Canada 2 - 0 New Zealand, as it happened: Knockout berth in the bag for Canucks

Follow the live score and updates from a Group E match between Canada and New Zealand in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019.

Updated : Jun 16, 2019 02:51 IST , Grenoble (France)

Jessie Fleming opens the scoring for Canada.
Jessie Fleming opens the scoring for Canada.
lightbox-info

Jessie Fleming opens the scoring for Canada.

 

Follow the action LIVE:

Thats all from my end for the night, folks. Thank you for joining us today. We have two great games coming up today. Sweden takes on a battered Thailand and the mighty USA takes on a resilient Chile later today. Make sure you're around with us to follow those games LIVE right here. We're going to head out to bring you all the post match coverage you need from this game. Hang around for the match report, player interviews and much more. For now, it's goodbye from me and my colleagues at the desk at Sportstar! See you soon.

Having already advanced, Canada will not be too worried about having to secure a result against Netherlands next time out. New Zealand, on the other hand, has one more chance to try to stay in this tournament as a big enough win against Cameroon could see it snatch one of the four third-place slots.

This is also the first time Canada has achieved back-to-back victories in its first two group games of a Women's World Cup.

This is the first time Canada has scored more than once in a Women's World Cup game since the China 2007, when it drew 2-2 draw with Australia.
 


90'  There will be three minutes of added time.

We know that Canada is walking into the last 16. However, it will only top Group E if it finds the net at least once more. Netherlands currently sits pretty on top on the basis of the number of goals scored so far in the tournament.

That goal is all that's required tonight as Nichelle Prince comes off. Job done for the Canadian.

New Zealand is taking a beating here.

79' Nichelle Prince makes it two for the Canadians.
What a night this is turning out to be. Prince gets the goal herexcellent performance has merited! She's in the right place at theright time to poke home the rebound after Sinclair's downwardheader rebounds back off the post.


76'
New Zealand has a half-chance as a cross from the right found the head of Erceg, but her attempt drifted left of goal and the 'keeper was never really troubled.

75 '
Canada makes its first change, with Allysha Chapman replacing Jayde Rivier.

73'
SAVE! Prince was found with an excellent ball in by Sinclair, and the former lofted her header to the top-right corner of the goal... only to be denied by an incredible, athletic save from Nayler who was at full stretch!


My eyes are still on Sinclair.
The Canada striker is three short of an all-time international scoring record.

One of the biggest talking points of this game has to be just how ineffective Gregorius has been in this game. She was alone in formation, had no support and no chance to penetrate the Canadian defense. She has been pulled off and substituted. Anna Green comes in. Can New Zealand find a scoring opportunity here?

This turn of events changes things up a little for Group E. Unless New Zealand equalises, Canada cruises into the last 16 with a game to spare. The Ferns can still make it but will need to fight it out for that precious third place.

FIFA is really giving us some travel goals with all these pan shots of the stadium. Set against the mighty Alps, I envy each and every person sitting there.

48' GOOOALLLL!!!!! CANADA OPEN THE SCORING! Prince went on a blistering run down the left wing, dribbled into the box, and laid the ball back to Fleming who struck the ball first-time and into the bottom-right corner of the goal! Clinical stuff from Canada there. Canada 1-0 New Zealand

And we're back with action from the second half.

This game looks like its heading towards a draw at this rate.


With the score as it is, Canada is set to miss the chance to go joint-top of Group E and make sure of their place in the last 16.

We began this game with our eyes set on Sinclair but she has been awfully quiet this first half. Canada has been dominant but not dominant enough to open the scoreline.

41'
After a flurry of attacking play from New Zealand, thatincluded a pair of missed headers by Chance and White, Canada areback on the ball and slowing things down.

39' SAVE! Labbe cuts outa dangerous cross that would have surely been a goal had she notacted! She parries it wide and New Zealand stay in attack.

Why in the world is a Mexican wave going around? What is the crowd celebrating? The deadlock? The injuries? Gratitude for no rain interruption? If that's a working remedy for bad weather, someone should let the folks at the ICC know.

36' Oh no. Another Fern down on the ground. Liv Chance just went down clutching her leg after landingawkwardly. Chance is back after recovering from an ACL injury. That would have been dangerous for her and the team at this point.

32' New Zealand is yet to record a single shot with a third of the match now passed.

27'
Things are getting a bit sloppy in the midfield at the moment, which has been a kind reprieve for the New Zealand defence.

I cannot read through Ria Percival's name without smiling like a fool. Problems of being a Potterhead. What can one do, eh?

22'
  Canada has had 72 per cent of the possession in the first quarter.

20' The Canadians have shifted to more of a 4-2-3-1 formation with Fleming dropping a bit behind Sinclair.

Jayde Riviere is in the thick of things now, taking on Riley to attack the New Zealand post. She made her national debut only a few months ago. She's got strength and it shows. The kicks are powerful and go the distance. Will she manage to net one today?

Annalie Longo comes on for Bott.

Oh good lord! WHAT WAS THAT? Those 30 seconds gave me anxiety. Canada made good use of the break in momentum with multiple attacks on the New Zealand goal led by Sinclair. Saved and saved again. Phew.

18' Bott leaves the pitch, clearly upset, and with an air cast on her right arm. She will not be able to continue. The crowd rises in applause for her.

This is not good news for the Ferns. A substitution is coming. Bott's right hand is very heavily strapped. It doesn't look good for her.

15' OH OH. Play is halted as Bott, who blocked the Beckie cross, is down on the pitch and receiving medical attention.

I just checked a FIFA update a while ago. Apparently, a few hours before the game, a few of the spectators were evacuated from certain parts of the Stade des Alpes because of gale winds and pouring rains. You look at the stadium now and you see no sign of this. Deceptive! Love how there's still such a great turn out here. That's the power of football for you.

The Ferns have pace on their side but Canada is a worthy opponent on those terms. These two sides are marching along, shoulder to shoulder. It promises to be an interesting game.

Canada has come out today in a gorgeous red kit. The country has had a good week in sport, what with the Toronto Raptors clinching its maiden NBA title , against an opponent like the Golden State Warriors! My Canadian buddies have been gloating away to glory and rightly so.

The defence, led by captain Ali Riley, is quite stout having conceded more than one goal in just 22% of their matches in 2019, and could cause issues for the Canadian forwards. As for the team itself, New Zealand have a serious threat in attack in the form of Gregorius, who scored an impressive eight goals at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup.

No changes for New Zealand.

Canada makes just one change after their 1-0 win against Cameroon in their World Cup opener with Chapman replaced by Riviere. Of course the focus today will be on Christine Sinclair, as she has another chance to become one of just nine players to have scored in five different Women’s World Cups!

If the captain is unable to find the back of the net today, Canada also have a fantastic option off the bench in Leon, who led the team in scoring at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship with six goals.

Anthems are done and we're ready to go.

Sadly, it's become norm to first look at the skies before looking at the players on the field. It's 19 degrees in Grenoble with a rain forecast. Let's hope we don't see an encore of Chile vs Sweden . (I bring this match up very often. Yes, I see it now).

Team updates first. FOR THE FULL STARTING XIs, do scroll down to the box at the bottom.

Hello everyone! Welcome and welcome back, depending on whether you're joining us for the first time or coming back to follow our LIVE coverage.

If you're new to the Women's World Cup bandwagon, we have resources to help you catch up with the tournament. Here's a starting point:

All you need to know about the Women's World Cup

All 24 squads

Results and Standings

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment