Women’s World Cup: Germany Maul Morocco, Italy Pip Argentina

Captain Alexandra Popp scored a brace as two-time champions Germany, trounced debutants Morocco 6-0 for the biggest victory so far at the women’s World Cup on Monday.

Playing in her fourth World Cup, Wolfsburg’s Popp headed home in the 11th and 39th minute in front of 27,256 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for now 64 goals in 129 caps.

Klara Bühl grabbed the third in 23 seconds after the restart, before own goals from Hanane Ait El Haj in the 54th and Yasmin Mrabet in the 79th, as well as Lea Schüller in the 90th completed a big statement of intent from the 2003 and 2007 champions.

Germany took early control in Group H where the other two teams Colombia and South Korea meet on Tuesday.

It was the biggest win of the tournament, eclipsing the 5-0 of 2011 champions Japan against Zambia on Saturday.

“We are mega happy to have had such a start. You don’t really know where you stand before the first game and how the opponent will act,” Popp told German broadcasters ZDF.

“We enforced our game and I am happy that could help my team towards safety with the first two goals.”

Coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said: “We saw that other teams had trouble in their first games. We did well and were rewarded in the second half. We can be satisfied with this start.

“We will let others decide what this means. We won’t get carried away. We are satisfied, nothing more and nothing less,” she said.

Germany were without two injured key players, midfielder Lena Oberdorf and defender Marina Hegering, but started strongly and led after 11 minutes.

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Morocco gave away the ball deep in their own half, and Popp headed home an accurate cross from the right by Kathrin Hendrich, with goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi coming too late.
Germany became a little passive, which allowed Morocco some promising attacks, but it was 2-0 when Popp beat two defenders to artistically head in a corner kick from Bühl.

The game was over as a contest 23 seconds into the second half. Lina Magull hit the crossbar from close range and Germany retained possession on the rebound, allowing Bühl to slot into the bottom far right corner.

Anissa Lahmari was denied Morocco’s first World Cup goal because she was offside when netting, and things got worse for the North Africans when Ait El Haj deflected a cross from Svenja Huth into her own net for 4-0.

Earlier, Italy got a late 1-0 victory from Cristiana Girelli against Argentina in Auckland to lead Group G together with Sweden, while Argentina remains winless at the global stage in their fourth appearance.

South American champions Brazil were set to play Panama in Group F in the day’s other game in Adelaide.

In Auckland’s Eden Park, Juventus forward Girelli came on in the 83rd minute and her looping header four minutes later off Lisa Boattin’s cross from the left gave Italy a winning start.

Two-time quarter-finalists Italy had first-half goals from Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti nullified for offside.

But they also rode their luck when goalkeeper Francesa Durante did not look good twice after the break, allowing Eliana Stabile to come close for Argentina.

(NAN)

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