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After 32 games the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014 has come to an end, with Germany overcoming Nigeria to win the trophy for a third time and France sealing third place.
A clutch of individual awards were also handed out on Sunday, none more important than the adidas Golden Ball, presented to the tournament’s most outstanding player. The top three in the race for the award at Canada 2014 was as follows: adidas Golden Ball: Asisat Oshoala (NGA)
adidas Silver Ball: Griedge Mbock Bathy (FRA)
adidas Bronze Ball: Claire Lavogez (FRA)
Nicknamed Superzee by her appreciative team-mates, Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala owes her accolade to her speed and nose for goal. The free-scoring forward set several records during the competition and ended it as the leading markswoman to also pocket the adidas Golden Boot.
France enjoyed an impressive tournament, a fact reflected by the appearance of captain Griedge Mbock Bathy and No10 Claire Lavogez in the top three. A cornerstone of Gilles Eyquem’s team, centre-back Bathy played in every one of her side’s matches and also showed her attacking prowess, while creative midfielder Claire Lavogez caught the eye with her technique, vision and finishing skills, scoring one of the goals of the tournament against Costa Rica in the group phase.
adidas Golden Boot: Asisat Oshoala (NGA)
adidas Silver Boot: Pauline Bremer (GER)
adidas Bronze Boot: Sara Dabritz (GER)
As well as serving up two assists, the insatiable Oshoala found the back of the net seven times in all, reaching her peak in the semi-final against Korea DPR, when she became only the third player in the history of the competition to score four goals in a single game. Her tournament haul is the most ever by a Nigerian player, taking her past compatriots Desire Oparanozie, Ebere Orji and Cynthia Uwak, each of whom scored five FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup goals.
Germany’s powerful attacking unit was a crucial factor in their third world title in the category, with forward Pauline Bremer leading the way with five goals and six assists and midfielder Sara Dabritz matching her goal tally and also providing two assists.
adidas Golden Glove: Maike Kamper (GER)
Germany custodian Maike Kamper ended the tournament with an impressive save rate of 81 per cent, having made 26 stops in her five appearances. Kamper turned in her best performances in the group opener against USA, the semi-final against France and Sunday’s final, playing an essential part in Die Mannschaft’s successful campaign.
FIFA Fair Play award: CanadaThe Canucks proved the perfect hosts. Their exemplary behaviour on the pitch was reflected by the fact they received just three yellow cards and no red cards and committed a mere 35 fouls in their four outings.
FIFA presents this award based on an evaluation carried out by members of FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG), who undertake a detailed analysis of the behaviour of national teams both on and off the pitch. Their aim is to promote sportsmanship among players and coaching staff, as well as among fans attending FIFA tournaments.
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Germany crowned, France end on a high
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THE DAY REPLAYED - It is said that good things come to those who wait, and the patience of Montreal's fans was certainly rewarded handsomely as Canada 2014 reached a dramatic conclusion. In the final, it took 98 minutes to find a winner
, but when Lena Petermann popped up with a truly golden goal, Germany were able to celebrate a record-equalling third FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup crown.
It is unlikely that either of the previous two were quite so hard-earned, with the Germans - having survived the competition's 'group of death' - having since gone on to record battling wins against the hosts, France and Nigeria. The Super Falconets were the latest opponents left not only to curse their luck and wayward finishing, but the unquenchable spirit of a nation that continues to make a pleasant habit of winning regardless of the circumstances. If there is consolation to be found in defeat for the Africans, it is that they contributed superbly to the final and the tournament as a whole, and in Asisat Oshoala - winner of the adidas Golden Ball and Golden Shoe - have unearthed a rare gem.
France, meanwhile, rounded off a thoroughly creditable campaign with a 3-2 win over Korea DPR, securing third place amid a rush of second-half goals. There too, fans needed to sit through a goalless first half before the excitement belatedly arrived. But there was ultimately plenty both for them to enjoy and for FIFA.com to chew over in our final Canada 2014 round-up.
