Argentina 1-0 China

Marika Domanski-Lyfors' first loss with her new team - and to whom?!

Matildas likely to miss Olympics

June 10, 2007

AUSTRALIA'S women's football team is expected to miss the Olympic Games in Beijing next year after losing 2-0 to Asian heavyweight North Korea in Coffs Harbour today.

The Matildas lost their first group match 2-0 against North Korea in Pyongyang last weekend, and they needed a victory today to have a realistic chance of making the 2008 Games.

Ttwo rounds of qualifying remain, but North Korea, the world No.5, and the highest-ranked Asian team, needs only to earn a point against Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei to grab the sole spot on offer from Group B.

The loss is big blow to Australians, which qualified for the past two Olympics.

Australia is currently ranked at an all-time high of No.14 in the world.

North Korea broke the deadlock and gained momentum when captain Ri-Kum suk netted a close-range header in the 60th minute.

Kim-Kyong hwa doubled the lead with a shot from outside the penalty area nine minutes later.

Australia went closest to scoring when midfield player Collette McCallum floating a free kick just over the crossbar and onto the roof of the goal just before North Korea's opening goal.

Matildas coach Tom Sermanni commended his teams' efforts but admitted the stronger side had won.

"Sometimes you simply get beaten by a better team," Sermanni said of the side that has defeated Australia in five out of six meetings since 1998.

"At the moment, I would say that DPR Korea are probably as close to being as unbeatable as any women's team that I have seen.

"So in that sense, I am very disappointed for the players because I believe that had we played like we did against virtually any other team we would have won the game.

"The effort was absolutely unbelievable and the players gave everything possible.

"The unfortunate thing today was that we were having our best spell of the game and had built up some good momentum when we conceded that opening goal so that was heartbreaking."

Australia is now set to concentrate its efforts on preparations for the World Cup in September.

That's high praise

Not sure how accurate as I've not seen them play recently, but I will deffo be keeping an aye out for them at the WC since their in Sweden and USA's group B

U-19 friendlies:

Ireland 1-2 Italy
Sweden 0-1 Iceland



Keep an aye out? lol

Pan Am Tournament:

Brazil 7-0 Canada


SuperMarta scored 5 goals (10 goals in 3 games)


Brazil are now through to the semis v Mexico

I thought you were on holiday

It's a few hours before she actually goes, so maybe she'll even post again yet

Friendly yesterday
Holland - North Korea 0-0

Kras Stadion, Volendam

Nederland: Loes Geurts (AZ); Dyanne Bito (ADO Den Haag), Liesbeth Migchelsen (AZ), Marloes de Boer (FC Twente), Petra Hogewoning (FC Utrecht); Sherida Spitse (sc Heerenveen), Karin Legemate (ADO Den Haag), Karin Stevens (Willem II); Manon Melis (LdB FC Malmö), Sylvia Smit (FC Twente), Claudia van de Heiligenberg (AZ).

Subs: 63. Jessica Torny (FC Twente) voor Smit; 72. Anouk Hoogendijk (FC Utrecht) voor Bito; 72. Nangila van Eijck (ADO Den Haag) voor Van de Heiligenberg; 90. Chantal de Ridder (AZ) voor Legemate.

Noord-Korea: Jon Myong Hui, Kim Kyong Hwa, Om Jong Ran, Kil Son Hui, Ri Un Gyong, Sonu Kyong Sun, Kong Hye Ok, Jong Pok Sim, Hong Myong Kum, Song Jong Sun.


Subs: 46. Kim Yong Ae voor Song Jong Sun; 46. Jang Yong Ok voor Om Jong Ran; 59. Ri Un Suk voor Kil Son Hui, 72. Ho Sun Hui voor Ri Kum Suk.

U18 Friendly

Austria 1-2 Finland

Well done Matildas!

U-15 4-nations tournament Germany

Denmark 3-0 Rep Ireland
Russia 0-9 Germany

Ha! They did it again! China 1-3 Australia.

Today's friendlies:

Danmark 1-2 Sweden
Germany 2-2 Norway
Japan 0-0 Canada

Recent friendlies:

Japan 2-1 Brazil
Duisburg 2-4 Nigeria
Essen 1-2 Nigeria

I'm changing my WC predictions.

Some of the results from the u-17 Euro 2007:

Oct 11:
Wales 10-0 Cyprus

Oct 16:
France 11-0 Macedonia
Wales 2-2 Switzerland
Denmark 24-0 Armenia

Oct 18:
France 16-0 Armenia
Macedonia 0-6 Denmark

Oct 19:
Sweden 12-0 Moldova
Ireland 5-0 Turkey


Some shocking results.

Can you please correct your typo there Agent S?

Wales getting double figures?

Seriously, I hope it's a good sign for the future for Wales.
But - brought down to earth somewhat by Switzerland.

I didn't want to start a new thread over this, but apparently Nordby is retiring from international duty with Norway. And she will only play one more year with her club, Lyon, I think.

I'll leave it to the experts to decide if it's in the right place

Smithy's not too well atm, but I'm sure shlj will something to do with it if necessary - like he did with a recent post of mine

What did happen to that post Twm

A piece about Nordby is in the Female player's section.

I tried to move it but you cannot move a stand alone post, so I deleted it and quoted it somewhere else.