I have to agree 100% with this. Aluko doesn't have a scorer's touch. I'd put any number of other options up front besides her. Yankey should definitely have started. And Smith must have had an injury issue to not start this match. She was rushed back from injury before this tourney so I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't anywhere near full strength.
Sinclair should have polished the game off in the second half, cant believe she shot right at the keeper when clean through, after just gliding by 3 GB players. GB should have had a pk in the last 10 minutes, that was a foul. Canada has no depth lol, once kayle and parker came on the midfield just collapsed like a deck of cards and Canada just sat back, the difference in quality was glaring.
it's too bad Canada doesn't have their first choice defense available, that would make the semis a bit more competitive..Nault and Wilkinson are going to get torched. finally in the semis of a big tournament.
Possibly, but Canada's passing and quality of play really diminished with their inclusion... Alex Morgan is going to destroy Nault, whose a bit sluggish and clumsy. Not going to be fun to watch(or will be..depending on who someone is supporting )
GB will be the neutral audience, they will most likely support Canada wouldn't they since they are the underdogs? Or will there be a high number of US fans? Either way, I don't know about you guys, even figuring that teams at this stage in the tournament are going to be more competitive naturally, it's kinda anti-climatic that one of the semi-finals is US-Canada. I mean the US face Canada all the time in friendlies and it's hard to get excited about the match. I thought US and GB match would be much more exciting in front of their home crowd at Old Trafford
underdogs and British commonwealth but USA should have decent support, and will certainly win over some fans with their play (if they play well). we are bored of the matchup, but it's not something the locals at the stadium will be used to. hopefully it's close/watchable. Filigno, goal of the women's event thus far? other?
I was suitably impressed with Canada's play. Did not expect the quality of possession football they displayed in this tournament. Even remembering their last coach, Morace, they did a fair bit of kickball football. Against Sweden and England, both quality opponents, Canada retained possession for long parts of the match. Impressive improvement. The half volley goal from Jonelle Filigno was a highlight reel goal, if not the best goal of the tournament, then one of the best. I guess we will see how well Canada's backline with all their injuries will hold up against the United States. This is the Olympics, you never know surprise upsets do happen, I think most people expected England to beat Canada.
I think we can all agree, Canada did a better job this tournament then the 2011WWC. It might need a couple of days for me to grow on the idea, but US-Canada pairing has the potential to be exciting if the Canadians can put in a good game. There's no doubt they have nothing to lose at this point so they will give it their best.
just seeing it for the first time now, very intelligent and well executed. this is why i asked, because i've only seen about 6/7 games.
You're right, I forgot about Maurine. In her 2009/2010 form, she would be a important piece to the team, but she lost her game since she went to WPS. I guess she became too invested in the sexpot thing. Yep, I also thought that today's was Brazil's best performance. Formiga's presence and Ester's absence were enough to improve the midfield play, but the lack of firepower was evident. With Thais and Marta botching every play, the Japanese defense was never under threat (and Grazielle, the offensive option on the bench, is a joke). This is why Erika would be so important on the front line. But in all honesty, I can't say I feel terribly sorry about the players. There's a suspicion that there was a bit of a clique going on within this group and this is why better players were left out in favor of some veterans. If so, they deserved this fate.
You're preaching to the choir in regards to Erika. I sincerely hope that changes are that will allow her to flourish in her natural position, which is in the offense. I wondered why Grazielle was left on the bench until way late in the match. I suppose that Jorge thought that she could re-create the magic from the Canada match. However, he was about 45 minutes too late ! I'm sure the theories about the "clique" are warranted as such happens within almost every team--too bad it prevented Brasil from putting forth its best side. If I feel bad for any of the players, they are Bruna and Andreia. Someone else was telling me about Bruna and she proved to be the real deal. Bruna was solid in the back and did what she could to seal those humungous cracks in that defense. Again, Andreia exits a major tournament with one of the best performances from a keeper with nothing to show for it. One question: If not Jorge, then who else? Are there other coaches in Brasil willing to take on this job?
