Panama and Jamaica came into the semis largely bereft of hope in these games, but riding a feel-good story to what will (for one of them) be a trip to the WWC. But neither will be playing Wednesday with anything remotely resembling momentum after these results - unless Jamaica gets a late goal and can build on a blowout loss, but with a goal.
28:15 Heath, beating the offside trap at the top of the box and behind everyone but the goalkeeper one times a cross by Horan from about 40 yards out. 4-0.
Jamaica knew what was coming. Panama pushed Canada to almost halftime. We'd blown Panama out by this point.
Jamaica needs to be subbing off Bunny Shaw and saving her at this stage. Momentum, schmomentum … they need to avoid injuries and give themselves the best chance on Wednesday.
32:18 Morgan? In traffic. Yep. Rapinoe had a free kick from about ten yards in from the corner and a hit a low ball towards the penalty spot. Morgan got to it, stabbing through traffic. 5-0.
These games are so pointless for Panama and Jamaica. They do more harm by playing in them. They would have been better off forfeiting.
Eight years ago at Toyota Park in Bridgeview after the U.S. had gotten past Italy to get to Germany 2011 and awaiting the postgame interview, I chatted with Sunil. We wound up playing Italy in a last ditch home/home series after losing to Mexico in Mexico. It was engaging and what WCQ should be. I asked him if there was any hope of ever having a final stage with home and away games. He said, "No." There was no money in it. It would cost too much and come at the expense of something else.
Nobody should ever forfeit a win and qualify for the World Cup game. Ever. The U.S. could get a red card in the fifth minute. Then suffer an injury. Shit happens. EDIT: The problem is the format (see my previous post).
I understand and I don't actually think a team should forfeit. The format would have been better if they didn't play a semi and had the first place teams from the group automatically qualify for the WC and final while the second place teams played in a playoff for a WC spot. I know the WNT will complain if they had changed the format, but it would take something tragic for the WNT not to qualify, especially if the games are played in the US.
Christen Press and Morgan Brian on for Rapinoe and Ertz at the half. Ertz looked like she picked up some sort of injury in her trunk late in the first half. Rapinoe isn't a spring chicken, and it's good to get Press a longer runout with this game no longer in doubt.
I really hope they don't repeat what they spent 20 minutes of the first half against Trinidad doing - trying to feed Becky Sauerbrunn for her first international goal. Emily Sonnett on for Rose Lavelle.
83:24 Alex Morgan, penalty. She earned the penalty, pushing the ball past the keeper deep into the corner of the 18. As she turned to back to look for the empty net, the defender caught her plant foot. Looked soft live, but the replay showed the foul, while a questionable defensive decision, was there. 6-0.
Women's World Cup Qualifying. 1991 5-0, 49gf-0ga 1994 4-0, 36-1 2002 5-0, 22-1 2006 2-0, 4-1 2010 6-1, 24-2 (2 goals allowed in 2-1 loss to Mexico) 2014 5-0, 21-0 2018 so far 4-0, 24-0 Total 31 wins (1 aet) 1 loss 0 ties/pk shootouts 180 goals for, 5 allowed
Any one else shocked that there wasn't any football lines in New England Revolution game last night, after all New England Patriots game tonight.
Panama put out close to a second team for their game while it wasn't until half that Jamaica subbed potentially their best player.
Turns out the box score was actually correct. Smith was sent off for abusive/insulting gestures that sparked the mass confrontation. Seems like a massive stretch, particularly for a video review.
I think the card was complete bullshit, but the ref just wanted to send him off because it was clearly his actions that set the whole thing in motion. But surely there was a more generic way they could have phrased it like "incitement" or "unsporting conduct," etc.
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Wrong thread? The game is in the first post.
Right thread, just nothing worth saying that we didn't already know. Sweat and Delgado are appalling, Trapp is exceptionally mediocre.