Who invited Thor? Maybe we'll have a better [though hopefully still not quite complete] idea about "worthiness" after watching this game.
Although I do not regret that decision, I do apologize. I figured that supporting the team overall was more important at this juncture than supporting my favorite player on that team. I made a similar change to my facebook profile picture [previously a picture of myself with Miss Klingenberg with a USWNT frame], except that change was to the 2016 - Present ["Present" hopefully ultimately ending on July 7] version of the crest.
To that I would say baloney! Rapinoe is the heart of the U.S. team. Whenever we're in trouble, the other players instinctively play the ball to her on the left side of the field. Over and over again. She wants the ball and she gets it. That's the kind of competitiveness that wins close games. Watch the Spanish game as an example. The Spanish defender against Rapinoe, Marta Corredera, was outstanding -- but the U.S. still continued to go to Rapinoe in the closing minutes of the match. (I loved the scene at the end of the match when Rapinoe and Corredera exchanged jerseys. Happy warriors! That's what I want to see in a match.) A couple of years ago after her "kneeling incidents" U.S. Soccer, in my opinion, tried to get rid of Rapinoe. She hardly played for a year. But when it became obvious that things were not going well for the U.S., they brought her back and things got better. Immediately. What worries me about Rapinoe is her age. Someday, that will catch up with her. Let's hope that occurs after the World Cup.
She was clearly tired in the FIRST half, and going back to her over and over is part of the predictability that made that match such a fight. I'm not sure how running an aging star into the ground and being utterly one-dimensional and predictable is a good thing. They got away with it.
Repped for context I missed, but your underlying arguments continue to be total nonsense. Stop digging. No, forecasting models are not just based on statistics. Which you might know if you had actually clicked the link. Forecasting is constantly updated via 100s of weather satellites feeding data back into computer models that use a lot more than just stats. Further, the science continues to improve as we get more data and is now much more accurate than in the 1980s. Though, on a cautionary note, as we pass into conditions that have been unseen on this planet while humans have been here, we may get some extreme outliers that are unpredicted. More severe than expected storms, etc.
I thought the "Beverly Hillbillies" reference was great! I'm a weather nerd, constantly checking the forecasts. With the inherent unpredictability of weather, I call bullsh$$. Weather forecasts are not very accurate past 10 days (you said so yourself!), but people like you are constantly advocating major policy changes based on the same models that are never proven. How many times in the last decade have we heard the same drivel about the "tipping point" "extreme droughts", etc. If you can't accurately predict 10 days how can you predict 10 years?
Yes. Weather forecasting may have its limitations, but I'll bet it outperforms what your standard lay person can achieve.
Random person with no understanding of the science, but reads the little weather blurb faithfully, calls bullshit on actual scientists who study for years and analyze massive amounts of data to reach their conclusions... But don't call that "ignorant", because that's disrespectful
Is this forum morphing into the political hardline. Between Climate change and the civil rights discussion in the Trump thread, thought I punched up the wrong place. USA 3 France 1. Rapino sucks but it has nothing to do with her personal beliefs, protest or anything else unrelated to soccer. She is getting old and got destroyed by the Spain right back and couldn't get around her. Put Press in see what happens. While your at it, Tobin looked very bad and getting a little sick of the dancing on the ball that produces nothing, slowing down the game, and trying too hard too live up the reputation of the "skilled" player. Do something productive or Pugh should be in your spot. There are your SPORTS opinions. Carry on.
OK, hopefully we can all get off the weather projections and back to fútbol projections. Anyway, I was just directed to this thread. Shout out and thanks to @balu . Thought it might interest some of you: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/wwc-19-qf-fra-usa-monzul-ukr.2104743/ It's the thread regarding the refs decisions for this match. If you like, you can take your discussions there and get sound advice regarding questionable calls. Not a bad choice, I guess. Monzul reffed the USA vs Nigeria WWC group match and the 2015 final vs Japan.
What you fail to mention is her teammates continue to play up to the left (despite Tobin being wide open right) and she never once (self admittedly) beat the Spanish defender. Why keep forcing failure? Bench please
What you are missing is that 'her teammates continue to play up to the left'. I trust their judgement of Megan more than anyone on BS. I would think they do that because they think that gives them the best chance to win. If not, then they would pick another course of action. Or are they just stupid too?
The day we all thought was coming since those magic FIFA balls were drawn from the pots is FINALLY here. It’s nice in a way because after the Match, no team will have to go home.....because France is already there!! R-R-R-R-R We will have to play our best, get a fortunate bounce or two and limit if not eliminate mistakes (enough sports cliches for ya?) And please, Dear Lord in Heaven above no ET or PK’s - - - I’m on enough medications as it is. Now 86 at the kick - sorry MiLL. I think we go ahead on a set piece goal then Le blue equalizes. Then in the waning moments, Sam smacks one in cementing her place in USWNT lore and in my Will. The on-going, wonderful, never ending Journey with these tremendous, awesome American Women (who I’m rather fond of) - - - WILL ALWAYS BE GLORIOUS
Notwithstanding what many have posted and what I and others in our area at the game were saying -- and for the second half we were right next to Rapinoe -- according to the inStats numbers she was the second best US player in the game, after Lavelle! Perhaps the fact that the team kept feeding her meant they recognized that, but I think there's another possible explanation. Spain wanted to bring the ball up the other side of the field (Spain's left). This was clear because of where all of their goal kicks went (after the first couple of kicks to that area, I started concentrating on it, and that really is where all of them went). Every one was to the area O'Hara was defending, on the left. Maybe the US knew that was the side of the field from which the Swedes preferred to initiate their attack. If so, then by playing the ball to Rapinoe rather than Heath (who was open, a lot), they would be pushing the ball to the side of the field from which Sweden preferred not to initiate attacks.
She won't and I hope she leaves "Pinoe" on the bench. Shes finished except her mouth. I am not feeling confident right now