i wouldn't go so far as law10 but it's clear she's the XX pippo inzaghi. a nose for goal like no one else.
I had the chance to see Alex Morgan play only once in my life, at Algarve 2012, in the match USA-Japan. Although Japan ended winning that match 1-0, Morgan hit a post and was a constant danger with her speed and the consistence of her play for all of the game, supporting alone a quite confused US forward-line that day. I can agree with guignol that maybe law10's evaluation is a little exaggerated, but I totally agree with law10 that you have to watch Morgan live to realize that she's business. I remember that in that match in Algarve, although Japan was playing well and was quite in control for most of the game, she was the only one who gave shivers down the spines to all of Japanese fans, everytime she was touching the ball. Not sure if she was really deserving top 3 for her overall performance this year (for sure she would have deserved to be ahead of Marta, in my opnion), but I've got also no doubt that we're talking a great player, that will make history of USWNT in the next years, and not some overhyped media-idol like some notorious troll like newsouth suggests (if, like me, you unwillingly followed him on various thread, you'll know that he has a special personal agenda of taking down Morgan to support Press or Rodriguez or anyone else, as long as he can whine about the playing time given to some other US FW). I'll also confirm that it's all about respect. I am not a professional, but I am sure I could have done a much better job than the people that FIFA put around the red carpet for Women's football this year. I am not just talking about respect towards Morgan and other main actors of the gala; I am talking respect towards fans following the event. All of the event around women's football was awfully bad and embarassing for the audience; as I noticed above, for instance, the questions to Norio Sasaki were insulting for their total lack of correct information. Please, next time call someone who actually know something (and/or gives a damn) about women's football! I repeat, It's not a question of how much less important women's football is than men's football main event (and I could have no problem admitting that it's still marginal): it's question of respect and professionalism, and we have all the rights to expect both things from FIFA in an official world-level event.
Shivers is a perfect description. If you're a defender on the field you pray to your god(s) she's on the other side, and if you're a fan you pray she's on your side. Sorry to be daft but is the issue here the knowledge of the women's game by the broadcasters and reporters? If it is then half of that is a pretty easy fix. Have the women interviewed on the way in by a women's host who is very knowledgeable in the women's game. As for post-event reporters, there are some pretty savage buffoons out there... not sure what can be done about that. Although seeing a player walk up and kick them in the crotch would probably improve the quality of questions the following year.
necron99 I'll admit that I've now witnessed enough of the women's scene to be hardened to the endless stupidity of the FIFA POTY gala, but I'll also stick to my other assertions too, that there are still far more important issues for the women's game right now than FIFA's prom night, and convincing it's billionaires boy club that the divisive women's POTY category, morally deserves the same precise and informative coverage of the divisive men's award. So carelessly throwing around the notion of people being misogynistic just because they may not care about this one particular event sounds rather ridiculous to me, as surely simply being bored of witnessing many years of goofy nominations, and the resulting apathy for the players it then creates, honestly doesn't translate to hating women in any other place than a typically irrational BS thread, lol. I mean seriously, if you want to get angry at misogynistic comments on the big figures within women's game, why don't we ask for all the endless posts FIFA.com didn't show at the bottom of Wamabach's after show POTY winners article; because instead of easy targets like me, it's actually these minds who people like your self really need to be calling out for being unfair or too harsh. LOL, yeah, I'm not going down that ally again...
I honestly did not read the comments on that article. Just like I don't read the comments on any article about Women's Soccer on FIFA, BBC, CNN, ESPN, or any US newspaper. Those sections are so far off the rails it is ridiculous. Nothing better than a comment like "how do they score goals in the kitchen" to lead civil discourse. I don't read them because they are worthless. I honestly expect better when I am reading in the Women's section of BS, because anyone here wants to be here. I will drop the subject, but I do not think that that red carpet interviewers were rude to Marta, Morgan, and Wambach because they thought this years nominees were goofy or undeserving, or even that they were remembering bad nominees from other years. The red carpet interviewers had no respect for them because they were ill informed, do not know or respect women's football, and generally reflect the cultural norms of their peers. I stand by my statement that if FIFA wants to have the women there, than they need to do it right with respect (the interviews in particular, I am not saying they have to be the biggest or even equal part of the Gala). They should make a public statement of regret for how the interviews went and vow to do better next year. Starting with firing the interviewers, banning their credentials for any FIFA event for some number of years. Otherwise just don't invite the women at all. It would be nice if the women nominees decided to not show up next year in protest. I am sure that even if the 3 on the short list kept it to themselves and just didn't arrive for the show, that FIFA would change the winner.
i am thinking about the guy french TV channel D8 has do les bleues telecasts... he's horrible, far too over the top, paints the women's game as some kind of utopia, claims there's suspense where there's none, overrates player performances... in short goes overboard with the praise and shows no discrimination... he also has the bad habit of calling players by the wrong name, and it's embarrassing for people who really follow the ladies' game here. but it's really because he's just not that good a PbP man; he really does know all the girls by first and last name, their stats and their careers, and probably has a better handle on reality than he lets on. i'm going to cut him more slack from now on. full agreement with blissett and necron99 here. being a pro means doing your homework, and the amount of homework necessary to bring off the women's part of the FIFA GALA™ suitably is... not very much. as n99 says, they don't have to get equal time; the french awards only consecrate about 15% of the whole show to les filles. but at least the time is treated with the same care and professionalism as the rest. but here's another important question : did you watch the men's part? it's possible it was botched just as badly. going through the FIFA website is enough to make you suspect that the whole outfit is just a bunch of hopeless hacks, and that NOTHING they do can be carried off with aplomb.
LOL, but then you still think it's perfectly OK to make up your own ridiculous comments to be aimed at a regular in here, simply for highlighting a very normal feeling of indifference towards a typically divisive award ceremony... lol. Not everybody in here has to like everything they see just because it involves women, and I actually feel it's more disrespectful/disingenuous towards the ladies to lie about what's going on, especially if it's just to maintain an agenda of silly liberal moral superiority. Shouldn't the sports regular observers be able to provide opinion, even if that opinion doesn't appear to made through the rose tinted glass (or is that beer goggles) of passionate fandom? Yes, this false sense of a day glow, almost Glee like utopia within the women's game is rather annoying, but it's also very obvious many more informed minds besides the novices can still struggle with finding a more balanced appreciation for the various elements of the current women's game.. Is global football for women even a true pro sport yet? We throw around the word professionalism like it's a given top female prospects live and breath football from a child to adult, always in the ever present inclusive pampered environments of being pro's, but this just isn't true, is it? I personally get the feeling the FIFA gala only reflects the current status of the women's game that's available to the wider public, and until things strengthen from within, you won't see "outsiders" give true professional treatment to the games major figures; well, not until the very special moment's continue to become the norm.
Aimed a regular? Like you have some kind of awarded status? WTF are you talking about. Get off your horse. I am a regular, Guignol is a regular, plenty of people in this thread and elsewhere are regulars. This has nothing to do with liberal moral superiority. or needing to like the play quality of every WoSo game. You chose to equate the state of the women's game to the treatment women deserve at the FIFA Gala and in general. You say that you are being a realist and that is far more respectful to women. The truth is your continued comments on this matter just prove that you are disrespectful to women, whether you chose to regularly watch women's soccer or not. "Sorry you and your peer's don't play as well as Messi, so I can't be bothered to know your name as a featured guest of the ceremony"
I've had the "ignore users feature" conversation with a couple of moderators here over the years. Their view is there is no one who deserves it, but I don't share that. I come to BigSoccer infrequently, and when I do it's often a tough read because of a couple of common poster-types. The first is the type who prefers argument to human conversation. You can track them across threads where their opinions are at opposite ends of the spectrum (with the same common denominator of argument). The other is the type with little understanding of the game but posts ad infinitum about it like they're Sir Alex jr. Sure I can just ignore them, but when there's a button that does it for me I find the place a lot more livable and pleasant. Within limits of the law everyone has the right to express their opinions and in the manner they like. But as with movies and books by people I don't enjoy, I appreciate the forum software allowing me to filter out what I consider noise and focus on signal. That will probably earn me my share of blocks, but to anyone who finds themselves getting baited and frustrated, it's a suggestion. You just may find yourself a lot happier.
just for the record, i am a regular who, even if he doesn't agree with BF in all respects, has no problem with him in general. i think we all need to calm down.
If either of those are directed at me I'm sorry to disappoint but I wrote that with the passion and excitement of an accountant entering the day's results in a ledger. I don't read the financial section or the comics either. That doesn't make me a bad man.
