Shocker from Down Under (7/20)

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- A1-New Zealand had played 15 WWC matches and had won none (0-12-3) and if you watched the jitters they had in the first few minutes, with turnovers and hesitation, I thought one-time champion A2-Norway was going to win easily.  But playing at home in front a NZL soccer record 42,137 fans in Auckland, speed from the back ended with a great cross and finish in the 48' for NZL.  That was enough to give NZL their first WWC win.

Two VAR checks on NOR handballs resulted in just the latter being awarded a PK which NZL missed to create more drama.  Interesting that if ref reverses her call, she announces the change to the stadium crowd.  Really cool.

So watched the midnight start and working on the pool until the 3 am start for the second game, which saw B1-Australia hold off B2-Rep of Ireland in front an AUS women's soccer record of 75,784 fans in Sydney.  AUS also scored early on a PK in the 2nd half (51') as both hosts won 1-0.  Wore my 2017 Sydney FC (AUS) home jersey (since this AUS's one game in Sydney in group stage) with one of the last plums on our tree (we picked more than 100 plums the past few weeks).

Unofficially, we have a WWC-record 47 entries from a WWC-record 34 people.  Of course, E1-USA is the overwhelming pick to win their 3rd straight title (26) but H1-Germany (6), D1-England (5), and C1-Spain (5) also got some love.  

Three picked NZL (TroJenn, TroJenn2, Tiny Destroyer) and 44 of 47 picked AUS to win with the two TroJenns tied with 2 points a piece.  KevLo 3 and Merman got both matches wrong.

Not for Us (11/20)

HOME - A country can buy and pay for the World Cup but they can't buy passion or talent.  The fun team that produced good results during fake qualifying and the Gold Cup hit the main stage and faltered.  Host 1A-Qatar got a reprieve a few minutes in when VAR suddenly intervened (well, a semi-automatic review) to call a technically correct 1B-Ecuardorian offside that no one would have noticed but in the 15', QAT's shaky GK tripped a player resulting in a PK goal in the 16'.  

ECU dominated but if you look at the stats, you'd never know.  Shots:  ECU 6-5.  Possession ECU 53-47%, Fouls 15-15.  ECU only managed to add one more goal (Enner Valencia scored both) to beat QAT 2-0, the first time a host nation has lost in their opening match (South Africa tied in 2010).  

Even more embarrassing was that a good number of Qatar fans among the 67,372 fans didn't come back after halftime.  Soccer is just not part of the culture (yet).  Considering just 11% of teams who lose their first game make the Round of 16, it is very likely QAT will join RSA as the only hosts to not make it out of the Group Stage.  

As for our 7th HWCI World Cup pool, we unofficially have 109 entries (shattering the 2018 record of 79) which may go down depending on payments.  56 got ECU right.  29 did pick ECU to make the Round of 16 and 84% who win their first match make the R16.  13 (including both of mine) have QAT in the R16.  Sigh.

You can now view the standings, results, team distribution, your picks, and who's who in the pool.

Crazy Endings (7/23)

AT WORK FOR ONE 15-MINUTE MEETING, CA -- An electrifying, pun intended, match as lightning paused the Chicago Fire FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC match for more than 90 minutes in the 63' while scoreless.  When play resumed, VAN came out strong and scored twice in the next 8 minutes to not only prevent a potential crazy tiebreaker between NYC and CHI going to disciplinary points but the 2-0 win was enough to get into the Knockout Round, eliminating CHI and putting NYC's hopes on hold.  Both teams did a complete 180 with CHI starting with a convincing victory over the defending champ Seattle Sounders FC and VAN blowing a 3-1 lead to lose to the San Jose Earthquakes.

CHI pulled within one on a scramble but VAR reversed the goal and called the handball which was harsh.  But apparently, in trying to make it more black and white, any handball leading to a goal is called back.  The one reversal helped send CHI home in dramatic fashion.

