With Paraguay beating El Salvador 3-2, we had to go to drawing lots to see who advanced of Puerto Rico and Costa Rica (tied on 3rd place spot, points, GD, and goals). You don't see that every day. The quarters: Saturday: 1. Canada v 8. Costa Rica 2. Brazil v 7. Argentina Sunday: 3. Mexico v 6. Paraguay 4. USA v 5. Colombia
Wow, indeed you don't see it every day: did you literally "see it", i.e., the drawing was shown? Reminds me of Italy men's NT reaching the final of Euro 1968 through a (literal) coin toss.
My first thought was the 1990 WC where they drew lots to decide who of Netherlands or Ireland would advance out of the group stage. I didn't watch it live, but it was public (at least to the press, not sure if it was streamed otherwise): Costa Rica are through to the next round of the @GoldCup following the drawing of lots! pic.twitter.com/fPCbS0T0Vn— Ralph Hannah (@paraguayralph) February 29, 2024
Both teams advanced in 1990. Ireland was drawn as second placed team while Netherlands was one of the best third placed teams(and got Germany as opponent).
Sorry, you're right; it was for placement. Somehow I only remember Ireland advancing; I guess because they made it a round further, or because it was such a big deal for Ireland to be at the WC at all (1990 was their first WC to qualify for, right?).
Yes, 1990 was their first World Cup and they reached the quarterfinal without winning a game. Draws against England, Egypt and Netherlands in group stage and then against Romania (decided by penalties) in last 16.
Well, I see I was better than right, as the actual QFs have a Canada v Costa Rica ‘replay.’ @FanOfFutbol threw me off with his reasonable suggestion of steering fellow group-mates away from each other. I would have switched Argentina and Costa Rica. 1 Canada 8 Costa Rica 4 USA 5 Colombia 2 Brazil 7 Argentina 3 Mexico 6 Paraguay This draw sets up well from a USA perspective, not from a ‘let’s hope for an easy path to victory’ viewpoint, but the contrary. Three good tests (likely) await: Colombia, Canada, Brazil/Mexico.
Referees for the quarter-finals: Canada vs Costa Rica REF: ODETTE HAMILTON (Jamaica) AR1: STEPHANIE-DALE YEE SING (Jamaica) AR2: CARISSA DOUGLAS (Trinidad and Tobago) 4TH: CARLY SHAW-MACLAREN (Canada) VAR: DANEON PARCHMENT (Jamaica) VAR1: FRANCIA GONZALEZ (Mexico) Brazil vs Argentina REF: MYRIAM MARCOTTE (Canada) AR1: MARIE-HAN GAGNON CHRETIEN (Canada) AR2: MELISSA SNEDDEN (Canada) 4TH: CARLY SHAW-MACLAREN (Canada) VAR: DREW FISCHER (Canada) VAR1: CHANTAL BOUDREAU (Canada) Mexico vs Paraguay REF: TORI PENSO (USA) AR1: BROOKE MAYO (USA) AR2: KATHRYN NESBITT (USA) 4TH: NATALIE SIMON (USA) VAR: EKATERINA KOROLEVA (USA) VAR1: BENJAMIN PINEDA (Costa Rica) United States vs Colombia REF: MARIANELA ARAYA (Costa Rica) AR1: MIJENSA RENSCH (Suriname) AR2: LIDIA AYALA (El Salvador) 4TH: SANDRA BENITEZ (El Salvador) VAR: TATIANA GUZMAN (Nicaragua) VAR1: AMAIRANY GARCIA (Mexico)
Can Colombia challenge the USA? Or will the USWNT confirm their favoritism and easily defeat Colombia? Still in shock about the dos a cero thing. Brazil, as always, is underperforming, but they should be able to beat Argentina. Canada and in-form Mexico should also secure victories. The semifinals should feature exciting games.
Colombia have played England and Brazil incredibly close, so they should definitely present a big challenge the USWNT. Even if the USWNT were playing to their potential and a win was expected, it wouldn't be an easy win, so then playing not at their potential would make this quite a match
I am surprised Canada is scheduled in LA today for the first quarter final. I mean, compare to USA or Mexico, Canada played its third group stage game 2 days after them and has to play its quarter final one day before them. that's three days less rest !! A bit unfair, no ? (and they also had to travel from Houston to LA during this short rest)
That's the risk with the dynamic QF scheduling, it has the potential to give a really short test to whoever played the last MD of the group stage. It also gives the opposite potential, with teams from the first group maybe waiting until the last QF, though that's less of an issue than if we were in a tournament that had an R16
Canada 1-0 Costa Rica after extra time. Canada dominated, at least statistically, but could not score in regulation. Shots (on target) 39(10) to 5(1) Possession 65/35 Corners 13 to 1 Canada awaits the winner of USA v Colombia.
After the first 3 quarterfinals, I have to say the refereeing that I've seen in this tournament has been quite good. I hope I'm not jinxing it for the US/Colombia match, which has potential to be a fairly difficult challenge for the center referee, Marianela Araya (Costa Rica) who I know nothing about. But Odette Hamilton (Jamaica) in Canada/Costa Rica; Myriam Marcotte (Canada) in Brazil/Argentina; and (of course) Tori Penso (USA) in Mexico / Paraguay were very good both in the quarterfinals and in the group stage. Katia Garcia (Mexico) didn't get a quarterfinal match (and maybe won't get another match with Mexico advancing to the semifinals) but was very good in the group stage. One of the ARs in USA/Colombia will be Mijensa Rensch (Surinam), who was part of Tori Penso's team at the World Cup up until the Final match. The single biggest difference between refereeing in the men and women's game is that when there's a bad call in the women's game, people blame the women or blame the women's game for being a joke The second biggest difference is that, so far, the women play a less cynical, negative game with the result that refereeing is less of a problem in the women's game than it is in the men's.
Well I'm already eating my words... 3-0 to the USWNT at halftime and seems like it could've easily been 4 or 5. Colombia seems a bit off; maybe the USWNT's mystique isn't quite dead yet, at least for teams that haven't played them often (e.g. Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Germany).
I don't think it's USWNT mystique. Colombia seems more interested in starting a fight than playing. But, they still could have had at least 2, but Naeher had some great saves.
Fair on the physicality, but I'd argue that a team coming in feeling the need to pick a fight instead of just play fearless is the "mystique" factoring in at least somewhat
Maybe, but I could easily imagine the game at halftime having been 2-2 and the US down a player, and no one would be talking about any US mystique.
US-Colombia game ends with US winning 3-0. So the semifinals are set: The semi-finals are set #WGoldCupMarch 6th, 2024Canada 🇨🇦 vs USA 🇺🇸 (7pm EST)Brazil 🇧🇷 vs Mexico 🇲🇽 (10:15pm EST)— AllForXI (@AllForXI) March 4, 2024
According to what I read on the US boards, you have indeed jinxed it. On the other hand; I didn't watch the match, so I can't exactly figure how much biased the comments were there.
Obviously, I'm biased, but it was a bit wild at moments no matter how you look at it. The referee Araya either was in over her head or was definitely trying to keep all the players available for the semifinals. Colombia should have had some more yellows (They were issued 4 YC's; US had 3); Rodman should have probably been out after a second yellow. Some fouls were not called at all. The threshold for fouls and cards was inconsistent. And I think even the referee knew she was having a stinker of a game because of the way she was reacting. But the worst was how she managed (or really didn't manage) free kicks. She basically was allowing way too much, and the players took all the leash she allowed them. All you have to do is watch the penalty kick in the 12-13th minute to get a taste. If it had been a men's match, it probably would have come to blows.