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Vic

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A North Korean blog say's there was an additional unofficial China game on the 28th ending in a 2-2 tie over three thirties.

You can watch the entire Tuesday China/North Korea game using the following links in either Internet Explorer or Windows Media:

mms://vod.sports.cn/vsports/200912/20091227nz01.wmv

mms://vod.sports.cn/vsports/200912/20091227nz02.wmv

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Looks like an interesting tournament. Some good quality teams and a few others gaining ground quickly.

Interesting that Denmark is making the trek. They are also in the Algarve Cup in early March playing Germany, China and Finland. They really underachieved in the Euro's and were sent home in the group stage by the lower-ranked Dutch and Finns. They also tied 46th ranked Bulgaria in October in their World Cup qualification run meaning there is a good chance they will have to come away from their home and away with Scotland this Summer with more points than the Scots to have a chance to get to Germany in 2011. Looks like the Danish federation airlifted in some money to try and get them there and not give up their 10th place world ranking without a fight.

Playing the Japanese would be the real treat though. There's a team and country that takes speed and creativity to a new level in the women's game. The Americans may have gone to the final in the U17 World Cup in New Zealand last year, but in the group stage the Japanese literally took them apart like children and destroyed them. I don't believe I've ever seen an American women's team decimated that badly. They also did the same thing to the French scoring six in the first half. Their U20 and women's programs are also among the best on the planet and if they keep moving up supremely talented players like Iwabuchi they will upset the balance of power and transform the women's game. Playing the Japanese would be a real marker of tactical awareness and individual player talent.

Japan are also in another tournament in Asia in February, and for their South American tour selected 25 players from their November camp of 60 (as in over five full teams). Money again.

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Two World Cup warm-up international tournaments start today. In Chile it is Denmark, Japan, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. While in Southern Spain it is England, China, and Norway.

Of the six teams directly above us in the FIFA rankings, four are playing this week so these games could very likely affect our rank.

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Norway loses 1-0 to China today. 5 out of the 6 players that sat out in protest of Bjarne Bjertsen (sp?)'s poor coaching environment are back under the new regime led by new head coach Eli Landsem (Klaveness, Christensen, Knudsen x 2 and Myjaland (sp?)

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I'm not sure about the 6th, Nordby was the oldest... perhaps she has retired. The Norwegian federation reports it's in the middle of their off-season but they had a good first half but died to the fit Chinese conditioning in the second. It also said Landsem wanted to give all her players a good run and created two completely different rosters from her group of 24, meaning a completely different squad will face England next. No gender pun intended, pretty ballsy move.

She's had a good start so far. In her debut they handled the Dutch surprisingly easily (3-0) in the toughest match of their World Cup group. But she has a tough road ahead, she wants to be at the London Olympics in 2012 and that means not only qualifying out of Europe for the World Cup, but they will have to be one of the top two or three UEFA teams there to qualify for London.

This is a great quote from something I just read on her:

Q: Norway usually seem to exceed expectations in final tournaments...

Landsem: They do. We play simple but effective football. It's all about winning, isn't it?

How much do you love reading that last sentence?

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Strange that the two best teams (Japan and Denmark) played on day one.

Two small years ago Argentina got pasted 11-0 by the Germans in the World Cup, but they have gradually been putting in better performances. Denmark and Japan will be excellent tests to see how far they have traveled and how far they have left to go.

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

I'm not sure about the 6th, Nordby was the oldest... perhaps she has retired.

I included Lise Klaveness as well as the "Roa 5" (5 players from the top team Roa). She walked off the team after the 2007 World Cup in protest of Bertnsen's dire personal skills and coaching methods. She was widely considered one of the Norway's best players so having her back is huge for the team.

Nordby hasn't retired, although she is now 31. There has been an emergence from the Euro's in 2009 of some pretty solid young center backs, so I believe she hasn't won her place back.

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Also according to the Danish Federation website, Denmark's National Team coach was very satisfied with their effort, apart from their ineffectiveness towards goal. Japan apparently had one chance that they scored on (by Erin McNulty's former teammate at Florida State--Mami Yamaguchi), and Denmark dominated the second half, despite Denmark also being in a more "off-season" phase as compared with the Japanese...

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Your use of the word "dire" is profoundly fitting.

How extremely odd about the Japanese. The Nadeshiko have never dominated like their U17's and U20's did in 2008, but you would expect them to handle the Danes better than that. Perhaps it will take a while for their young players to flow-through. Not sure if they stuck to it but when they announced their tournament roster I checked out of curiosity and noticed a handful of their U20's.

Kind of topical too because the rest of Landem's quote above about winning was about her years coaching for the famed Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark, and how it is not so simple for the Danes - they have to play pretty football.

I believe both Klaveness and Christensen are lawyers. Sadly a handy trade in women's football.

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I've heard quite a bit about Chile's 18yr old goalkeeper Christiane Endler. Have you seen her play? Is she that good?

I've seen her lots and in my opinion she is not that good. Her basic GK techniques are poor at best, she is also too casual and can't kick far. She always ends up being a stand out because Chile's defense and style are so poor that she gets a lot of shots. She also ends up tying up two or three of her defenders who must cover up her screw-ups. I can go on and on. However the media and others like her a lot and can't find words to praise her enough. I am just telling what I see.

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Thanks N-A. The Chinese seem to be on the rebound. They've had such a sordid past... the history of their women's program would make a great book.

South American keepers are a slightly different breed than their North American and European counterparts, and a casual nature and less strict technique would be definites. More samba and less Germany isn't just for field players.

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That's the best thing I've read in weeks. Thank you so much for posting it.

While the men’s national team arrived by plane and stayed in five-star accommodations for its camp, the women’s team - a mixture of veteran and new players - traveled by train for as many as five days and was packed three to a room in a dormitory. The women had no training uniforms when they arrived and did their own laundry.... The women were not preoccupied with the differences at the men’s camp.... After so long in the wilderness, they were happy to be together, playing the sport they love and raising their game.

Between racism, match-fixing, thuggery, pampered prima donna's and greedy owners who leech everything they can, there never is enough beautiful game in this world like that to go round.

Some interesting stuff from the linked articles:

She recalled playing against a US team in the 1981 pre-FIFA women's world cup - she said she thought they were all, like, 15. I believe that was the tournament in which she said India started off with an amazing 2-2 result against Germany - the women partied all night to celebrate and basically got destroyed in the next match. "Our coach wasn't used to winning," she said.

Five-time AIFF Women Footballer of the Year BemBem Devi:

bembem_iran.jpg

- and no this is not a ninja movie -

Well initially my father wasn’t interested in sports. He often asked me to concentrate on my studies. Sometimes he even got angry at my football passion. But when I represented my country in the year 1995, my father started encouraging me to play more football. But from the beginning of my career, my mother was always in favour of my playing football. Today whatever I have achieved in the green fields of my state Manipur or India, the credit must go to my mother.

That attitude in India in 1995 is a lot more amazing than suburban Britain in 2002 in Bend it Like Beckham. No surprise at all she has such a special daughter.

Again, thanks for taking the time to share that.

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