Protocols with the IOC usually involve duffel bags of cash.
LOVE THE CROWD
AND IT'S A GOAL!
5-Ring Circus: The Olympics Soccer Thread
- Thread starter Zososoxfan
- Start date
LOVE THE CROWD
AND IT'S A GOAL!
That would be a tough offside call. The player is NOT between Smith's header and the keeper.
Yeah she was going away from goal but then kind of made a half step toward the ball but it would have been extremely harsh
She drove me nuts when she played for Seattle. Was always hurt and was generally ineffective, but then would show moments of extreme brilliance.
Albert in for Lavelle, COffey stays in with yellow
Williams in for Rodman
Krueger in for Fox
Albert promptly picks up a yellow on her first touch, jfc
Williams in for Rodman
Krueger in for Fox
Albert promptly picks up a yellow on her first touch, jfc
Friday's mens schedule:
9am - Morrocco vs. USA
11am - Japan vs. Spain
1pm - Egypt vs. Paraguay
3pm - France vs. Argentina
France/Argentina plays winner of Egypt/Paraguay, and Japan/Spain plays winner of USA/Morrocco.
France-Argentina is going to be a CHARGED atmosphere. Hopefully that stays on the field and we get a helluva game.
KOs include extra time and penalties as necessary. Unclear if ET is golden goal, but I suspect not.
LFG!
9am - Morrocco vs. USA
11am - Japan vs. Spain
1pm - Egypt vs. Paraguay
3pm - France vs. Argentina
France/Argentina plays winner of Egypt/Paraguay, and Japan/Spain plays winner of USA/Morrocco.
France-Argentina is going to be a CHARGED atmosphere. Hopefully that stays on the field and we get a helluva game.
KOs include extra time and penalties as necessary. Unclear if ET is golden goal, but I suspect not.
LFG!
It would be more fun if it was
France v. Spain
Egypt v. Morocco
Paraguay v. Argentina
US v. Japan
So Canada overcomes the (much deserved) 6 points deduction and makes it through on a tight 1-0 victory over Columbia.
I need a ruling - is it officially ok to cheer for the CANNWT again - or should one continue to shun them for the cheaters that they are (at least the coaching staff)
Asking for a friend …
I need a ruling - is it officially ok to cheer for the CANNWT again - or should one continue to shun them for the cheaters that they are (at least the coaching staff)
Asking for a friend …
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Women’s Quarters on Saturday
US-Japan
Spain-Colombia
Canada-Germany
France-Brazil
France should handle Brazil easily, would be an epic upset if Brazil could muster it.
I’m a huge Linda Caicedo stan & Colombia can be incisive on the counter, but how many chance will they get? Spain is going to have 2/3 possession or more.
Canada-Germany should be high flying - a lot of great athletes on the pitch who love to go direct. Should be very entertaining.
Japan is a tricky opponent. They are very comfortable sitting deep and countering at speed. Girma is going to be the key figure for the US. If she sweeps up like usual, the fullbacks can push higher and pull the defense wide. Mal & Rodman winning 1v1 consistently and Rose pulling strings will be the other keys.
Edit - match times below
US-Japan
Spain-Colombia
Canada-Germany
France-Brazil
France should handle Brazil easily, would be an epic upset if Brazil could muster it.
I’m a huge Linda Caicedo stan & Colombia can be incisive on the counter, but how many chance will they get? Spain is going to have 2/3 possession or more.
Canada-Germany should be high flying - a lot of great athletes on the pitch who love to go direct. Should be very entertaining.
Japan is a tricky opponent. They are very comfortable sitting deep and countering at speed. Girma is going to be the key figure for the US. If she sweeps up like usual, the fullbacks can push higher and pull the defense wide. Mal & Rodman winning 1v1 consistently and Rose pulling strings will be the other keys.
Edit - match times below
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They started doing them with the World Cup in Qatar.
...oh, so we can have revenge ourselves in the semis? I like where your head's at.
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Did we get the 411 on this question? Aside from Mal Swanson being back in our lives, the biggest on the field difference I see as compared to WC23 is the confident emergence of Trinity. Everyone seems deathly afraid of her.
As an aside, Girma is my USWNT binkie. I think her presence and calm just makes my heart rate more steady when the opposition is on attack. However, she tracked really poorly on the Matilda's goal and also their way-too-near chance in stoppage time. I should stop watching her so closely. I hate when visual evidence does not necessarily support what I believe.
Girma is incredible in 1v1s and recovery runs, to the point where balls over the top to her side of the field are largely fool's errands.
As a team defender, she is merely very very good.
What I love most is that when she tracks back for possession, other team's attackers don't even try to press her. She is the most calming, cerebral defender I can recall, MNT or WNT.
