Women’s World Cup

The US doesn’t play until Tues, but the hosts France (and one of the pre-tourney favorites) begin the festivities today.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports...mpion-top-scorer-and-much-more-171811881.html

 

Some interesting results thus far which show the quickly narrowing talent gap in women's international football. The US are ranked number one but France are the oddsmaker's favorites. It's not going to be easy, especially given the fact that the US defense is not as strong as it has been in previous tournaments.

I'll probably try streaming the US match at work today (which means that neither will get my full attention). Though, I'd be shocked by anything less than a multi-goal victory.

 

13-0 Got to the point where you hoped the clock would run faster. Only criticism would be all the short corners taken in the first half. I’m guessing it was not give away their set pieces.

 

I don't think it would be unreasonable for FIFA to institute a "mercy" rule similar to what many state high school athletic associations have. For example, here in Kentucky, the baseball rule reads like this:

For all games, regular season and postseason, a ten (10) run differential between teams after fi ve or more complete innings (including after the top half if the home team is ahead) shall constitute a complete game.
For all games, regular season and postseason, a fiffteen (15) run differential between teams after three or more complete innings (including after the top half if the home team is ahead) shall constitute a complete game.

Shouldn't be that hard, should it? But we are talking about FIFA here, aren't we?

And, to answer your question Sir Donald, not positively. To wit: https://twitter.com/i/moments/1138565755354648576

 

Yesterday's display may not have done anything positive for women's soccer, but what sort of display/result would have? What should be done differently?

There's absolutely no way that FIFA institutes a mercy rule for a global tournament of professional athletes - especially when goal differential is a tiebreaker.

There's still no indication as to how good the US defense is, and Sunday's game will also probably not provide any further evidence.

 

I'm actually okay with what happened yesterday. If nothing else, it shows the gap that other countries need to cover in order to compete with the top teams in the world, whether that's through funding, training, prioritization, etc.

I mean, I sit firmly in the camp of how it's been said in numerous articles/tweets/grams/whatever other social media things...the ultimate respect you can give any team is to give them your best effort for the entire game. I've been a part of both sides of lopsided games, and with soccer in mind, playing keep away instead of attacking would be demeaning to the other team, more so than dropping 13 balls into the back of the net. Bad things happen when you try to take it easy on a team that you should beat by a lot...players get hurt, goals get scored by the other team and the football gods distribute just punishment for not respecting the game.

Could the celebrations have been tamed down a bit? Sure. Then again, this is the most important tournament in the world for women's soccer...there are no participation ribbons.

 

A rout like this was pretty much inevitable. I see it primarily as growing pains -- there's not as much top-to-bottom parity in the women's game. I felt bad for Thailand, but I was happy for the US goal scorers, because they all got a memory for a lifetime.

I worked with a guy who was born in South Korea, and moved to the US in his late 20s. We worked together during the Korea/Japan World Cup. He told me about the first time South Korea made the World Cup -- they lost a game 11-0. I couldn't begin to describe his elation when they went to the semifinals of the World Cup. A just-about-perfect sports story.

 

Side note: Where was the outrage last month when a Norwegian scored 9 goals in a 12-0 rout over Honduras at the U20 World Cup?

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS713US713&biw=1366&bih=921&ei=IgAEXaTNDeazggfot4-oBA&q=u20 world cup norway honduras&oq=u20 world cup norway hon&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.33i22i29i30.20201.33057..34568...0.0..0.144.576.6j1......0....1j2..gws-wiz.......0j0i131i67j0i131j0i7i30j0i3j33i299.hGSCmCK9Aqc

 

And, lest we forget......

 

First real opponent manana. Sweden should create some chances which is a good thing heading into the knockout stages.

A potentially big issue not talked about is the BS scheduling FIFA has come up with. Spain (the likely opponent) will have an extra 3 days to prepare for the US. France played the opening game, the US waited 5 days to play, yet they are on a collision course for the Quarterfinal.

 

Agree HD, and I’ve also enjoyed when the ref makes a call they aren’t assailed by half the offending team.

One thing I’m not digging is the new PK rule where the Goalie has to have one foot on the line at point of contact. Theoretically it makes sense, but unless it’s obvious it should never be called. France missed a PK wide of goal but was given a re-do when the Nigerian GK was less then a foot off the line. Scotland just missed advancing to the round of 16, when the Scottish keeper to the letter of the law was wrong (one foot was barely off), but Argentina’s initial PK was deservingly saved. Hope this rule doesn’t ruin a big match later in the tourney.

 

Going to need Ertz going forward (if it was a knockout game she could’ve gone), and hopefully Morgan’s knock isn’t serious. Otherwise a pretty solid display, considering they took the air out of the ball the final 20-25 minutes. Bring on Spain!

 

They've sort of addressed your PK issue @SoCalJoe. It sounds like kicks might still be retaken, but keepers won't be carded.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-wo.../no-cards-for-keepers-coming-off-line-for-pks

Is anyone else over VAR? I feel like it's being used far too frequently and is taking way too long. I'd give the reviewers 20-30 seconds. If it's not obvious in that time... move on.

 

I've been over VAR for a good long while. I hate it. The call that has bothered me the most was the own goal given against Brazil:


Without VAR, Australia is immediately called offside and the play is over. With VAR the line judge waits to see what to do, the players have to keep going as if offside is not called, they take chances they would never do if there was no opposing player around, and an own-goal is scored. VAR caused the situation and then VAR did nothing to resolve it fairly. I was disgusted.

Is is appropriate that this is how things are played when we all live under nearly constant surveillance now. Can't get away with anything anymore, yet somehow justice still seems hard to come by.

 

Big sigh of relief. Credit Spain, but that US performance won’t beat France. Howler for their goal and Spain followed Sweden’s strategy of beating up Morgan. Ellis needed to go to the bench far earlier. Going to need Pugh’s pace against France, but looks like the vets are going to get the call.