S49: England v. USA, 2 July

Sorry to be that person- but the title says France - USA

Thanks for all you do in these parts

 

So hyped
No secret who I want to go out, but I don’t particularly like England either so
Someone did mention the fact that Germany haven’t beaten USA in a competitive game since 2003 which might have played a part of why I wanted them out so, but leave that out and I truly believe that US so far have been playing the best football although the matches against France and Spain were close ones

I wish Ertz all the best though, she deserves more credit and is the gem of the US. Leave her out and replace her with any other player in that roaster, and I think the defense would struggle significantly more than it has so far

For me USA feels like a winning team, and my guts tells that they will emerge victorious once again

 

I certainly would like to see the USA win, but I'm hoping for a really even match and would be entirely happy to see England really start to shine and pull through. As long as USA finish ahead of Sweden overall, I'll be happy! (I previously said - somewhere - that I just wanted USA to finish better than Canada and Germany. Now that both of those are true, I'm upping the wish to finish better than Sweden as well) X-D

 

I posted this in the other thread but thought you here would get a kick out of it.

“As some of you may know... I live in the UK.
And as I have a few weeks off work I’ll be entrenched deep in enemy territory for this one.
The boss at my local pub has warned me again not to be too vociferous about my beloved team during the match so I have decided to go off strategy and wear all my USWNT swag and wrap a frickin Stars and Stripes over me as well.”

Hope I don’t get ‘glassed’

 

Yeah... I doesn’t work like that.
One of these lovelies are going to the final...

And winning.

 

How ironic would a Sweden v USA Final be ?

 

There was a breach of etiquette today by the U.S. Soccer Federation. USSF officials visited the hotel where England is staying, apparently to check it out should the U.S. win the semifinal. England coach Phil Neville did not like it, while Jill Ellis waved it off as "prudent planning." I think it was inappropriate and the U.S. should have known better.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...3a84&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

 

Neville is just being dumb and reaching for anything he can to try and get an edge before the semifinal. The US also scouted out hotels in Nice in case they lose to England and have to travel for the 3rd place game. It's not being arrogant, it's planning for both possible outcomes.

 

I agree it seems like a small breach of etiquette but I wouldn't call egregiously inappropriate. I don't know what the full hotel situation in Lyon is like, nor do I know which/how many USSF officials went there and how many hotels they considered, but scouting hotels seems like a pretty reasonable planning process to me.

 

There's no breach of anything. The staff went to scout 2 different hotels: one for if they win the semis, one in case they lose. It's their friggin job to do this. Phil Neville is garbage for even bringing it up.

I want to see the US beating the living crap out of England. Just do it.

 

If you’re a coach and welcome any signs of bulletin board material to fire up your team, your side must be sucked.

 

No, he's not looking for something to fire up his team--that's dumb, as if a World Cup semifinal isn't motivation enough. I'm sure there is a large contingent of USSF people in France; they should have scouted hotels in Lyon long before now. It's four or five days before the final and you're still not sure about the hotel situation? That's poor planning. It's not a huge deal, but it is rather lame given that you've had weeks/months to look at hotels in France.

 

But that doesn't account for all of those rooms that suddenly became vacant overnight

In fact, your opponent's hotel is actually the perfect candidate within the same city, because it will be available, if it still matters.

 

After reading the article, this is a non-story.
I think your post made it seem like something more than it was.

 

Actually its due diligence as a part of the months-long prep and scouting that the US staff has been doing all along: https://equalizersoccer.com/2019/06/13/for-the-uswnt-molly-downtain-has-all-the-plans/

 

Obviously there is no question who I’m rooting for, and I have REALLY enjoyed watching the England team play, BUT OMG Gary Neville. I already found him to be a bit of a prig after his wholly unnecessary comments after the Cameroon fiasco, but Hotel-gate is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Way to make a meal out of a big, fat nothing burger.

If the US don’t win, I would really enjoy seeing an England v. Netherlands final...but I would also hate to see anything that reinforces this dude.

 

You sure you got the right Neville?

 

You'll be alright! Good that they're showing it in pubs. Wasn't the case four years ago. Or at least not in many.

 

This hotels thing. A bit silly really. Either the USA are lying about their little excursion or they're less organised behind the scenes than England who therefore have a better hotel. If it is the latter they'll have looked at other hotels also including those of the Netherlands and Sweden. I guess the only way to find out is if the USA win and go to the effort of changing hotels within the same city. National teams generally scout out hotels and training facilities at least the year before a tournament. A team such as the USA, which expects to reach the final, should have done so for Lyon. It stretches credibility to suggest they didn't.

Phil Neville will rightly be telling his team that the USA are scared hence such obvious underhand tactics. Doesn't matter if he is correct or not.

I do find it bizarre that people are saying they don't like Neville. He has spoken very well and with great enthusiasm throughout. I can't fault him for his press conferences.

As for the actual match itself I think either team could win. Obviously USA are favourites. England can score against them and if they are able to score first it will be very interesting. The USA have put themselves under very great pressure. Rapinoe's politicking was something best left until after the tournament and has only added to the pressure, at least for her. That match against France would have been emotionally draining. I put Tuesday's game at 60:40 in the USA's favour.

 

Nope. Whichever. The coaching one.

 

Is this a joke?