Germany opens group play with blowout
Melbourne, Australia — Alexandra Popp scored twice in the first half and Germany added four more in the second in a 6-0 rout of a Morocco team making its debut at the Women’s World Cup on Monday.
The margin of victory is the largest of the tournament so far as the two-time champions dominated throughout against Morocco, the first Arab and North African country to qualify for the tournament
Popp scored her 63rd and 64th international goals, moving to third on Germany’s alltime list. The Wolfsburg forward quickly made her mark on the tournament after missing out on the final of the 2022 European Championship against England because of injury.
“I haven’t set myself a goal on how many goals I’ll score. I want to reach the finals and to win the finals. Apart from that, I’m just happy. I hadn’t scored really well before (in the World Cup), but these two goals were a boost,” Popp said.
The second half featured two Morocco own-goals sandwiched between goals from Klara Bühl and Lea Schüller.
After losing to Zambia and Brazil in recent friendlies, Germany announced itself as a contender to win the tournament with the comfortable victory.
In the 11th minute, Popp scored with a header off a cross from Kathrin Hendrich. She doubled her tally with another header in the 39th off Klara Bühl’s corner kick.
Bühl scored the third goal with a right-foot strike just 23 seconds into the second half. For the fourth goal in the 54th, Svenja Huth served a ball in off a rebound from a corner. The ball then bounced off Morocco defender Hanane Aït El Haj for an own goal.
Another own goal by Yasmin Mrabet followed before Lea Schüller rounded out the scoring for Germany in the 90th minute.
BRAZIL 4, PANAMA 0
Ary Borges scored a hat trick on her World Cup debut, but it was her assist for Bia Zaneratto’s second-half strike that was the standout moment of the match in Adelaide and arguably the tournament so far.
When Debinha’s cross landed at Borges’ feet toward the end of a sweeping move, the forward, who had struck twice in the first half, looked set to add a third. Instead, she checked, wrong-footed Panama’s defense and backheeled to Zaneratto, who lifted her shot into the top corner.
Panama, making its debut at the tournament, could do little to keep the 2007 runners-up at bay, with Borges ruthless in front of goal.
For Borges, her introduction to the World Cup could hardly have been more emphatic.
She struck twice in the first half and completed her hat trick in the 70th minute after providing her inspired assist for Zaneratto.
“I’ve waited a long time for this moment. It’s a dream to be able to be here, playing in a
World Cup,” Borges said. “It’s one of the best days of my life. I’m very, very happy for the three goals, but the main thing was a debut in which we imposed ourselves.”
Borges was replaced by Brazil legend Marta late in the match.
It was the 37-year-old Marta’s sixth World Cup and she is the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 17 goals.
ITALY 1, ARGENTINA 0
Cristiana Girelli’s goal in the 87th minute broke a stalemate and Italy kicked off the tournament with a victory over Argentina in Auckland, New Zealand.
Italy put the ball in the back of the net twice in the opening half but both times were offside, before Girelli’s breakthrough header. Girelli came into the match as a substitute in the 83rd minute.
The Italians have never dropped an opening match at the World Cup. But this time they faced tenacious Argentina, eager for its first-ever win in the tournament.
Italy goalkeeper Lara Esponda held Argentina at bay on a dangerous free kick in the 73rd.