Final: USA - Japan | 17.07.11 [R]

Discussion in 'Women's World Cup' started by Bonnie Lass, Jul 14, 2011.

  1. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I indicated in my original mention of her playing for the Freedom that she was limited by the role Gabarra dictated to her - any dissatisfaction I have with the result I aim at him, not her. (And it's not the first time he's hobbled a world-class international midfielder - see Anne Makinen or Pu Wei for other examples.) Meanwhile, Bompastor usually played in her natural position of left flank midfielder but also spent some time at left flank defender, with considerable success in both positions.
     
  2. Batfink

    Batfink Member+

    May 23, 2010
    Attilan
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    While Bompastor is just one of a number of top quality left backs, Sawa is still a player with a unique skill set within the women's game, as she combines everything you would like to see from 2 or 3 types of center mid, all into one person. In the men's game players who play in a similar style to Sawa are also highly regarded, and very difficult to find or produce.

    I can't think of any other female players that can replicate what Sawa brings to a game right now. I can only use Paul Scholes or Xavi as the best examples of players with similar technical/tactical characteristics to that of Sawa. Genuine two way center mid dynamos like Sawa that can do it all, are still yet to be seen in an American form, at the highest of levels, even probably in either sex too. I can only think Gabarra honestly didn't know how to utilise this type of player correctly, when the U.S. women's game may not have had any contact with such players before WUSA bringing Sawa over from Japan.

    National footballing characteristics and ideologies, will always favour certain playing styles. Just looking at the various internationals that take up spots in major men's leagues will highlight this fact. WPS has a playing style which still pushes all it's creativity out wide, or up front. I may be wrong for this season, but I also thought most WPS sides used two holding mids in every formation, just like the WNT too? Maybe WPS and Sawa was just a case of right place, wrong time.
     
  3. Essex

    Essex Member

    Jul 5, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I really hope the development of Japan's WNT is not over yet / continues. I've watched some videos of their pre-WC '11 matches and also of their U teams. Impressing. If they were, as Sasaki stated during the tournament, really not at 100%, and if you see such young and promising players like Iwabuchi, holy sh...
     
  4. ralmcg

    ralmcg Member

    Sorry to post a message a year and a half after the event but I saw a replay of the free kick after the red card by Azusa Iwashimizu and I saw one of the Japanese players blocking Tobin Heath's kick, which went beyond the white line. The broadcast by ESPN showed a replay of the free kick by the United States followed by a goal kick by Kahori. I didn't see any corner kick by the US even though they should had one.
     
  5. nsa

    nsa Member+

    New England Revolution
    United States
    Feb 22, 1999
    Notboston, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ^^^^^^^^^^^
    The replay frequently shown has been edited. That was a looooooong game, too long for your typical TV time slot.
     
  6. ralmcg

    ralmcg Member

    It was actually from the live feed (the version I saw) and was not edited like later replays. I looked at the play-by-play of the finals on the FIFA website and it said that the USA was ruled offside in the 3rd minute of extended time of the second period of extra time (i.e. 120' +3). Unless the offsides occurred during the replay of the USA free kick the play-by-play was wrong.
     
  7. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    File it away with the list of other injustices, like for instance the hand ball in this clip against Germany on the Men's side



    Not even going to mention Kulababi or the Swiss miss. (oops, I guess I did)
     
  8. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Why is it when professional players make mistakes in a game we clap our hands and say good try but when a referee makes a mistake we want to get out a rope? :)
     
  9. ralmcg

    ralmcg Member

    I am talking about what happened after the free kick I don't want it to happen (the goal kick by Japan instead of another free kick to the United States) because of match fixing or any other illegal or unethical reason. That would be unfair to both sides. The United States because it could have scored on the second free kick. And Japan because it would tarnish their wonderful tournament and would make the feel-good story for their nation a bad nightmare, even with the passage of time.
     
  10. nsa

    nsa Member+

    New England Revolution
    United States
    Feb 22, 1999
    Notboston, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Only job where you are expected to be perfect in your first game with steady improvement thereafter.

    :D
     
  11. ralmcg

    ralmcg Member

    I'm still confused on that free kick in the 122nd minute. I thought that in soccer when one team causes the ball to go out of bounds the other team gets a free kick or at least a throw-in. Unless there was a foul, or an offsides, by the United States during the free kick, and I didn't notice any offsides, then the referees made an error in giving Japan a goal kick. Maybe someone with a lot of knowledge of soccer's rules can watch the free kick again and see what happened. One clue is that the referee raised her left arm at the end of the free kick.

    On rewatching it I did see a lineswoman raising her flag. Maybe there was an offsides.
     
  12. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Substitute "Germany" and "hand ball" for "Japan" and "goal kick" and there you have it...
     
  13. Lechus7

    Lechus7 Member+

    Aug 31, 2011
    Wroclaw
    Freeze the frame when Lloyd is just about to hit the ball. Wambach is just onside with Iwabuchi in line. Unfreeze, Iwabuchi's charging the ball, leaving Wambach behind her.
    Notice the moment when Heath is about to shoot from rebound of Wambach, freeze the frame, you've got three American players in an offside position. Granted it's not an offside play yet, unless the ball shoot by Heath will thouch/even slightly changing directon any of them on it's way to the goal. Unfreeze the frame. Now put yourself in an asistant refs position on the field, her line of sight on Heath is obstructed by Japanese players. Heath shots towards goal, ball rebounds of someone, Heath included (by ass. ref view) and goes forward crossing the line where three American players are still left offside then goes out of play. She makes quick jugment call and since the whole action was on the border of offside play anyway, she's raising the flag. Might've been why.
    She's the same assistant ref mind you who earlier in the match ruled Ohno offside when she clearly was not and going in to one on one.
    Poor visibility often makes for unforunate calls.

    Got me own question though.
    In the same action, did Wambach :ninja: trip Iwabuchi when she was rushing towards Heath to block the shot?
     
  14. WWC_Movement

    WWC_Movement Red Card

    Dec 10, 2014
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Papua New Guinea
    And no other women's team will do this again for a LONG TIME.
     

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