Very exciting win for the United States. People who were never excited for soccer were today. Wednesday is a big game.
How about this statistic? Megan Rapinoe completed 5 of 10 crosses, including the game-tying assist to Wambach. The rest of the team was 0-18.
Wow, what a game! I thought we were dead and buried, and we never gave up. Overall Thoughts Pia. Didn't panic. Made the move to move Rampone over to the left side to help Amy L, and it paid dividends. Both played really well. Inserted HOR back into the XI, and she was our most dangerous player the whole time she was in there. Though many, including myself, were growing a bit weary of the "belief" and "positivity" Pia and the team had cultivated, and were looking for a bit more bite and fight and anger, and think we got all three today. The belief served us well when we were down to 10 after a questionable (at best) PK call, and an incredibly poor retake call on the PK. Not to mention missing an offside on Marta's brilliant second goal. They believed. They fought. They scratched, they clawed. I think they got made. Then the got even and won. Beautiful. Strange that I think we played better AFTER the PK than before it when we had XI players. We hadn't created anything up 1-0. Then Brazil returned the favor and sat back too much. In terms of players. Great to see Amy L have a good game. Rampone and Krieger were both fantastic. Boxx looiked really good. Abby was a warrior all game and buried the header and almost had an equalizer earlier. Rapinoe had the assist and brought some energy. HOR was the most dangerous player we had. But Solo has to be WOTM. She talks the talk. She walks the walk. Officiating was awful. People who think the letter of the law is all important need to look at that PK again. The infringement (what little there was) had absolutely nothing to do with the play. An absurd call. If the GK comes off the line and saves, you have to call it. If the infringing player is involved (even a bit) in clearing the rebound, you have to call in, neither happened there. But even aside from that, and the offside (which often get missed) and the dubious penalty (which often get missed), there were so many obvious CK/Goal kick calls missed that is was an embarrassment. Time to have the best referees, man or woman, ref the WC games. Period. Or to get some kind of replay/challenge system on goals/offside calls. Or both. Anyway, justice was served. One last thing. Darke and Foudy were embarrassingly ignorant today. And so was the broadcast team. What, how long do they have to moan about there only being 4 minutes left (at minute 111). Or about it being last gasp time (at 113). Or moaning about how long is this going to go on for (at over 122 when they signaled for 3 minutes extra). Guys, 90 + 30 = 120. They don't start the clock at 100 and stop it at 115. Pathetic.
I think if referees made literal calls all the time, half the match would be spent on set pieces, and each team would be down a couple of players by the end. Certainly at this level, anyway.
Good clarification. Marta's first PK counts as a goal; the second one she made after the end of overtime doesn't (and neither do any of the others).
Just read this whole thread because for a game that big I have to focus 100 percent on the game and, wow, that was unreal. That had to be one of the best two or three games I have ever seen in terms of pure drama, storyline, drive, etc. So emotional when that goal went in and I could barely watch penalties. I am so proud of this team and of the United States and of American soccer.
I kept noticing that last bit, Iwas thinking in my head 90 + 30 is 120 right? No matter how many times I ran the numbers in my head it w always came out 120, lol, it bewildered me how can I be wrong. Then I realized they were just being morons. I was to into the game to realize it at the time.
Been thinking about the larger picture. I tip my hat off to Brazil. Are they extra as hell at times, yes. They have the skill, but they have yet to have a true leader. Marta is one of the best in the world but sje doesn't yet know how to be a vocal leader, keep composure, and say "Girl get your ass off of that stretcher.". That said if they weren't a true adversary would as many people had been excited to watch this match. Would so many a steak tried heart had been beating out side of a chest? Would as many had not replied to all the distracting text messages? Would this thread be as long? For the first time in a long time I felt an abundance of people care about women's soccer and that felt great! I final got to feel a bit of what it was like when US and Norway we're going at it.
