#FIFAWWC Game Day Notes: Monday, June 15

Today’s Match Schedule

• 3:30 p.m. ET – Thailand vs. Germany (Winnipeg) on TSN/TSN GO
• 3:30 p.m. ET – Côte D’Ivoire vs. Norway (Moncton) on TSN2/TSN GO
• 7 p.m. ET – China vs. New Zealand (Winnipeg) on TSN1/TSN GO
• 7 p.m. ET – Canada vs. New Netherlands (Montreal) on CTV/TSN/CTV GO/TSN GO/TSN Radio Network
• 10:30 p.m. ET – Canada 2015 Recap Show on TSN4/TSN5/TSN GO

 Game Day Notes: Canada vs. Netherlands Today’s coverage is highlighted by Canada’s final group match at 7 p.m. ET on CTV and TSN. The match also airs on CTV GO, TSN GO, and across the TSN Radio Network.

 Canada has eight wins and two draws in 10 matches against Netherlands, with Canada outscoring Netherlands 19-5. Netherlands’ goal for the tournament is to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. To qualify, they need to finish among the top three UEFA countries at the tournament. Canada

• Canada currently holds first place in Group A with four points, beating China PR 1-0 in their first group match and tying New Zealand 0-0 in their second group match
• If Canada wins against Netherlands, they will finish first in Group A
• Canada’s record of one win and one draw is its best record ever after two games in a FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Desiree Scott and Allysha Chapman both have yellow cards heading into this game
• Despite scoring just one goal in the tournament so far, Canada has dominated possession in their first two games. They possessed the ball 59% of the time against New Zealand and 62% of the time against China PR
• Christine Sinclair’s injury time penalty kick goal, Canada’s only goal in the tournament, was her 154^th career goal. She trails Mia Hamm (USA) by four goals for the second-most all-time goals in women’s football
• Canada has played in every FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament except the inaugural edition in 1991
• This is Canada’s sixth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance
• Canada’s best FIFA Women’s World Cup performance was a fourth-place finish in 2003
• Current FIFA world ranking: #8

Netherlands

• Currently third in Group A with three points, beating New Zealand 1-0 in their first group match and losing to China PR in their second group match
• Trail Canada by one point in Group A standings
• Goalkeeper Sari Van Veenendaal made her first start for the national team, replacing injured keeper Loes Geurts.
• Van Veenendaal made eight saves in her first appearance against China PR
• Netherlands have been outshot by their opponents 38-14, and outshot 15-6 on shots on goal
• Netherlands had only 40% possession against China PR
• The best international result for Netherlands is reaching the semifinals at the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2009
• Netherlands were the last European team to qualify for this FIFA Women’s World Cup
• 18-year-old Vivianne Miedema scored all three goals in the home-and-away playoff final against Italy, earning the Netherlands’ ticket to this tournament
• Netherlands had most matches to qualify, 14
• Netherlands is one of three newcomers from the UEFA Zone and one of eight newcomers in total to the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Netherlands will host the 2017 European Championships for the first time
• In 2012 the Dutch and Belgium club teams formed a new league between them, the BeNe League, comprising the top teams from both countries
• Current FIFA world ranking: #12

  Today’s TSN Original Features Kadeisha Buchanan – “Unshakable” This Original Feature introduces the rock of Canada’s back line, 19-year-old Kadeisha Buchanan. Her teammates and coach know that Buchanan’s speed and strength make her Canada’s best defender, and now the world will see what makes “the shadow” so impossible to shake.   Game Day Notes: Thailand vs. Germany Thailand and Germany have never faced each other in a women’s international fixture. Thailand:

• This is their first FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament appearance
• Currently third in Group B with three points
• Beat Côte d’Ivoire 3-2 in their second game of the tournament, marking their first ever win in a FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Lost 4-0 in opening game against Norway
• Had only 35% possession against Norway in their opening group game
• Had three shots on target against Norway
• Thailand beat Vietnam 2-1 in the fifth-place playoff of the Women’s Asian Cup 2014 to qualify; Kanjana Sung-Ngoen scored both goals
• The only FIFA competition that Thailand have previously participated in was the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2004, which they hosted
• Coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian is the national’s team first female coach
• Current FIFA World Ranking: #29

