I would've preferred a win.

[Free kick]

I don't quite understand how Canada ended up in a group with Australia (the hosts).   Shouldn't we have been a seeded team in pot 1?   Canada is ranked seventh in the world and we end up in a group with the tenth ranked team in the world who happens to be the host.

Sounds like a Concacafing effort by FIFA.

Edit.: Nevermind,  i think i figured it out.  Australia is co hosting with New Zealand, so that bumps us technically to the nineth ranked and in pot two. But still.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Free kick

[rkomar]

I thought the players (both teams) had a poor first touch most of the time.  Maybe the pitch was really slippery, because the ball was always getting away from the players.  They would try to push the ball ahead and it would end up three metres away.  Very frustrating to watch, and also making it really hard to put a string of passes together.  If the field was a problem, I'm not looking forward to them coming back for the third game.

[Onelessstar]

3 minutes ago, rkomar said:

I thought the players (both teams) had a poor first touch most of the time.  Maybe the pitch was really slippery, because the ball was always getting away from the players.  They would try to push the ball ahead and it would end up three metres away.  Very frustrating to watch, and also making it really hard to put a string of passes together.  If the field was a problem, I'm not looking forward to them coming back for the third game.

I'm wondering if it's the new model of ball for the World Cup? Too many overhit passes and clumsy settles through the early part of the match. Players seemed to adapt as the match progressed.

I would have liked someone to welly the ball towards the net to see what could transpire. Too many players ducking out of shots around the area.

[nolando]

Thought Quinn was our best player.

[Onelessstar]

7 minutes ago, nolando said:

Thought Quinn was our best player.

Got better through the match, for sure, after what I saw as a very shaky first half. Buchanan grew into the match, too... was massive in the second half.