USA 2 defeated Italy 1
USA: Angie Loy FG 13m, Angie Loy PC 68m; ITA: Stella Girotti PC 16m
With the teams returning to the pitch to resume Saturday's rain-suspended match, the USA made the most of the new day with a 2-1 win over Italy.
Angie Loy's penalty corner goal in the final two minutes of action gave the USA the victory early Sunday morning after Satruday's game was suspended with the pitch underwater, the score tied at 1-1 and 9:21 remaining on the clock.
Before the Saturday's rain, the USA got on the scoreboard first when Loy knocked in a field goal i n the 13th minute. The lead was shortlived however as Stella Girotti tied the game with a penalty corner to the delight of the large crowd supporting the home country.
But in the second half, the rains came.
The players slogged through the heavy downpour with 15 minutes remaining before officials sent the teams off of the pitch.
When play resumed on Sunday, the USA applied pressure throughout the remaining 9 minutes until Loy scored ont he team's fourth penalty corner of the day.
With the win, the USA (7 points) remains atop the Pool B points table with Korea (7 points). Italy falls to 1-2 in the tournament.
Ireland 0 draws New Zealand 0
Ireland's defense helped the team to its third straight World Cup Qualifier draw as the team played to a 0-0 tie with New Zealand.
The draw was the third consecutive deadlock for Ireland and its second straight 0-0 result after playing for to a scoreless draw against Korea on Thursday.
New Zealand had most of the chances in the second half, but a pair of penalty corner shots were stuffed by Ireland runner Jenny McDonough.
The draw gives New Zealand 4 points for the tournament as the team continues to chase Pool B frontrunners USA and Korea. Ireland sits in fourth place in the pool with 3 points.
France 2 defeated Ukraine 0
FRA:Philippine Berly PC 9m, Philippine Berly PC 58m
France kept alive its hopes for a World Cup berth with a 2-0 win over Ukraine.
Philippine Berly scored a penalty corner goal in each half to spark France's second win of the tournment. The win gives France six points in the Pool A standings and keeps the team's hopes alive for a chance at one of the tournament's five World Cup berths.
After taking a 1-0 halftime lead, France took control of the second half and added the insurance goal with 12 minutes left in the game when Berly knocked in a loose ball in front of the Ukraine goal.
France concludes pool play on Tuesday against China while Ukraine will try for its first point of the tournament against Scotland.
Japan 3 defeated China 0
JPN: Tomomi Komori FG 34m, Mayumi Ono PC 50m, Yukari Yamamoto PC 53m
Japan became the first team from the qualifying tournament to earn a spot in September’s World Cup with a 3-0 victory over China.
With 12 points and a 4-0 record in the Pool A standings, Japan ensured itself of a spot in the semifinals, a top-four finish and a ticket to the World Cup in Madrid. China - the world’s No. 5 ranked team and the World Cup bronze medalist in 2002 - falls to 2-2 (6 points) at the tournament. Depending on the outcome of England’s (3-0, 9 points) final two contests, China could face relegation to the 5th-8th place bracket and a battle for one final World Cup spot.
One of the tournament’s top goal scorers, Tomomi Komori added to her total late in the fast-paced first half when she took the ball into the China circle and fired a reverse stick blast into the right corner of the Chinese goal.
Komori now shares the goal-scoring lead with teammate Kaori Chiba with 5 goals each.
Japan added a pair of penalty corner goals by Maymi Ono and Yukari Yamamoto in the second half to punch its ticket to Madrid.
Japan concludes pool play on Tuesday against England while China takes on France.
England 4 defeated Scotland 1
ENG: Rachel Walker FG 11m, Lucilla Wright PC 26m, Lucilla Wright PC 56m, Kate Walsh; SCO: Sam Judge FG 62m
England became the second team from Pool A to earn a World Cup berth with a dominant 4-1 win over Scotland.
With the victory, England joins Japan as the first two teams to earn trips to Madrid for this September’s World Cup. The two teams will play each other for bragging rights and for the top seed in Pool A on Tuesday before advancing to the semifinals on May 4.
Scotland remained winless at the tournament and will play Ukraine (0-3) on Tuesday. Both Scotland and Ukraine will play in the bracket to determine the 9th-12th place finishers when crossover play begins May 4.
As the team had done all tournament, England jumped out to a fast start and quickly pulled ahead on Rachel Walker’s field goal in the 11th minute. England continued to created opportunities and pepper Scotland goalkeeper Debbie McLeod with shots throughout the first half and Lucilla Wright added the first of her two penalty corner goals in the 26th minute to give England a 2-0 halftime lead.
England continued to control the game in the second half as Wright added a second penalty corner goal in the 56th minute and Kate Walsh contributed another penalty corner in the 61st minute to send England to its 7th straight World Cup.
Scotland’s Sam Judge slammed a shot into the back of the England goal in the 62nd minute, but it was not enough as Scotland was eliminated from World Cup consideration for the first time since 1994.
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