Wednesday July 13, 2011 Semifinal Finished Borussia-Park

France (W) 1 - 3 USA (W)

  • Bompastor 55’
  • Cheney 9’
  • Wambach 79’
  • Morgan 82’

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  1. Women's World Cup - USA see off France

    Women's World Cup - USA see off France

    USA reached their third World Cup final after withstanding sustained pressure to beat France 3-1 in Moenchengladbach. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • France
    • USA
    • 90+3' FULL TIME. That's it! USA are in the final after soaking up sustained pressure from France and killing off the game in the final stages.
    • 90+2' A late corner for France but Georges cannot get on the end of it. USA are on the way to the final.
    • 90' We will have two additional minutes.
    • 90' Thomis in the book for a poor foul on LePeilbet.
    • 88' Morgan denied by a fine save from Sapowicz as she gets in behind the defence once again.
    • 86' O'Reailly replaced by Tobin Heath.
    • 84' Well, well, well. France looked so good for 75 minutes but have fallen apart now. USA are so close to another World Cup final.
    • 82' GOAL! A superb finish from Morgan. She races onto a pass from Rapinoe and from a tight angle dinks a shot over Sapowicz. Delightful.
    • 80' France won't go quietly and Le Sommer heads off target at the back post from a cross from Lepailleur.
    • 79' GOAL! Wambach does it once again! The striker rises to meet a corner at the back post and heads home from close range after an excellent run. That's her 12th goal in World Cups.
    • 79' Both of these teams hard arduous quarter-finals that went the distance, so France are no doubt thinking that if they do reach the final they don't want to have had extra-time in back-to-back matches.
    • 78' Soubeyrand is replaced by Elodie Thomis, a striker, as France signal they want to win this game inside 90 minutes.
    • 76' Thiney attempts to head the ball out of Solo's one hand as the keeper prepares to belt it downfield. Very cheeky. A nice attempt but the ref gives a free-kick.
    • 75' Rapinoe shoots off target when she has team-mates better placed, and that is poor from the USA midfielder.
    • 74' Morgan appears to be hauled down when attempting to chase onto a pass but nothing is given. She collided with Meilleroux.
    • 73' France guilty of a sloppy pass, which has been a rarity today, as Meilleroux fails to find a team-mate.
    • 71' USA have now had six shots to France's 23. That's a pretty big gulf in a semi-final.
    • 69' Rapinoe drills in a fierce free-kick and Sapowicz spills, allowing Morgan to race in and try and convert from close range. However, the keeper recovers to save and an offside is given in any case.
    • 67' Le Sommer passes up a golden opportunity to put France in the lead after Solo, for some reason, passes the ball straight to France in her own box. Sloppy goalkeeping.
    • 66' Solo punches clear from the corner and Bussaglia, in acres of space, fires a half-volley well over the bar.
    • 65' Carli Lloyd comes off to be replaced by Megan Rapinoe.
    • 64' Bussaglia takes aim from 20 yards and sees her drilled effort deflected wide by Rampone. Corner to France, and now they win another. The pressure is relentless.
    • 63' Krieger appears okay to continue for the time being, but USA can't exactly afford to carry a passenger.
    • 62' Krieger produces a good challenge to half Le Sommer but she hurts herself in the process.
    • 61' Again France win the ball back in the final third. That's pressing for you. USA are being overcome by this blue swarm at present.
    • 60' Well USA really need to make a change. They are sluggish all over the pitch but particularly in midfield, where France are overrunning them.
    • 59' Le Sommer controls neatly after a Necib free-kick bounces into her path but she cannot get a shot away. USA are really struggling her. Perhaps the fact France had an extra rest day is having a big impact.
    • 57' Le Sommer rifles one over the bar as France press yet again.
    • 56' Rodriguez replaced by Alex Morgan.
    • 55' GOAL! France secure a deserved equaliser in lucky circumstances. Bompastor sends in a dangerous cross from the left and Thiney leaps to meet it. However, the midfielder doesn't connect and the ball bounces across Solo and inside the far post. Poor goalkeeping.
    • 54' France swing the ball in to Abily but her header is easily saved by Solo. At the other end, Lloyd belts one over from 25 yards when she should have passed it wide.
    • 53' Soubeyrand fires a shot off target from long range but Solo unnecessarily helps the ball on its way. Thankfully for the USA keeper, France cannot capitalise from the corner.
    • 51' USA just haven't started in this second half at all. That will be a big concern for Sundhage.
    • 50' France just keep on winning the ball back high up the pitch, much like Barcelona do, and USA look in real danger of being submerged. Again, though, a cross from Lepailleur fails to find its intended target.
    • 48' So it appears the defining question of this match will be: can France actually put some of these decent chances away? They have dominated in midfield but have been so slack when it really matters.
    • 46' Yet again France curse the same old failings. Necib plays a perfect through-ball in to Thiney but the midfielder wastes the chance when taking a poor touch and allowing the defender to recover.
    • 46' KICK OFF!
    • 46' Delie, isolated in the first half, is replaced by Eugenie Le Sommer.
    • 45+2' HALF TIME. France have had 13 shots to USA's five, but their wastefulness means they are losing 1-0. Cheney scored thearly goal with a neat finish.
    • 45+1' USA still struggling to create any meaningful chances.
    • 45' We will have two added minutes here in Monchengladbach.
    • 44' Soubeyrand dinks a dangerous free-kick into the box but no French player can connect and Solo clasps the ball gratefully.
    • 43' France win a corner and Soubeyrand makes a horrible mess of it when curling the ball straight out of play. That wasn't pretty.
    • 42' Necib holds onto the ball under intense pressure. She really is an excellent, fearless player. However her team-mates lack similar quality.
    • 40' This is a good spell from USA. Wambach ghosts into the near post to meet a cross from Shannon Boxx and fires wide. Sapowicz and Bompastor both clattered into Wambach and need a bit of treatment.
    • 39' Huge chance for USA! Wambach heads back across goal from a deep cross from Rampone but Amy Rodriguez doesn't anticipate the pass and France have a big let-off. Actually, it may well have been a header at goal from a very tight angle.
