FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011: Canada Vs. France, Germany Vs. Nigeria, Group A

Going into the second round of fixtures in Group A of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, we know what to think of all of the teams, for the most part. France have elite skill, but they appear to lack a killer instinct. Canada might not have the skill to hang with the world’s elite, but they have more heart and desire than you can shake a stick at. Nigeria are athletic and surprisingly organized, but that’s about it. And Germany? Well, they’re Germany. Just like the men, they’re a complete team that’s equal parts skill, fitness, organization, and mental toughness.

In this group’s night cap, Germany vs. Nigeria, the result seems predictable. Nigeria has great athletes and new assistant coaches that have turned them into a fairly organized side. Those two factors will keep them from being blown out on the scoreboard, but they don’t actually have a snowball’s chance in hell at keeping Germany from winning this match. The early game is much, much more interesting.

It is a foregone conclusion that Germany and one of France and Canada will advance to the quarterfinals, and that this match will determine who goes through in second place. Canada and France both have great talent, but they also have some obvious weaknesses. Fortunately for France, most of theirs can be instantly corrected.

If France matches Canada’s intensity, they should be fine. Canada’s back line proved to be shaky against Germany, while France star Louisa Necib didn’t earn the moniker “the female Zidane” for nothing. Her skill on the ball is absolutely impeccable, even if she didn’t do a whole lot of turning that skill into clear-cut scoring opportunities for her team in the opening match against Nigeria. France won’t be allowed to sit on the ball against Canada, nor will they pitch such an easy shutout. If Necib isn’t on her game, things might not go so well.

In that game, France started Camile Abily on the wing with 37-year-old captain Sandrine Soubeyrand in the center of midfield. At halftime, Soubeyand was pulled, Abily was moved inside where she belongs, and Eugenie Le Sommer entered the game on the right wing. This changed the match instantly, and France looked like a much better team as a result. Whether or not Bruno Bini will have the bottle to bench his captain and play his best lineup remains to be seen, but if he doesn’t, Canada will relish the prospect of playing against a team with little width and a very good wide player on the bench.

France can keep the ball all day if they play their best team and Canada are not on their A game, but that doesn’t mean that France will prevail. Three questions have to be answered before making that prediction: Will France play their best team, will Canada be on their A game, and will France have the killer instinct to try and turn their possession into chances? They’re all tough to answer, and the two questions pertaining to the France team are what gives Canada a shot.

That and Christine Sinclair.