My favorite WNT CB pairing of all time is the 2015 era when Julie Ertz was playing CB so aggressively that she was basically also playing DM (before she actually moved there), while peak or near peak Becky Sauerbrunn was kind of a sweeper behind her with incredible positional awareness.
Girma is basically that peak or near peak Sauerbrunn with plus athleticism to boot.
A lot of serious USWNT fans, myself included, think Girma is the USA's best player. I don't have anything against people who prefer Horan or Smith or whatever, but Girma is an extraordinary talent. She has a gift for anticipating where the next play is going to go and arriving there before the opponent. She doesn't have Julie Ertz's aggression or short-passing ability (Though she's getting quite good at long passes imo), but she shares that trait with Peak Julie Ertz.
I will often have my eye following her during a game too, just like you, and for that reason - there are so many little opponent moves or runs where she's the one who shuts it down and prevents it from becoming an opportunity. Watching her lets me see more of the game than what's happening on the ball, at least on defense.
Point is, (A) never apologize for being a Girma stan, there's a lot of us and more importantly we're right about her, and also (B) that play that led to Australia's goal was an aberration at most, even if you blame Girma (and I don't think she's blame-getter #1 for it, either). She's a rock back there.
Girma is the truth and has been our best defender since 2022, when she got her first cap. She's exactly what we needed with Sauerbrunn aging out (really getting slowed by injuries, Sauerbrunn has that Brady/Lebron mentality where she just won't stop on her own).
I'd say the only knock on Girma is that she's not the dominant aerial presence like the best CBs. I went back to check heights - Girma is 5'6". Ertz and Sauerbrunn were only an inch taller, but they played so much taller. Especially Ertz, whose mix of fearlessness and raw aggression made her the best American defensive and attacking header of her generation. It's fine, though - given the way the sport is evolving, having one CB that sweeps and another that controls the air works perfectly for best squads.
I think we'll see Hayes unleash more of Girma's long passing - especially those diagonals from the back out towards Trin & Mal - as everyone gets more settled in together. And eventually, we'll see some more opportunistic dribbles forward like we see Girma make with the Wave - give Girma space and she'll drive forward up towards the box and then make a smart pass when defenders collapse around her.
I'd say the only knock on Girma is that she's not the dominant aerial presence like the best CBs. I went back to check heights - Girma is 5'6". Ertz and Sauerbrunn were only an inch taller, but they played so much taller. Especially Ertz, whose mix of fearlessness and raw aggression made her the best American defensive and attacking header of her generation. It's fine, though - given the way the sport is evolving, having one CB that sweeps and another that controls the air works perfectly for best squads.
I think we'll see Hayes unleash more of Girma's long passing - especially those diagonals from the back out towards Trin & Mal - as everyone gets more settled in together. And eventually, we'll see some more opportunistic dribbles forward like we see Girma make with the Wave - give Girma space and she'll drive forward up towards the box and then make a smart pass when defenders collapse around her.
Thanks for the Girma affirmation. She just brings a sense of calm to potentially chaotic situations, which reduces my anxiety when the opposition counters or has possession. At some point this may come back to bite the USWNT as others might not track back as hard thinking, "she's got this", but she is literally Revis Island for half the pitch.
My other non-connected point is I really want Rose to find a way to get unleashed. I have watched her play since she was maybe 7. Her older sister played select with my daughter, and Rose would come to all the games and just rifle passes with more force than anyone weighing less than 50 pounds ever should. She is a great teammate and person and really only cares about soccer. I know she has another 2019 level breakout in her and I hope it seen by millions this next week.
US down 1-0 at the half to Morocco. It was a dumb penalty, but US has not really done much other than selling out to defend.
Fuck, this ref was horrible.
Morocco focused on containing/hacking down Paredes and the US had no effective adjustments. The ref allowing defenders to continually take whacks at Paredes without seeing a card compounded the issue, but Djordje was brought to Paris to be the mature attacking fulcrum for this side. Paredes with his directness and tireless running at defenders was the spark, but Djordje was there to be the unit's leader. Other than that worldie free kick, he was invisible.
It's a learning experience for the kids. Hopefully, some of these young men use this as fuel to push them forward. With a new senior team manager coming on board*, these kids will have more chances to impress and find roles.
*Unless they rehire Gregg again.
Morocco focused on containing/hacking down Paredes and the US had no effective adjustments. The ref allowing defenders to continually take whacks at Paredes without seeing a card compounded the issue, but Djordje was brought to Paris to be the mature attacking fulcrum for this side. Paredes with his directness and tireless running at defenders was the spark, but Djordje was there to be the unit's leader. Other than that worldie free kick, he was invisible.
It's a learning experience for the kids. Hopefully, some of these young men use this as fuel to push them forward. With a new senior team manager coming on board*, these kids will have more chances to impress and find roles.
*Unless they rehire Gregg again.