DPA
Melbourne/Berlin
Ary Borges scored a hat-trick as Brazil trounced Panama 4-0 at the women’s World Cup while Alexandra Popp had a brace for Germany en route to a 6-0 demolition of Morocco on Monday.
Borges was on target in the 19th, 39th and 70th in Adelaide, and also set up Bia Zaneratto for the other in the 48th for rampant Brazil whose veteran superstar Marta came on late to play at a sixth World Cup.
“I’ve waited a long time for this moment. It’s a dream to be able to be here, playing in a World Cup. It’s one of the best days of my life. I’m very, very happy for the three goals, but the main thing was a debut in which we imposed ourselves,” Borges said.
The 2007 finalists Brazil went top in Group F where France and Jamaica had drawn 0-0 the previous day.
Germany were even more ruthless as Popp headed home in the 11th and 39th minute in Melbourne for now 64 goals in 129 caps.
Klara Buhl grabbed the third 23 seconds after the restart, before own goals from Hanane Ait El Haj in the 54th and Yasmin Mrabet in the 79th as well as Lea Schüller in the 90th completed a big statement of intent from the 2003 and 2007 champions.
It was the biggest win of the tournament, eclipsing the 5-0 of 2011 champions Japan against Zambia on Saturday, and gave Germany early control in Group H where the other two teams Colombia and South Korea meet on Tuesday.
“We saw that other teams had trouble in their first games. We did well and were rewarded in the second half. We can be satisfied with this start,” German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told broadcasters ZDF.
“We will let others decide what this means. We won’t get carried away. We are satisfied, nothing more and nothing less.”
Italy meanwhile got a late 1-0 victory from Cristiana Girelli against Argentina in Auckland to lead Group G together with Sweden while Argentina remain winless at the global stage in their fourth appearance.
Brazil tried to overrun Panama from the kick-off at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, with Adriana denied in the opening seconds by goalkeeper Yenith Bailey before Ary Borges headed the opener in the 19th at the far post.
One-way traffic continued and Borges got a second 20 minutes later when Borges poked home after her first attempt was stopped by Bailey.
Brazil’s third in the 48th was pure class, featuring back-heelers from Adriana in the build-up and from Borges who laid the ball back to Zaneratto to smash home.
Borges then completed her hat-trick with a glacing header off subsitute Geyse, and the South American champions could have easily won by a bigger margin, with chances including a late Marta free-kick.
Germany were without two injured key players, midfielder Lena Oberdorf and defender Marina Hegering, but started strongly and led after 11 minutes at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium.
Morocco gave away the ball deep in their own half, and Popp headed home an accurate cross from the right by Kathrin Hendrich, with goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi coming too late.
Popp beat two defenders to artistically head in a corner kick from Bühl for 2-0, and the game was over as a contest 23 seconds into the second half. Lina Magull hit the crossbar from close range before Bühl slotted into the bottom far right corner.
Anissa Lahmari was denied Morocco’s first World Cup goal because she was offside when netting, and things got worse for the North Africans when Ait El Haj deflected into her own net for 4-0.
The fifth came when when the ball bounced towards goal off Popp in a scramble and Mrabet could not clear on the goal-line and rather hit into her own net. Substitute Schüller wrapped up matters in the closing stages.
“We are mega happy to have had such a start. You don’t really know where you stand before the first game and how the opponent will act.
I am happy that I could help my team towards safety with the first two goals,” Wolfsburg’s Popp said.
In Auckland’s Eden Park, Juventus forward Girelli came on in the 83rd minute and her looping header four minutes later off Lisa Boattin’s cross from the left gave Italy a winning start.
Two-time quarter-finalists Italy had first-half goals from Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti nullified for offside. But they also rode their luck when goalkeeper Francesa Durante did not look good twice after the break, allowing Eliana Stabile to come close for Argentina.
