US Women's Soccer Team Royally Screwed

[Tony Cloninger]

If you get the chance pick up last month's issue of Four Four Two. There is an excellent cover feature called "The Death of Brazil" that covers the rapid decline of Brazilian soccer. Very interesting stuff.

As an Uruguayan.... that would be music to my ears....at least maybe a Yankees like run like they had from 1966-1973...or 1988-1992 maybe? I got fed up with Uruguay football after the disaster in 2002 WC vs Senegal and then the loss in Australia to miss out even going in 2006. This last year has been the best all up and down the whole Uruguayan soccer federation from WC through U-17 WC.

[reds1869]

As an Uruguayan.... that would be music to my ears....at least maybe a Yankees like run like they had from 1966-1973...or 1988-1992 maybe? I got fed up with Uruguay football after the disaster in 2002 WC vs Senegal and then the loss in Australia to miss out even going in 2006. This last year has been the best all up and down the whole Uruguayan soccer federation from WC through U-17 WC.

Somehow I didn't realize you are Uruguayan. Have you read El futbol a sol y sombra by Eduardo Galeano? It is one of my all time favorite sports books.

[TheBigLebowski]

Anyone who downplays the effect sports can have on a national psyche may be forgetting the returns of football and baseball following 9/11.

But you're referring to sports that were played domestically. Everyone in America suffered due to the effects of 9/11 - clearly the New Yorkers suffered more, but we all did. Every American's lives changed immeasurably that day. I think your point is that the return of football and baseball lifted everyone's spirits, and that point I will not and can not argue. It represented a return to the lifestyle to which we were all accustomed, but the results of said games were wholly irrelevant, unless we subscribe to the theory I posited above - the relativistic misery index. If so, we were all supposed to be rooting for the New York franchises then.

I know that sports, in and of themselves, can be a worthwhile and oftentimes satisfying distraction from problems. But comparing the way getting back to playing sports after 9/11 lifted our spirits and the phenomenon of producers/networks playing up tragedies to engender support for one team over another is just trite and misplaced. God forbid another earthquake hit the San Francisco area near the San Andreas Fault in a few weeks....do we simply all lay down our ballcaps and collectively root for the Giants or pitch in, do what we can, physically or financially, to help them restore their way of life - celebrate when the Giants take the field again more than the result of the games they play. We all know Americans have done a great deal to assist the Japanese after this horrible tragedy and we continue to do so. We should not be made to feel guilty for rooting for our soccer team to beat theirs.

[Tony Cloninger]

Somehow I didn't realize you are Uruguayan. Have you read El futbol a sol y sombra by Eduardo Galeano? It is one of my all time favorite sports books.

I never really bring it up except when it was the WC last year and last night in the game thread when i was at least half happy for the night.

No i have not....but I will have to check it out. Too much of the Uruguayan futbol is all living in the past (Just like it seems the teams i root for in baseball and football) ... but I will look it up on Amazon.

You would laugh at some of the Uruguay blogs...how they get on the Maestro....and his coaching decisions. Keeping the older guys around, not moving enough of the young blood in..... Using Midfielders as only defense and not being able to develop their own Xavi.... Like that's easy to do.

[kaldaniels]

But you're referring to sports that were played domestically. Everyone in America suffered due to the effects of 9/11 - clearly the New Yorkers suffered more, but we all did. Every American's lives changed immeasurably that day. I think your point is that the return of football and baseball lifted everyone's spirits, and that point I will not and can not argue. It represented a return to the lifestyle to which we were all accustomed, but the results of said games were wholly irrelevant, unless we subscribe to the theory I posited above - the relativistic misery index. If so, we were all supposed to be rooting for the New York franchises then.

I know that sports, in and of themselves, can be a worthwhile and oftentimes satisfying distraction from problems. But comparing the way getting back to playing sports after 9/11 lifted our spirits and the phenomenon of producers/networks playing up tragedies to engender support for one team over another is just trite and misplaced. God forbid another earthquake hit the San Francisco area near the San Andreas Fault in a few weeks....do we simply all lay down our ballcaps and collectively root for the Giants or pitch in, do what we can, physically or financially, to help them restore their way of life - celebrate when the Giants take the field again more than the result of the games they play. We all know Americans have done a great deal to assist the Japanese after this horrible tragedy and we continue to do so. We should not be made to feel guilty for rooting for our soccer team to beat theirs.

C'mon Big, you're better than this. We all make dumb posts off the top of our heads sometimes...no shame in saying, "whoops, I went too far".

