I have to admit that I'm a U.S. Women's soccer fan in the same way that I'm a U.S. Men's hockey fan or a U.S. track and field fan. When the big tournaments come around, I'm all for it. Outside of that, I'm just not too interested. USWNT friendlies just aren't compelling enough to me. I have to admit that I'm more and more interested over time though.
Few other WNT's have the facilities, practice time, player pool, or interest the US does. The USA might win this tournament, but competing on athleticism alone will be harder in the future. The emergence of more skill-driven teams in other nations may make the US Women's model obsolete. Our women train and develop like our men. Due to Title IX and a generally more liberal attitude toward women's sports in the U.S., they had a head start on the rest of the world.
I respect your opinion. I am not calling you immature because you have one. The poor language and emotional outbursts is what is in fact immature. "Relative to their gender" means that in general men are tougher physically than women so you can not make a direct comparison of "toughness" if you will. The comparison is relative based upon factoring out the differences due to the physical differences inherent in male and female. My point is not to dig at the men. I just believe the women display a quality that the men can learn from.
Loving the women's game more and more! Maybe we should have a crazy eugenic's project that pairs up the WNT and the MNT so they can give birth to a generation of super athletes dedicated towards soccer muahahaha!!!
I don't think you should be kicking yourself for this. No friendlies, for men or women, are all that compelling. It's not 1953 anymore.
I am loving this world cup it has really grabbed my attention. One thing I feel is that the women in the game can be MUCH more mature in their decisions which can be expalined by the age but you often dont get those balls bursting with testosterone knee jerk plays that some of the kids pull in the mens game.
I was mildly interested in the WWC-- more intrigued by Copa America and the just finished Gold Cup-- which for a US fan was exhausting. We lost a group stage game and lost a 2-0 lead in the final. Bad taste in the mouth syndrome worse than a night of cigarettes, whiskeys, and two bacon wrapped dogs at 4 am. So when the WWC came along, I was a bit soccer-ed out. But like any good addiction, I'm back to the fix and have been enjoying the pain with ever present shakes. One other thing that's happening is the Men's team is YOUR team. That's your A team, any other gets mild interest. Any fan in a two team sports city feels this. Far more serious, my dilemma now is I'm the US supporter, my girlfriend from Japan will be rooting for the rising sun. Lucky, it is the Women's team because I don't think I could control the cursing, the crying, the screaming, if the Nats n Japan (fantasy, yeah) ever reached the Men's World Cup final. After seeing the writhing idiot convulsing on the floor, she'd definitely be updating her facebook status to "single and looking"
Looks as if Robin of Luxely has something up his sleeve... YES! 2 cups is a long time for such a newer tournament. Prehaps the mens can ride this glory into the Oylimpics and beef brew its magic of spheres. Maybe broth and phlem for vaporizations of stems. Me flock is tight... gotten it right more than night. I heard crickets were delightful until that scalely smell of cat nip stiffles. You say "shave"! I swear by enclaves. My cities disordain through eight legs of pain. Just don't let it slip. That frosting glare can dimwit spit! Might have to change the tune. One ups to you and your commons House of Blues!!!!
I'll admit to not watching a ton of the women's team. But, from what little I do know, it does seem the men's team could learn a little something from them. Seems the US was dominant years back and that all culminated in winning the world cup at home. Then, stagnation set in a bit. Coaching options all looked to be more of the same from the same pool, void of ideas. Other teams were catching up, they were losing where before they had won. They were not happy to see the decline and sought solutions, brought in a new couch outside the old network to bring fresh ideas...change up the style...freshen the routine. Seems to be paying off. I'm not saying a new coach would have the men's team in the World Cup final. But, I do think the women's team is a good example of how to go about righting the ship when the waters get rough.
I know someone who does the same thing..lol. I root for them but at the same time it nearly drives me crazy that they are so good and our men are ..oh well..
The trade is a less athletic game for a much more open one. Take USA-Brazil. If the two best teams met in the men's tournament, is there any way that the game would have been as exciting. No. The two coaches would pack the back and play for a tie. That game was a tribute to the sport.
whether or not you like to watch the USWNT and the WWC you have to admire their attitude - it is an attitude that they simply will themselves to win ... and display it ... and also I have to admire (so far) Sundhage's substitutions and understanding of the game. Frankly - I don't see it in the USMNT right now. For those two reasons - my hat is off to the women and I hope they win big on Sunday. They are representing the US very very well.
The women played very similar to the men last year. They have some talented players, but for the most part rode their luck a bit and took the chances that presented themselves while opposing teams did not.
The men last year could string more than 5 passes together, and at times played some of the most attractive attacking ball in the tourney. The women have 2-3 crosses a game that lead to scrappy goals. Completly different.
Our women and men are both comprised of some athletic players, few skilled players, and coach favorites who get too much time at the expense of others better suited to a skill game. The difference is that the competition is so much less in the women's game and Pia is way quicker on her feet than Bob Neither should have their jobs after this summer though for many many reasons addressed elsewhere
Now for any Mexican-American out there that roots for the American men and the Mexican women - that takes fortitude.
I've been following the US Women since FIFA refused to call their competition a World Cup. However, less so between tourneys than the men. But I've fallen back in love with this team. And anybody who watched the whole US-Brazil match, and did not think it one of the best soccer games they have ever seen, really missed the boat.
I haven't cared too much, but I feel like I might be rounding the corner on this topic. One thing that's always bugged me about the past WWCs were the lopsided games and only a couple good teams - but this year's tournament has been very balanced. When the quarterfinals started, there was a sense several/many of the teams remaining were capable of making the finals - and that has helped make the competition more compelling. US/Brazil was a real pick em sort of game, Sweden looked like a contender after sweeping the group with the US, and Germany was 2x defending champ and host. Then throw in Japan, and the stunning USA comeback vs Brazil and the knockouts have been a pleasure. How the hell did China not qualify and North Korea did? They could have helped enhance the tournament's quality even more. I will probably increase my attention to the WWC in '15, and now that I have a daughter I'll probably pay more attention. One last thing, Germany has done a brilliant job hosting the tournament. The pitches look beautiful and the stands are filled. The visual production of the tournament has been as good as the WWC has ever had. I don't identify that much with the US women's team because they aren't underdogs like the mens team are. I kind of put them in same category that I put the Dream Team and US Hockey, which is meh. I do care about the women's international soccer growing though.
Because China is a shadow of what it once was. Saying that China could improve the quality of the WWC is like saying that Hungary could improve the quality of the men's World Cup. Since 1999, China has been in five major women's tournaments, two World Cups and three Olympic Games. However, it has failed to get past the first round twice, and the other three times, it was knocked out in the quarterfinals. For it to not qualify for this Women's World Cup was a logical next step in its downward spiral.
You either had a lapse of reading comprehension here, or a wildly-deluded perspective on the US men's team. The post you are replying to said that a game between the two BEST men's teams wouldn't have been so open. No way you would have seen that much attacking if Brazil was playing Spain.