Tokyo Olympics 3rd place: USWNT vs Australia, August 5, pre/pbp/post

It will be very surprising if it isn't different.

 

A team will be awarded bronze medals.

 

Well, if the US starters couldn't put more than 2 shots on goal in a must-win SF match, I have trouble thinking they'll provide any more excitement in the bronze medal match. Not sure about Australia, but just browsing the SF match threads, they seemed more lively in their SF than the US did.

 

I won't hold my breath.

 

Even having a third place match is absurd. The two losers in the semis should share the bronze and be done with it. I don't remember for sure but I think there is no longer a turd* place match in the World Cup or the Euros or just about any tournament now days. Turd place is for only providing extra income for the IOC.

More interesting would be a mini-tournament between the four worst teams for the right to claim the title of "The Worst team at the Olympics."

But there will never be any such because it makes so little sense to the IOC as they can't hear or see that anything is wrong with their heads up their collective a$$e$.

*Intentional.

 

WC and WWC still have it but neither of the Euros do.

 

If it wasn't bad enough, this may have us US fans eating our liver: it's possible if the Fates conspire, that Germany could wind up ranked #1 as the result of a tournament they didn't even play in!

 

TBQH I would rather have Germany on top of the rankings than Sweden. X-D But I hope USA wins bronze and Canada gold, both outright, so as to preserve the "natural order" of things.

 

Tierna Davidson should start in the Bronze Medal match. It's important for the coaches to show faith in her and to help her put the penalty behind her (which is a horse-poop call even if supposedly it's becoming the norm)

Also, most of the reserves (or at least they should see major minutes).Franch of course (Naeher's injury probably prevents her from playing anyway). Krueger. Macario. Kristie Mewis. Lynn Williams.

Ertz should be rested but I hope Horan and Sam Mewis are able to play and help provide an anchor for the reserves. Carli Lloyd, I think, would be willing to put it all out there for her teammates in a Bronze Medal match. (I respect her for that)

 

Is that you, John Herdman?

 

I want Alyssa to heal and my other Red Stars players to come back healthy to Chicago. We still have a Championship to play for back home!

 

I remember when Phil Neville called the third place match nonsense and a bunch of the 2015 team said this was one of their proudest moments in football. I'm sure that Aus wanted gold, but getting a medal would be huge for them. Not as much for many of the Americans, true.

 

Should the "third" goalkeeper (Jane Campbell) see time as well. All she needs to do to get a metal if the US wins bronze is to be on a game day roster. I do not remember her being on one, yet. Of course if Naeher is really done then it is a moot point. I think we have to have two goalkeepers on our game day roster and, without Naeher, there are only two left.

If my memory is correct and Franch has been the backup on the bench every match then it would be horrible for Jane Campbell to be left off. If Naeher can go then Jane Campbell should be the backup or all three keepers should be on the roster or Naeher should not be on the roster.

 

Australia will definitely be elated to win the bronze medal. USWNT on the other hand just probably want to leave Japan and come home right now.

 

*Is that you, Phil Neville?

Thank you @PortiereNuovo for reminding me of the proper name with which to correct my one-liner. I remember John Herdman behaving rather childishly after losing one of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament finals, and I somehow confused his name with that of Phil Neville, who minimized the importance of the bronze medal match and downplayed the players' emotional investment in it...by sheer coincidence only after losing that match at the 2019 WWC.

At any rate, I would argue it's very important for the USWNT to exit this very rocky tournament they've had with their heads held high and to leave the Olympics with hardware around their necks for the first time in nine years. True a bronze medal may seem like insufficient redemption for what happened five years ago, but a victory over Australia after their extremely underwhelming meeting earlier in the tournament wouldn't be a bad consolation prize. Not to mention that the team could at least resume their commendable practice of not walking away from any major tournament empty-handed after their lapse in 2016.

 

Good point but with the emotional breakdown of a lot of the players post the Canada loss I don't think they have the psyche to go for the bronze.

 

*Shoots @Disapproving Hippo a Disapproving Glare*

 

Coming from an objective football fan, I would be shocked if they can actually pull a win on Thursday so much more than my extreme bemusement of how maybe 18 out 22 player roster just instantaneously playing so bad. I have never witnessed something of a collapse like this. There has to be something behind the scenes. Perhaps the water in Japan, real sushi, wagyu beef, that ceremony they had in Miyazaki...or something else.

 

What about goal differential?