Women's World Cup 2019

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
France lacked a true striker who could finish chances. Lord knows the US backline gave the ball away in dangerous spots over and over again...they really should have been punished for that.

And then Megan Rapinoe...totally unreal. She throws herself into one of the brightest spotlights any athlete has ever been under, and delivers 2 goals and all around fantastic play.
 
Last edited:

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
THe Good: Beat their strongest competition
The Bad: Second straight really unconvincing performance
The Ugly: Jill Ellis is a bad manager
 

koufax32

He'll cry if he wants to...
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2006
9,092
Duval
So uh, I'm thrilled that it didn't get called, but the non-penalty call seems like it's been getting called all tournament and same in UCL and CA.
Meh, they should have had the third goal that was called offside. Evened out.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,278
AZ
So, Churchill and Eisenhower move on in the Allies Bracket and wait for the results in the Axis Bracket.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,278
AZ
My last 15 minutes or so mentally:

1. Phew.
2. Man, they looked pretty under siege. England have players that can finish on some of those chances.
3. The truth is France's shots were often from uncomfortable spots.
4. Lalas just said something similar. It was bend don't break and it was intentional.
5. Ok. I feel a little better.
6. Wait, Lalas is not exactly a tactical rocket scientist.
7. Still, he's watched a lot of footie. Maybe he knows.
8. Nah.
9. Anyway, phew.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,278
AZ
The Bad: Second straight really unconvincing performance
Bah, convincing enough for me. Now that I've thought about it. We are really hard on this team.

I want to watch the game again, but just some thoughts about why I would argue that it was convincing or convincing enough.

1. They largely held a very dynamic midfield tandem -- Le Sommer and Henry -- in check much of the game and always seemed to have coverage there.
2. Majri may not have started the tournament on most top 5 lists but I think you can make a case for her being one of the tournament's top 5 in play We were pretty stout on the left side. I think part of that was that having Dunn on the back line tempted France a bit to try to test her, and so Majri was not as much in control as in other games. Still, she was a fantastic and dominant end to end player this tournament and she didn't burn us too bad.
3. Morgan either has a knock or she has let some of the physical play wear her down but she hasn't been what we need since the first game. But they overcame it.
4. Naeher made some plays that haven't been asked of her yet and she passed the test.
5. Despite conceding a few too many corners and free kicks in dangerous areas they held the best in the box player in the world largely in check, and she only got one late in a 2-goal game.
6. Paris.

It's a good win. It was a toenail from 3-0. I'm as convinced as I needed to be.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
Bah, convincing enough for me. Now that I've thought about it. We are really hard on this team.

I want to watch the game again, but just some thoughts about why I would argue that it was convincing or convincing enough.

1. They largely held a very dynamic midfield tandem -- Le Sommer and Henry -- in check much of the game and always seemed to have coverage there.
2. Majri may not have started the tournament on most top 5 lists but I think you can make a case for her being one of the tournament's top 5 in play We were pretty stout on the left side. I think part of that was that having Dunn on the back line tempted France a bit to try to test her, and so Majri was not as much in control as in other games. Still, she was a fantastic and dominant end to end player this tournament and she didn't burn us too bad.
3. Morgan either has a knock or she has let some of the physical play wear her down but she hasn't been what we need since the first game. But they overcame it.
4. Naeher made some plays that haven't been asked of her yet and she passed the test.
5. Despite conceding a few too many corners and free kicks in dangerous areas they held the best in the box player in the world largely in check, and she only got one late in a 2-goal game.
6. Paris.

It's a good win. It was a toenail from 3-0. I'm as convinced as I needed to be.
Counter is... if France could shoot it could easily have been 5-2.

https://twitter.com/WomensFootyStat/status/1144725856268488705
France won xG 1.32 to 1.04
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,278
AZ
Counter is... if France could shoot it could easily have been 5-2.

https://twitter.com/WomensFootyStat/status/1144725856268488705
France won xG 1.32 to 1.04
Does the xG trophy get to stay with the team that wins it or does FIFA keep it like they keep the World Cup trophy? I'm just wondering whether France will be permitted to display it?

