FIFA amends schedule

FIFA has moved back both of today’s matches to 20 September. FIFA announced yesterday that matches 21 (Norway-Ghana in Shanghai) and 24 (Brasil-Denmark in Hangzhou) were rescheduled to 20 September in Hangzhou because of the Wipha typhoon. Today’s announcement moves matches 22 (Canada-Australia in Chengdu) and 23 (China-New Zealand in Hangzhou) back one day to 20 September to fall in line with the other two matches.



Both the Canadian and Australian teams were notified of the schedule change roughly two hours before kick off. Neither the coaches or the players from either team had left the hotel for the stadium, although both sides already had team members at the pitch preparing the dressing rooms and benches when the news broke.



According to the FIFA release, ‘the decision to move matches 22 and 23 were done in accordance with Art. 25, paragraph 2 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007 regulations. This regulation ensures that the last matches in each group will be played simultaneously. FIFA could not apply this article yesterday due to the force majeure case – the uncertainties of thw weather – and in accordance with Art. 34 (“special circumstances”) of the same regulations.’