Impetus editor Ben Gilby brings you up to date with the host of international women’s football over the past week.
Two further rounds of Euro 2021 Qualifiers have taken place.
Last Friday in Group A, Netherlands were given a shock at the Fazanerija City Stadium when Slovenia took the lead through Mateja Zver. Despite Vivianne Miedema and Lineth Beerensteyn putting them ahead, with 22 minutes left, the Slovenes hit back with Kaja Korosec hitting the leveller. Two goals from Sherida Spitse saved the Netherlands’ blushes as they went on to gain a 4-2 win. The bottom two sides in the table – Turkey and Estonia played out a 0-0 draw in Istanbul. Netherlands moved six points clear at the top of the group on 8th October when they defeated Russia 2-0 in Eindhoven. Danielle van der Donk and Vivianne Miedema were on target. Slovenia moved second after sweeping aside Turkey 6-1, with Lara Prasnikar hitting a hat-trick. In the night’s other game, Kosovo kept alive their play-off hopes with a 2-1 win in Estonia with Modesta Uka scoring both.
In Group B, on 4th October, Italy went second in the group with a comfortable 2-0 win at the Ta’Qali stadium in Malta, thanks to goals from Elisa Bartoli and a stoppage time penalty from Christiana Girelli. Two sides with a hundred per cent winning record came head to head in Viborg, and it was Denmark who went clear at the top of the table after they saw off Bosnia Herzegovina 2-0, with Stine Pedersen and Sanne Troelsgaard on the scoresheet. The top two increased their stranglehold over the other countries on 8th October. Italy saw off Bosnia Herzegovina 2-0 in Palermo thanks to goals from Christiana Girelli and Manuela Giugliano. Denmark were also 2-0 winners, this time in Tbilisi over Georgia. Mille Gejl and Nicoline Sorensen were the scorers.
Norway went top of Group C in the only match of 4th October, as the World Cup Quarter-Finalists left Belarus’ Haradski Stadium with a 7-1 win. But not before the home side caused a major stir by taking an eighteenth minute lead courtesy of Anastasia Shcherbachenia. The Norweigans hit back in some style with goals from Isabell Herlovsen, Maria Thorisdottir, Guro Reitten, Caroline Graham Hansen (2) and Lisa-Marie Utland. On 8th October, Norway extended their lead to two points at the top as they went on the rampage again, this time in the Faroe Islands. Hat-tricks from Caroline Graham Hansen and Isabell Herlovsen, two from Ingrid Engen plus further strikes from Lisa-Marie Utland, Amalie Eikeland, Karina Saevik, Frida Maanum and Elise Thorsnes completed a 13-0 win. Wales stay second after a 1-0 win in Belarus, thanks to a goal from Rachel Rowe.
Spain opened their account in Group D’s only encounter of 4th October with a 4-0 win over Azerbaijan in La Coruna. Patricia Guijarro, Virginia Torrecilla Reyes and Aitana Bonmati (2). They are second on goal difference behind Czech Republic. The top two met on 8th October, with the Spanish gaining a comprehensive 5-1 win. Jana Sedlackova, Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmati, Irene Parendes and Jenni Hermoso scored in Prague.
Group E staged one game on 4th October, and Portugal joined a three way tie at the top of the table with a 1-0 win in Albania. Jessica Silva was on the mark. The Portuguese are third behind leaders Scotland and Finland. The Finns took advantage of the Scots inactivity to go top by three points on 8th October after easing past Albania 8-1. Linda Sallstrom hit four of the goals, with Anna Westerlund, Heidi Kollanen, Sanni Franssi and Ria Oling got the rest.
World Cup bronze medallists Sweden continued their flawless start to the Group F programme with an impressive 5-0 win in Hungary. On the scoresheet were Magdalena Eriksson, Madelen Janogy (2), Eva Jakobsson and Loreta Kullashi. The Swedes stand three points clear of Iceland. At the bottom, Slovakia gained their maiden win of the campaign after coming from 1-0 down to win 2-1 in Latvia thanks to goals from Patricia Hmirova and Jana Vojtekova. Karlina Miksone scored Latvia’s goal. The top two tightened their grip on the group on 8th October when both gained big wins. The Swedes demolished Slovakia 7-0 in Goteborg. Kosovare Asllani, Lina Hurtig, Linda Sembrant, Gun Bjorn, Stina Blackstenius, Fridolina Rolfo were on target. Iceland hit Latvia for six of the best in Liepaja. Fanndis Frioriksdottir grabbed two with Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Elin Jensen, Alexandra Johannsdottir and Margret Vioarsdottir scoring the others.
Serbia continued their hundred percent start to life in Group G with a 6-0 win in North Macedonia on 5th October in the day’s only match. Braces from Dina Blagojevic and Marija Vukovic, plus strikes from Tijana Filipovic and Dejana Stevanovic completed the rout. Austria condemned the Serbs to their first loss on 8th October with an impressive 1-0 win in Nis thanks to Nicole Billa’s strike. France finally opened their campaign with a 3-0 win in Kazakhstan thanks to Valerie Gauvin, Eugenie Le Sommer and Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s goals.
Switzerland remained top of Group H with a 3-0 win away to a Lithuania side who are still to find a win in their qualifying campaign. Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic’s penalty got the ball rolling ahead of strikes from Rahel Kiwic and Vestina Neverdauskaite’s own goal sealed the deal on 4th October. Their fine start continued four days later with a 2-0 win over Croatia. Ana-Marie Crnogorcevic and Geraldine Reuteler were on target. Belgium remain hot on their heels thanks to a 1-0 win in Romania courtesy of Laura De Neve’s goal.
Germany racked up a third straight win to cement their place at the top of Group I with a comprehensive 8-0 destruction over a Ukraine side who are still to score their first goal in the campaign. Hat-tricks from Klara Buhl and Lina Magull, plus goals from Giulia Gwinn and Melanie Leupolz in Aachen completed the victory. They moved six points clear at the top on 8th October with a 5-0 win in Greece. Alexandra Popp, Lena Oberdorf, Sandra Starke, Pauline Bremer and Klara Buhl scored. Republic of Ireland are second following a narrow 3-2 win over Ukraine. Katie McCabe, Rianna Jarrett and an own goal from Lyubov Shmatko earned the win.
FRIENDLY ROUND-UP
As well as a full slate of European qualifiers, there have been a few friendlies taking place around the globe. Apart from England’s duo of friendlies over Brazil and Portugal, there were several other internationals over the past week. On 4th October, France gained a comfortable 4-0 win over Iceland, and the United States marked the end of Jill Ellis’ reign with a 2-0 success over South Korea and a 1-1 draw against the same opposition two days later. On 6th October, Chile eased past Uruguay 3-0 and Japan gained a mightily impressive 4-0 win over Canada. Last night, Chile repeated their success over Uruguay, this time winning 3-1 and Brazil left Poland with a 3-1 win.
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