Impact Sport rounds up the five biggest stories and events from sport around the globe.
Women’s Football World Cup Begins
On Saturday 6th June, the Women’s Football World Cup in Canada began, with the hosts winning their first game against China 1-0. Two-time winners Germany threw down the gauntlet in their first game with a 10-0 drubbing of Ivory Coast, with Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag hitting hat-tricks as Germany fell one short of their 11-0 record win over Argentina in 2007.
England started off their tournament against France, who are ranked third in FIFA’s world rankings, and slipped to a 1-0 defeat despite a valiant effort, and will be looking to beat Mexico and Colombia, two teams ranked below them, to advance out of the group stages.
The USA, the 2011 World Cup runners-up, began their tournament with a comfortable 3-1 win over Australia, a strong indicator of their pre-tournament credentials as favourites along with Germany. Champions Japan also managed to negotiate a stoic Switzerland side with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, as the three favourites all took three points in the first round of matches.
On an individual level, Brazilian legend Marta netted her 15th finals goal in Brazil’s 2-0 win over South Korea, overtaking former Germany striker Birgit Prinz. In addition, Formiga, playing in her record-equalling sixth World Cup, also scored for Brazil, in her 137th international appearance.
The Women’s World Cup continues this week, taking place until Monday 6th July.
England strike highest-ever ODI score in win over New Zealand
England’s second ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand begins today, with England taking a 1-0 series lead after a fantastic 210-run win in the first ODI. Having scored 408-9, their highest-ever score in a one-day international, New Zealand were skittled for just 198 to claim an unprecedented victory over the World Cup finals. Jos Buttler hit the second-fastest ODI hundred off of 66 balls, while Joe Root took just 71 ball to score his century, the fourth-fastest.
It is a stark contrast to the performances by England in the World Cup earlier this year, and continues the trend of optimism set by a strong Test series against New Zealand back in May.
Strong British showing in Aegon Open in Nottingham
The women’s Aegon Open continues to take place going into this weekend, with the semi-finals beginning tomorrow. British number two Johanna Konta, ranked 147th in the world, got to the quarter-finals of the Open before finally losing to world number 61 Monica Niculescu 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Women’s tennis continues next week with the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, while men’s tennis continues with the Aegon Championship at Queen’s Club in London next week.
Copa America begins as South America’s biggest stars vie for glory
Neymar, Lionel Messi, Edinson Cavani, James Rodriguez all in one place. It’s not the Champions League quarter finals, more the 44th edition of the oldest national football competition in the world, the Copa America. Uruguay will be looking to retain the title they won four years ago, however they will have to do so without talismatic forward Luis Suarez, who is still serving a national team suspension for his bite on Giorgio Chielliini at last summer’s World Cup.
It also looks to be the most open Copa in many years, with South American football at its strongest and most open in decades. One World Cup finalist, a semi-finalist and quarter-finalist all compete in the tournament, and with only 12 teams competing, the Copa can be followed at a leisurely pace without forcing you to watch three matches a day like the World Cup.
Copa America hosts Chile started the tournament with a victory over Ecuador last night, with Juventus’ Arturo Vidal and ex-QPR loanee Eduardo Vargas scoring in a 2-0 victory as they look for their first-ever Copa America victory.
It looks all set to be a showcase of the best football South America can offer, which you need only look at Barcelona’s front three to recognise is something rather special.
NBA Finals: Warriors levels against the Cavaliers
The Golden State Warriors levelled up the 7-game NBA finals with a 102-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, while LeBron James needed stitches after colliding with a camera at the side of the court.
James was hurt when a foul by Andrew Bogut caused him to fall into the camera, while Stephen Currey and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points for the Warriors to tie the series going in the 5th game on Sunday, at Golden State’s home in Oakland, California.
Connor Higgs
Images: mirror.co.uk, Wikipedia, Sky Sports and lta.co.uk
