Group C: qualifying goal-scoring stars

Yesterday, we looked at three star players from Group C, the group in which Canada will play its opening round at the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007. According to FIFA Magazine, Ingvild Stensland (Norge), Adjoa Bayor (Ghana) and Joanne Peters (Australia) are three players to watch in the coming month.



Oh yeah, Christine Sinclair was Canada’s “star player” according to the September 2007 issue.



Today, we will look at three goal-scoring stars from the 2005-06 qualification rounds for China 2007. The date listed for each team is the date they face Canada.



Norge (Norway) – Canada – 12 September



Norge played eight games in its European qualifications from 27 August 2005 to 23 September 2006. They posted seven wins and one draw in that stretch, including a pair of wins over top-15 ranked Italia.



Thirty-year old Ragnhild Gulbrandsen led all senior-team players with five goals in just four qualifying matches. Gulbrandsen, an Olympic champion in 2000, previously participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 1999. Of note, Ragnhild’s younger sister Solveig (26) scored two goals in three matches. Both sisters were in Norge’s starting lineup today for a 2:2 draw with Deutschland (international friendly). The elder Gulbrandsen scored for Norge.



Ghana – Canada – 15 September



Ghana played five games in its African qualifications from 29 October to 11 November 2006. Ghana won its first four matches, but then lost the final 0:1 to Nigeria.



Teenager Anita Amankwa led all senior-team players with four goals in five games. She scored two goals in a 2:1 win over Cameroun (she notched the winner in the 90th minute) and two goals in a 3:1 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was then kept off the scoresheet in both the semi-final (1:0 win over South Africa) and the final. China 2007 will be Amankwa’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup.



Australia – Canada – 19 September



Australia played six games in its Asian qualifications from 16 July to 30 July 2006. Australia won four matches and drew two others. Australia finished second in the tournament behind PR China.



Twenty-two year-old forward Lisa De Vanna co-led her team with three goals in six matches. Twenty-four year-old Caitlin Munoz (who played at the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship Canada 2002) also scored three goals in that span, but De Vanna wins the boot as the team’s top scorer because she played fewer minutes (De Vanna 270 minutes, Munoz 375 minutes). De Vanna will be taking part in her first FIFA Women’s World Cup this September.