Pre/pbp/post 7/13 WWC USA vs. France

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by thegamesthatrate, Jul 11, 2011.

  1. katie14

    katie14 Member

    Apr 17, 2002
    Ohio
    An interesting quote from the French coach regarding their extra day of rest...

    "He said that France’s extra day of rest before the game would simply even the match. “The American players are physically in better shape, so they should be fine,” he said. “It’s quite fair.”"

    Can read the full article here.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...rld-cup-test/2011/07/12/gIQAf7BPBI_story.html

    They did mention that the players are still feeling the adrenaline from Sunday's game even on Tuesday. This could either be an advantage or disadvantage for us. The advantage is that our players may be too pumped up about the win to really think fatigue is an option. The obvious disadvantage is that they may not be mentally thinking about France yet. HOWEVER, I think we have some big veterans (Rampone, Wambach, Boxx) who won't let that happen.
     
  2. MiguelNajdorf

    MiguelNajdorf Member

    May 4, 2011
    Did anyone see the loss to Mexico in Concacaf qualifying?
    It was streamed from the concacaf website.
    Abby had a massive bleeding cut contesting a header in the final minutes. She left the field, and the camera walked right up to get a tight face shot while the trainer pumped 4 or 5 staples into her forehead, wrapped up her head, and she ran back out to play with under two minutes left.

    My 8 year old daughter was watching, and I looked and said are you OK? And she said "abby is awesome."
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. MiguelNajdorf

    MiguelNajdorf Member

    May 4, 2011
    Sorry, reacting to the Rapinoe quote from the Washington Post article. Pph "Abby has scars all over her head."
     
  4. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    Your daughter was right.
     
  5. thegamesthatrate

    Jan 9, 2007
    Interesting article in SI. I have a personally vested interest in the '99 team, as I wrote a book in tribute to them. And, as an advocate for that team, I think Solo's and Lloyd's comments are on point, appropriate and, frankly, uplifting in a way.

    Solo is right; this team needs to win its own World Cup, and this team is not the '99 team. Should it win, it will earn its own legacy. Yes, things are easier for this team than the '99 team in some ways, such as in terms of a foundation, facilities, the existence of USA professional leagues (as weak has they have been, they still provide playing opportunities) and sponsorship opportunities. On the other hand, Solo and Lloyd are right about the competition being stronger, which is great for the game but does make the USA's task more difficult.

    Teams build their own identities all the time even with prior histories of championships; they do it by winning (see the '80s Lakers and Celtics and the late '90s Yankees). It will take a win for this team to develop its own stature on a par with the '99 team or even the '91 team. Should they win, the stature will be well-earned. Solo and Lloyd have not dissed their forbears; they've simply given perspective, and I think, wisely.
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. jackiesdad

    jackiesdad Member

    Apr 13, 2008
    I guess it all depends on what you consider "fair." The US side has obviously spent a good bit of time and focus on fitness. The extra day for the French negates the advantage it would have given the US. But is it "fair?"

    Let's say team A spends a lot of time on working the ball along the ground with short precise passes. And team B spends a lot of time with long balls in the air. And lets say FIFA decides to overwater the field before their match, such that there are large puddles of standing water, making it difficult to complete a pass on the ground. By taking away team A's advantage on the ground, are you making it "fair?"
     
  7. crog1967

    crog1967 Member

    May 5, 2009
    Club:
    Atlanta Beat
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In every World Cup semi-final and final game you will always have a team with one more day of rest than their opponent. Whoever wins this game will have an extra day of rest in the final match against Sweden or Japan. There is nothing unfair about it.
     
  8. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    ???

    that doesn't make sense.

    the team with one less day of rest could lose because of less recovery time - whether in the semis or in the final.

    the thing to really recognize is that just about all athletic contests have something, small or significant, that's unfair about it. you just have to overcome it. and the uswnt simply has to summon up all their reserve energy. the french are a fast team.

    right at the start of the game, and then if the game is close towards the end, look for the uswnt's ability to get to the ball and then control it. they do the first well and the second poorly. this game will test both severely because of their mental and physical tiredness., and one or two simple mistakes might mean the match.

    usmnt vs ghana all over again.
     
  9. fire123

    fire123 Member+

    Jul 31, 2009
    You missed the blood streaming out of her cut in between.
    That was bravery in the highest order, bar none.
     
  10. BlitzSpiele

    BlitzSpiele Member

    Sep 7, 2007
    Hopefully the members of the French team have been busy sneaking Gauloises behind Bini's back.
     
  11. hdtvfan

    hdtvfan New Member

    Jun 7, 2006
    Good one! They did say that they came from France on SNL, didn't they? Boy, they might have an advantage on headers that I was not aware of previously, we will have to watch for that.:)
     
  12. fire123

    fire123 Member+

    Jul 31, 2009
    I said it before the game. When you play against a 3 back, you want to play long ball a little more to catch them 1v1.

    The US will try to play small ball against France but I don't know if our mids are up to the task. We haven't had much success for the past year.
     
