BOCHUM, Germany — Gaetane Thiney of France scored twice Thursday in a 4-0 rout that eliminated Canada and assured the French a quarterfinal berth in the women’s World Cup.
Thiney scored in the 24th and 59th minutes, and Camille Abily’s header from a corner kick put the outcome beyond doubt in the 66th before 16,591 fans. Substitute Elodie Thomis added the fourth goal in the 83rd, rounding the goalkeeper after being set up by playmaker Louisa Necib.
Canada captain Christine Sinclair was unable to exert her usual influence. She wore a mask after breaking her nose in the previous game, a loss to Germany.
“Maybe if Christine was at 100 percent, we would have been able to maintain more pressure up front,” Canada coach Carolina Morace said.
“Skills made the difference,” France coach Bruno Bini said. “The goal is to have the whole team play well.”
Canada’s defense was at fault for the first goal, when Elise Bussaglia’s shot deflected to the unmarked Thiney, and the winger’s cushioned header gave Erin McLeod no chance.
Another mistake allowed her second when Marie-Laure Delie caught Emily Zurrer in possession and fed the ball back for Thiney to shoot in off the right post.
“Everything worked right for us today,” Thiney said. “My goals were fantastic.”
When Jonelle Filigno tripped over the ball in front of goal in the 65th, it seemed certain not to be Canada’s day, with Abily scoring a minute later.
Germany 1, Nigeria 0
FRANKFURT, Germany — Germany reached the quarterfinals when Simone Laudehr scored on a thunderous volley during a 54th-minute goalmouth scramble in a surprisingly tight game.
“It didn’t go smoothly,” Laudehr said. “We knew that they would be tough because they needed three points. They made our life difficult.”
Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer celebrated her 100th international appearance with a shutout. The host nation, which has won both its games, looked hardly convincing in the three-week tournament it is favored to win.
Nigeria made crunching tackles and was on edge all the time, not ready to leave the tournament easily. But tougher opposition is coming for Germany, with France next.
“We are happy to advance, but we have to work on our game,” Germany coach Sylvia Neid said.
The Associated Press