But not as dramatic (and not talking about the ref injury and substitution in the 20') as the Houston Dynamo-LA Galaxy match where HOU took the early lead and watched LA blow opportunity after opportunity.  As time wore on, it was obvious LA was not going to score much less get the 3-goal win they needed.  But eventually, luck runs out, and HOU was called for a soft foul in the box (similar to how LAFC got a PK in their El Trafico match, so I guess this was payback?) in the 90' and Cristian Pavon converted sending HOU home with the 1-1 draw.  HOU needed a win and New York City FC needed HOU to draw or lose and that stoppage time penalty sent NYC into the Round of 16 as the 16th and final team.

LA does know that Zlatan does not play for them anymore, right?  At one point LA had 28 crosses to HOU's 6 (ended 34-12).  So LA is unlucky, untimely, and just poor.  HOU's goal where LA GK just stood there on the free kick was embarrassing.  LA blew a late 3-on-1 breakaway which would have given LA a boost in the regular season standings but the perfect Pavon open cross went to no one because LA stopped running.  It's a roller coaster watching this team.

In the first match, LA missed a PK that would've opened scoring and dictated the match.  LA had two goals called offsides by a foot or so in losing to POR 2-1.  In their second match, the soft PK call enabled LAFC to tie it at 1.  LA thought it took a 3-2 lead but Pavon was just offsides.  LAFC soon scored and then added 3 more.  LA had four goals but two were PKs and one was an own goal.  Sigh.  But I still love LA.

Speaking of  Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Football Club continued to score without Carlos Vela.  Two more goals gave them a tourney-high 11, including Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring in his third straight match (taking out camera on wicked strike) with LAFC, but the Portland Timbers pulled the equalizer in the 81' to win Group F with a 2-2 draw.   Unlike Group D, where the loser (runner-up) got two extra days rest, in Group F it was worth playing to win the group to get 2nd-year FC Cincinnati rather than the defending champ Seattle Sounders FC.  So with the draw, LAFC finishes 2nd and will try to get revenge from their playoff loss last year to SEA in the Round of 16.

So to recap:  VAN scores the two needed 2nd half goals after a 90-minute weather delay to edge out CHI for 3rd, LA scores a PK in stoppage to eliminate HOU, and POR scores in the 81' to get the draw that wins Group F.  Whew.

In the pool, Bobby Cee Racer extends his lead to six points with an even 50 so far.  Three are tied for 2nd (44) and four are tie for 5th (43).  Bobby Cee Racer was the only one to pick the LA-HOU tie and Carseroni (9th, 42) and Deutschland = Koenig (5th-T) were the only two to pick the LAFC-POR tie.  No one got to pick the rescheduled CHIvVAN match.

Six teams were awarded points today and all 15 got NYC, 3 got SJ, 14 got SEA, 13 got VAN, 9 got POR, and all 15 got LAFC into the Round of 16.  9 entries got 5 of the 6 while the other six got 4 of out of 6.  Overall, Bobby Cee Racer, Carseroni, and Duetschland = Koeing got 16 (out of a possible 20) points today and six got just 12.

As for the Round of 16, Bobby Cee Racer got 13 of the 16 while twelve got 11.  Super League (15th, 35) got just nine.  Everyone had RBNY and ATL but both failed to qualify.  14 had CHI who failed to qualify.  There were six teams picked to win the tournament and four are eliminated (ATL (5), LA (3), HOU (1), and COL (1)).

Unfortunate Deflection (7/17)

LIFTING MY COUSINS IN THE AIR, MONTEREY PARK, CA -- For the first time, MLS had two matches being played at the same time and for the night, the three matches only produced one first half goal.  In the craziest match featuring winless teams Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City, VAR intervened three times, sparing COL one red card in 43', giving COL one red card in the 58' (denial of scoring opportunity), and calling a harsh inadvertent handball on COL that led to a SKC PK that they converted for a 2-1 lead.  The bad luck with VAR culminated with another COL red card for dissent in the 73'.  But COL managed to tie it at 2 in the 84' on a great finish.  This was the 3rd goal scored by a team in the tourney down 2 men (2 by D.C. United).  But in the first minute of stoppage time (the ref flashed 12' which is probably the most I've ever seen), a long shot by SKC's Graham Zusi deflected off a COL player and went just over the head of the GK into the net for the eventual game-winner (3-2).

