Okay, confession time: I missed the first 50 some-odd minutes of the consolation game. Considering how the rest of the game went, I don't think I it was too big an issue. Ajax Women 3 : 3 San Diego This was the most boring 3-3 game I've ever seen. It was 2-1 Ajax at the half, 2-2 before I could get to my seat, 3-3 by the end, and not once did it seem like any of that mattered to anyone on the field. Everything was robotic and without passion, like some preseason friendly. To be honest, though, that's kinda what it was. Sure, it's great to be in the Final Four, but you could tell neither team really thought that third place would be that much of a moral victory. Of importance, however, is the fact that in the second half Jennifer Lalor-Nielsen was hit with a challenge from the side, took a half step, let out a cry, and hit the deck. She had to be taken off the field on a stretcher and from what I saw didn't get back off until she was out of the stadium. PKs - Ajax went first. OXOOO OOOXX Not much to be said here. Ajax's second PK was blocked, and San Diego missed their last two to the right and left respectively. Ajax seemed to be happy to come in not last. Ajax + San Diego: Honestly, they were more or less the same. Offense - Decent. Obviously goals were scored. But there was little in the way of dynamics. Midfield - No defensive pressure. They just let the other team take the ball up the field so they could wait and try to disposses in their own defensive 1/3rd. Defense - Not that good. Six goals doesn't speak well of defensive prowess. Overall - Meh. They were both just kind of dinking the ball around and followed whatever happened. There was no real strategy to what they were doing. It was almost like some backyard game, except no one was having fun. Team MVP - Whatever. Long Island Fury 1 : 0 River Cities Futbol Club Great game. Things were delayed coming out of halftime and it rained for the first fifteen some-odd minutes of the second half, but none of that ultimately influenced the run of play. Jennifer Nobis (9) was contained. There's no other word for it. Kelly Henderson (22) was jamming the midfield and Susan Weber (16) was great on the backline to help shut down anything up the middle. This forced River Cities out wide, and Long Island was prepared. The wingbacks weren't caught by River Cities' speed, and the center backs offered a lot of help to close out any sideline runs. Long Island came into this thing prepared. They knew what to do in all situations. They knew their opponent's strengths and simply shut them down. It was great to watch. Their offense was much better, but River Cities' defense held until 1:30 to go in the game. A foul forty yards out and to the right led to a free kick by Weber. She dropped the ball into the mixer and it was eventually pushed into the right-side netting for the game-winning goal. River Cities: Offense - Static. They were outcoached by Long Island and didn't know what to do about it. A few decent chances were squandered. Midfield - Decent-ish. Forward movement up the middle was largely negated by Henderson and Weber. They would progress down the flanks just to find they were covered and couldn't do anything. Defense - A little shaky. They let a couple of great chances through and no ball should rattle around the mixer as long as the game-winner did. Overall - Help! Help! I'm being repressed! They were locked up by Long Island's play and couldn't shake themselves of it. Team MVP - Meghann Burke (23). She made a couple of spectacular saves. Long Island Fury: Offense - Better. Ball movement was better, and they had a couple of great chances. Considering River Cities' defense was much better than San Diego's, I'll chalk this up to better organization. Midfield - Henderson, Henderson, Henderson. She might as well have plunged a sword into the center circle and yelled, "You shall not pass!" Defense - Weber, Weber, Weber. Always in the right position, always marking well, always where she needed to be. Overall - After seeing them the last two days I don't think there're any qualms in calling Long Island the best team here. The adjustments they made alone from the semis to the finals shows their capabilities as a team. Team MVP - Henderson. Easily. Tournament MVP - Kelly Henderson. I was very, very happy to see her win this. I was hoping and praying that the tournament officials were seeing all the things I was seeing her accomplish in the midfield. Good show, good times, good finish. Well worth the ten bucks for the ticket.
Then you weren't watching the match. These 22 girls played their hearts out in 110-degree heat, fought for every ball, battled hard, tried to be creative and succeeded often, and ended up in a draw. Lacked passion??? You're nuts. Or you don't know the game. Your comments are disingenuous and reflect an obvious bias. Plus I find them to be mean-spirited. The goals were good, especially Zhang's (San Diego's second goal), a 20-yard strike that zipped into the netting, and the pace was fast. Both teams had only a few subs. You were the only fan in the stadium who didn't think it was an entertaining match between 2 teams who've had a long and intense rivalry.
They were not fighting for every ball. Midfield challenges were almost non-existent. They were not battling hard. Again, the midfield was a free parking zone. They were not creative. Everything was straight up the gut and through traditional lanes. The reason they "succeeded" often was due to lax and uninspired defensive play. I want to see more passion in the game than just some clapping during the penalty shoot-out. I've already adressed the so-called disingenuous-ness of my remarks. What bias do you think I have? Against perfunctory play? And how is it mean-spirited? Actually, there were a number of people around me who didn't seem that into it, but whatever. If a bunch of pre-teen girls scream when the announcer tells 'em to, that must mean the quality of play on the field was excellent. Right? Oh, and this is the first I've heard of their long and intense rivalry. I certainly didn't see any indication of it on the pitch.
"They were not creative. Everything was straight up the gut and through traditional lanes." Perhaps you didn't see Zhang's goal. It came from the right side after she'd made a diagonal run from her position at left outside-mid. The ball came to her on a cross from the fullback who'd moved up the left side, after being held, then played to the left, from the holding midfielder, Carrie Schmit (who, incidentally, fought for every ball in the air and has done so in every single match she's played). Zhang received it, faked, then drilled past the oncoming keeper from the edge of the box. Nothing perfunctory or "straight up the gut" about it. That was some beautiful soccer. You either don't understand the game or, for some strange reason which I can't fathom, are deliberately choosing to downplay or "diss" what was a hard-fought, passionate match between both teams who have a long history of playing hard. I don't disagree with you that San Diego played very poorly in its semi-final match. But I saw the games and nobody can fairly accuse any of these teams of not trying or playing hard and I take strong offense at you for implying just that. "Nice writeups Noodles" indeed. I think your writeups showed a lack of passion.
Lalor-Nielsen Has a Torn ACL Sadly it turned out that Lalor-Nielsen tore her ACL. Hopefully Jen will have a very successful surgery and I wish her all the best with her recovery and rehab.
I'm inclined to agree with Noodles that both teams had long, flat spells in the conso match, although SD was far livelier than it was in the first round. The flattest came with SD's last two PKs that cost them the game. There were a number of questionable calls during both games, though, the worst being when Lalor-Nielsen went down with a torn ACL on an absolutely assinine tackle that should have drawn a card but instead drew not a bloody thing. In the championship, LI just, plain outquicked RC, always seeming about two beats ahead. That RC kept it as close as they did is a testament to the discipline of their transition play.
Um, I was sitting right in front of the section of field where Lalor-Nielsen went down and saw it all. There was no body to body contact at all. She stepped very awkwardly in mid-stride -- you could see it and you could also hear the ligament pop. I've seen lots of girls go down with ACLs but never heard that horrible sound. She hit the ground immediately. So card? No way. Unfortunate, yes. Wish her the best and a speedy recovery.