Everton are also active in Africa- their kit sponsor is an African company (gambling site unfortunately) and they have an annual preseason trip to Kenya/Tanzania to play sides there. Also hosted the winner of a Kenyan/Tanzanian cup competition for a mid-season friendly last year. Think it’s on again. Nothing concrete has come of it player development wise yet but it has been framed as a scouting initiative as well as marketing effort.
Women's World Cup 2019
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That’s cool, but a tough corner of Africa in which to work. A few years ago (a decade maybe?), I had a student spend a semester in TZ studying professional football organizations for his thesis. The deep poverty of the region plus the continual flow of refugees from regional conflicts and climate change make for very, very few structures to promote sports, teach them, and develop talent. TZ also has a number of laws, passed in their socialist heyday, that makes private business more difficult than many other places. And then when you talk about Kenya, the corruption is so thick, especially when it comes to sports where many politicians want to be deeply involved in clubs to woo the fan base.
It’s great that Everton are engage in a East Africa because it’s very much needed investment. But we see Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga focusing on North and West Africa because they are generally more wealthy and stable nations - less need and greater immediate potential.
Keepers will no longer get a yellow card if they jump off the line early on a penalty: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11746370/fifa-change-rule-so-goalkeepers-will-not-be-booked-for-encroachment-at-penalty-kicks
This is such FIFA horseshit.
I think I posted above about how I thought that penalty shootouts were going to be the perfect place to highlight the problem with the new enforcement of line calls using VAR. FIFA has taken the chicken way out, taking away the biggest objection. But there's no justification. If it's against the spirit of the game and warrants a caution then it's against the spirit of the game. To wait until after players have accumulated yellows for this infraction in the group stage and then put a bandaid on a bigger problem is just horseshit.
Edit: Also, can you imagine a game where a keeper gets a second yellow for being off the line during regular time, and her team has to play on 10 women, only to have the opposing keeper do the same thing in a subsequent shootout with no penalty except a rekick.
Also, if it's an infraction warranting a yellow during run of play, why is it only reviewed by VAR on unsuccessful goal kicks? If it's unsporting, then it should be reviewed on all penalties including successful ones.
Obviously, I don't really believe that. But I do believe it's all horseshit. Let the ref call it. She's standing right there.
Knockout stage starts today. The two match ups are Germany/Nigeria and Norway/Australia.
Germany should steamroll Nigeria, but I think Norway/Australia could be a great game. Norway is the better team, but Samantha Kerr is in the conversation for best player in the world and scored 4 for Australia last game.
Germany should steamroll Nigeria, but I think Norway/Australia could be a great game. Norway is the better team, but Samantha Kerr is in the conversation for best player in the world and scored 4 for Australia last game.
Nigeria working their asses off to keep this close. They've had a few chances and haven't been able to break through yet. Germany have been equal parts brilliant and sloppy.
That was such an awful give away by Nigeria right after the break for the yellow card. Germany was bound to score on one of those.
Australia getting closer...but if they keep this tempo and attack with these numbers, they'll concede again on the counter at some point. They need to find the back of the net soon.
Rough yellow there on Minde of Norway. Looked bad from behind (refs view) but in reality, it was really just two women going at the ball equally, not much interference with the progress of the attacker. The free kick lead to nothing, though.
Dumb. It was all there for AUS. Bad giveaway by Norway right around the box, 2 on 1. She had plenty of space, no need for the offside.
I think this is what's going to happen. The Norway LB just dribbled all the way up the left touchline to the final third and the Aussies chasing her were gassed. I like Norway for the next goal.
If you're watching Fox online, you can watch with the tactical cam (behind the goal, high up the stands; camera doesn't move; you see the whole field and all players at all times).
Norway is more disciplined and holds their shape well. Aussies are playing with lots of intensity but are all over the place, I think they're punching themselves out.
Norway is more disciplined and holds their shape well. Aussies are playing with lots of intensity but are all over the place, I think they're punching themselves out.
Almost touched both an AUS attacker and a NOR defender but just curled in by its merry little self.
Wasn't more than shoulder-high at its highest, right? How did it find its way through so many bodies without touching anyone?
You could try it 1000 times and not get that again.
Wasn't more than shoulder-high at its highest, right? How did it find its way through so many bodies without touching anyone?
You could try it 1000 times and not get that again.
Looked like it was that awkward height where it's too low to head but too high to get a foot on, and all the defenders were worried about deflecting it in for an OG.
If the Fox commentators had their way, this game would be 5-5 with 4 penalties each, and we would be in 16 minutes of stoppage time.
NORWAY OFF THE POST!
NORWAY OFF THE POST!
Not sure it was harsh--player was about to break into clear and player grabbed her shirt.
Of course, Aly Marsh hates every call.
4 minutes of added time in a 15 minute extra-time period, then another 15 minutes, all with the Aussies down to 10.
Time to play for penalties?
Time to play for penalties?
Norway has been coming on in the last 10 minutes or so ..And that was before the red .. so yes
Except the keeper was easily getting the ball first .. so it’s hard to claim denial of a scoring chance
I mean, maybe? But ref, VAR officials, and rules analyst all seemed to think it was right call.
Last thing we need is more VAR, but it seems weird the VAR officials can't quickly let the ref know the keeper got a touch there and it should be a corner.
Not that I’m rooting for Norway but I’m really hoping for Thorsdotter to hammer one home (ducking)
So .. off to the Dreaded Penalties
This has been a terrific game .. sad that one team’s going home.
This has been a terrific game .. sad that one team’s going home.
Yeah this kind of stinks. There’s no real good alternatives and both teams are gassed but its a shame a game as exciting as this ends in penalties.
Did they change the rule ? The Canadian commentators mentioned something about it?