D.C. United and New England Revolution played to a 1-1 tie thanks to NE badly misplaying a ball back to the GK which Federico Higuaín happily put in for DC.  NE and TOR sit atop Group C with 4 pts with DC in third with two.

Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United FC played to the tourney's second 0-0 draw putting both teams at 4 pts in Group D.

4 picked a TIE between DC and NE while 9 got barely got SKC correct.  Coronavirus_Sucks! was the only one to get the RSL-MIN tie correct.  Deutschland = Koenig (moved up to a tie for 7th) and BigRedMessi 2 (now in a 4-way tie for last with 4 pts) went 2-1 while four went 0-3.  Kona Coast Fauci's and Kona Coast Sliders remain tied for first with 8 pts.

Epic Comeback (7/13)

BACK TO WORK AT HOME, CA -- The last 156 times, a team that trailed by 2 goals and went down a man went on to lose, as expected.  Well, that changed today as D.C. United rallied in the second half to score twice to stun Toronto FC, 2-2, in the Group C match.  DC played the entire 2nd half with 10 men and TOR controlled possession but sub Federico Higuain got DC on the board in the 84' with a great chip over the GK and Federic Brilliant scored a minute into stoppage time.  It ruined a "brilliant" performance from TOR's Ayo Aknola (2 goals) and Alejandro Pozuelo (2 assists) but provided fireworks after the match.

Both LA teams have a very leaky defense but the difference is Los Angeles Football Club, even with Carlos Vela, knows how to score and score often.  The Houston Dynamo's Memo Rodriguez scored twice in the first half around LAFC's Bradley Wright-Phillips' first goal in his first appearance for LAFC.  VAR helped and overruled an offside and HOU got their 3rd goal.  In the second half, LAFC scored twice and ended with 71.5% possession in the 3-3 draw.  This was the 2nd straight match LAFC allowed 3 goals (both 3-3 draws).

The LA Galaxy gave up two sloppy goals in the second half and Chicharito's first MLS goal was of little consolation after his PK was saved in the 12'.  The Portland Timbers vaulted to the top of Group F with a 2-1 win despite being down a man the last 15 minutes.

Will coaches want to talk with TV announcers?  POR's coach watched his team seemingly give up a goal in the 81' while talking with FS1 but VAR intervened and ruled offsides denying Gordon Wild's first goal on his first touch in his first minute of MLS play.  This was after yesterday when COL's coach watched his team give up a goal while talking with ESPN.  LA also had a goal disallowed by an offside in the 86'.

LA came up short ending a 2-match streak (and 3 of the past 4) where the trailing team scored the last two goals in the second half.

No one got the TOR-DC or LAFC-HOU draws but 5 did get POR correct leaving Kona Coast Sliders and Kona Coast Fauci's tied for first with 5 pts.  BigRedMessi2 is last with one point.

A Delay, a Rally, and a Shutout (7/12)

DAUGHTER THINKS DE-ICING FRIDGE IS SNOW, CA -- The day started with potentially more team troubles with testing but it turned out the players re-tested negative delaying the Toronto FC and D.C. United match by 24 hours.  The evening saw Sporting Kansas City with lots of possession and a one-goal lead but a GK challenge ended in the tourney's first red card turning the tide.  Minnesota United FC took advantage and scored two stoppage time goals, the first on an own goal by SKC's scorer Khiry Shelton (yes, he scored for both teams) and the last in the 90'+7' by Kevin Molino giving MIN a 2-1 win.  For the first time, VAR overruled the call for the first time denying MIN a goal in the 64' as Molina was deemed to interfere while offside.

Real Salt Lake beat the Colorado Rapids for the 4th straight time, a 2-0 win that would have been worse if not for the PK and follow-on shot saves by COL GK Clint Irwin.  It was the first PK of the tournament.  Group D now sees RSL on top with +2 GD over MIN's +1.  

TORvDC's delay means their 2nd matches are also delayed a day with TORvMTL moving from 7/15 to 7/16 and DCvNE moving from 7/16 to 7/17.  Two matches will be played at 5 pm PDT July 17, one on FS1 and one on ESPN.  The SJvVAN time changed from 7:30 pm to 6 pm PDT on 7/15.

In the pool, 5 got MIN and 8 got RSL but only Six Foot Box got both.  3 got both wrong.  Six Foot Box moves into a tie for first with Kona Coast Fauci's and Kona Coast Sliders with 4 points.  Deutschland = Koenig got RSL snapping an 0-7 start and is tied with BigRedMessi2 for last.

VAR Revisited

I have to hand it to FIFA, they have been very forthcoming on the VAR details throughout the tournament (well, after the Round of 16 at least).  Their final refereeing report notes there were 33 official VAR reviews, of which 29 overturned a decision on the field (in fairness, the refs are calling the game conservatively and allowing VAR to intervene if necessary).  The average VAR review was 1:33 but most felt longer, and with three doubles (PK review and then GK off line review) which lasted more than 5 minutes in duration (possible foul to goal).  They do note there were 53 "serious checks" which aren't VAR reviews and thus adds to the confusion, especially since the average delay was a long 37 seconds.  I've captured 11 of these "serious checks" which everyone thought was a VAR review since it took so long and with the ref in the infamous pose of the two fingers to the earpiece.  The only one I missed was the 9' Italy PK against Jamaica.

One detail they didn't elaborate on was the technical team reviewed 535 incidents and determined 8 were wrong even with VAR (98.50%).  But they don't list the 8 "wrong" decisions (29 of 37 "wrong" decisions were overturned using VAR so none of the VAR reviews were "incorrect").  I wonder if the no-call handball on USA was one of those and penalized France for it in the Round of 16.

Other interesting tidbits were half the 26 PKs awarded were due to VAR and they split up the VAR reviews into "on field" and "VAR only" categories.  Also, there were only four seminars on VAR training and reinforces that the refs were not fully prepared on how to handle matches with VAR at their disposal.  All in all, VAR is a positive but more communication with the audience is needed so that people aren't frustrated why there is a delay in action.  Except for that USA-France match (which also featured a USA goal that seemed like the offsides call was wrong), the vast majority of the VAR calls were consistent, even if we disagree with using the letter of the law to ruin the spirit of the law.

VAR (-Reversal(Taken Away), +Reversal(Added), =Confirmed, xNo Call): 44 (Official: 33) [1-FRA xOff+{g-} 27', 4-ESP xPK= 66', 4-ESP xPK+ 79', 5-ITA Off={xg} 9', 5-ITA xPK= 67', 5-ITA Off={xg} 81', 6-BRA PK= 37', 7-ENG xPK+ 12', 13-FRA xPK+ 68', 14-NGA xHB={g} 29', 17-AUS xPK={F+} 20', 17-AUS Off-{g+} 66', 1-ITA xPK+ 9', 18-JAM xGK+{retake PK} 11', 19-ENG xPK+ 27', 23-USA xPK+ 78', 24-SWE xPK+ 90'+3, 25-FRA xPK+ 73', 25-NGA xGK+{retake PK} 76', 32-ARG xPK+ 86', 32-SCO xGK+{retake PK} 90'+2, 33-CAN PK- 1', 35-USA xOff={g} 50', 36-CHI xPK+ 83' | 37-AUS PK- 42', 37-AUS xPK= 88', 37-AUS RC= 104', 38-GER xOff={g} 20', 38-GER xPK+ 24', 39-ENG Off-{g+} 45'+4, 39-CMR xOff+{g-} 49', 39-ENG xPK= 76', 39-CMR RC-{Y} 90'+8, 40-FRA xF+{g-} 23', 40-BRA Off-{g+} 63', 40-BRA Off={xg} 87', 41-USA PK= 71', 42-CAN xPK+ 66', 42-SWE xOff+{PK-} 81', 48-GER Off={xPK=} 82', 49-ENG xOff-{g-} 67', 49-ENG xPK+ 79', 51-ENG xHB+{g-} 33', 52-USA xPK+ 58']

Tea Time (7/2)

1F-USA's Alex Morgan celebrated her birthday by scoring in what turned out to be the game-winner with a sipping British tea salute in helping USA to their third straight 2-1 victory, this time over the jolly good women of 1D-England.  ENG had a brutal stretch from the 68' to 86' where Ellen White's game-tying goal was overturned by VAR (hairline offsides), an open tap in that was whiffed by White but then overturned by VAR into a PK as a foul (hairline contact to her leg), ENG continuing a tradition by missing a penalty kick (their 3rd straight miss), and then going down to 10 women after a second yellow to Millie Bright.  I guess ENG is just a semifinal team after all losing their 3rd straight semifinal ('15 WWC, '17 EURO).  Meanwhile, USA makes its 3rd straight final and 5th overall by winning their 11th straight WWC match (16th without a defeat).

