I am not getting involved in the Women's World Cup today, but will probably do so tomorrow. However, I have to admit to being shocked by the comments of Bruno Bini, coach of the french team, Who said after the loss to Germany "We're still in the running for second place. If we can win our quarter-final, and we want to win it, we'll be one of three teams still in contention for second place. England are a decent side - they were finalists at the last European Championships after all. It's a shame we have to play them with regard to our 2012 Olympic prospects. I would have preferred Sweden. We need to fight to ensure defend our place at the Olympics."
His team are in the quarter finals and he seems to feel that only second place is up for grabs ! This, in the most open WC we have probably ever seen is odd in the extreme and from a psychological point of view, seems a big mis-step. To take his team into a game feeling that they are second best, at best, is a mistake and his squad are already a little fragile confidence wise and face another big physical challenge from England today.
In Allsvenskan, Trelleborg host Kalmar, just seven days after the pair met in the reverse fixture, which today's visitors won 3-2, they were three up at the half and the away goals both came in the final three minutes, when Kalmar were running down the clock and had just had their goalkeeper sent off.Trelleborg have now conceded 22 goals in six starts and their defence looked very suspect every time the ball came into the box and the first two goals came directly from long throw ins, which gave the TFF backline problems all day long and will doubtless be a factor again today.
Visiting keeper Etrit Berisha is suspended of course, but I assume that the vastly experienced Petter Wasta, with over 350 starts for Kalmar, will come into the side and that should be a pretty seamless switch. The team will travel in great heart to a stadium where they have lost just once in six visits, winning three and unbeaten in six h2h games home and away, winning five. Kalmar have now won three in a row, the first really solid consistent run they have put together this season and another today will take them level at the top on points with Helsingborgs, whom they play in the next round of matches. Actually, they play three of the other top five in their next four outings and are viewing the three points on offer today as not just key, but the "easiest" they will be offered in the next month. I make Kalmar -0.25 1.87+ for 1.5 units my first "official" selection of the day.
His team are in the quarter finals and he seems to feel that only second place is up for grabs ! This, in the most open WC we have probably ever seen is odd in the extreme and from a psychological point of view, seems a big mis-step. To take his team into a game feeling that they are second best, at best, is a mistake and his squad are already a little fragile confidence wise and face another big physical challenge from England today.
In Allsvenskan, Trelleborg host Kalmar, just seven days after the pair met in the reverse fixture, which today's visitors won 3-2, they were three up at the half and the away goals both came in the final three minutes, when Kalmar were running down the clock and had just had their goalkeeper sent off.Trelleborg have now conceded 22 goals in six starts and their defence looked very suspect every time the ball came into the box and the first two goals came directly from long throw ins, which gave the TFF backline problems all day long and will doubtless be a factor again today.
Visiting keeper Etrit Berisha is suspended of course, but I assume that the vastly experienced Petter Wasta, with over 350 starts for Kalmar, will come into the side and that should be a pretty seamless switch. The team will travel in great heart to a stadium where they have lost just once in six visits, winning three and unbeaten in six h2h games home and away, winning five. Kalmar have now won three in a row, the first really solid consistent run they have put together this season and another today will take them level at the top on points with Helsingborgs, whom they play in the next round of matches. Actually, they play three of the other top five in their next four outings and are viewing the three points on offer today as not just key, but the "easiest" they will be offered in the next month. I make Kalmar -0.25 1.87+ for 1.5 units my first "official" selection of the day.
Good Luck.
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