:0)

Sorry, couldn't resist -- I take your point. Hopefully, the US can have another couple of unconvincing wins.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,432
Valenciennes is pretty close to the Netherlands. Pretty poor fan showing. Lots of primo empty seats in the 2nd half.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
Valenciennes is pretty close to the Netherlands. Pretty poor fan showing. Lots of primo empty seats in the 2nd half.
Women's soccer hasn't hit over there as big yet everywhere. Teams making run to semis should help build these programs. There's talent, now they need fans.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,894
Austin, TX
It seems like there's a good number of people there, but they've done a terrible job of concentrating a crowd opposite the hard camera. That's sports presentation 101.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Fire Jill!
If your tactical plan is to allow the other team to control the ball, outshoot you and out-chance you, and rely on your out-of-position defenders to play the best game of their lives to prevent getting completely run over, while leaving your best player on the bench, I don't think you deserve much credit for your tactical brilliance. It just barely worked, I guess, but this was not an optimal strategy.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
So they went from a formation where they were on top and playing pretty well, to 2 formations where they got overwhelmed and barely escaped with a win? Great job from the manager there, really showed those doubters
I’ve definitely done this in Football Manager.

The defense had so, so many bad give aways in dangerous positions yesterday. That’s the #1 thing to be addressed. Put Ertz back at CB so Horan, Mewis, & Lavelle can start in the midfield. That trio will have to drop deep to provide cover and outlets for the defense, so it’ll be a lot of work in transition...luckily, those are three of most talented midfielders in the tournament.

France has more overall talent than England, but it’s playing with fire to be so sloppy in your own third.
 
Last edited:

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,432
I'm still bitter. In any other sport, and certainly in the men's game (soccer), it would be easy to root for Sweden, if vs. Germany. This is challenging. Still am, but like 51-49.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
I’ve definitely done this in Football Manager.

The defense had so, so many bad have aways in dangerous positions yesterday. That’s the #1 thing to be addressed. Put Ertz back at CB so Horan, Mewis, & Lavelle can start in the midfield. That trio will have to drop deep to provide cover and outlets for the defense, so it’ll be a lot of work in transition...luckily, those are three of most talented midfielders in the tournament.

France has more overall talent than England, but it’s playing with fire to be so sloppy in your own third.
I don't think Lavelle has had a great tournament, but I'm 100% on board with this take.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
And we are down to the 3-time champion United States, and 3 teams that have never won it.

Germany got the easier half of the bracket and didn't even make the semis.
 

Gunfighter 09

wants to be caribou ken
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2005
8,548
KPWT
That US victory over Sweden looks much more impressive right now. They looked fucking great today. I've seen her three times now and Blackstidius looks like the best striker in the tournament so far.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
Be cool if they could move the game to Thursday---the 4th of July. #MURICA
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,758
Pittsburgh, PA
England / Phil Neville and the soccer media are trying to gin up controversy about the USA sending ops people to the England team's hotel in order to scout out possible accommodations for the Final. He makes a bunch of noises and uses words like "etiquette", and they're trying to dub this as something ending in "-gate".

My reaction: At least they're putting up the team in nice hotels this time around.
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
England / Phil Neville and the soccer media are trying to gin up controversy about the USA sending ops people to the England team's hotel in order to scout out possible accommodations for the Final. He makes a bunch of noises and uses words like "etiquette", and they're trying to dub this as something ending in "-gate".

My reaction: At least they're putting up the team in nice hotels this time around.
Well the English media are claiming the Americans were there to spy on the English camp .. poking around in rooms when the players were out .. the Americans countered with the “checking out accommodations” excuse.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,758
Pittsburgh, PA
Right. What are the odds that the hotel staff showed the US reps to the exact rooms that English players / staff were staying in, while those players/staff were out, rather than rooms that were unoccupied at the time? Unless it's a place small enough that you have to rent the entire joint out exclusively, I suppose, but Hotels.com says they have 75 rooms, so that seems unlikely.
 
Last edited:

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
I wasn’t making any claims one way or the other .. merely clarifying what the “controversy” was about. Personally speaking the spying story makes a bit more logical sense than the American excuse for being there. Are there no other hotels in Lyon?
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
I wasn’t making any claims one way or the other .. merely clarifying what the “controversy” was about. Personally speaking the spying story makes a bit more logical sense than the American excuse for being there. Are there no other hotels in Lyon?
I'd bet there are a limited number of hotels that could offer the security, meeting rooms, private dining rooms, etc. required for an extended stay by a sports team.

You really think a spying mission makes more logical sense than 2 people doing a walkthrough of a hotel with the hotel staff?