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. 

Attendance Drop

After a great sellout opening crowd on Friday (granted it was France playing in Paris), it was disappointing to see small crowds of 15,283 (GERvCHN), 12,044 (ESPvRSA), and 11,058 (NORvNGA) on Saturday, especially since all three had mainland European teams playing and their supporters could more easily get to France.  I mean ESP and GER are right next door to France.  So what is a non-European matchup of BRAvJAM going to draw Sunday?  

Doesn't seem like it'd be an issue moving fans around after the first ticketing fiasco for these matches where groups were bizarrely split up randomly.  But then there is a second ticketing fiasco as "download" tickets apparently meant "print" your tickets.  Yup, definitely a FIFA event.  Allegedly, 950,000 tickets have been sold so hopefully fans will eventually show up and not be paid sponsor ticket no-shows.  Can't wait to see the USA fan support and hopefully sold out matches in Reims, Paris, and Le Havre.