A draw will be enough for the skillful Australian women to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2007 World Cup, as they meet Canada in their last Group C match here on Wednesday.
The Matildas, emerging as the most surprising dark horses of the tournament, now lead the group on 4 points from a win and a draw, beating favorites Norway to the second on goal differential.
Canada sit on the third with 3 points from a win and a lose, leaving Ghana the bottom team without a point. The other Group C last round match will pit formidable Norway against the sluggish Ghana in Shanghai, also start at 1700 local time on Wednesday.
Called "one of the most underrated teams of the tournament" by Norway coach Bjarne Berntsen shortly before the World Cup kicked off last Monday, Australia have displayed many fantastic moments during the previous group matches.
In the 4-1 triumph over Ghana, the Aussies displayed their astonishing speed and well-balanced work.
They gave more surprises later when coach Tom Sermanni left six major players out of the starting lineup to meet group favourites Norway, and still managed to earn a 1-1 draw after bringing on several crucial players like Lisa De Vanna and Sarah Walsh in the second half.
The Australians' most shinning point is their speed, which is assisted by the high-efficient passes from the midfield.
In the match against Ghana, "Player of the Match" Collette Mc Callum provided several talented deep balls to set up for quick striker Sarah Walsh and substitute Lisa De Vanna to some clear one-to-one situation. The 21-year-old midfielder tried relentlessly to carve open the Ghanaian defence on every possible occasion.
Also Sermanni has showed his coaching ability by forging a team with good combination of speed, good passing and individual skills.
"The difference between the 2003 and 2007 teams is that we have a much better squad with a group of mature players. We can keep possession better and play some good passing football," he said.
Canada, however, had their own good show in some physical matches. After the 2-1 loss to Norway, they proved their ability with a 4-0 rout over Ghana last Saturday.
Veteran striker Christine Sinclair and Kara Lang, who are dangerous for any defenders during the World Cup, will do for the Cannucks in vying to beat Australia for their chances of advancing.
Since qualifying for the World Cup in November, the 9-ranked Canadian women have looked formidable in beating lesser teams like New Zealand and Jamaica by lopsided scores. But coach Even Pellerud's players have also been unimpressive in loses to countries like the United States and Brazil, teams they may need to beat to improve on Canada's fourth-place finish at the 2003 championship.
In their previous 13 encounters with the Aussies, Canada shared 6 wins, 6 defeats and a draw in all friendlies. Their only encounter in a FIFA competition to date was at the under-20 women's world championship in 2004 when Canada won 2-1.
Source: Xinhua
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