Well, at least that interpretation of the rule cuts WAY down on the judgement aspects. When it was a matter of whether a defender gave any thought to playing you, it asked way too much of the officials' judgement-- even though their judgement should be what they're there for.
“Interfering with play” requires touching the ball. “Interfering with an opponent” can involve an obvious action that clearly impacts the ability of an opponent to play the ball. She didn’t make an obvious action, and there wasn’t an opponent close enough for it to clearly impact the ability of the opponent to play the ball. Totally disagree—she slowed up deliberately because she knew she might be off and let her onside teammate take the ball—that was a smart play.
Agree, although I think the confusion about offside interference comes from the play we see it the most called on. That is, if your standing in an offside position and not making an obvious action, you can still cause the offside if you're even remotely in the line of sight of the goal keeper. That feels like 90 percent of all offside calls that involve the offside player not actually touching the ball.
According to Swanson, she loudly and clearly called Smith off the ball, because she knew Smith was offside. Based on Smith's comments, she did not realize she was offside, but she trusted Swanson's calling her off.
Im sure Morgan is done, She wasnt string scoring under Twila and she had many chances, Our immediate needs are replacements for Dunn and Horan. Dunn too many turnovers, too old and Horan is too slow and needs to retire from international. I hope Emma finds a new CF. One thats bigger and more solid, Smith misses too many and is knocked down too much, Not a long term answer. Now is the time for Emma to really move this team forward, Lets see what she does
Did she elaborate what she said? Feels like there would be a difference between a "you're offside leave it to me" call off or just "leave it!" call off.
Bring her back, Z-man, McSkillz, CPT, someone please, please do something. I miss her soooooo much. Give her a Bionic Knee, we’ve had the technology since the 70’s - - - Post-transplant, I can visualize Sam unleashing a shot from the top of the box with her new bionic leg…… the ball explodes on impact with her foot but is still ruled a goal because the remnants of the ball cross the goal line and into the net. I’ll reimburse FIFA for all exploded balls. One of my operatives in Southeast Asia uncovered this: TJ you are wwWWWwwise. The constant negative chirping from those so-called journalists and experts in the last 12 months has been unbearable. I’ve had to renew my prescription for Chill Pills 5 times. It’s like the first article said “disappointing” and that snowball kept rolling down the hill and became an avalanche of “catastrophic”, “devastating”, “dire”, “Hindenburg”, “disastrous” etc. I should let it roll off my back but they are talking about my Soccer Daughters and Granddaughters. I don’t follow the Spanish Team on a daily basis, but their last 2 years has been chaotic similar to Season 3 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. They will be back – to much talent. So my little soccer buddies, please feel free to continue the celebrate the 2024 Olympic Championship because one of my responsibilities is that I, and only I, decide when the USWNT celebration ends. And as always, to the USWNT’s detractors, naysayers, critics, haters, cynics, disparagers - - - YOU CAN ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
From The Oregonian today, our newspaper here in Portland, an article written by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press covers Swanson's part of the play. I'll give her entire quote on the situation plus the article's introduction to that quote: At just the right moment, Mallory Swanson yelled at teammate Sophia Smith not to go near the ball as it came through. Swanson knew Smith was offside. But Swanson wasn't. "I was like, 'Don't touch it! Leave it, leave it, leave it.' And then it was on me to put away." Also from The Oregonian today, an article written for The Oregonian by reporter Chris Kudialis: Swanson in the 57th minute netted the only goal of the game for the Americans, but Smith was also standing wide-open right next to her on the play. "We both kind of made the same run, and I didn't see her coming until she shouted," Smith said after the game. "And I was like 'Oh yeah, she has a better angle toward the goal; let me just get in the box and move.' I knew if she crossed it I'd be there and also if it rebounded. But I had faith in Mal that she was going to put that in."
Smith also commented that she though she might be offside and veered off when Swanson yelled. She said it was loud enough to startle her. Sounds to me that two players were aware of the issue and communicated well. There was a point, btw, when Smith then Made herself less advanced than Swanson and could have received the ball from Swanson. The situation changed from being off from Korbin’s pass to being onside for a potential pass from Swanson.
Yeah, there was a nice sequence in the 2nd half where the attack wasn't on, so they cycled it back to midfield, and it still wasnt on, so they cycled it back more, and then it got to Naeher and ended up as a throwing just inside our half for Brazil. She had options but I fully understand if she felt uncomfortable taking them, but giving the ball to say, Spain, for a throw in is going to be a problem. But I will take the shot stopping anyday and I don't see anyone in the NWSL showing me good playing out of the back skills as a keeper. Note, I'm n ot talking playing out of the back as a law, but having it as a tool to get other teams running - resting defense. Make them come get it and exploit that they have lost their compactness....
If it had been called back I wasn't going to be furious, if I'm the keeper I'm thinking in part I have to be prepared for Swanson to feed Smith. I'm guessing that from what I can see in the replay the keeper never looked off Swanson is what sold the review that Smith wasn't a factor. I mean we would have just won some other way
Well, I got one of those about a year ago. Trust me, if you get a bionic knee your playing days are over. not only does a knee replacement not function as well as a good natural knee but they aren’t as strong and they don’t self-repair. One slide tackle and you are back in surgery ( if there is enough bone to attach a new knee). my rock climbing career ended on doctor’s advice. Even casual falls are more dangerous.
