Save! (6/24)

For the second time this tourney, there was heartache on a missed PK (CHIvTHA for spot in R16).  With 2F-Sweden scoring first in the second half, thanks to... wait for it... VAR, 2E-Canada had a chance to tie with a penalty kick.  Instead of 2nd all-time scorer Christine Sinclair, it was Janine Beckie and her shot in the lower left was saved in the 69'.  VAR kept CAN in the game as a potential PK opportunity was negated by a SWE offside in the 81'.  Both teams only managed two shots on goal each and SWE held on to win 1-0 to advance to their 4th QF.  CAN, ranked #5, had high hopes of doing better than last time when as hosts, they made the QF.  SWE, which rested players to finish 2nd in Group F, had just enough to prevail. 


2B-Spain, averaging 64.0% possession and 21.7 shots per match, gave up on lots of possession (46%) and shots (just 5) and went toe-to-toe with 1F-USA and if it weren't for rather two soft (though valid as these have been consistently called) fouls for PKs, ESP may have hung in there.  As such, an opportunistic strike to tie the game at 1 early in the 9' was not enough as USA won their 9th straight WWC match, 2-1 on the strength of two Megan Rapinoe PKs.  ESP, which benefited from 2 PKs in their first match, gave up 2 PKs in their last.  Rapinoe is the second person ever with two PK goals in a match, following ESP's Jennifer Hermoso's feat in the group stage.  ESP had 17 fouls and were lucky not to pick up more yellows including a choke-hold on Rapinoe in the 89'.  USA will now play host France in Paris (capacity 48,580) in a matchup so highly anticipated, ticket prices are super expensive with the cheapest being $844.73.  Crazy! 

USA is the lone non-UEFA team in the QF.  Tuesday will see two UEFA vs AFC matches.  Both matches saw 7' of added time in the second half, the 5th and 6th times it has been 7' or 8', thanks to long VAR reviews.  So much so, I'm keeping that stat now. 

7'+ Added Time: 6 [25-NGAvFRA (8) {2H}, 35-SWEvUSA (7) {2H}, 36-THAvCHI (7) {2H} | 39-ENGvCMR (7) {2H}, 41-ESPvUSA (7) {2H}, 42-SWEvCAN (7) {2H}]

On Monday, 19 went 2-0 (44 USA, 19 SWE) while 25 went 1-1.  On placement (all 44 had USA as 1F in QF, all 19 had SWE as 2F in QF).  6 have all 6 QF teams so far while 3 have just 3.

Kds911 in first with 96 pts while Soccerhorn is last (73).  13 lost CAN as semifinalist.  29 are still alive and 18 can win the pool, Pazzo Americano (4th-T, 91) has best chance to win pool (20.5%) while Eleanor Abernathy (20th-T, 87) and Kds911 has best chance at money (38.9%).  GOOLUSA is 4th-Tied (91) but is eliminated while Orange Country is 39th-T (78) and can still win 2nd.  Spermicidal FC is 2nd (95) but can't win the pool while Hereforethecommentary is 35th-T (81) and can still win the pool.