Group C

The Big Match

Australia vs. Canada (Sept. 19 in Chengdu) – It likely won’t be until the final day of group play to find out which team will be the second place finishers out of Group C. Canada is looking to at least equal its fourth-place showing from 2003, while a hungry Australia is trying to move onto the second round for the first time in four tries.

Schedule

Sept. 12: Ghana vs. Australia in Hangzhou
Sept. 12: Norway vs. Canada in Hangzhou
Sept. 15: Canada vs. Ghana in Hangzhou
Sept. 15: Australia vs. Norway in Hangzhou
Sept. 19: Norway vs. Ghana in Shanghai
Sept. 19: Australia vs. Canada in Chengdu

What The Experts Say

Helen Stoumbos, Analyst, CBC Sports:

This is very similar to the group we were in back in 1995. It was Norway, Canada, England and Nigeria. It’s almost exactly the same.

I think we can’t underestimate Australia. They’ve changed their program. They have a national training facility that they all live in and go to school in the whole year round (the Australian Institute of Sport). They completely revamped their program a few years ago when they had similar problems to what our Canadian organization has. They brought [Tom] Sermanni back, who was one of the top coaches in the W-League.

[Defender Cheryl] Salisbury is fantastic. When I played she was a striker and I remember watching her and going ‘holy crap, here is this huge woman who can do things with the ball that you were amazed at.’ She just has a beautiful touch on the ball and you just don’t expect that from such a tall player. And having her in the back, I think that’s smart because she’s your strongest player. Kind of like what Canada did with Charmaine [Hooper] back in 2003 when Even [Pellerud] put her as a fullback.
I think Norway, even though they haven’t been as dominant in recent years, just tied Germany and only lost 1-0 to the United States. Norway has so much experience behind them and they’re like the U.S., they have that confidence, this air around them. It’s like Brazil going into a men’s World Cup. That confidence is born in them and they live with it.

For Canada, it will really depend on their injuries. I still hear there are still a number of players nursing injuries. Go figure, the first time our Canadian team has lived together, trained together ever and they have all these injuries to deal with. How unlucky for them.

Predicted finish: 1. Norway, 2. Canada, 3. Australia, 4. Ghana.

Craig Forrest, Analyst, CBC Sports:

I think - and I hope - that Canada will finish second in this group. Norway should finish first. They are all physical sides, so they match up well that way. It’s a situation where Canada could win all three games or they could lose all three games.

I don’t think Ghana will be a problem in this group, although they may factor in when it comes to goal differential. Australia is going to be difficult.

I think if Canada can get a draw [in the opening game against Norway], I think they’d be delighted. It’ll be difficult to do that, but I can’t see why they can’t given the preparation they’ve had.

Predicted finish: 1. Norway, 2. Canada, 3. Australia, 4. Ghana

Signa Butler, Editor, 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, CBCSports.ca:

All I have to say is yikes. Back in April, Canada was probably happy with what they saw, but after the way Australia has been playing lately, I’d be more than a bit worried.

Norway has the experience and pedigree to win this group. They have become more flexible in their style of play, moving away from the traditional long ball and adopting more finesse. That said the Scandinavians will still be physical. Playmaking midfielder Solveig Gulbrandsen, who took last year off to have her first child, is like Figo or Francesco Totti – she can thread a perfect pass or she can join the attack and score.

The focus of this group is which team will take second – Canada or Australia. I think some people who saw Canada’s results at the Pan Am Games thought ‘oh, no, we stink.’ People have to remember that Canada barely had 11 healthy players for half of that tournament and it wasn’t their full World Cup squad (several injured players were left at home to rest). The Pan Ams did help them get used to a tournament atmosphere, playing in front of adverse crowds, training in stifling heat, etc. They will be ready to prove those results were nothing but a blip in an otherwise positive year.

Australia’s move to the Asian Federation has helped them immensely. They only lost to China in penalty kicks at the Asian Cup and in the month leading into the World Cup, the Aussies beat China twice – in China. They’ve got a lot of youth on that team and they’re seen as the underdogs. They have nothing to lose. Then again, neither does Ghana and the West Africans are no slouches, either.

Ultimately, I think Canada will move on to the second round with Norway taking the top spot.