That was a pleasant game of football to watch (besides Hope Powell's maddening decisions). Both teams tried to keep the ball and interchange passes. Very little hoofing from the back, in contrast to the United States. That's the best I've seen Canada play in a long, long time. Maybe ever. Even the one other time they made it to a major tournament semifinal stage (World Cup 2003), they were still playing Pellerud's ugly long-ball style. Their possession today was crisp, the defense - surprisingly, with Sesselman in the middle and Nault in there - was solid enough, and the forwards were linking up well. People were moving off the ball. It was impressive. However, GB can legitimately feel hard done by. I don't think the contact that lead to Sinclair's free kick was foul worthy. As the commentators mentioned, it was very similar to the play with Kim Little in the box a few minutes earlier, when nothing was called. Then, in the second half, Aluko was clearly taken out from behind by Wilkinson in the box. No question about it. Two huge decisions that changed the course of the game. Hope Powell must go. She's been around long enough...too long. I have no idea what her problem was today, but she seemed tactically paralyzed. They were down by two goals and she brought in Fara Williams. A great player whose creativity they needed, but Powell took out a forward??? Then she waits until 10 minutes left to make more subs? Yankey and Rachel Williams needed more time on the field, and GB should have switched to a 3-4-3 about 15-20 minutes earlier. Sadly Kelly Smith must have been ailing to the point she couldn't contribute; that was a huge loss. Did the commentators ever mention why she wasn't playing? Kim Little and Steph Houghton deserve spots on the all-tournament team. Probably Carney as well. As for Canada, they're greater than the sum of their parts. Not sure who I'd pick from their side. Sinclair, I suppose? Matheson, Tancredi, and Desiree Scott have been good too. Such a letdown for the hosts, especially since they were just starting to earn widespread respect from the general British public for the first time. It will deflate the atmosphere somewhat without them in the semifinals. And like others have mentioned, yet another U.S.-Canada meeting makes me feel sleepy. But alas, the result is what it is. Credit to Canada, who were professional, smart and composed. John Herdman has transformed the way they play.
In Brasil do the citizens actually root for Marta and the women's national team or do they refuse to acknowledge them? I know that generally, women's soccer isn't taken seriously in most countries but I was curious about Brasil specifically. Obviously they take great pride in the men's game but I'm sure they know with the support, they can make the women's soccer equally awesome. It seems all these girls need to do is become a team instead of a group of highly talented individuals. It's continually a shame, if the reason why they get no support is because they are women.
I would like to see Renê Simões, who coached the team in 2004 and usually works with men's teams, or a foreigner like Paul Riley. But CBF will probably pick some nobody or even keep Jorge in the position.
Maybe you should revise your opinion. She's awful. Pia has been brilliant in terms of managing the US squad and personalities. Barcellos (sp?) is going to need more time to undue Lima's work, but Powell would be out of her depth coaching a U14 club team in the states.
You're the 3rd person today, who I've seen mention Renê Simões. He's actually in London now..too bad we couldn't sub him in as a manager during half-time. http://esportes.r7.com/blogs/rene-s...ar-dentro-do-labirinto-ou-observa-lo-de-cima/
Agree totally. And why sub her in so late? I am very sorry for GB and the fans, its a pity that they could not at least get a crack at the USA. The only ones that come close are: Japan's second today, as much for the incredible assist; and anything by Tancredi so far, the two "survival" goals against Sweden looked great to me.
injuries. the only first-choice player in the back 4 is Sesselmann. on a day like today, their performance was able to mask the lack of quality but there's no hiding from the Americans. Wilkinson's awful tackle in the area on a GB player in a non-threatening position (she was going away from goal!) kind of summarizes the possible disasters that can emerge at any moment from them. thankfully the midfield continues to be a force.
Rhian Wilkinson has been the starting right back for a long time. Her screw-up on Aluko (I think) was atypical, the result of a flubbed clearance, fatigue and a bit of overcompensation. The principle injuries are to Candace Chapman (the most experienced and most steady centre back and the hardest to replace), Emily Zurrer (another experienced centre back who has been a starter for extended periods) and Robyn Gale (who is normally a fullback, but was pressed into action in the centre back role when Chapman went out). Sesselman does not normally play in the centre but has moved into that position to cover for the injured starters while Marie-Eve Nault is slotted into her old starting position at left back. Carmelina Moscato is also an experienced defender. Yes, it is a back line cobbled together on the fly, without some key components. Yes, it would be better if the injured players were healthy. Yes, the fact that this combination has not played together before has shown at times. No, it is not an entirely mismatched set of fumbling nobodies. This team deserves more respect than it gets.
I think Herdman would probably start Chapman, Zurrer, Sesselmann and Moscato if there were no injury issues. Moscato is actually a converted MF. She still makes some big errors but she shows a lot of promise too. Should also mention that Wilkinson has been a regular starter in the past few years but I think Herdman prefers Moscato. Gayle is mostly used as a sub. Funny that the last time Canada made the semi's in a major tournament (2003 WWC), all 4 of the starting back line were injured. Chapman, Boyd and Hermus didn't play at all and Nonen played with a bad hamstring.