German forward Birgit Prinz, right, is the all-time leading scorer at the FIFA Women's World Cup with 14 goals. (Christof Stache/Associated Press)
The stars are beginning to emerge in Germany. It is always a team effort, of course, but every team has its leading lady. They are the game changers, who lead by example and inspire those around them.
Marta stepped up with two goals and an assist to lead Brazil past former champions Norway. Homare Sawa helped herself to the 14th hat trick in Women's World Cup history, and Gaetane Thiney showed against Canada why she is a French force to be reckoned with.
But where are the others?
The FIFA Women's World Cup has been quiet thus far for a number of big game players. Too quiet. Did the pre-tournament hype lead us down a dead end? We know these players are good. We've seen them before, but in Germany their collective impact has been negligible.
Canada's first assignment was the toughest of all. A Group A encounter with the reigning World Cup champions in a stadium packed to the rafters with partisan German fans. Canada was beaten as predicted, but the destroyer-in-chief was barely visible.
Birgit Prinz has been a superstar of women's soccer for as long as anyone can remember. She has scored more World Cup goals than any other player and has been the fulcrum around which German success has been built for more than a decade.
At age 33 Prinz has won World Cups in the U.S. and China. What she covets above all else is to become a world champion on home soil. She might yet achieve her goal, but she may not be on the field when the final whistle is blown in Frankfurt on July 17th.
The German press is full of Prinz's apparent demise. The common thread is she is past her sell-by date and being selected based on past glories. One of the enduring images of Germany 2011 will be that of Prinz sitting alone in the dugout having been substituted against Nigeria.
Abby Wambach may also be feeling more than a little frustrated. The American forward, who scores international goals for fun, is not having much fun yet. After spending months rehabbing from a heel injury to prove her fitness, Wambach has lost sight of the target.
The Americans, like the Germans, are safely through to the quarter-finals. But Wambach, arguably the most powerful striker in the women's game, has yet to register. She could have scored a hat trick by herself against Colombia but missed every opportunity which came her way.
Sweden, battling with the U.S. for top spot in Group C, could use a little more impact from their star turn. The form of Lotta Schelin is key to Scandinavian hopes of reaching the latter stages, but her finishing has been found wanting.
The Swedes created plenty of chances against both Colombia and North Korea but have been terribly wasteful in front of goal. Schelin and Jessica Landstrom simply must convert their opportunities or Sweden will struggle to survive beyond the last eight.
In a similar vein, England must be privately concerned about the influence of Kelly Smith. The Lionesses failed to hold onto a lead against Mexico and had to come from behind to beat New Zealand. Smith is a proven goal scorer, but hasn't been close to her best at this tournament.
If England is to advance beyond the quarter-finals for the first time, Smith must find her form soon. One scrappy goal is all she needs to get her going - but the clock is ticking.
Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed
Marta stepped up with two goals and an assist to lead Brazil past former champions Norway. Homare Sawa helped herself to the 14th hat trick in Women's World Cup history, and Gaetane Thiney showed against Canada why she is a French force to be reckoned with.
But where are the others?
The FIFA Women's World Cup has been quiet thus far for a number of big game players. Too quiet. Did the pre-tournament hype lead us down a dead end? We know these players are good. We've seen them before, but in Germany their collective impact has been negligible.
Canada's first assignment was the toughest of all. A Group A encounter with the reigning World Cup champions in a stadium packed to the rafters with partisan German fans. Canada was beaten as predicted, but the destroyer-in-chief was barely visible.
Birgit Prinz has been a superstar of women's soccer for as long as anyone can remember. She has scored more World Cup goals than any other player and has been the fulcrum around which German success has been built for more than a decade.
At age 33 Prinz has won World Cups in the U.S. and China. What she covets above all else is to become a world champion on home soil. She might yet achieve her goal, but she may not be on the field when the final whistle is blown in Frankfurt on July 17th.
The German press is full of Prinz's apparent demise. The common thread is she is past her sell-by date and being selected based on past glories. One of the enduring images of Germany 2011 will be that of Prinz sitting alone in the dugout having been substituted against Nigeria.
Abby Wambach may also be feeling more than a little frustrated. The American forward, who scores international goals for fun, is not having much fun yet. After spending months rehabbing from a heel injury to prove her fitness, Wambach has lost sight of the target.
The Americans, like the Germans, are safely through to the quarter-finals. But Wambach, arguably the most powerful striker in the women's game, has yet to register. She could have scored a hat trick by herself against Colombia but missed every opportunity which came her way.
Sweden, battling with the U.S. for top spot in Group C, could use a little more impact from their star turn. The form of Lotta Schelin is key to Scandinavian hopes of reaching the latter stages, but her finishing has been found wanting.
The Swedes created plenty of chances against both Colombia and North Korea but have been terribly wasteful in front of goal. Schelin and Jessica Landstrom simply must convert their opportunities or Sweden will struggle to survive beyond the last eight.
In a similar vein, England must be privately concerned about the influence of Kelly Smith. The Lionesses failed to hold onto a lead against Mexico and had to come from behind to beat New Zealand. Smith is a proven goal scorer, but hasn't been close to her best at this tournament.
If England is to advance beyond the quarter-finals for the first time, Smith must find her form soon. One scrappy goal is all she needs to get her going - but the clock is ticking.
Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed
