Women's FIFA World Cup

[M2]

As for the TV thing and exclusive rights to highlights and such -- it's FIFA. Every World Cup, every time, either gender. Good luck trying to tell those guys anything about anything.

My guess is you've nailed it. It's the sort of thing that happens when you're run by kleptocrats.

[Stray]

As far as worst possible ways to lose in sports go, that has to be up there.

[KronoRed]

That's freaking tragic.

[M2]

The entire stadium went into shock when it happened. That was Bucknerian.

[Kingspoint]

Just saw the own goal by the England player that ended the game in the 92nd minute and gave Japan the 2-1 win.

Place her on suicide watch for a while.

[dougdirt]

The Olympics and NBC do the same thing. You can't find highlights of the events on ESPN. The same can be said about big time prize fights, ESPN has analysis but not highlights. I don't think it does any of the networks any good, Fox may want the rights, but highlights on SportsCenter can drum up more interest.

Does Wambach remind anybody of Andy Carroll at this stage of her career? Tall, striker, useful in short bursts, but a liability when forced to play the entire game?

For prizefights - the reason is because they tend to sell the PPV after the event as well, so they don't want you to see the ending for free.

[RedTeamGo!]

In regard to the Olympics ESPN and other networks show photos.

Doug, you don't like soccer. We get it.

[Eric from NC]

I agree with you that it's poor strategy if FIFA/Fox is in fact preventing ESPN from showing highlights.
My concern isn't with what they're missing out on, but rather the little that is gained.
I should also note that ESPN has itself been pretty petty when it comes to showing leagues/competitions where they do not have a contract to carry it. (NHL and NASCAR spring to mind)

From what I saw last night, ESPN shows highlights. They just have to wait for the Fox Post Game show to go off the air. I think that's typical with most major events. I did see some highlights with Julie Foudy. She is a really good analyst. Hope she gets a chance to bolt to Fox if they are keeping mens and women's world cup for 8 years. But, with Fifa who knows.

[reds1869]

As far as worst possible ways to lose in sports go, that has to be up there.

I feel terrible for the player and England. I feel less terrible for the USA who just got an easier shot at the trophy. Not easy, but easier than England.

[bucksfan2]

I feel terrible for the player and England. I feel less terrible for the USA who just got an easier shot at the trophy. Not easy, but easier than England.

Huh? England is a better team than Japan?

[Hoosier Red]

Huh? England is a better team than Japan?

Well you could argue they were playing better yesterday. But I'm not sure they were truly a better team overall.

[Tony Cloninger]

I feel terrible for the player and England. I feel less terrible for the USA who just got an easier shot at the trophy. Not easy, but easier than England.

This response is more towards the general media during this WC.

The lack of credit given to Japan this whole tournament by the people in the FOX room....Like Lalas who is such a blowhard. I mean Richard Burton could not sound any more pompous, the guy is in love with his own voice and sarcasm. But they have been given barely any talk at all of even reaching the final. It is all USA, Germany France and then all of a sudden England.

I get they are smaller, but they don't play small and they sure do a better job of keeping the ball and defending. They have lack good finishing though and that will probably hurt them in the final.

[reds1869]

Huh? England is a better team than Japan?

I don't necessarily believe England is better than Japan, just that Japan is an easier matchup for the US. I think the Americans can physically dominate Japan in a way they would not have dominated England, and that plays to the USA's strengths.

[M2]

I don't necessarily believe England is better than Japan, just that Japan is an easier matchup for the US. I think the Americans can physically dominate Japan in a way they would not have dominated England, and that plays to the USA's strengths.

I'd argue the U.S. would physically dominate either of those teams. However, Japan can grab the ball and keep it, thus negating the American physicality advantage. Against England the U.S. wins the track meet. Against Japan it needs to win a chess match.

[lollipopcurve]

Best game ever played by a U.S. national soccer team? Maybe. Brian and Rapinoe had monster games. Johnston too, outside of the penalty. Despite all the talk about the formation, I thought the bigger thing was they got a group of player on the field (regardless of formation) who could win the ball and work a possession game.

I was there, and I can tell you the Stade was a tinder box, waiting for the US to score. 50,000 people totally locked in to the play, every pass. I got goose bumps when that 2nd goal scored and the place exploded. It'll stand as one of the most electric moments I've ever experienced at a sporting event, and one of the most memorable sporting events I've ever been to. All those exuberant, spirited, positive little girls made for a kind of fairyland vibe -- so much nicer than the beer guzzling guys crowd you usually get at pro sports -- and the storybook ending seemed like destiny. We believe that we will win, indeed.