Canada in Round of 16 after recording shutout
Fleming, Prince score goals in 2-0 victory over New Zealand
New Zealand’s performance. “Today just wasn’t our day. Tough day at the office.”
Canada looked comfortable from the start against New Zealand, which is playing in its fifth World Cup in France but has never won a game in the competition.
Sinclair, who celebrated her 36th birthday Wednesday, helped stretch the opposing back line and nearly converted off a Sophie Schmidt corner kick in the 18th minute but headed off the bar. New Zealand’s Bowen eventually cleared the ball off the line after Canada’s Kadeisha Buchanan headed the rebound back toward the goal.
New Zealand lucked out on Sinclair’s shot off the bar, but it managed to frustrate the Canadians for most of the first half while rarely venturing into the attacking third.
Things changed and sped up more for Canada in the second half.
First, Janine Beckie fired wide of the far post in the 46th minute from just outside the lower left corner of the box. Moments later, she returned to left back and played a through ball to Prince.
Prince took possession, ran freely into the box and then squared the ball to Fleming, who picked out the far post past Nayler.
“Our movement off the ball up front opened up for us in the second half,” Prince said. “We were just a lot more mobile than we were in the first half. And just capitalizing on our opportunities.
“I think we had in the final third.”
In contrast, New Zealand produced few chances and never appeared to settle into much of a rhythm. The Ferns had to substitute more quality defender Catherine Bott out of the game in the 18th minute after she hurt her hand on a defensive clearance in New Zealand’s end of the pitch.
The match also featured eight players from the National Women’s Soccer League. Canada used five NWSL players out of the gate — Prince, plus her Dash teammate Schmidt as well as Orlando Pride defender Shelina Zadorsky and Sinclair of the Portland Thorns.
Allysha Chapman of the Dash also came in for Canada off the bench. Defender Abby Erceg of the North Carolina Courage and Bowen of the Utah Royals also started for New Zealand. NETHERLANDS ADVANCES: Vivianne Miedema scored a goal in each half Saturday to advance the Netherlands into the second round of the Women’s World Cup for the second straight tournament with a 3-1 win over Cameroon on Saturday at Valenciennes, France.
Miedema put the Dutch in the lead in the 41st minute of the Group E match at Stade du Hainaut and then finished it off in the 85th.
Dominique Bloodworth also scored for the Netherlands in the 48th minute while Gabrielle Onguene got Cameroon’s goal in the 43rd.
Cameroon is in last place in the group with no points and a minus-3 goal difference, and it is all but eliminated. Cameroon plays New Zealand on Thursday, and the Netherlands meets Canada in a match that kicks off at the same time.