  13. BHBH1

    BHBH1 New Member

    Dec 5, 2009
    The midfield is the key to our win today. The passing has to be like it was after we went down to 10 against Brazil. If not could be a very tough match. I am in a positive mood today so I say 2 to 1 US wins....We go down early in this one and we get a penalty shot which we convert and then a second half score let's say 65th minute from someone you would not expect like a defender in the run of play though...not a set piece...
     
  14. JanBalk

    JanBalk Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    Well it is unfair, but since it ahve been unavoidable and the playorder decided by draw it isn't systematically unfair.
    But this WWc they could easily ahve avoided it.
    If they only put both quarterfinals for Semi1 on the same day (Saturday) and the one for Semi2 on the same day (Sunday).
    Since A and B group played on the same day,as did C and D that wouldn't have given any unfair adantages for the Quarterfinals which have made that solution unworkable ine alier WWCs and MWCs.
     
  15. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Still very worried. France has the advantage and will exploit our weaknesses. We've likely used up all our luck in getting that 123" equalizer. USA-Ghana emotional let down game is still relatively fresh in the memory banks for this fan. There have been many media distractions since Sunday. And cross country travel. And one day less of rest.

    And France is very good.

    I pulled out a tshirt I bought at a soccer camp in 1992/1993 commemorating the 1991 win. anyone else have this one? on the back it says women rule & world champions I don't wear it much but felt like the USWNT needed a good luck push from the presence of the ancients.
     
  16. Dbird76

    May 12, 2009
    Buggytopia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anyone know of a streaming site showing the match? (other than ESPN3)
     
  17. Falsify

    Falsify Member

    Jul 28, 2007
    USA
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    :confused: Anyone have a link to an audio stream or radio? I cant watch espn at work :(
     
  18. kittenbiscuits

    kittenbiscuits New Member

    May 8, 2010
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i don't think cross country travel has the same effect when the country is like the size of montana.
     
  19. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But they still had to travel and that takes away from recovery and prep time.
     
  20. kolabear

    kolabear Member+

    Nov 10, 2006
    los angeles
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    4-2-3-1

    I think the USA will do alright but it's hard to say why - an overall depth perhaps, or, I dunno, just because ironically the Americans, rather than the French have that je ne sais quoi.

    That said, I've loved watching France play in this tournament and this will be fascinating. Like most fans of WPS, I love Abily and Bompastor and I can see why teams were trying to get Louisa Necib. I love Delie, Thiney and Thomis. Bussaglia - what a fantastic goal to level the game against England.

    I'm pretty confident that France is now one of the elite teams in the world. I think the question is only whether they're in the elite elite where the US, Germany and Brazil have been. Or whether they are at that level just below where Norway, North Korea and Sweden used to be (& where Norway and North Korea clearly are not anymore at least for the moment, although injuries may have played a key factor in Norway's struggles this World Cup).

    4-2-3-1 France's strategic advantage

    If the American advantage is a matter of je ne sais quoi, I want to say France's strategic advantage is a matter of formation - the 4-2-3-1, Can we get Jonathan Wilson here to talk sense of this? I've read that France has done better by having two midfielders Soubeyrand and Bussaglia lock down the defensive midfield (the "2" in the 4-2-3-1). I can see how having that extra d-mid would help prevent the likes of Wambach, Cheney or A-Rod from holding up the ball and allowing the US to control the ball in the offensive zone.

    Meanwhile the 4-2-3-1 resemblance to 4-5-1 will give (no surprise) the US trouble moving the ball through midfield -- we know midfield possession play is not the US' strongest suit. At the same time having a dangerous player like Thiney (or Necib who sometimes will roam from side to side; or for that matter Abily who can play a strong attacking mid role) sitting behind the striker will occupy the attention of the US midfield. For that matter it seems to dictate that the US play Boxx instead of Lindsey because Boxx is more that defensive destroyer type player.

    So why doesn't the US play a 4-2-3-1 themselves (and it's not going to happen)? Although Delie missed the goal often against England, she is still more dangerous upfront on her own than any US striker. It's not a matter of getting her straight in on goal. If she can get the ball to one side, isolated on one side or other of the defense, she has better ability to take on defenders or get endline and work her way into the area.

    Put another way, France has the players to play 4-2-3-1 and that is their strategic advantage in this tournament.

    These are just my not-so-expert musings. I'm talking like I know what I'm talking about and I don't. Take my bogus-Jonathan Wilson analysis with a grain of salt. But maybe food for thought?

    Meanwhile the US personnel is not so well suited to the 4-2-3-1 so they will have to stick to other formations, such as 4-4-2. Which may offset some other advantages that they might have. And one reason why the US will have a tough time against a very good France side.

    But it's not like anyone I know has been saying this wasn't going to be at least semi-tough...
     
  21. dwsmith1972

    dwsmith1972 BigSoccer Supporter

    May 11, 2007
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Would be grateful if anyone with a stream would pm...tks.
     
  22. htide

    htide Member

    Jul 28, 2007
  23. wokeupfuzzy

    wokeupfuzzy Member

    Apr 24, 2010
    I'm back! Finally get to watch a game live again.

    I literally just finished catching up on the Brazil match. What a nail-biter.
     
  24. lovingthegreen

    May 29, 2006
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  25. Dbird76

    May 12, 2009
    Buggytopia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wonk, the work firewall is blocking them all, oh well...
     

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