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Australia jumps to second in Group D after 2-0 win against Nigeria
The World Cup can be a brutal and fickle tournament.
Nigeria learned that the hard way on Friday.
The Nigerians went from being the upstart darlings of the tournament to a team that’s going to struggle to make the knockout rounds thanks to a 2-0 loss to Australia.
Australia was better prepared for Nigeria’s up-tempo attacking style that seemingly caught Sweden off guard and led to an improbably 3-3 draw Monday. Friday’s game, however, had little drama. Even though Nigeria was the aggressor early, Australia’s defense was disciplined and didn’t allow Nigeria’s speed to be the difference.
Australia's offense took advantage of Nigeria’s unorganized defense and scored two uncontested goals. One came following a stellar run by Lisa De Vanna, who found a wide open Kyah Simon, who slotted the ball past goalkeeper Precious Dede in the 29th minute.
Simon struck again in the 68th minute when she found herself wide open in front of Dede and slid the ball past her.
Nigeria had a couple offensive opportunities but most of its through balls would run long or shots would bounce off Australian defenders filling gaps. Nigeria had three shots on goal, but none were especially dangerous.
It was the antithesis of what the Nigerians did to Sweden on Monday. Throughout the second half, Sweden, which was up 2-0 at halftime, faced an onslaught of speed and shots as Nigeria drew even late. It was one of the most improbable results of the opening round of games because Sweden was a favorite to challenge for the World Cup title.
However, Nigeria’s status as the most dangerous darkhorse heading into the knockout rounds is in serious jeopardy. It faces a must-win against the United States, which plays Sweden later in the evening. Even if Nigeria does win that game, it would need several other things to happen for it to make the knockouts even as one of the four third place teams.
Australia, however, gets a measure of redemption after feeling like it should have beaten the United States in the opener. Now, it’s going to be cheering for the U.S. to beat Sweden, which would allow Australia to control its own destiny in its final group game against the Swedes.
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Follow Graham Watson on Twitter @Yahoo_Graham