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. 

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. 

Comeback of the Ages (6/19)

D2-Scotland were well on their way for a great chance to reach the Round of 16 with a 69' goal giving them a 3-0 lead over D1-Argentina.  Then a breakaway in the 74' gave ARG their first goal of the tourney.  The a long strike apparently hit the crossbar and hit the goalie's hand and barely bounced into the net for an own goal for ARG's second goal in the 79'.  Then we had the 7 minute, 27 second "play".  At 85:49 a SCO player tackled an ARG in the box but no penalty was called.  VAR was then called in and the ref determined it was a foul and ARG now has a chance to tie.  The PK was taken and saved and a rebound attempt was also saved.  SCO survives!  But now, another VAR review and for the 3rd time, the GK was off her line and the PK was retaken.  And like the other two, it was buried at 93:16 and ARG had tied it up at 3.  SCO's dream had come to an end and ARG's was kept alive, despite sitting at two points.  ARG was the first team to come back from 3-0 to tie.  If both bottom two teams in Group E and F tie, ARG is in (as would NGR). 

Twenty-Two Shots (6/17)

Each match saw one team take at least 22 shots but only two of the four won today.  B1-Germany got tired of 1-0 wins and came out swinging shooting 23 times and scoring four times in a 4-0 win over B4-South Africa to clinch Group B with 9 points.  In an interesting match where the winner would be the loser, only a loss would keep B3-Spain, holding 2nd place, from likely facing the F1-United States in the Round of 16 and yet they came out shooting 24 times with 9 shots on goal but was held to a scoreless draw by B2-China PR, who had just one shot and none on goal.  By finishing 3rd, CHN will likely play C2-Italy, C3-Brazil, C4-Australia, D1-England, or D4-Japan, all preferable over facing a hot USA team.

Four UEFA Teams In (6/14)

C2-Italy routed C4-Jamaica 5-0 to advance to the Round of 16.  A double VAR sequence saw it first used to reverse a non-call and gave a penalty kick to ITA in the 9'.  On the PK, JAM's young GK saved it in the 11' but was off her line and VAR gave the infraction and on the retake, ITA converted for the first goal in the 12'.  This seemed egregious upon live view but I forget the GK can move as long as he/she has a foot on the line.  Clearly, she didn't but ignoring she was way off center, it was only by 10 inches or less.  Watching another PK from today, the GK was behind the line and timed it run up to the line so she had a foot on it when the PK was taken (not successful BTW).  JAM has allowed back-to-back hat tricks against them and now have a -8 Goal Differential.

AFC is Back (6/13)

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has had a nightmare of a WWC going 0-5-1 and that tie was the biggest upset with D4-Japan tying D3-Argentina.  But today, things have turned around.  After losing a 1-0 lead in a loss to C2-Italy, C1-Australia rallied from a two-goal deficit to stun C3-Brazil, 3-2, giving the AFC its first win.  It was just the second time a team has come back from 2-0 to win in the WWC.  Marta scored in her record 5th straight WWC with her record-extending 16th WWC goal on a penalty (a soft foul) and Cristiane scored her 3rd of the tourney to put BRA up 2-0.  AUS scored three straight times off long crosses into the box.  The first was headed and then put in before halftime, the second was let through freezing the GK for the game-tying goal, and the third was headed in by BRA into their own net.  The last was called offsides but upon VAR review, it was determined BRA's player had a controlled header on the cross was not impeded by AUS's offsides player (Monica) and therefore there was no offsides.  So we've had an own goal in 3 of the last 4 matches.  BRA made two subs at the half including taking out Marta and then used their 3rd sub to take out Cristiane in the 75' while down 3-2.  Very odd.