[Tony Cloninger]

I did not feel guilty rooting for the US........why would anyone do so? If anything....the broadcast was slanted for the US, which is understandable.

I also did not feel that bad when they lost beacuse it was nice to see Japan win and show that size don't mean nothing in futbol.

[TheBigLebowski]

C'mon Big, you're better than this. We all make dumb posts off the top of our heads sometimes...no shame in saying, "whoops, I went too far".

Wait now....I am not offended that people disagree with me....it's basically my take that sports broadcasts are far too often slanted around catastrophes, sympathy, etc....I said I was happy that if we had to lose, it was to Japan...I think all the points I made were well-supported, even if you didn't agree with them, and I am glad that it lifts the spirits of the Japanese in a very hard, hard time. But I said nothing offensive nor "dumb," nor did I "go too far." I insulted no one, did not make light of the tragedy in Japan nor New Orleans. It's just my opinion and I can't apologize for having it.

[IslandRed]

Very poor defending on that goal allowed to Japan. Play to the outside, not across your goal, defending 101.

Yeah. I never really played and my coaching-the-daughter career ended at U8, but even I know the "don't clear the ball across the face of your own net" rule.

[Roy Tucker]

Japan played better that the US when they had to. US had lots of scoring chances that they didn't put away. And Japan isn't the kind of team you want to let to hang around. This isn't the Brazil game where the US got screwed. They just got beat.

One thing I'll say is that I loved how the game was played. No dives, no fake injuries, no witching at the ref. Cleanly and fairly played the way all games should be. Can't ask for more than that. Hats off to the Japanese team.

[reds1869]

One thing I'll say is that I loved how the game was played. No dives, no fake injuries, no witching at the ref. Cleanly and fairly played the way all games should be. Can't ask for more than that. Hats off to the Japanese team.

Amen to that. Those two teams played the game the right way and their male counterparts in the next WC Final should take note.

[TheBigLebowski]

Japan played better that the US when they had to. US had lots of scoring chances that they didn't put away. And Japan isn't the kind of team you want to let to hang around. This isn't the Brazil game where the US got screwed. They just got beat.

One thing I'll say is that I loved how the game was played. No dives, no fake injuries, no witching at the ref. Cleanly and fairly played the way all games should be. Can't ask for more than that. Hats off to the Japanese team.

Hear hear. I wish the men would play the game the same way.

[Betterread]

Hear hear. I wish the men would play the game the same way.

The body block to stop Alex Morgan at the end of overtime was a very intelligent foul - and cynical to the core. A red card and loss of a player at that point with a few minutes left is a small sacrifice and the scouting on the US does not reveal an exception free kick specialist that would make a free kick from that distance a strong goal-scoring threat. To me it was clear that the japanese defender was not going to let Morgan get past her, with or without the ball. That's not the right way to play - but it helps the team.

[TheBigLebowski]

The body block to stop Alex Morgan at the end of overtime was a very intelligent foul - and cynical to the core. A red card and loss of a player at that point with a few minutes left is a small sacrifice and the scouting on the US does not reveal an exception free kick specialist that would make a free kick from that distance a strong goal-scoring threat. To me it was clear that the japanese defender was not going to let Morgan get past her, with or without the ball. That's not the right way to play - but it helps the team.

Yeah, I considered that at the time...the red card really meant nothing - the offender was not going to take pk's and the game was going to be over after that free kick. I just can't make myself believe she made an intelligent decision to do that in the heat of the moment. She was beaten and she panicked.

[Tony Cloninger]

Amen to that. Those two teams played the game the right way and their male counterparts in the next WC Final should take note.

So have you watched the Copa America much? Do you have a favorite club or country besides the US?

[Betterread]

Yeah, I considered that at the time...the red card really meant nothing - the offender was not going to take pk's and the game was going to be over after that free kick. I just can't make myself believe she made an intelligent decision to do that in the heat of the moment. She was beaten and she panicked.

OF course I don't know what she was thinking - but it looked like she took the angle of the tackle to make sure Morgan would be taken down. The other reason I think it was intelligent was that she didn't try to "hit" Morgan (and potentially injure her) - she Slid so that she would block her progress. I give the defender credit for using the right technique - not a angry agressive tackle.
I wanted to see Morgan get a shot to win the game with the ball on her left foot - that would have been the perfect finish. Even if the US had won on penalties it would not have been the ideal way to win. You want to see a game winning goal - and Morgan (the best player on the field in my opinion) would have been a great game winner. Not Wambach or Solo. Their time is done - they are too caught up in trying to be everything Mia Hamm and Briana Scurry were. We need new heroes for this team and Alex Morgan is ready.