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.

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?

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.

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.

Own It (6/12)

A3-Norway must be kings of the own goal as they benefited for the second straight match as an opponent scores for NOR, this time hometown A1-France which tied the score at 1 in the 54'.  It was a bizarre play as the cross would've gone harmlessly past the goal but FRA's Renard, who scored 2 goals in the opener, just seemed to tap the ball into her own net with no NOR defender around her.  However, a reckless tackle (really a mis-hit by NOR which made the follow through worse) in the box was looked at by VAR and deemed to be a foul, and FRA converted the penalty and held on to a 2-1 win to take the lead in Group A.

In the other Group A match, another own goal changed the tide of the match as A2-Korea Rep's control of the match was unhinged on a counter and accidentally kicked into their own net to give A4-Nigeria a 1-0 lead in the 29'.  The bizarre part was NGA's player near by put her hand up and appeared to graze the ball as it went past the goalkeeper into the net but VAR said no handball, thus the goal stood.  KOR had chances but it was another counter that did them in and NGA picked up three points in a 2-0 win.

Should They Score or Should They Stay?

The United States walloped Thailand 13-0 and after finally scoring more than a goal (3) in the first half of a group stage match since 2003, to others it seemed it was bad sportsmanship to pile on (I appreciate Rob Stone speaking up passionately after the match on FOX -- I hope he still has a job!), especially after scoring four goals in six minutes to lead 7-0.  Records are made to be broken and the USA broke a boatload of them and it was fun to watch.  While the USA was using the match as target practice (we still don't know how good GK Alyssa Naeher will be), it seemed like THA was also using it as a learning situation as THA never changed to play more defensively, never fought harder for 50/50 balls, and never went more aggressive in defending (e.g., tugging on shirts, knocking a few USA players down).  It was as if THA was going to use the tape on this match to plan for the other two matches as the USA provided a free clinic in how to adjust for the next matches.  They committed just five fouls and only picked up one yellow.  That is begging the USA to have free reign to attack them without the possibility of injury and in a stage where goal differential is the first tiebreaker, your job is to score goals. 

To their credit, THA never gave up but that meant the USA didn't give up.  Why would the USA play the last 35 minutes just passing the ball around the pitch -- that doesn't do the fans who paid money any good, doesn't give any respect to THA, and like I said, GD is key so how many do you think SWE would score?  4?  6?  8?  You don't know.  And to be fair, if THA had a taller and more veteran goalkeeper, probably half a dozen goals would not have gone in, even with that porous defense.  And Alex Morgan's first-class touches (which would put most LA Galaxy players not named Zlatan to shame) created at least a few of her five goals and three assists so she earned those goals.

BUT, there were three instances of cringe-worthiness.  Jill Ellis