Issue 3.1.2 "Baker's Dozen" (After 1st Matches)

Archive

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

     USA QUIETS DOUBTERS, NOW THE NEW VILLAIN?
Three tied with 11 points as 11 of 12 matches produce a winner

HOME, CA (smt) -- If there was a doubt how ready the F1-USA team would be, they squashed it in record fashion, demolishing F2-Thailand, 13-0, thanks to Alex Morgan's record-tying five goals and three assists.  USA scored 10 goals in the second half on a pair of four-goal stretches in six and eight minutes that ruffled casual fans of the game but don't understand goal differential is the first tiebreaker and F4-Sweden, who beat F3-Chile 2-0, has yet to play THA.  Soccer fans, however, are upset that the USA continued to excitedly celebrate as the match wore on, with the most egregious being Megan Rapinoe's slide and kick celebration after the USA's NINTH goal.   Megan, you had me until that slide.  The U.S. may have turned neutral observers into detractors but if they keep the winning going, holding up the trophy will be its just rewards. 

Favorites struggled with the aforementioned SWE not scoring until the 83' (#39 CHI), E4-Netherlands needing stoppage time to find their goal (#19 E3-NZL), B1-Germany and E1-Canada each scoring just once in their win (#16 B2-CHN and #46 E2-CMR), C1-Australia getting upset in stoppage time (#15 C2-Italy), B3-Spain coming from behind to late to win (#49 B4-RSA) and D4-Japan being held to a scoreless draw (#37 D3-ARG). 

Solo Survivor (6/8)

B1-Germany struggled but eventually gained control in a 1-0 win over B2-China PR.  GER had 62% possession and outshot CHN 18-4.  GER also extended a streak to 18 matches without allowing a first half goal in the WWC ('03 Final vs SWE).  CHN committed 19 fouls and had 4 yellow cards.  B3-Spain found themselves down 1-0 to B4-South Africa at the half but used their 72% possession advantage in creating 2nd half chances, including two that led to penalty kicks.  The rally for the 3-1 win puts ESP on top of Group B for now.

Both PK calls are probably what differentiates recreational players from professional players.  I can see myself flying with my hands slightly up and saying it was an incidental handball on the first PK foul and getting to the ball first but having the player run into me and saying it wasn't my fault on the second PK foul (called by VAR).  However, in a professional setting, players know to have their hand near their body or even behind their backs when attacking a cross to avoid the incidental handball and a players know to clear the ball and not completely follow through to avoid unnecessary contact to the onrushing player (that looked painful and would've been doubly so if it was against a male).  VAR was needed to call the foul and penalty (and doubly bad for RSA as the foul was the second yellow on the player) on the second PK which ESP converted for a 2-1 lead.  VAR was earlier used to confirm no foul in the box that would've gave ESP a PK while down 1-0.

A3-Norway scored early

Issue 2.1.1 "Kick Off!

Archive

Friday, June 7, 2019

     HOST FRANCE OPENS WITH A BANG
Unofficially, 44 entries grace our 2nd HWCI Women's World Cup Pool

HOME, CA (smt) -- Host A1-France came out to play and any nerves were gone with an early goal and continued to dominate the first half and control the second half in a 4-0 rout of A2-Korea Republic.  A great sellout (45,261) atmosphere in Paris saw a flyover with blue, white, and red smoke and nice opening ceremony (thanks, Telemundo via NBC Sports App!) push the women's game to new heights.  Acontroversial VAR decision held FRA from dominating further as a beautiful goal in the 27' was taken away by a reversal and declaring offsides (by like a few inches, if we trust the screen cap).  Didn't take long for VAR, which debuted last year in the men's World Cup, to become the spotlight.

Unofficially, we set a Women's World Cup record with 44 entries (from a record 31 people), which is double the 22 we got in our inaugural pool.  It also surpassed the men's EURO pool in 2012 (39) and 2016 (27) and the first two men's World Cup pools (21 in '98, 23 in '02) and matched the men's World Cup pool in 2006.  Unscientifically, our pool shows the interest in women's soccer is 55.7% of the men's (79 entries last year) which is much better than the 38% equal pay disparity the women's lawsuit alleges.