I pretty much agree with all that you said. I do have to throw out two big THANK YOUS to Brazil: 1. Thank you for not finishing the job when you had your foot on our throat after Marta's 2nd goal? Confusing and perplexing the way you sat back. We looked the better team in ET after your goal, even with a man down. 2. A hearty thank you for wasting time and faking injuries at the end of the 2nd ET period. Without out your poor sportsmanship, we would have never been able to score the latest goal in World Cup history!! That was the BEST karma sandwich I have ever had!!!
Does anyone have any highlights from other broadcasts, like the UK or whatever, it would be nice to here how other English speakers called Abby's goal, what a frickin goal man, I want to hear other announcers take on it.
Abby, USA V Brazil and hope solo are trending in the top ten in U.S. on twitter. God I hope the uptake in interest helps the wps. Oh and I saw SI Swimsuit tweet they have been bombarded with request for Hope in their next issue
Foudy not knowing how much time was left in the 2nd half is nearly inexcusable except for the fact they've been telecasting games for nearly a month and multiple 5 a.m. arrivals will catch up with you at some point. I like Foudy, I think she does a great job, I just think she lost track a little bit. Ian is usually never off, and my guess is something was wrong. Either the stadium time was off or their monitors were off. There's also a possibility their box didn't have a timer. It is unfortunate, but if that's the point we're harping on then that's OK. In the end, the U.S. won and Brazil got its justice for flopping and whining.
the encroachment should only be called if the player gained an advantage and they never did as the ball skipped away. To the letter of the law it's illegal but if that was called like that every time PK's would be re-taken 70% of the time. it was one step and I'm not even sure her foot was even on the ground, just rediculous, like the "penalty" call on Martha "jumping frog from Calavaris country" do Brasil.
I agree these were the most cringe worthy spots in the game from the perspective of a player's respect of the game. They really tainted the game. I do disagree with you saying it was karma. You're being too polite It was pure dumbassery. You would have thought their keeper would have told them to knock it off. The sheer terror in her eyes when she walked to the net to take penalties was priceless. It made me think about the 99 ers and especially Scurry talk about the penalty kicks against China and that's when it became final to me that the Nats were walking away with the W.
It's kind of like desert after a great meal. And just thinking about 1999 WWC in general compared to this one, I think of something you astutely pointed out early in this tournament. We have not seen many 5-0 games like we did 10-20 years ago. There is so much more parity and that can only be good for the women's game as other countries catch up to the traditional powers. As for this game, it was a just result. So happy for this team. Seeing Buehler sobbing after the game in joy was especially rewarding because that challenge was not red card material. To play a woman short for 55 minutes against Brazil and overcome about five horrific calls in the process.... wow! And to those who mocked the US program for all of its focus on fitness, today's result shows that it pays off. The US played down a player for 55 minutes and carried the play for much of that time and it was the Brazilians who were gassed and cramping (though some of that was Meryl Streep level acting). Pia does deserve a bit of credit for today. Sometimes we all get frustrated with her decisions but her calm demeanor comes in handy during moments like these because she does not overreact. Flipping Rampone and Buehler, moving some players around in formation today (though I think we all now realize why ARod has not played wing after watching two or three horrific turnovers today when she played that role). Letting the players rest after the Sweden game seems like it was a good call. Check out this great US Soccer video of the team preparing for the game, it's especially cool knowing how they did in this game. Love the group ice bath moment. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj4GcSkD-j0&feature=channel_video_title"]YouTube - Behind the Crest: A Different Road‏[/ame]
wasn't too impressed with cheny today and pia made a good decisoin to sub her...but overall she has had a very good tourney. maybe needed rest..
I want to hear it in Japanese, German ("Sieg!! (victory) Sieg!!"), and anything from Central/South America. But most of all ... in Brasilian Portuguese
She also provided the cross that was headed off the cross bar. Funny stat though as she couldn't complete a square pass on the ground to save her life today. Funny game.
It seemed to me that Brazil ran out of gas - shortly after the sending off - the US players were in much better condition - Brazil did not get up the field as a team