Results FinalNigeria 0-1 Germany aet
Match for Third PlaceKorea DPR 2-3 France
Goal of the day Korea DPR-France 1-2, Aminata Diallo (66) When Claire Lavogez slipped a pass to Aminata Diallo wide on the right, crossing seemed to be the France No6's only option. Diallo had other ideas though, and having spied the Korea DPR keeper slightly off her line, sensed glory. What followed was a remarkable 30-yard shot that sailed in from the wing, above the startled Kim Chol-Ok, and clipped the underside of the crossbar before bouncing off the ground and back into the roof of the net.
Memorable moments Canada's extra time heroines: There was much talk when the FIFA U-20 World Cup returned to Canada of the tournament coming full circle. It certainly brought back memories of the dramatic conclusion to that inaugural 2002 edition, when a tense, dramatic final was settled by a single, decisive goal deep into extra time. However, in the years since, there had not been a single final of any FIFA women's competition decided in the same way. Who could have imagined, therefore, that Canada - 12 years on - would produce another extra-time heroine, with Lena Petermann on this occasion taking on the role occupied by USA's Lindsay Tarpley in 2002?
The joy of three: This was Germany's third U-20 Women's World Cup final in succession, and it ended with them equalling USA's tournament record of three crowns. But this is not the only reason why, for Germans, three is most definitely a magic number. This, after all, was the third trophy to end up in their hands over the past couple of months, following on from the nation's successes in the UEFA European U-19 Championship and, of course, the FIFA World Cup™.
A burden shared: Although attacking midfielder Lavogez emerged as one of the tournament's undisputed stars, France's goalscoring success at Canada 2014 was very much a collective effort. Indeed, when Aissatou Tounkara lobbed home their winner in the 3-2 victory over Korea DPR, she became the ninth different Bleuettes star to find the net since the competition began. Only Nigeria and the North Koreans - with six different scorers - came anywhere close, and the tally left Eyquem's side just one short of the tournament's all-time record. That was set in 2006, ironically by Korea DPR, who stormed to the title in Russia with ten different players getting on the scoresheet along the way.
Bremer the battler: Having run herself into the ground over 98 draining minutes on the massive Olympic Stadium pitch, Pauline Bremer would have been forgiven for not chasing Gladys Obasi into the corner as the left-back prepared to boot the ball clear. But the Germany striker refused to consider the path of conserving energy. That decision to pursue a seemingly lost cause paid off handsomely, with Bremer robbing Obasi of possession, driving to the byline and teeing up Petermann for her title-winning goal.
The stat 0 - There were no red cards shown over the entirety of Canada 2014, establishing this as the first-ever FIFA women's tournament - senior, U-20 or U-17 - to end without a single dismissal. Previously, there had never been fewer than two red cards shown at a U-20 Women's World Cup, and the last edition alone yielded four.
The words "I will tell my girls to take this defeat hard. We had a great opportunity to win a World Cup with the chances we had in the first half, but we threw that chance away," Peter Dedevbo, Nigeria coach.
, but when Lena Petermann popped up with a truly golden goal, Germany were able to celebrate a record-equalling third FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup crown. It is unlikely that either of the previous two were quite so hard-earned, with the Germans - having survived the competition's 'group of death' - having since gone on to record battling wins against the hosts, France and Nigeria. The Super Falconets were the latest opponents left not only to curse their luck and wayward finishing, but the unquenchable spirit of a nation that continues to make a pleasant habit of winning regardless of the circumstances. If there is consolation to be found in defeat for the Africans, it is that they contributed superbly to the final and the tournament as a whole, and in Asisat Oshoala - winner
of the adidas Golden Ball and Golden Shoe - have unearthed a rare gem. France, meanwhile, rounded off a thoroughly creditable
campaign with a 3-2 win over Korea DPR, securing third place amid a rush of second-half goals. There too, fans needed to sit through a goalless first half before the excitement belatedly arrived. But there was ultimately plenty both for them to enjoy and for FIFA.com to chew over in our final Canada 2014 round-up. Results FinalNigeria 0-1 Germany aet
Match for Third PlaceKorea DPR 2-3 France
Goal of the day Korea DPR-France 1-2, Aminata Diallo (66) When Claire Lavogez slipped a pass to Aminata Diallo wide on the right, crossing seemed to be the France No6's only option. Diallo had other ideas though, and having spied the Korea DPR keeper slightly off her line, sensed glory. What followed was a remarkable 30-yard shot that sailed in from the wing, above the startled Kim Chol-Ok, and clipped the underside of the crossbar before bouncing off the ground and back into the roof
of the net. Memorable moments Canada's extra time heroines: There was much talk when the FIFA U-20 World Cup returned to Canada of the tournament coming full circle. It certainly brought back memories of the dramatic conclusion to that inaugural 2002 edition, when a tense, dramatic final was settled by a single, decisive goal deep into extra time. However, in the years since, there had not been a single final of any FIFA women's competition decided in the same way. Who could have imagined, therefore, that Canada - 12 years on - would produce another extra-time heroine, with Lena Petermann on this occasion taking on the role occupied by USA's Lindsay Tarpley in 2002?
