O'Hara had a helluva game, too. I enjoyed the Kerr-O'Hara interaction during and after the game. Gaels Rule! I re-watched the Shea Groom dramatics. About 22:15 on game clock. Sauerbrunn lofts a free kick into the box from near the top of the center circle after a hand ball by Hayes. Ball goes to Sheridan who comes out to about 12 yards to catch the ball on the fly. Freeman is facing Sheridan and is between Groom and Sheridan. Groom pushes Freeman to the ground from behind, mostly with her 'good' hand/arm extended. Groom had no chance to get to the ball. Replay is at about 22:40 on game clock. Freeman is injured and needs to leave the game.About 44:30 on game clock. Mills in a very grabby way dispossesses Groom from behind as both face away from goal in the KC attacking third.About 45:20 on game clock. Hayes goes up to head in a cross. Groom is on her back side. Hayes hips Groom to the ground as she jumps (possibly a little elbow leverage as well). Hayes then turns to move away from the goal, Groom is still on the ground. Hayes makes contact with Groom with her shins and puts both hands on Groom's back as she falls forward to keep upright and then awkwardly steps over her.About 45:58 on game clock. Mills shoulders (clearly a shoulder to shoulder challenge) Groom to the ground in the box, as cross goes just behind both. Challenge is from Groom's bad arm side, but she does not land on the arm.About 46:52 on game clock. Sheridan, unchallenged, takes a back pass from Pearce who is on her left and switches ball with a 20 yard ground pass to Skroski who is on her right. Skroski nonchalantly receives the ball with her right foot, touching it upfield and makes her turn to move upfield. Groom is beginning to close from Skroski's left. Skroski decides to play ball back to Sheridan and pulls the ball back and to her left to make the turn for passing to Sheridan. Groom keeps coming and Skroski actually makes the turn into the path of Groom, who cleanly snipes the ball from Skroski's feet. Groom is away to the races. Skroski grabs Groom's left arm mostly from behind. Groom spins left and into Skroski and hits her with both forearms. Not a left jab or right cross, but clearly not a push. It looked like striking or attempting to strike to me (interpreted as violent conduct, red). Skroski's yellow was not a DOGSO red, because the play was too far away from goal. OTOH, after the Center had consulted with both ARs, should she have given a yellow to Groom for unsporting behavior and not a red for violent conduct? Yes, I think so; and that would have probably been a better call. Perhaps Mills' hard shoulder at 45:58 was payback for Freeman. I think Hayes' initial contact with Groom was normal mixing it up in the box and her tripping over Groom was inadvertent. I think Groom felt a little banged around in the previous two minutes and that Skroski grabbing her arm in basically the same way Groom got her right arm injured was just too much and she lashed out.
I agree with Coach Jon. That should not have been a red card for Groom. She reacted to Skorski's obvious yellow card infraction -- and probably should have been given a yellow card. But Groom's response didn't merit a red card. Groom is a marked man for rough play -- and she is not going to get the benefit of the doubt in any questionable play from the refs or the opposing side.
From this picture it looks like she's going to finish her with a Karate move. And anyway you do wonder if and how opponent's leg was still whole and unbroken a split second after this capture... *cringe*
Groom's push in the back on Freeman in the 22 minute was pretty ugly when you see it on replay. Ref did not see it, but I'm sure she was told about it. It had to figure later because the tangle with Skroski did not merit a red.
Another photo of Skroski doing defender things from July 1: It's the day we salivate for. GAME DAY, babyyyy!! Courage vs Reign at 1930ET. #StayTheCourse #GameDay #LoveMyTeam 📸: @sml_nc pic.twitter.com/Wpvjh3sXsA— Jessica McDonald (@J_Mac1422) July 8, 2017
I feel sorry for Groom. She doesn't look like a bully, just plays hard, with passion and doesn't take no sh_t. But my opinion may change if she ever hurts one of my Red Stars players.
I think she also tends to be pretty reckless, with the potential to cause serious injuries to opponents. That seems to be what's gotten her into trouble. I haven't looked at the footage of the event that got her the red card, and I'm tending to believe those who say it wasn't warranted. But she seems to have a reputation and probably has been told she's on a "watch list."
I can't manage to feel much sorry for Lloyd instead. It's not the first time, in her career, that she tackles recklessly, apparently not worrying about the health of her opponent. I remember when she tore Rumi Utsugi's knee during a friendly match in Sweden, some months ahead of Olympics 2012 (Utsugi had to skip that tournament).
Oh, I don't feel sorry for Lloyd at all. Do you remember when she grabbed Vanessa Dibernardo and just threw her to the ground? Last summer in Orlando, she elbows a Brazilian player right in the face.