This was interesting, to see the Norwegians barely challenge the Chinese goal but still somehow thump the hosts. The Chinese dominated possession and took a lot more shots, but just did nothing useful, taking weak shots from distance or putting them over the cross bar into row Z. The Norwegians just drifted into a glacier like wall every time the Chinese threatened, keeping them nibbling around the box while the shifting Norwegians kept getting a leg in the way of every shot the Chinese made at the goal. The winner for Norway came on a fairly serious screw-up by the Chinese as a Norwegian pass went well off target, and the Chinese defender who rounded it up, facing her own goal, thought she had miles of space around her and experienced a moment of indecision as to whether she was going to pass back to her own keeper, put it out wide or turn back upfield, and Isabell Herlovsen zipped up behind her to strip the ball and set a billion eyes crying. The previously powerful Chinese are so far off their game these days, they made the same mistake in the closing minutes and surrendered a corner to Norway... and when the ref gave them a gift of a goal kick so they could start one more attack, they dallied so long the exasperated ref didn't give them a decent shot at an equalizer before blowing the whistle. Norway goes on to face the Germans in the semifinals (well, actually they already did, but I'm still catching up).
Norway 1 - 0 China
'32 Herlovsen
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