Semifinalists locked up, but the match-ups haven't been decided yet!
July 17, 2019 by Christina Obermayer in Coverage, News, Recap with 0 comments
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HEIDELBERG, GER — The start of power pools brought exciting games on day four. The rather clear outcomes of today’s games locked in the semifinalists. Although games are still going on tomorrow, the four teams advancing to the run for finals are set: Canada, Colombia, Japan, USA. Though these four teams are all in the semifinals, the specific semifinal match-ups will depend on the games tomorrow. So far USA and Japan are yet to be beaten but that will change as the two of them are meeting up tomorrow for a final power pool game.
Power Pool C
Canada vs. Germany
Canada defeated Germany in a morning match up with a final score of 15-9. Both teams had a very good start to the game. Germany got a few opportunities for an early break but they were not able to convert them. Canada put a lot of pressure on the German squad with their intense match defense and manage to steal two breaks from Germany in the first half. As Germany transitioned to match as well, they managed to put some more pressure on the Canadian offense. As Canada tried to take half, Germany stacked up their line, but could not convert on another opportunity to break back. Canada was up two breaks at halftime 8-6.
Both teams came into the second half fired up but some errors on the German side allowed Canada to broaden their lead to a score of 12-7. Germany then went back to playing their zone look, but Canada again confidently worked through it. Canada showed more composure in the second half and they contained Germany very well. German coach Ellen Jackobsen was a little disappointed with the way Germany handled their offense. Jackobsen felt like they could have done a better job at finishing their cuts and push until the end. Overall both teams did a great job at containing the other in terms of defense, but Canada managed to convert on more defensive possessions. Canada’s Coach Alison Fischer said at the end of the game, “I am happy about our overall performance, but we also know that turning it over so much will not work out well against the US.”
USA vs. Canada
Many have talked about this match up being the favorite for the final, but the US took the game by eight points, 15-7. Both teams matched up very well athletically. Canada tried a couple of different looks on defense, as their coach Eva said before the game, “We do not want to give them the opportunity to get comfortable with one defensive look.” The Canadians tried many different looks. Some worked better than others, but the coaches liked their teams intensity whenever they were on defense. A problem that had been haunting the Canadian squad all through their preparation was valuing the disc whenever they created a turn. The USA was a bit more patient with the disc and did a very good job of figuring out the defensive looks. Although their offense could be a little more safe, they showed great new formed connections and a huge amount of trust for all of their team mates. For now, this makes USA top of the power pool together with Japan, whom they will play tomorrow, whereas Canada plays Colombia for the third place in the power pool.
Italy vs. Colombia
These two teams matched up for the last round of games. One could see both teams were rather tired from a long week of intense games. Colombia were able to edge out a victory though, 15-12. Earlier today, both teams suffered huge losses.1 As both teams came into this power pool with some losses, this game was a must win situation for both of them. Italy started off a little shaky, which Colombia used to convert on breaks. Colombia came out with their zone, which put a lot of pressure on the Italians. In combination with their late start into the game, Colombia used their opportunities well, playing with their whole roster to prevent Italy from taking home a win. Italy, on the other side, worked with their great athleticism and connections between players to put on a good match. This loss for Italy means that they are out of contention for the semifinals and will play for 5th place. Colombia, as well as Canada, have a chance to take third place in the power pool and are still in the running for a gold medal.
Lower Pool D
The top two teams from Pool D will face Germany and Italy to fight for 5th place. Looking at the results from today, these spots are not yet secured as four teams are still in the running. Switzerland, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland all have mathematical shots to make it into those top two spots, though currently Ireland have the most difficult road to get there.2
Italy lost 15-5 against USA and Colombia lost 15-7 against Japan ↩
Ireland need Switzerland to defeat Great Britain, and they need to beat New Zealand by 14 points in order to advance through a triangle with New Zealand and GB. They are currently sitting at -7 in that triangle and GB are sitting at +6 with the head-to-head advantage over Ireland. ↩