The joy of three: This was Germany's third U-20 Women's World Cup final in succession, and it ended with them equalling USA's tournament record of three crowns. But this is not the only reason why, for Germans, three is most definitely a magic number. This, after all, was the third trophy to end up in their hands over the past couple of months, following on from the nation's successes in the UEFA European U-19 Championship and, of course, the FIFA World Cup™.
A burden shared: Although attacking midfielder Lavogez emerged as one of the tournament's undisputed stars, France's goalscoring success at Canada 2014 was very much a collective effort. Indeed, when Aissatou Tounkara lobbed home their winner in the 3-2 victory over Korea DPR, she became the ninth different Bleuettes star to find the net since the competition began. Only Nigeria and the North Koreans - with six different scorers - came anywhere close, and the tally left Eyquem's side just one short of the tournament's all-time record. That was set in 2006, ironically by Korea DPR, who stormed to the title in Russia with ten different players getting on the scoresheet along the way.
Bremer the battler: Having run herself into the ground over 98 draining minutes on the massive Olympic Stadium pitch, Pauline Bremer would have been forgiven for not chasing Gladys Obasi into the corner as the left-back prepared to boot the ball clear. But the Germany striker refused to consider the path of conserving energy. That decision to pursue a seemingly lost cause paid off handsomely, with Bremer robbing Obasi of possession, driving to the byline and teeing up Petermann for her title-winning goal.
The stat 0 - There were no red cards shown over the entirety of Canada 2014, establishing this as the first-ever FIFA women's tournament - senior, U-20 or U-17 - to end without a single dismissal. Previously, there had never been fewer than two red cards shown at a U-20 Women's World Cup, and the last edition alone yielded four.
The words "I will tell my girls to take this defeat hard. We had a great opportunity to win a World Cup with the chances we had in the first half, but we threw that chance away," Peter Dedevbo, Nigeria coach.
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Petermann: I can’t grasp what’s happened
(FIFA.com)
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“On days like these you wish it would never end, on days like these we still have all the time in the world.” Those are the lyrics from a song by German band die Toten Hosen that have now become a standard part of any celebration by Germany’s football teams, so it was no surprise to hear them blaring out of the speakers in the changing room following the country’s triumph at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014.
“I’m lost for words,” Germany captain Lina Magull told FIFA.com after the final whistle. “At the start of the tournament we didn’t expect this because we had so many injuries and we weren’t playing well together as a team. We improved as the competition progressed and in the group stage we were really good. I’ve already won a few things with Wolfsburg and have been in the U-20s right from the start, which makes this all the better. This was my last chance to win a trophy with a junior team and luckily we made the most of it.” Magull then turned around to face her team-mate Sara Dabritz before shouting “we’re world champions” into the microphone.
“I’m still speechless and it hasn’t sunk in yet that we won the World Cup, it’s simply amazing and we’re over the moon,” said a beaming Dabritz, who then proceeded to give her best Toten Hosen imitation with a wholehearted laugh: “On days like these ... you become a world champion!”
