Germany, Norway shutout winners
OTTAWA, Ontario – Celia Sasic scored the fastest hat trick in Women’s World Cup history and Anja Mittag also scored three goals to spark top-ranked Germany to a 10-0 victory over Ivory Coast on Sunday in a Group B match – the second-most lopsided win in event history.
Germany used a crisp, efficient passing game to dominate in the offensive zone.
Leonie Maier found a wide-open Sasic at the top of the 6-meter box for her first goal midway through the third minute. Lena Goessling threaded a cross into the 6-meter box that Sasic headed into an open goal in the 14th minute. Goessling struck again in the 29th minute with a pass that Mittag left-footed past goalkeeper Dominique Thiamale. Sasic completed her hat trick in the 31st minute, punching home a pass from Mittag, who completed the first-half spree in the 35th minute for her second goal.
Sasic was replaced to start the second half, and Mittag completed her hat trick in the 64th minute, beating Thiamale on a breakaway.
Norway 4, Thailand 0: No. 11-ranked Norway, the 1995 world champion, scored in the 15th minute when Trine Ronning bent a free kick around a wall of Thai defenders to beat goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing.
Isabell Herlovsen added a pair of goals five minutes apart, beating Boonsing in the 29th minute and heading in a crossing pass from Solveig Gulbrandsen in the 34th. Ada Hegerberg capped the scoring in the 68th minute.