    • 38' Abily is the latest to belt one over from 25 yards. That won't trouble Solo in the USA goal. France need a bit more imagination in the final third.
    • 36' Now it's Thiney's time to fire one over from long range. France are enjoying by far the greater share of the chances, but quite a few have been hit and hopes.
    • 34' USA are really under the cosh here. They are soaking up considerable pressure from France and in all honesty are clinging onto their one-goal lead.
    • 33' Necib takes it short and Bompastor lets fly with a first-time effort from outside the box and it soars over Solo before striking the woodwork. Wow. That was close.
    • 32' Krieger fells Bompastor with a clumsy challenge and France have a free-kick in a dangerous area. Necib to take it.
    • 31' This is very encouraging from France. They have responded very well to conceding that early goal and are applying plenty of pressure at present.
    • 30' Big chance for France. Necib plays in Thiney with a sliding pass to the left of the box and Solo hares off her line to get a hand to the shot and turn it round the post. From the corner, Necib has a shot from range saved.
    • 29' Excellent play from Wambach down the left wing but Bompastor does well to head clear from her cross.
    • 28' Abily gets a volley away in the box but it doesn't have enough on it to trouble Solo really. Still, France are lolooking the more dangerous side at present.
    • 27' Bussaglia, who scored that superb goal against England in the quarter-finals, takes aim from 25 yards and her dipping effort is smothered by Solo. You are unlikely to beat her from that range in all honesty.
    • 26' Again Sapowicz looks far from convincing as she attempts to punch clear from a corner. USA need to target her with high balls into the box.
    • 25' Thiney attempts to get a shot away for France but Sauerbrunn blocks her effort from the edge of the box. Excellent defending from USA there.
    • 24' A good challenge from Ophelie Meilleroux prevents O'Reilly from getting a cross away and USA win a corner. Carli Lloyd gets ahead of Sandrine Soubeyrand to head narrowly wide from the set-piece.
    • 23' Christie Rampone concedes a needless foul by the touchline and France prepare to take the free-kick. We have a delay though as Ali Krieger goes down clutching her head. It was a bit of a scramble in there. The delivery, when it comes, is disappointing.
    • 21' The goal aside, USA haven't looked hugely impressive and they are struggling to create clear-cut chances at present. They may do well to target Sapowicz, who has looked unconvincing so far in the French goal.
    • 20' France are still failing to impress just when it matters in the final third but at least they are enjoying plenty of possession, that certainly bodes well.
    • 18' Wambach races onto a long ball forward and tries to nick the ball square, but Laura Georges cleans up at the back for France.
    • 17' Necib skips over a challenge but has to turn to look for options and after spreading the ball square to Bussaglia, France again lose the momentum of the move.
    • 15' Sapowicz recklessly runs off her line to come for a free-kick and is lucky to go unpunished when Wambach beats her to the ball and heads on. She failed to find a USA shirt though.
    • 14' Necib slips a pass into Gaetane Thiney but she suffers from a lack of control when trying to change direction on the left side of the box and the ball runs away from her.
    • 12' So what a start for USA. They are favourites to win today of course and France are relative novices compared to Pia Sundhage's squad.
    • 10' Christie Rampone flings in a long free-kick but Berangere Sapowicz comes off her line to catch the ball.
    • 9' GOAL! USA take the lead and it is Lauren Cheney who gets a deft touch to a cross from Heather O'Reilly to turn it into the far corner.
    • 8' Sauerbrunn concedes a corner when preventing Delie from getting a volley away. The ball finds its way to Necib and her fierce effort from 20 yards is tipped over the bar by Hope Solo.
    • 6' Corner to USA and Amy Rodriguez puts it deep to the back post, where Abby Wambach stretches and gets under the ball to head over the bar. That was hardly even a half chance.
    • 5' France again look to build through Necib but though they are looking impressive so far, in the final third they have been a touch sloppy.
    • 4' A cagey start from both sides, but of course they were both put through the ringer in epic quarter-finals so you can excuse them trying to avoid early burn-out today.
    • 2' Louisa Necib is on the ball in the opening exchanges and pokes a pass wide to Laure Lepailleur, but the ball runs out for throw-in.
    • 1' KICK OFF!
    • 16.57 The teams line up for the national anthems in Monchengladbach. There seem to be plenty of USA fans in attendance.
    • 16.55 France are in the semi-finals for the first ever time and so are not expected to progress. But they have a talented performer in playmaker Louisa Necib, who sits in the middle of a line of three behind striker Marie-Laure Delie.
    • 16.50 The only change in the USA line-up is the inclusion of defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who replaces the suspended Rachel Buehler to make her World Cup debut. USA are twice winners of the competition having triumphed in China in 1991 and one home turf in 1999.
    • 16.45 TEAMS: USA: Hope Solo, Becky Sauerbrunn, Christie Rampone, Amy LePeilbet, Ali Krieger, Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd, Lauren Cheney, Heather O'Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach. Subs: Tobin Heath, Stephanie Cox, Jill Loyden, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Nicole Barnhart, Heather Mitts, Lori Lindsey, Kelly O'Hara.
    • 16.40 TEAMS: France: Berangere Sapowicz, Ophelie Meilleroux, Laura Georges, Sonia Bompastor, Laure Lepailleur, Sandrine Soubeyrand, Elise Bussaglia, Gaetane Thiney, Camille Abily, Marie-Laure Delie, Louisa Necib. Subs: Sabrina Viguier, Corine Franco, Celine Deville, Wendie Renard, Laetitia Philippe, Eugenie Le Sommer, Caroline Pizzala, Sandrine Bretigny, Laure Boulleau, Elodie Thomis.
    • 16.35 USA disposed of Brazil in a dramatic quarter-final and the elimination of hosts Germany means this tournament is eminently winnable. The winner will face whoever comes through the second semi-final of the evening, with Japan taking on Sweden.
    • 16.30 Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Women's World Cup semi-final between France and USA in Monchengladbach. USA are the favourites to progress but France looked very handy when beating England in the quarter-finals, albeit on penalties.

