Women's Football / Soccer World Championship

There are 2 things that bothered me :

1.

- not enough and not close enough contact between the German team members
- not enough support for the front line (the "storm line", how we usually call it here)
- the Germans were too much hesitating, imho. Far not aggressivve enough

2. The Janenese women shooting the ball outside of the field on every possible occation within the last minutes. There seemed to exist nothing anymore - in terms of play - than shooting the ball to the outside.

And as a third point, the Japanese women did fouls much more often (4 yellow cards, if I recall it correctly).

I wouldn't call it undeserved though. The Japanese played what they can, while the German team was bad. They had few chances to make a goal. Ca. 15 standards and nearly all of them totally harmless. Plus they lost the majority header duels to a much smaller opponent.

What hurts even more than the tournament exit is that Germany also ruined their chances to qualify for the Olympiad. Europe only has two spots, which will go to France and Sweden.

On the other hand it had to happen sooner or later. Germany won so much in Women Soccer over the last decade.

Now let's see if our referee Bibi gets the final.

U s a!

U s a!

U s a!

Remarkable finish in the Brazil-US game. The right team definitely won, as not only were there questionable calls in favor of Brazil, but the Brazilians played a cowardly game with no honor, employing "gamesmanship" tactics (i.e., faking injuries in an attempt to run out the clock, calling out a stretcher, then jumping off as soon as it leaves the field) that have no place in the game. I realize that every team does this sort of thing to some degree unfortunately, but the Brazillians definitely crossed a line, and it seems quite just that they weren't able to hold on to the lead.

Should be an interesting semi-final this week. I think Sweden will beat Japan, and the French team might have too much speed up front for the shaky back-line of the US.

I expect to see a US-Sweden rematch in the final.

I wasn't impressed with France after seeing them struggle to beat England, and I don't expect the US to have much trouble if they play to their potential. Of course if the US has a letdown, France is definitely capable of pulling the upset.

Sweden-Japan is going to be a great game imo, it could go either way. I just have a feeling that Sweden is going to beat them. Japan beating Germany wasn't as big of an upset as some people seem to think (both are top 5 ranked teams right now- Germany #2, Japan #4)

Originally Posted by Nerevarine
(i.e., faking injuries in an attempt to run out the clock, calling out a stretcher, then jumping off as soon as it leaves the field)

Considering how common that is (seriously, my father cosiders a stretcher to be the best cure in the world - bringing it onto the field cures 90 % of all players on the spot!) I doubt it's the player that decides the stretcher should be brought on. Or that it's as obvious faking as it appears to be.

Übereil

Originally Posted by JDR13
Japan beating Germany wasn't as big of an upset as some people seem to think (both are top 5 ranked teams right now- Germany #2, Japan #4)

It was a BIG upset. Germany won the last two world championships, and no Japanese national football team has ever beaten a German team.

The world rankings are meaningless. So meaningless that most football fans can't even tell you who is no. 1.

I don't open up my sports page every day and ask myself 'Oh, is there a women's soccer game on television today?' But I had the news on earlier, and that sounded like a stellar and fun to watch game that I wish I had tuned into.

Originally Posted by Gorath
It was a BIG upset. Germany won the last two world championships, and no Japanese national football team has ever beaten a German team.

Yes. It's almost as if Germany had lost men's soccer championship - losing in the own country is definitively a bad thing !

Wow. Thats all I have left in my emotional tank after yesterday's U.S. vs. Brazil game. I wanted to post immediately after the game but had to wait. I still have a million things swirling through my mind. But I am so tired of poor officiating. That was the worst I have ever seen in my life. Brazil had to have made the ref a rich woman before the game. It's the only explanation that makes sense.

I saw Germany vs. Japan, too. And the German women looked really really nervous and frustrated even at the start of the game. The pressure seems maybe to have gotten to them…

As for the stretcher being healing, yes, this is something we often see, not only in women's soccer, but certainly in men's soccer as well…

Originally Posted by Ubereil
Considering how common that is (seriously, my father cosiders a stretcher to be the best cure in the world - bringing it onto the field cures 90 % of all players on the spot!) I doubt it's the player that decides the stretcher should be brought on. Or that it's as obvious faking as it appears to be.

Übereil

They need to start suspending players that do this. Or at least holding them out the rest of the game. You get carted off? You don't come back. It's ridiculous and it makes a mockery of the sport.

