Group D: 2007 Womens World Cup Finals
Corals odds for Group Winner China 6/4 fav
Denmark 9/5
Brazil 7/4
New Zealand 40/1 Fixtures: 12/9/07 Brazil v. New Zealand (Wuhan)
12/9/07 China v. Denmark (Wuhan)
15/9/07 Denmark v. New Zealand (Wuhan)
15/9/07 Brazil v. China (Wuhan)
19/9/07 China v. New Zealand (Tianjin)
19/9/07 Brazil v. Denmark (Hangzhou)
Review: This was my least favourite group.
For starters I have never subscribed to the "let's all worship the Brazilians" school of thought and it was disappointing to see their womens' team actually looking a class outfit.
They played at a good pace, their movement was perhaps the best in the tournament and, most disturbing of all, they appear to have an excellent goalkeeper.
Jesus Christ. That's all we need.
I'm just hoping that this turns out to be a really weak group and the Brazilians don't get past the semi finals. They look nailed on to beat Australia in the quarters.
What set me against this group from the start was the opening game in which China beat Denmark 3-2. This result effectively sealed China's qualification and knocked the Danes out and it was the pathetic display of refereeing that particularly got up my nose.
FIFA had obviously gone out of their way to get the weakest official they had to ref this one so that China had every advantage in looking to get through to the next round.
I did, however, lose some sympathy with the Danes in their next two games because they didn't exactly pull up any trees in those either.
As for New Zealand they were simply trying to keep the scores respectable and just about succeeded.
The obvious star was Brazil's Marta who is obviously worried that people might start thinking Kelly Smith's a better player than her.
Give it up, Marta. We all know she is already.
Brazil have several other players who look quite good but I'm not going to distinguish them by naming them. I do, however, have to mention the keeper Andreia who looks a good 'un.
Hopefully the knockout stages will prove me wrong on that one.
China were a poor womans' version of North Korea so I'm not singling any of their players out either while Catherine Paaske Sorensen was the undoubted pick from a disappointing Denmark.
I will give a mention to the New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny Bindon who, despite a couple of cock ups, kept goal really well under constant pressure and was also one of the tournaments' hotties at the age of 34.
Like the BBC's Lucy Ward I also liked the New Zealand shirts but that's another story.
Disappointments were the fact that Brazil looked so good, Dianne Ferreira-James's refereeing and Denmark's centre forward Maiken Pape who was pap.
I think worst player in the tournament award goes to the New Zealand centre forward Wendi Thompson, however.
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