33 year old super sub, Juventus forward, Christiana Girelli on Monday morning at the Eden Park posted a painful “kept in view, KIV” on Italy’s hope of lifting the world women football trophy moving forward through group G with a classical header from a floating pass of L. Baottin in the 87th minute beating ageless Argentina goalkeeper and Captain, Vanina Correa like a spent boxer.
The Old Lady (as Juventus of Italy team is called) player was brought in by her coach in the 83rd minute and her touch crashed the hard working Argentine players who wept like babies losing an opportunity to earn even a point in the game. Girelli was Player of the match.
Italy paraded the two youngest players of the tournament, Dragoni who is 16years 259 days old and Beccari who is 18 years and 300 days old. I report the duo sapped the energy of the Argentines making them to run like an Erebus round the pitch throughout the encounter. Nay, a 16 year old teenager started the work for Italy and a 33 year old finished it to satisfaction. What a match?
Italy had 12 shots at goal with 4 on target compared to Argentina with 5 shots at goal and just one on target; Italy dominated ball possession with 53-47% while Italy again stringed more passes with 383-346 on record.
Italian teams always play physical football like Africans so the team committed 20 fouls to 16 of Argentina as the yellow cards were more 4-2 to Argentina while Italy piled more pressure with a 5-2 corner kicks in the match before 30,889 fans at the stands.
Sweden had beaten South Africa 2-1 in the group G opener yesterday.
Italy and Argentina women met twice. On 14th August 2013 Italy lost to Argentina 1-2 and on 23rd March 2018 Argentina again won 2-1 both in Friendly matches.
Argentina called La Albiceleste is ranked 28 and coached by German Portnova is making her 4th appearance at the female world cup tournaments but sent out at the group stages in 2003; 2017 and 2019.
Italy called La Azzurre (The Blues) is ranked 16th in the world and coached by Milena Bertolini is making her 4th appearance at the female world cup but have her best record of reaching the quarterfinal twice. In the maiden competition of 1991 at China where only 12 teams were on parade and at France 2019 she was beaten 0-2 by Netherlands on 29th June before a crowd of 22,600 fans.
Italy’s Goalkeeper and Captain, 39 year old Vanina Correa has been in the squad for all four of the tournaments including this match against Argentina.
Still expected today are at 0930 hours at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium it will be Germany versus Morocco while at noon (1200 hours) the Samba Babes of Brazil will show case Tikitaka football against Panama at Hindmarsh Stadium, Australia in a group F match.
On 28th July Argentina will face South Africa at Firsth Barr Stadium, Dunedin while on 29th July at Wellington Regional Stadium, Sweden will play Italy in the second round matches. On 2nd August Argentina will square up against Sweden in Match 45 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton while South Africa will test survival tricks against Italy in Match 46 at Wellington Regional Stadium to round up group G matches.
Tomorrow Tuesday, Group A matches will be back on the field but before the matches, Columbia will lock horns against South Korea in an outstanding Group H encounter at 0300 hours Nigerian time at the Allianz Stadium, Moore Park Australia.
At 0630 hours, Co-hosts New Zealand will be on parade against Philippines at the Wellington Regional Stadium while the other Group A second round match between Switzerland and Norway is scheduled for the FMG Stadium, Waikato at 0900 hours.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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