There are injuries that are serious enough that you have a hard time walking temporary but which will heal enough for you to continue to play if you only get a minute of doctor's attention. As aries100 said, this happens in male football as well. And I've seen players get carried on whose then gotten back onto the pitch in situations where it makes absolutely no sense that they'd feint an injury.

To either have these players stop the play for another minute or torture them by forcing them to hobble off when they might as well be carried are both poor ways to adapt to this fact IMO.

I find thinking the stretcher is supposed to be reserved for fractures and that that's the only time the stretcher is "necessary" to be a bit ignorant, really. Some injuries actually do pass quickly (especially once you apply freeze spray and other boxing tactics).

Übereil

[OT]Well, 8 years ago they had to carry me off the field after a teammate passed the ball straight to my face - resulting in an instant knockout, black eye and a cut eyebrow. As we were a bush league team during training, there were no stretchers available but a well was close to the field. So my paramedic teammate carried me over to the well and dumped me rather unceremoniously in the water. [/OT]

USA vs Japan in the final.

It's certainly not what I would have expected when the tournament began, but I think it's going to be an epic final. People need to start giving Japan the credit they deserve, they're definitey an elite team right now. I'm not shocked that they beat Sweden, but I am shocked by the way they completely dominated them in terms of ball possession and number of shots.

France actually had the edge over the US in possession time and shots, but still couldn't get the win. France is now 0-11-1 all time vs the US, and has been outscored 41-9 in those games.

The US is going for their 3rd World Cup title, and has never finished lower than 3rd place since the woman's tournament began.

The team fra Japan definetely know what they're dong; they have remembered that soccer is a teamsport, not (only) a sport for individuals. They are organized, they know what they're doing i.e. they know that if they play the ball down thew line forward, someone will be there to pick it up. Their cross passes are definetely very dangerous…

And I wouldn't be at alle surprised if Japan won the world cup this year…

Originally Posted by Ubereil
There are injuries that are serious enough that you have a hard time walking temporary but which will heal enough for you to continue to play if you only get a minute of doctor's attention. As aries100 said, this happens in male football as well. And I've seen players get carried on whose then gotten back onto the pitch in situations where it makes absolutely no sense that they'd feint an injury.p

I didn't mean to make it sound like it was a female problem, the last world cup was awful about it.

To either have these players stop the play for another minute or torture them by forcing them to hobble off when they might as well be carried are both poor ways to adapt to this fact IMO.

I find thinking the stretcher is supposed to be reserved for fractures and that that's the only time the stretcher is "necessary" to be a bit ignorant, really. Some injuries actually do pass quickly (especially once you apply freeze spray and other boxing tactics).

Übereil

In American Football, if they have to send someone out to look at you, you have to leave for at least one play. I think something similar in soccer could be 3 or 5 minutes. If you're really hurt, you're not going to be back anyway in that time period.

Originally Posted by JDR13
USA vs Japan in the final.

It's certainly not what I would have expected when the tournament began, but I think it's going to be an epic final. People need to start giving Japan the credit they deserve, they're definitey an elite team right now. I'm not shocked that they beat Sweden, but I am shocked by the way they completely dominated them in terms of ball possession and number of shots.

France actually had the edge over the US in possession time and shots, but still couldn't get the win. France is now 0-11-1 all time vs the US, and has been outscored 41-9 in those games.

The US is going for their 3rd World Cup title, and has never finished lower than 3rd place since the woman's tournament began.

Totally pumped for this game!

In American Football when a team makes a fault i.e. freekick in soccer, they get to move the ball 10 yards (9,15 m) forward. I've long since thought this would be a good idea, no a great idea, to transfer over to soccer. This means that the team who makes a freekick will get punished. Also, if a team makes attackers from the other team off-side, the first team will get to move the ball 10 yards forward.

The first suggestion will punish teams who makes freekicks immediately…also if thereby the ball comes into the penalty area there will be a penalty kick. Hopefully, this'll mean the end of the 'where is the line to penalty kick area?' Also, the linie is a part of the penalty kick area….many refererees and players seem to have forgotten this…

Originally Posted by aries100
And I wouldn't be at alle surprised if Japan won the world cup this year…

I wouldn't be surprised either.

The US woman's team has never lost to Japan, but neither did Germany until this tournament. If Japan plays like they did against Sweden, I think they'll win.

In defense of the swedish players awfulness, they were shocked just before the game by one of the best players and the team captain being unable to play… and a late change of tactics… not smart by the coach to change the starting match up from 4-4-2 just before the match IMHO.