Shocker in Rennes (6/29)

It was a little shocking to see 1C-Italy and 1E-Netherlands so blatantly arguing in the faces of the referee.  It was pretty disrespectful and I wonder if it was a male ref, if they would do that.  There were 29 fouls (16 by NED) and four cards (all ITA).  NED got a couple of headers in the second half to be beat ITA 2-0 to advance to their first semifinal.  This match also featured the first cooling breaks in the 30' and 75' as the heatwave continues across France.

1B-Germany, with more days rest than 2F-Sweden, struggled all day and already made two subs as the second half started.  GER scored early on a great volley but soon and for the first time in 22 WWC matches  (coincidentally also against SWE in '03 Final), GER allowed a goal in the first half.  The 1-1 tie was broken early in the second half off a great save but the rebound was easily put in giving the Swedes the lead.  After not allowing a goal in 394 minutes, GER now has allowed two in one match.  SWE held on to win 2-1, snapping a streak of 29 straight matches where the team that scored first had won (not including NOR-AUS that went to PSO).  The # 2 team is now out and SWE makes their first semifinal since 2011 and wins their first major tournament match against GER since 1995.

Semifinals are Set, Can you Win?

The four teams are set for the semifinals.  A powerhouse matchup between 1D-England and 1F-USA in one matchup and the are-they-really-that-good matchup between 2F-Sweden and 1E-Netherlands.  It'll be interesting if USA and SWE meet in the final because since SWE rested 7 players in their group stage match, I can see USA routing SWE (a la '15 final) or losing in PKs (a la '11 final).  ENG is #3 and NED is the defending EURO Women's champion though.

So there are 8 possible outcomes left.  Below is the 8 scenarios and who would win what.  Remember, there are four money prizes ($220 / $110 / $70 / $40) up for grabs.  There is one tiebreaker scenario involving Tom J and UncleChimps with one battle for fourth (meaning one would be left empty-handed) if NED>ENG in final.

Back to Back Brace (6/28)

The gameplan for the U.S.:  Score earlier.  For the 5th time, the 1F-USA scored in the first 12 minutes.  They will play D1-England, who has scored in the first 15 minutes 4 times.  Megan Rapinoe scored two goals for the second straight match in helping USA beat host 1A-France, 2-1, in front of 45,595 fans with a nice contingent of Americans.  Rapinoe's first goal in the 5' was a free kick hit hard towards goal that went through everyone, including between FRA defender Amandine Henry's legs into the net.  The second was a great sequence in the 65' started by the banged up Alex Morgan to Tobin Heath who crossed the ball behind most players except for the charging in Rapinoe who had a clinical finish.  FRA did manage to pull one back off a free kick to the tall Wendie Renard in the 81' but the U.S. did a great job controlling the ball after that, especially in the 5 minutes of stoppage time.  FRA continues to fall short, losing in the quarterfinals for the 5th straight major tournament ('13 EURO, '15 WWC, '16 Olympics, '17 EURO).  While the men's '98 team won the WC and the '16 team reached the final as hosts, the FRA women hoped to duplicate that result at home.

Gameplan: Score Early (6/27)

So 1D-England has a plan.  Score early.  For the fourth time this tourney, ENG scored in the first 15 minutes, this time 2:07 into the match (fastest thus far this tourney) as ENG cruised to a 3-0 win over 2A-Norway.  ENG's three previous early goals were coincidentally all in the 14'.  The one downside is that ENG has failed to score on two straight PKs (both saves from shots by Nikita Parris).  Ellen White scored her 5th goal (tying USA's Alex Morgan and AUS's Sam Kerr) and once again we got the eye goggles (when she scored her first goal vSCO it was an opportunistic pounce and finish off a defensive error and I thought her gesture was just to say "I can't believe SCO just gave the ball to me").  ENG will now play the winner of 1A-France and 1F-United States in the semifinals where in 2015 they lost to JPN on an own goal.  Is ENG peaking at the right time?

VAR Syndrome

"Var Syndrome.  It suddenly destabilizes people's minds and reduces them to a violent mob.  People grew to fear these tragic events, which could happen anywhere and anytime.  However, amongst the fear, some rose up valiantly to fight back." -- Macross Delta, Episode 1, Prologue.

Who would have thought that one of the coolest Japanese anime (with great transforming mecha action and awesome songs by Walküre (listen!)) would have a reference so appropriate for what the Women's World Cup (WWC) is experiencing.  In the show, Vár Syndrome is a fold bacteria that affects the host at a cellular level usually causing the host to be uncontrollable and becoming super powerful, overriding common sense.  In the WWC, VAR Syndrome is a video assistant review process that affects matches at a minute level usually causing the matches to be uncontrollable and becoming super powerful, overriding common sense.  In both of these interpretations, VAR has taken a life of its own once allowed to germinate.  And in both of these interpretations, people start to fight back and take away the power of the VAR, starting with all the critics of VAR or the English Premier League neutering VAR by modifying when it will get used.

