[R] U.S.-CAN post-match 5.10.08

you know I'm a dork and I write down who scores and assisted on each goal and did you know that we have 3 player with 9 goals or more. Tash has 10 by herself to go with 5 assists. Abby has 9 goals and 8 assists and Tarp has 9 goals!!

 

Just got back from RFK and a very impressive performance by the WNT: very composed, great point-to-point passing, using the entire width of the field, everything you could ask for. And I don't recall a single dangerous chance from the Canadians. One of the friends I was with - who was in the stands of the Rose Bowl in 1999 - says it's the best she's seen them play since then.

 

Wasn't that amazing?

My wife had two observations.

One was, as they were up by five and still busting their butts, that Pia must have put the fear of God into them after they almost blew the Australia game.

The other was to ask if I remembered when DC United used to play like that.

As you might guess, we are suffering United fans. How delightful it was to see a home team that had beautiful movement off of the ball, passes to where players knew their team mates were going to be, beautiful, soft controlling touches, control of most 50/50 balls, a keeper who trusted her back line enough to distribute to them, a mid-field that controlled play, wings and defenders making overlapping runs into the corners and delivering deadly crosses, passes on the ground to feet, no hospital balls, give and go sequences that led to goals...oh, and players who could find the back of the net...six times.

I knew I remembered that players could do this. Thank you ladies.

I wonder if Pia would be interested in a MLS head coach job.

 

Kai...when she'd score she'd then run past the Canada bench and then the US looking at the crowd and making that two arm upward wave that is the signal for more noise...which, of course, worked.

 

well, i assume that was a great game!!

(didn't see anything. not really. i couldn't put up with the buffering every 10 seconds).

whatever. keep that back line!! that was my only worry from the last 2 matches.

 

U.S. Crushes Canada in Women's soccer

"We never looked sharp in training (this past week) and we certainly did not (look sharp) in this match," said Canadian coach Even Pellerud. "While the opponent was anticipating the situation and was determined in its tackles, our players (politely) gave the ball away."

"Apparently I gave the players too long a break after the qualifying tournament," said Pellerud. "While the Americans went back to camp and played two internationals, we took a (long) break and returned without the passion and energy with which we played with in Mexico."


mmmmhhhmm.... blame the long break...

 

Keep the whole starting 11. I think that's why Pia went 70 minutes without a sub. The rhythm with this group was so good. Pressure coming from all angles. No shots on goal allowed! This should be the group that gets the majority of the starts and minutes from here on out. Try outs are over. Keep using the subs so the bench stays comfortable in the system and the starters stay fresh and healthy. But let this group play a lot of minutes together. Once they develop their set pieces, they'll be really scary.

 

The US absolutely and comprehensively shut the Canadian down on defense (2 shots total, 0 shot on goal) because we didn't have 3 slow cows in the back line playing defense, namely Whitehill, Cox, Buehler. In the future, I hope Pia never have to put more than one of these defenders in the lineup at the same time.

 

Stephanie Cox, a cow??

What games are you watching?

 

Sorry that I offended your idol.

Cow = slow.

Now tell me, which game did you watched that would prove that she doesn't have slow foot speed?

 

Although I agree with you as to those players' shortcomings, these girls have given their all for the ol' US of A. NONE of them deserves to be called a cow.

 

god Pellerud is an arse,

Can I say thank god we have moved beyond coaching like this,
look at some of the comments he has made:

"A decent first half, a horrible second half," head coach Even Pellerud said. "We seem to be unfocused and not ready to play."

First off from what i understand we were playing well in the first, we just couldn't get one in. We owned you, can you not admit it??

"We never looked sharp in training (this past week) and we certainly did not (look sharp) in this match," said Canadian coach Even Pellerud. "While the opponent was anticipating the situation and was determined in its tackles, our players (politely) gave the ball away."

"You don't win international games by escorting their ballhandlers to dangerous spaces and allow good shots without them being punished," said Pellerud

yes pal thats what your players we doing, "here you go kai"


Apparently I gave the players too long a break after the qualifying tournament," said Pellerud. "While the Americans went back to camp and played two internationals, we took a (long) break and returned without the passion and energy with which we played with in Mexico."

Again from what i understood we played almost as well against them then, but mcloed was on fire.

Man sounds like he and ryan are meant for one another. When can you give some credit to the play of the US. I would hate to have to show up to practice next week with this oaf running the asylum.

 

I second that. all these girls are trying, lets not trash them as individuals.

 

You guys think that was a harsh comment? Sheesh, too bad you don't read nor post in the US Men's forums.

 

I'll third that. Those three players may not be the fastest on the team, but I do not believe anyone on this team is not fit. Pia established the rules early on, "Stay fit or go home." The recommitment to fitness is showing. Wambach looks like she could run through a brick wall without losing her stride right now.

 

I read the men's forums every day. And I use harsh language with my college age son to motivate him that I wouldn't dream of using with my college age daughter. Today of all days, let's treat these ladies with the respect with which our mothers taught us to treat ladies.

 

I think it's ignorant to call anybody a "cow", much less an athlete of that caliber. She may not be the fastest player on the team but calling any woman a cow is shameful. Have some class.

 

For anyone with 2 X chromosomes, Cow=Fat. If you want to call someone slow, knock yourself out. If you consider anyone on this current team "fat", you are truly warped.

 

1) There are different kinds of speed--foot speed is not the only thing that counts.
2) Watching on TV can be deceiving in terms of adjudicating how fast a player is.
3) While speed in an outside back is desirable, not all defenders need to be as fast as Rampone if they have other skills. Overbeck, for instance, was never the most fleet of foot but her superior positioning and the way she read the game compensated. Cox, I suspect, is a very economical and intelligent player (a good thing)--she relies on positioning and does not run around without purpose. When Whitehill was very, very fit, noone ever criticized her lack of speed.
4) None of these players can/should be called "cows" by any measure.

 

This guy Pellerud (coach of Canada women) is such a fool. The game of soccer has long passed him. He is good at blaming his own players when losing and showering himself with glory when winning. I feel sorry for the Canadian women, they have talent, they only need someone who can coach them right. The U.S. needs to find better opponents.

 

i stopped by a few Canadian womens team message boards and they are calling for him to be fired. Its pretty close to the Olympics to change a coach, but then again they seem to be in turmoil. They all seem to be suggesting the assistant coach should take over. I do not know too much about their staff though to comment on the viability of it all. God aren't we glad we are not involved in this kind of drama anymore.

Its too bad the way the qualifying goes because a team like England or Australia is a step WAY above Canada and should be in the Olympics over them. I especially, enjoyed watching England in the WC and I am disappointed they won't be in Beijing.

 

I was actually pulling for Mexico to qualify over Canada.