Teamwork and self-belief With a Germany flag draped over her shoulders, Pauline Bremer soon caught up with her colleagues and could likewise barely contain her joy while speaking to FIFA.com. “It’s a fantastic feeling,” said the grinning winner of the adidas Silver Boot as the tournament’s second top scorer. “I’m so happy we won and it was an incredible team performance. We’re all absolutely delighted. We kept pushing ourselves and were determined to win the match. We never stopped believing and in the changing room we reminded ourselves of our strengths and said we needed to improve. Fortunately things worked out well for us in extra time.”
Theresa Panfil could only echo her team-mates’ sentiments. “I feel phenomenal and am totally lost for words,” said the diminutive midfielder, who was one of the best players on the pitch. “We’re overjoyed and it was unbelievable to win after playing like that. We grew together as a group over the course of the tournament and everyone fought for each other in every game. Nobody put themselves above the team. We had the players who scored the goals and led us to victory.”
Unique experience
One goalscorer in particular, Lena Petermann, was thrust into the spotlight after the game having netted a 98th-minute winner to hand Germany the World Cup trophy.
“At the moment I don’t really know what’s going on,” said the visibly stunned 20-year-old in the depths of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. “I don’t know where I am. It just feels good but it doesn’t feel real yet. Right now I’m kind of in a state of shock and I still can’t quite grasp what’s happened. I’ll need a few days before it all properly sinks in. I think our last two games were the toughest I’ve ever played in. Tonight is going to be amazing because it’s something you probably only ever get to experience once in your life. You need to celebrate that accordingly.”
Or, as the Toten Hosen would say: “On days like these you wish it would never en
“I’m lost for words,” Germany captain Lina Magull told FIFA.com after the final whistle. “At the start of the tournament we didn’t expect this because we had so many injuries and we weren’t playing well together as a team. We improved as the competition progressed and in the group stage we were really good. I’ve already won a few things with Wolfsburg and have been in the U-20s right from the start, which makes this all the better. This was my last chance to win a trophy with a junior team and luckily we made the most of it.” Magull then turned around to face her team-mate Sara Dabritz before shouting “we’re world champions” into the microphone.
“I’m still speechless and it hasn’t sunk in yet that we won the World Cup, it’s simply amazing and we’re over the moon,” said a beaming Dabritz, who then proceeded to give her best Toten Hosen imitation with a wholehearted laugh: “On days like these ... you become a world champion!”
Teamwork and self-belief With a Germany flag draped over her shoulders, Pauline Bremer soon caught up with her colleagues and could likewise barely contain her joy while speaking to FIFA.com. “It’s a fantastic feeling,” said the grinning winner of the adidas Silver Boot as the tournament’s second top scorer. “I’m so happy we won and it was an incredible team performance. We’re all absolutely delighted. We kept pushing ourselves and were determined to win the match. We never stopped believing and in the changing room we reminded ourselves of our strengths and said we needed to improve. Fortunately things worked out well for us in extra time.”
Theresa Panfil could only echo her team-mates’ sentiments. “I feel phenomenal and am totally lost for words,” said the diminutive midfielder, who was one of the best players on the pitch. “We’re overjoyed and it was unbelievable to win after playing like that. We grew together as a group over the course of the tournament and everyone fought for each other in every game. Nobody put themselves above the team. We had the players who scored the goals and led us to victory.”
Unique experience
One goalscorer in particular, Lena Petermann, was thrust into the spotlight after the game having netted a 98th-minute winner to hand Germany the World Cup trophy.
“At the moment I don’t really know what’s going on,” said the visibly stunned 20-year-old in the depths of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. “I don’t know where I am. It just feels good but it doesn’t feel real yet. Right now I’m kind of in a state of shock and I still can’t quite grasp what’s happened. I’ll need a few days before it all properly sinks in. I think our last two games were the toughest I’ve ever played in. Tonight is going to be amazing because it’s something you probably only ever get to experience once in your life. You need to celebrate that accordingly.”
Or, as the Toten Hosen would say: “On days like these you wish it would never en
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