2011 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP FINAL HYPOTHETICAL

Let's examine ADG with the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup final as a hypothetical example. (While the author believes that ADG after 90 minutes will be the optimal format, the players listed below are those who were on the field at the completion of extra time.) The USA have eleven players and the Japanese have ten due to Iwashimizu's red card. The USA have not received any cautions, but the Japanese have Miyama on a yellow card. The USA win the coin toss and choose to attack in the first contest. Both teams receive an additional substitution.

The referee meets separately with the teams and records their five attackers and the order in which they will compete.

USA

1

3

6

7

9

10

11

13

17

19

20

Solo (GK)

Rampone

LePeilbet

Boxx

O'Reilly

Lloyd

Krieger

Morgan

Heath

Buehler

Wambach

JAPAN

21

2

4

6

8

9

10

15

17

20

Kaihori (GK)

Kinga

Kumagai

Sakaguchi

MiyamaYellow Card

Kawasumi

Sawa

Sameshima

Nagasoto

Iwabuchi

 

Contest 1

USA have Wambach as their attacker, while Japan select Kumagai as their defender. Kaihori is the goalkeeper. Wambach edges past her defender and is inside the penalty area when she shoots. But the shot is wide and the keeper watches it safely fly by.

Contest 2

Japan have Kawasumi as their attacker and USA select Buehler as their defender. Solo is the goalkeeper. Buehler makes a careless tackle and it's a penalty kick for Kawasumi. The attacker hits a solid penalty and Solo can't prevent the first Japanese goal.

Contest 3

USA have O'Reilly as their attacker and Japan select Sameshima as their defender. Sameshima makes a decisive tackle and well-timed tackle that forces the ball over the touchline.

Contest 4

Japan have Nagasoto as their attacker and USA select LePeilbet as their defender. Nagasoto slides past LePeilbet and Solo is quickly off her line. Nagasoto attempts to chip the goalkeeper, but the shot is too high and the ball sails over the crossbar.

Contest 5

USA have Lloyd as their attacker and Japan select Kinga as their defender. Lloyd is barely off the ADG mark when she’s fouled by a careless challenge from Kinga. Kaihori saves Lloyd’s penalty kick.

Contest 6

Japan have Iwabuchi as their attacker and USA select Rampone as their defender. Iwabuchi skips past Rampone and shoots from just outside the penalty box. Solo makes a brilliant save to deny the goal.

Contest 7

USA have Heath as their attacker and Japan don’t play a defender because of Iwashimizu’s red card. Heath dribbles into the box and slots the ball home.

Contest 8

Japan have Miyama as their attacker and USA select Boxx as their defender. They tussle before Boxx kicks the ball out of play.

Contest 9

USA have Morgan as their attacker and Japan select Sawa as their defender. Sawa dispossesses the ball from the attacker and kicks it over the touchline.

Contest 10

Japan have Sakaguchi as their attacker and USA have Krieger as their defender. Krieger stumbles, but Solo is off her line and manages to sweep the ball up before the attacker can attempt a shot.

Contest 11

ADG enters sudden death. As per the first contest, USA have Wambach as their attacker, while Japan have Kumagai as their defender. A perfectly timed tackle from the defender forces the ball over the touchline.

Contest 12

As per the second contest, Kawasumi is Japan's attacker, while Buehler is the USA's defender. Kawasumi is away and gets a long range shot off. Solo manages to palm the ball away, but Kawasumi scampers for a follow up shot. It’s a stinging effort and the ball rockets into the goal. Japan win the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup!
View Completed Scorecard.

#AttackerDefenderGoalkeeperResultADG Score
1WambachKumagaiKaihori-USA 0-0 JPN
2KawasumiBuehlerSoloGoalUSA 0-1 JPN
3O'ReillySameshimaKaihori-USA 0-1 JPN
4NagasotoLePeilbetSolo-USA 0-1 JPN
5LloydKingaKaihori-USA 0-1 JPN
6IwabuchiRamponeSolo-USA 0-1 JPN
7Heath-Kaihori-USA 0-1 JPN
8MiyamaBoxxSoloGoalUSA 1-1 JPN
9MorganSawaKaihori-USA 1-1 JPN
10SakaguchiKriegerSolo-USA 1-1 JPN
11WambachKumagaiKaihori-USA 1-1 JPN
12KawasumiBuehlerSoloGoalUSA 1-2 JPN


"A football match should be decided by an action of play.
Not some contrived process whose end result is to mark a fine player such as Bossis,
Baresi or Baggio for the rest of his career."

Michel Platini
Former French Player