We now have a game that ended at penalty shooutout, another one headed to extra-time and the third 1-1 at HT. You can't really say there's no parity at these Olympics. Maybe the only blow-out will end being Netherlands beating USA.
GB just can’t defend crosses. Not going to win a tournament conceding the goals GB have today. Three awfully cheap goal and an unlucky deflected one. Penalty decision was a joke. One of the worst I’ve seen given in a big tournament. Only White looks like scoring for GB. Can’t solely rely on her. Kim Little for Scott change was too negative. No idea why it’s taken so long for Stanway to come on after going behind.
Congrats to Australia. GB really, really poor in key moments. Still can’t figure out what the defenders are doing for Kerr’s 2-2 goal. Steph Houghton had a bit of a shocker today to say the least. After every tournament I always think surely this is the end of the Bright/Houghton partnership? But it probably is not lol.
Oh, my: How in the hell did GB lose that match? How did Australia win it? GB has the game won and then gets lax in the box at 88' and Kerr slots home the equalizer. Are you kidding? That CANNOT happen. Then, GB completely dominates the first half--but Mica makes a good save on a Walsh shot that looked to be going in--and then follows shortly after with a brilliant save on White. Meantime, the ref makes a TERRIBLE PK call on Australia--a joke of a call and where was the VAR review!? There was no review, apparently. Absurd. But it was yet another opportunity for the Brits but the PK is not good and Mica saves it by guessing the right side. So after dodging 3 bullets and spending nearly the entire first OT period playing defensive, Australia steals a good late in the period on a deflected shot that floats over Roebuck's head and into the net. Talk about scoring against run of play. Then Kerr comes out and has a brilliant header at the very start of the second OT period and that effectively wins the match for Australia. In fairness, Australia played a very solid or better match--Carpenter, Rasso and Catley were all excellent--but looked beaten anyway...until they weren't. Bitter disappointment for the Brits.
As a Kerr fan, I'm glad to see her brace making the difference in this one. After people scoffed at her Golden Boots in AUS & USA leagues, she got another in ENG and made it to the UWCL final - only seems right that she lifts her NT to their best tournament finish ever, and hopefully higher. If the USA don't win gold, I hope Australia do, but I still think that Sweden are probably the favorites at the moment, especially being the only semifinalist to not go to extra time int he QFs.
I thought Kerr’s second was really poor defending by Houghton. The timing of her jump seemed way off. Only seen it once though. GB or England’s problems for ages now have been defending as a team and individual errors. You can’t really blame this coaching team too much as they haven’t had much time with the squad. Phil Neville’s truly awful spell after the WC was just a lot of wasted time. That has probably bitten back a bit today. I can somewhat understand the coaching team wanting to go with experience and familiarity (Lots of Man City players). But some of the options just haven’t performed for too long now. I don’t think Scott or Stokes should have even gone, never mind getting game time in knockout games. Daly and Parris have had many below par displays too. The squad is basically way too comfortable for certain players. The team lacks a good left back. Has been a problem position for years. The CB partnership is really showing signs of decline now. It wasn’t great at the highest levels before this but GB looked so much better with Williamson central. Moving her to left back did not help today. Add on top of that there is a new keeper who has question marks around her at this level. I don’t recall her making a save of note all tournament and she expects a lot of her defence regarding dealing with crosses/set pieces. Pretty much always rooted to her line. Wiegman has a lot of decisions to make. Some interesting attacking options that could step in but gaps in other areas of the squad.
Rewatching the GB goals conceded (I shouldn’t do this to myself). Writing this down is basically my therapy First goal conceded. Corner whipped into around the edge of the six yard box and the Aussie player heads in. The co-commentator Sue Smith says “Kennedy just out jumps Stokes!” Kennedy is one of the biggest players on the pitch and she is marked by GB’s smallest player. Here is the main issue though. Nobody on the GB team jumps at all. The ball is on the edge of the six yard box and nobody even attempts to get near it. You can’t get out jumped if you don’t jump. It’s a gift of a goal IMO. Basically a free header with no one competing. Second goal conceded. Hopeful long punt into the box. Millie Bright can see it and gets in a position. I think she misjudges and gets under the ball. It’s almost a surprise that it ends up by Kerr. Houghton and Bronze have backed off way too deep and that allows Kerr loads of time to set herself to score. I think that is a really poor goal. To give a player like that so much time in the box is criminal. Third goal conceded. This is unlucky. Closed down quite well IMO and the deflection flies into the top corner of the goal. Deflection could have gone anywhere. Fourth goal conceded. Pretty poor attempt to block the cross by I think Parris? Houghton loses the battle for the header because she’s waiting too much for the ball to come to her. Attack the ball win the header. Another really poor goal.
VPN required North American peeps. it’s a shame that NBC didn’t air all the matches today. This match seemed like a good one—more exciting than that Canada-Brazil snooze fest.
Well, that's not a good comparison: I can think of few things that were actually less exciting that Canada-Brazil snooze fest!