So which one am I? I personally don't enjoy arguments, but I don't run from loud or pushy people either. Either way. I am done with this one. Everyone knows my thoughts and minds won't change either way.
necron99 LOL, what are you getting so flustered about.... I didn't get irate when you first decided to call me out as a women hater, and (I think for reasons of humorous bemusement) I still don't feel the need to get bent out of shape right now either, as you continue to throw around silly names because you can't judge the context of my initial sarcasm, and the following points that then followed it. So even though I shouldn't have to say this again, me not caring about this award on the same level as the other one off Wambach/Morgan fanatics, doesn't mean I hate women.., and suggesting it some how does because my Avatar's presence doesn't seem to promote the often fake "were all in this together" rhetoric, only continues to deflect from the fact that every year we see the same questions posed within this annual divisive WPOTY debate too. I mean back in the day (when I did care a little more), hearing Prinz put down the WPOTY vote as a nonsense opened up many uncomfortable, but very relevant questions for FIFA, fanatics, and people like myself, but few then decided opinions like Prinz's were a major negative for the future advancement of this particular women's sport; did they? Issues with the WPOTY vote/media presence, just like the lethargic global awareness of the women's game as a whole are honestly old news, and making a fuss about some idiot who didn't happen to know your particular favourite players name, and then getting even more annoyed with anybody else who might be attempting to empathise as to why, just doesn't make any sense when we all know second class established media treatment of the girls at this present time is very easy to understand. (even if it's not liked) Is this right, no! is it fair, no! But if you honestly felt there should have been more unified opinion around here, all attacking the supposed moral injustice which you and a few others happened to see (this year), I don't think your being fair to the nature of long standing global opinion on this particular FIFA event either, where after suffering many years of frustration of their own, a lot of international fans now don't even bother with an occasion that rarely reflects the true aspirations of it's still niche hardcore community.
Why didn't you express urself so precisely before? Firstly you post some ackward, sexist, women-degrading stuff and now you ellaborate how we're all missing a bigger point of view.
It's always cute reading letters to Santa Claus , but I still get the feeling all of this random FIFA gala hate/name calling, honestly only comes down to a few key points, that happen to revolve around one particular fan base, and their continued lack of sensible perspective for how things actually work within a global game of very little genuine equality. I mean up until very recently, the FIFA POTY gala didn't even have the level of awkward awareness we see the current elite of the female game receive, and up until the two major male awards unification, never has the men's Ballon d'Or featured the presence of the female game within it's highly prestigious award ceremony either. So second hand gloss from the men's Ballon d'Or = WPOTY propelled to new levels of media awareness, and yet some people are now moaning that more superficial fluff be done for the women, at a time non WWC/Olympic final years only highlight, and then exacerbate, the weakness in arguing for more egalitarian approach to footballs annual award night. But hey, if people still wan't to believe I'm a women hating anti American d*ck , I think this clip sums everything up pretty well. (Warning: Subversive Humor) Don't watch if your just going to get angry again.
I need help with this interesting interview. I know there are japanese fans here, could you help me writing what story Ms Sawa was telling at 11:40 in the first part? Thank you! vimeo.com/58280652 vimeo.com/58279115
Mmm, there are Japanese fans here, but some of them... don't know Japanese very much! But I can pass the request to the Nadeshiko Japan thread. In fact I was already going to do it, since I was one of the firsts watching the video, an half hour after it was uploaded. When I'll know something about it, I'll gladly post a link to it here. Or you can go ask yourself on the Official Nadeshiko Japan Thread 2013. Anyway, I totally agree with what Wambach said at the end: I'd sign for another USA-Japan final at 2015 WWC, with both Sawa and Wambach on the pitch.
Sawa said that Abby was always forward of her on the pitch except when she got the ball. So she felt like "Oh she's coming" so she had to pass the ball quickly, like she was targeted by Abby. Later Abby said Sawa scored better than she. Sawa said "I guess so". The most interesting part of the interview was the last bit. Sawa commented and was moved by Abby's post WC final sporting gesture. Abby had told Sawa that she was proud of them (the Japanese team). After the Olympic final Sawa sought out Abby to show the same respect that Abby had done at the WC. On a personal note, this exemplifies what this sport is, or should be. Doing your very best while showing respect to your opponent. Well done ladies.