Yep. It shows that Sweden was a much better team in this WWC than England. England lost their spirit which means they were not as good a team as Sweden. England lost the match as much as Sweden won it. I would "blame" their coach and the on team leadership for the loss. Also I do not buy the "Play the under used players for experience" argument. It is four years to the next WWC and the only experience that would be gained would be minimal and of nearly no value. A properly prepared and led team has their players get all the experience of value that they need by being there and participating in all the team activities. That would mean that they would understand what is needed because their leaders taught them to value their own performance and to try to win at all times. When coaches or players show that they do not value a match they also show that they do not value the players that play in that match. In a World Cup there can be a few matches with low value but those only come at the third group match such as the US vs Sweden match. By that point the group was mostly decided as far as who was advancing and there was really little to play for. There, again, both the US and Sweden showed their quality by not taking the game lightly. There is no disgrace from losing when the team puts out its maximum effort as most teams have done in this tournament but there is a level of disgrace in playing a weakened lineup and losing just to give "experience." It fosters an "it is OK to not try as hard if the game is deemed of lesser importance" attitude and that attitude leads to future losses. One more time: If you win the third place match you go home with a medal but if you lose you go home with nothing. If that is not enough to have coaches put their best team on the field then the coach is not much of a leader and that coach proves that they do not even respect their players or fans.
I think you need to look at third place games from the perspective of the younger players. They have worked their tails off to make the team. They trained hard for the entire tournament yet most say few if any minutes. They are likely to be key players the next cycle so why not reward them with a match. There is just no downside. I get the competitive nature of the starters and they hate to not have a chance to redeem themselves. But to me that is overridden by the need to give the younger players a taste of what they have been working for. And if the starters are not happy with that decision I say tough beans.
I haven't chimed in much during the USWNT world cup run, but they were phenomenal during the entire tournament. I've seen lists where people ranked the players from top to bottom, but in IMO everyone on the squad sacrificed a bit of their own game for the benefit of the team. They were all stellar. If I had to pick one player as MVP, I'd likely go with Ertz, but in reality, different players stepped up in each match to ultimately win us the cup. My only slight complaint is that I wish the top 2 teams weren't so fatigued for the final match (this is true in the men's WC as well). I'm not sure how to fix this though. Even with players like Morgan, Heath and Pinoe missing 1.5 to 2 matches during the tournament, they were still dead tired in that 2nd half. The Netherlands team was in even worse shape. Is it possible to give both teams a 5-day rest next WC? I also feel like most of the top teams will use the US strategy of resting their starters during one of the 3 round robin matches, even if they finish 2nd in the group.
LOL!! Our 2063, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back World Cup champions. pic.twitter.com/4RZeBv80xB— AO (@AmericanOutlaws) July 16, 2019
I'm wondering if Neville, who won so many things as a player himself kind of underestimated what a world cup medal might have meant for these girls and didn't prepare accordingly... in which case is kind of sad... I didn't see the match (I was on Malaysia time) but looking at the Swedes rejoice when winning it certainly did look like it meant something to them...
I do think it has something to do with the different perspectives of men's and women's soccer. In the MWC, the 3rd place game means little, and many would rather see the entire game done away with since it is just asking for injury to players who are about to go back to their clubs. In woso, it means a lot more and is not a meaningless match.
It is important to remember that this was the 2nd WC in a row where England was playing for 3rd place. I'm sure that affected their motivation some.
Possible in England and US but in Sweden the whole celeberate all senior soccer medails really started with the mens bronze in 1994. And those men still seem rather proud of that bronze.
And they well should be VERY proud. In fact any person or country that is not proud of wining a bronze in one of the major championships should just give it back and remove themselves from international competition. They just do not deserve the honor. I have an aunt that has an Olympic bronze for the 100 meter freestyle from many many years ago. She has adorned her walls with pictures of all her relatives and places she has been. There is literally 20 or 30 pictures and other remembrances on every wall in her house, except for the main wall in her living room. That wall has her bronze metal framed and centered. There is nothing else on that wall. I once asked her, when I was MUCH younger, why it is displayed with such importance since it was only 3rd place and she said, "It reminds me that for that one year there were only two people in the world better than I at my one sport. It tells me to be both proud and humble." Even for those that have previously won a gold, a bronze is something to be VERY proud of. Just think about how many people have never won one.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Megan Rapinoe. No athlete has been so outspoken and boisterous and thoroughly backed it up on the field since Deion Sanders. Last time it was Carli’s World Cup Tournament, this time it was all Megan.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Becky Sauerbrunn. Our Rock of Gibraltar on the backline. Who is also Movie Star beautiful, although some may not notice because during the Matches, her face is covered in mud, grass clippings and blood.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Tobin Heath. BIG TIME……………..ALL TIME
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Women’s World Cup Champion Crystal Dunn. Or henceforth just Crystal - - suffice to say, one name is enough…like Oprah, Bono or Beyoncé.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion ATG. But she was there. She wasn't here in a class room. She was up to her knees in rice paddies, with guns that didn't work! Going in there, looking for Charlie, slugging it out with him, while p*ssies like us were back here partying, putting headbands on, doing drugs, and listening to the g*dd*mn Beatle albums! Oh! Oh! Oh!
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Julie Ertz. 350% Certified, Grade A mid-field Bad A**.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Women’s World Cup Champion Lindsey Horan. Supreme Ruler of the Air. She controls the skies better than the United States Federal Aviation Administration.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Women’s World Cup Champion Rose Lavelle. A Star is Born. The Future. Also, moving forward on the Pitch.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Alyssa Naeher. She is Great. She is Awesome. She is our #1 - - get use to it or prepare to suffer my wrath.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Women’s World Cup Champion Abby Dahlkemper. Best passing center back in the World. Need a 40 yard cross field dime dropped….she’s your girl.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on Women’s World Cup Champion Samantha Mewis. Mid field stud. See Rose above……the Future.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Ali Krieger. Don’t call it a comeback because she was never gone from our hearts.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd. I think we could have saved ourselves a lot of Pre-Tournament stress and worry in the Spring if we had just looked deeply into Carli’s eyes.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on 2-Time Women’s World Cup Champion Kelley O’Hara. Has a knack for making tremendous plays in the Semis of the Women’s World Cup.
And don’t eeeeeeeeven get me started on our Women’s World Cup Champion Reserves. Together comprising what I use to say was the 7th or 8th best Team on the Planet…..not so sure that isn’t the 3rd or 4th best Team on the Planet. Pushing, constantly improving, never allowing a moments rest, leaving nothing for granted - - that’s how you remain on top, at the pinnacle and achieve a successful defense of OUR CUP.