In 44 matches thus far, depending on how you count a "VAR review", I list 38 stoppages of play have happened because either VAR has contacted the referee or the referee has asked VAR to review a play.  I've heard on FOX 33 VAR reviews after ESPvUSA (I had 36) and 17 from FIFA press release after group stage (I had 23).  The FIFA app lists 30 specifically called out via VAR icon (18 after group stage).  Today's presser talked about 29 (25 being reversed).  Most of these last 1-3 minutes with some taking more than 8 minutes from infraction to the finish (e.g., PK scored).  This has resulted in 5-8 minutes of stoppage time in some matches.  By my count, at least 21 of the 44 matches had no real VAR review (maybe a VAR "check" but not a long stoppage of play) but boy, the ones that did...

Issue 6.2.1 "Black and Blue" (After Round of 16)

Archive

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

TOP TEAMS BRUISED AND BATTERED, BUT ALL FAVORITES ADVANCE
Kds911 is first while 13 can still win Pool

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA (smt) -- All 6 group winners plus 2F-Sweden and 2A-Norway won giving the Quarterfinals a near unanimous European feel.  1B-Germany and 1D-England each won 3-0 in physical matches while 1A-France (after extra time), 1F-United States, and 1E-Netherlands held on to 2-1 wins.  NOR routed 2C-Australia in the penalty shootout 4-1 after a 1-1 tie after extra time and 1C-Italy survived a suddenly offensive-minded 3B-China PR team 2-0 and SWE got lucky as 2E-Canada missed a game-tying PK to prevail 1-0.  Cup favorites were woman-handled as GER was fouled 15 times, ENG 11, FRA 23, and the Americans 17 times.  GER was the only one to fight back fouling 3A-Nigeria 16 times.  GER will have two extra days rest on opponent SWE though.

3E-Cameroon displayed an all new look of unsportswomanlike conduct delaying kickoffs in protest, pushing referees, spitting and elbowing players, and having a coach that tolerated the behavior.  2B-Spain were lucky not to get more yellow cards including a blatant chokehold on Megan Rapinoe.  But the fact these top teams survived proves their resiliency that hopefully will take them far.  GER and NOR seem to be on the upswing while ENG, FRA, and the USA (their last 2 matches) are still trying to find their footing.  ITA, who finished last in their group in the 2017 UEFA Women's EUROs, has been the biggest surprise and gets to play a NED team, although the 2017 UEFA Women's EURO champs, struggled in the second half against 2D-Japan and needed a 90' PK to prevail. 

Europe Takes Out Asia (6/25)

This is turning about to be the pseudo-2019 edition of the quadrennial UEFA Women's EURO.  Seven of the 8 Quarter-finalists (QF) hail from UEFA with the 1F-USA the lone invader.  Maybe we should do a HWCI pool on that, as the 2021 year is barren (2020 Men's EURO, 2022 Men's WC, 2023 Women's WC).  And in looking at the UEFA Women's EURO 2017 which featured 16 teams, only one match was a complete blowout (Scotland lost 6-0 but they made this year's WWC) so UEFA could lobby for 12 teams in the 2023 WWC and still be competitive (unlike AFC's 5th team (THA), Concacaf's 3rd team (JAM), and Oceania (NZL)).

With all the negativity surrounding this year's WWC (salary disputes, insensitive celebrations, lack of interest by FIFA and national federations, VAR, low attendance, unsportswomanlike conduct, political takes), it's great to see that after a match, great traditions of exchanging jerseys (like a few of the ESP and USA women did -- thank goodness for sports bras) and consoling an opponent after a tough loss are still in great supply.

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. 

Unsportswomanlike Conduct (6/23)

For the third time 1D-England scored within the first 15 minutes in a very uncomfortable 3-0 win over 3E-Cameroon.  A rare GK mistake as the CMR GK picked up the ball off a backpass resulting in an indirect free kick on the goalkeeper box line with ALL 11 CMR players on the goal line!  Such an odd sight and unfortunately the GK slightly deflected the shot past her line of defense behind her for the first goal.  Interestingly, had ENG decided to do a direct kick at goal and it deflected off a CMR player going in, it would be a goal since it touched two players.  However, had ENG tried the direct kick and went straight in, it would have been an illegal kick.

Kerr-fuffle (6/22)

1B-Germany scored early and recorded their 4th straight shutout, beating 3A-Nigeria, 3-0.  GER has now reached the Quarters in all 8 WWCs.  VAR reviewed the first two goals where the first it was ruled GER wasn't offsides in that the offside player was not interfering with the GK (though it was a busy box) and the second was another defender whiffing and kicking a player hard on the follow-through and VAR ruling a foul had occurred and PK was awarded.