Korbin Albert, well she impressed ME! IMO, a very big key to this Gold journey. A key goal in a key game, worked her butt off to clog up the middle to squash opposing attacks, key passes in key moments. Without that beautiful vision pass in the Final, we may not be talking who called who off or Mal's amazing finish After the Gold game, one X poster summed it up, 8 recoveries, 6 duals won, 1 pinpoint pass ...and unfortunately no one is going to give her credit for it. Shame. Korbin Albert belongs on this team. She realized her mistake and apologized heartfully. Her teammates have embraced her, her coach has confidence in her and in my opinion its time USWNT fans stop with the booing and embrace this 20 year old kid who is still learning and who through some personal tough times came through in these Olympics to win the Gold medal for our USWNT. People have made their point, she has listened, she has acknowledged and apologized, is very young and still learning. I feel as long as Emma Hayes is the coach she will be a part of this team. Now it's time for us to move on and encourage instead.
Useful background of course to the conversation, this is the accepted interpretation of the way the rules are currently written, but it's an arbitrary decision made by the BigWigs and PooBahs of the IFAB/ FIFA and other Governing Bodies — and it's counter to the Spirit of the Laws. Smith is absolutely affecting the play. Her run is freezing the goalkeeper and keeping her from coming out to cut down the angle on Swanson. If she's affecting the play, she's "interfering with play", just not in the way the rulemakers and rule interpreters have arbitrarily chosen to define it (and chosen not all that long ago) It's reminiscent of a controversial goal in the Premier League in January last year, in the derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, when Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford successfully pulled off the swindle (as I prefer to call it). There was an excellent discussion of it in the Ref Forum, one of the best I've seen the last couple years. The conversation begins somewhere around here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2022-23-england-referee-discussion-epl-efl-cups-rs.2121880/page-55#post-41117767 *** ADD That's the main point of a lot of the rule changes in recent years especially since the introduction of VAR (or in anticipation of it) — to take judgment, the "In The Opinion Of The Referee", out of the game and make decisions based on purely objective measures. I don't understand the thinking and why referees are on-board with it. Do they think it's going to put them above criticism? Do they think it's going to end controversies? Do they think the Higher-Ups can ruin the game and no one is going to say anything? *** (Reminder to self to make a Catch-22 reference later on...)
Hoping this success influences her decision to commit. On that note, I’m really curious too on how each country sells their wares to players who could go either which way. 2027 is still a long way but if we can start framing a potential starting 11 now, that would be great.
With few exceptions, NTs pitch "faster or better?" Do you want to play on a better team with more opportunities to win, but you might not be good enough to make the team every time? Or, do you want to play NOW, but maybe without guarantees of success? In the Yohannes case, the teams may be too close in quality to make a big difference, though the US has a big advantage in winning big titles.
The refs accept the current situation because they are cowards and they do not want to actually have responsibility. But i do agree with you that the correct call was offside and the whole ref crew just avoided taking responsibility for the call. I am also reminded of this: “If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be.” – Bill Shankly
Fantastic result! Congrats to the team and fans. When Cat and Jayden went down, it sure seemed like a gold was out of reach given the compressed schedule. But it happened. The team still has plenty of work to do. Three straight 1-0 nail biters means this could easily have ended another way. Will be very interesting to see how this team builds for 27. Lots of , especially in some direct areas, but also some major holes that need fixing. Girma and Naeher were MVPs.
I’m thinking along the same lines. That WOULD make it hard for them to decide. It’s just that I never heard of under the table skag deals like they do for college recruitment (which I heard is legal now) ever come out in the open. Not sure but I bet there’s rules and regs for that too. Also wondering how much careers and fortunes we disappointed—- including the men’s side, coz they were “promised” but the Fed moved past them. We can’t really sell as well if we have too many players who wished they committed to this or that country instead.
People who think a offside should have been called have very bad arguments. 1) Did Smith touch the ball? No. 2) Did he interfere with an opponent to play the ball? No. 3) You think the keeper was distracted by Smith, hence she was offside? Heck , that 's a stretch, it's not the job of a keeper to pay attention to offside player, she is paid to watch the onside player. So no. 4) Was Smith in the vision of the keeper when the shot was taken.? No. These are the things that the LOTG and Advice to the Ref mention. The rest are just make up stuffs!!
good post. I care about players making plays not what is said on social media. I liked Albert the player from the first time I saw her play because of everything explained above. I also like Lily Y. I haven't seen too much, but have seen enough to know she can ball. Reminds me of Landon Donovan when I first saw him in knowing that he could play right away. Some players just have a great feel for the game. Hopefully Lily picks USA; I am concerned that she might not. Curious if any poster has any inside info, like if she was offered a spot and actually declined or if Emma never actually invited her. At a minimum she should have been an alternate based on ability. I saw her as a faster version of Horan and ready right now.
Lily is only 17 and the Olympics are permanently cap-tying. Very likely she wasn't ready to make a decision. I would expect the recruiting window to now be open. Funny that she could have been an alternate, been named to the 18 as an injury replacement, not played, received a gold medal, yet not cap-tied to the US.