Germany

• Won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1995
• Currently first in Group B with four points, beating Côte d’Ivoire 10-0 in their opening match and tying Norway 1-1 in their second game of the tournament
• Despite being held to that 1-1 draw, Germany had 27 attempts at goal with eight of those being on target against Norway
• Celia Sasic had a hat trick against Côte d’Ivoire
• Anja Mittag also scored a hat trick against Côte d’Ivoire and was named player of the game
• Just the third time in FIFA Women’s World Cup history that teammates recorded hat tricks in the same game
• Anja Mittag is the leading goal scorer in the tournament to date with four goals
• Had 61% possession against Côte d’Ivoire
• Germany has never lost a World Cup match to a team ranked outside the Top 10 in the world
• Germany is the only team to have won FIFA Women’s World Cup twice in a row, in 2003 and 2007
• Played in every FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Hosted FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011
• Scored most goals in a single tournament, 25 in 2003, along with the USA who scored 25 goals in 1991
• Germany’s biggest win at a FIFA Women’s World Cup was 11-0 vs Argentina in 2007; it was the opening game of the tournament
• Their 10-0 win over Côte d’Ivoire is the second-biggest win at a FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Won all 10 games in 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying, scoring 62 goals and conceding only 4
• 2014 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, Nadine Kessler, didn’t make the roster due to an injury
• Nadine Angerer was nominated for 2014 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year. She won the award in 2013
• Head coach Silvia Neid finished second with Germany as a player in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Current FIFA World Ranking: #1

  Game Day Notes: Côte d’Ivoire vs. Norway Côte d’Ivoire and Norway have never faced each other in a women’s international fixture. Côte d’Ivoire

• Currently last in Group B with zero points – losing 10-0 to Germany in their opening match and falling 3-2 against Thailand
• Côte d’Ivoire has 13 goals against in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup so far. The record for most goals against in one FIFA Women’s World Cup is Argentina in 2007 with 18 goals against.
• Côte d’Ivoire has received the most yellow cards in the tournament so far with seven
• First FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament appearance
• The team qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over South Africa in the match for third place in the last African Women’s Championship. Ida Rebecca Guehai scored the winning goal.
• To date only three African sides have taken part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are added this year
• Coach Clementine Toure led Equatorial Guinea to World Cup qualification in 2011 but left the team before the finals in Germany
• Rita Akaffou has the most caps on the current roster: 34
• Only four players play in leagues outside of Côte d’Ivoire
• Current FIFA World Ranking: #67

Norway

• Currently second in Group B with four points – beating Thailand 4-0 in their opening match and tying Germany 1-1 in their second game of the tournament
• Captain Trine Ronning scored the first goal of the game against Thailand. It was her first goal in her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup.
• Looking to win their second FIFA Women’s World Cup title after winning in 1995
• Norway has played in every FIFA Women’s World Cup and reached the final in the first two tournaments, becoming champions in 1995
• 2011 was the first time Norway did not advance from group stages, losing two and winning one game
• Team holds record for the most consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup wins, ten between 1995-1999
• Coach Even Pellerud led Norway to its only FIFA Women’s World Cup title in 1995. He coached Canada from 1999-2008.
• Norway is playing without one of their main strikers, Caroline Hansen, who is missing the tournament due to injury
• All but three players on the roster play in their own country
• Current FIFA World Ranking: #11

  Game Day Notes: China PR vs. New Zealand China PR and New Zealand have played each other 16 times. China PR has won 13 of the matches and New Zealand has won 3. China PR and New Zealand have played each other twice in FIFA Women’s World Cup group stages. China PR beat New Zealand 4-1 in 1991 and 2-0 in 2007. China PR

• Currently second in Group A with three points, losing their opening match 1-0 against Canada and winning their second game against Netherlands 1-0
• Had just 38% possession against Canada
• Recorded just one shot on target against Canada, but improved that total to 10 shots on target against the Netherlands
• Didn’t qualify for 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Played in all FIFA Women’s World Cups other than 2011
• China has made it to the knockout stages in each of their appearances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Hosted FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 and 2007
• 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup was supposed to be held in China but was moved to USA due to SARS outbreak
• China PR beat Norway 4-0 in opening game of the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991
• Midfielder Ma Jun has scored the most goals on the roster – 15 international goals in 51 appearances
• MA Li of China PR scored first-ever goal in the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• China PR’s best result in FIFA Women’s World Cup is second place in 1999, losing by penalties to USA in the final
• China PR played in the opening game of the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup, which they hosted in 1991, beating Norway 4-0 in front of 65,000 spectators
• Current FIFA world ranking: #16

New Zealand

• Currently last in Group A with one point – losing 1-0 to Netherlands in their first group match and tying Canada 0-0 in their second match
• Has failed to win any of its 11 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches
• New Zealand’s top scorer Amber Hearn earned her 100^th cap in the loss to the Netherlands – she has 45 international goals
• English-born New Zealand coach Tony Readings took over from Canada’s current coach John Herdman in 2011 and took the team to the quarter-finals at the London 2012 Olympic Games, their best ever result
• Fourth participation in FIFA Women’s World Cup (previously in 1991, 2007, and 2011)
• Third consecutive participation in the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Nicknamed the Football Ferns
• Abby Erceg became the first New Zealander male or female to reach 100 caps
• New Zealand had to play the least amount of matches to qualify: three
• Current FIFA world ranking: #17