  • Summary

    • 88' Morgan denied by a fine save from Sapowicz as she gets in behind the defence once again.
    • 82' GOAL! A superb finish from Morgan. She races onto a pass from Rapinoe and from a tight angle dinks a shot over Sapowicz. Delightful.
    • 79' GOAL! Wambach does it once again! The striker rises to meet a corner at the back post and heads home from close range after an excellent run. That's her 12th goal in World Cups.
    • 69' Rapinoe drills in a fierce free-kick and Sapowicz spills, allowing Morgan to race in and try and convert from close range. However, the keeper recovers to save and an offside is given in any case.
    • 67' Le Sommer passes up a golden opportunity to put France in the lead after Solo, for some reason, passes the ball straight to France in her own box. Sloppy goalkeeping.
    • 55' GOAL! France secure a deserved equaliser in lucky circumstances. Bompastor sends in a dangerous cross from the left and Thiney leaps to meet it. However, the midfielder doesn't connect and the ball bounces across Solo and inside the far post. Poor goalkeeping.
    • 46' Yet again France curse the same old failings. Necib plays a perfect through-ball in to Thiney but the midfielder wastes the chance when taking a poor touch and allowing the defender to recover.
    • 39' Huge chance for USA! Wambach heads back across goal from a deep cross from Rampone but Amy Rodriguez doesn't anticipate the pass and France have a big let-off. Actually, it may well have been a header at goal from a very tight angle.
    • 33' Necib takes it short and Bompastor lets fly with a first-time effort from outside the box and it soars over Solo before striking the woodwork. Wow. That was close.
    • 30' Big chance for France. Necib plays in Thiney with a sliding pass to the left of the box and Solo hares off her line to get a hand to the shot and turn it round the post. From the corner, Necib has a shot from range saved.
    • 9' GOAL! USA take the lead and it is Lauren Cheney who gets a deft touch to a cross from Heather O'Reilly to turn it into the far corner.
    • 8' Sauerbrunn concedes a corner when preventing Delie from getting a volley away. The ball finds its way to Necib and her fierce effort from 20 yards is tipped over the bar by Hope Solo.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • France

    Manager: Bruno Bini

  • USA

    Manager: Pia Sundhage

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

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