The euphoria of the smashing final win still grips the Americans now, capped with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. But, this euphoric sensation was hardly certain to come about when the tournament started last month, and with just a few subtle twists, it might not have happened. In fact, there were many opportunities for just a few of those subtle twists to tweak the USWNT off the road to glory. It's time to ask the following What Ifs: - Press does not score on the chance against Australia, and the USA sluggishly lumbers to a tie? The USA might not be in control of its own destiny after that game, and might press and perhaps stumble in the next two. - Klingenberg does not head the ball into the crossbar against Sweden, and the USA loses? The USA at best gets a tougher bracket and at worst faces a possibility of not making it out of group play. - Wambach does not get her only goal of the tournament against Nigeria? Perhaps the USA remains listless, stumbles to another scoreless tie and at best gets a tougher bracket and at worst faces a possibility of not making it out of group play. - Wambach makes the penalty kick against Colombia? Perhaps she remains in the starting lineup, Lloyd does not get one later to get un-tracked and the offensive formation remains in a state of muddle. - Rapinoe and Holiday do not pick up yellows against Colombia, suspending them for China? Brian might not get the chance to start at defensive midfield, the formation at midfield might remain unchanged, and thus Lloyd might not get un-tracked, and the offensive formation remains in a state of muddle. - Julie Johnston does not loft a brilliant pass to Lloyd for a header for the only goal against China, giving the USA the "expletive" goal in the first ten minutes of the second half? Perhaps extra time looms, and anything can happen. - France beats Germany, forcing the USA to play a team exhibiting fabulous possession, attack and technical skills, and speed? - Johnston gets a red card against Germany on the penalty, forcing the USA to play down a player for the remainder of the game (and possibly down a goal if the penalty kick is converted) and without the player who to that point had been the team's best performer in the WWC? - Morgan does not get the penalty call against Germany despite being outside the box? Yes, the USA was the better team on the pitch during the run of play against Germany, but without that one-goal lead the set-up for Kung Fu O'Hara's goal likely does not materialize, and then there is the prospect of overtime and penalties and a reaffirmation of Gary Lineker's observation ("Football is a sport in which 22 men run around the pitch for 90 minutes, and then Germany wins"). I won't do a What If for the final. The USA's domination from the outset leaves no room for What Ifs there. But, there were plenty of them leading up to the final!!
If your going yo play that little exercise, you need to go all the way. I'd like to see your 'what ifs' for England, Germany, France, and Japan in those same negative terms. For instance, ' what I'd Sasic and another player picked the France match to miss their PK's, what if the ref decided the French hand ball was ball to hand, what if the Morgan and Lloyd takedowns were actually called fouls, etc. Thailand might be World champs right now.
The What If game is something that happens every second we are on this Earth. Two weeks ago I could have died if I left my house a few seconds later but for some odd reason I didn't and I ended up missing a potentially fatal car accident. You will drive yourself crazy saying "what if" I didn't go to this party, I wouldn't have met my future significant other, what if walked another route to my destination? I wouldn't have ran into the person that would ultimately become the best friend of my life. Julie Johnston made it onto this roster because somebody was injured. Sasic didn't score that PK because .... well I have no idea. But if she makes it, we could have lost the match. If Bassett doesn't score that own goal, we could have had a totally different final.
This thread just proves the point that any team that wins a tournament does need some luck to do so. -What if Angerer doesn't save one or both of those two PK's in the Euro 2013 final? -What if Mellgren gets rightfully called for a handball in the 2000 Olympic final and doesn't score the GWG? Does it go to PK's or does the US score instead? -What if Scurry actually saves that shot she missed by an inch in the WC semifinal in 95? -What if Japan's goal against Australia was called offside like it should have been? I know they lost the final, but having to play extra time in that game may have affected their semifinal and maybe England goes through instead.