# On the EVE of the biggest soccer game for USA ever...



## oh canada (Jun 27, 2019)

You could argue that a USA loss might be good because it would force the US Federation to refocus on finding technical players, upgrading their development program, and solving many of the problems that currently exist, etc.  BUT, BUT, BUT...

anyone with a daughter in the soccer system should be rooting for a win tomorrow.  More success now will bring more money now, which will translate into more money in the future, which will create more opportunities for the next generation of USA female players.

Bonne chance mesdames yankee!


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## timbuck (Jun 27, 2019)

Just win baby!!!  Win ugly.  Win with long balls.  Win by a crappy call from the referee.  Score 2 early goals and park the bus.
Colleges, youth clubs, academies, youth national teams, etc need to worry about making the upcoming players more technical.  
The players on the team tomorrow aren't going to all of the sudden turn in a Pep-like Barca or City.  Athletes have gotten us this far.  And those ladies are pretty technical, too.  At least just about as technical aswhoever you think is the best (Marta - old.  Sinclair - Choked.  Kerr- Watching this round on TV).  Who has shown better skill on the ball than Heath?
I think the future of our program needs to be a more tactical approach to using technical players the best way.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 27, 2019)

they need to eliminate the politics and marketing considerations. Players like Press should be in and younger players have been left off the roster in favor of vets waaaay past their primes


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## forsomuch (Jun 28, 2019)

Biggest ever? I think 1999 finals might hold the title of biggest ever. 

Anyone else notice that the final 8 teams all are teams with predominately tall white women? 

Norway vs England
France vs USA
Italy vs Holland
Germany vs Sweden

If you have a daughter that is potentially a tall white woman you should be super excited.


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## espola (Jun 28, 2019)

forsomuch said:


> Biggest ever? I think 1999 finals might hold the title of biggest ever.
> 
> Anyone else notice that the final 8 teams all are teams with predominately tall white women?
> 
> ...


1999 WWC finals against China hapenned while we playing a tournament game somewhere in SD County.  One parent brought a little portable TV to our popup.  During halftime of one of our games the China game went to kicks.  The referees for our game wouldn't start the second half until the kicks were over.


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## oh canada (Jun 28, 2019)

forsomuch said:


> Biggest ever? I think 1999 finals might hold the title of biggest ever.
> 
> Anyone else notice that the final 8 teams all are teams with predominately tall white women?
> 
> ...


Nah, '99 was significant to be sure, but the World didn't care as much about women's soccer as it does now.  No social media, no lawsuits, no TV rights deals pending for the women's pro league, etc.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 28, 2019)

forsomuch said:


> Biggest ever? I think 1999 finals might hold the title of biggest ever.
> 
> Anyone else notice that the final 8 teams all are teams with predominately tall white women?
> 
> ...


If you have ever gone to watch national youth teams train (or know girls on the national teams), you will definitely notice physical traits that dominate  the pool. 99% gazelles.


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## Zizu84 (Jun 28, 2019)

forsomuch said:


> Biggest ever? I think 1999 finals might hold the title of biggest ever.
> 
> Anyone else notice that the final 8 teams all are teams with predominately tall white women?
> 
> ...


Not france.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 28, 2019)

Horan on the bench again. Press on the bench again. Ertz in the middle again. Guess Ellis didnt take much away from the last game.


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## Surfref (Jun 28, 2019)

US may have won today, but I thought that France played a better game.  The US looked sloppy.  Still think VAR screws up the flow of these WWC games.


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## oh canada (Jun 28, 2019)

@Surfref what you think about the handball non-call on O'Hara?


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## espola (Jun 28, 2019)

Surfref said:


> US may have won today, but I thought that France played a better game.  The US looked sloppy.  Still think VAR screws up the flow of these WWC games.


Too many give-away passes when an open teammate was available.  And Alex Morgan seemed to think she was still 14 years old when she could dribble right through any defender she met.


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## oh canada (Jun 28, 2019)

the way to beat USA is with a high press, but in order to do that you need a solid backline.  maybe England will have the courage to try?  I don't see them losing now after kicking France to the curb.  Close games but victorious in the end.


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## timbuck (Jun 28, 2019)

I'm a bit worried there will be a let down after this game.  So much hype before the game.  The Rapinoe-Trump feud included.


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## espola (Jun 28, 2019)

timbuck said:


> I'm a bit worried there will be a let down after this game.  So much hype before the game.  The Rapinoe-Trump feud included.


Is the feud over?  Any good sports story needs a non-sports hook to give it drama.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 28, 2019)

espola said:


> Is the feud over?  Any good sports story needs a non-sports hook to give it drama.


Online universe feuding more than them. Her scoring the first goal, which was bad goalkeeping, and the last one which was Combo of Morgan drawing all defenders (initially started by great attack by Heath) will Bondo over all the cracks. People saying “but she is scoring”, like Zardes - difference between the teams is you have all-star players on the bench. Our right side gets attacked but teams haven’t played well enough to exploit the problem. Germany or England would


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## Surfref (Jun 28, 2019)

oh canada said:


> @Surfref what you think about the handball non-call on O'Hara?


Good no call.  Her arm was at her side and she did not make herself bigger.  The France player appeared to kick the ball directly at her arm.


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## soccer4us (Jun 28, 2019)

Surfref said:


> Good no call.  Her arm was at her side and she did not make herself bigger.  The France player appeared to kick the ball directly at her arm.


Did the Japanese girl make herself bigger vs Holland? I don't think so.

I agree with you but not having VAR even look at that seemed odd.

We will win again. Simply too deep and athletic. Personally, the overall quality of this World Cup hasn't been good. Hopefully the England game will have less mistakes.


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## Stip21 (Jun 29, 2019)

Average height of the US women’s team is around 5’7. Is this a giant? Just slightly above average. 

Dunn 5’1 defender.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2019)

Stip21 said:


> Average height of the US women’s team is around 5’7. Is this a giant? Just slightly above average.
> 
> Dunn 5’1 defender.


Dunn to me was outstanding vs France and one of players of the game.

She was mostly a attacking player prior to the national team I heard the commentators say yesterday along with our other outside back.

My oldest is 5-7" but she was gifted with longer legs and speed but always seemed to be playing taller girls but did fine, she can jump and played volleyball also which helped.

To me it's not necessary size but the speed you can play at like Dunn that can make a big difference.


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## cks1450 (Jun 29, 2019)

soccer4us said:


> Did the Japanese girl make herself bigger vs Holland? I don't think so.


This is O'Hara's position with the ball in flight in the first picture and then as it strikes her in the 2nd.












Here are 3 photos of the Japanese player, last one is different angle, couldn't find one of contact from first angle.


















I would say the Japanese player has made herself wider, at least wider than O'Hara, doubt she did it intentionally.

I wasn't excited about the call against Japan, mostly because the player is so close to the ball. 

The rule change as explained by Ifab technical director David Elleray, "We've changed it to say the body has a certain silhouette," said Elleray. "If the arms are extended beyond that silhouette then the body is being made unnaturally bigger, with the purpose of it being a bigger barrier to the opponent or the ball. Players should be allowed to have their arms by their side because it's their natural silhouette."

While O'hara's arm is not tight next to her side, it could pass as a natural silhouette for a player defending on the field.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jul 1, 2019)

espola said:


> Too many give-away passes when an open teammate was available.  And Alex Morgan seemed to think she was still 14 years old when she could dribble right through any defender she met.


This is why she is hurt. Getting chopped up. Then she is doing the stretching routine in an attempt to persuade the Ref to protect her. Not going to happen in this WC, no idea where these Refs came from, but they are not the strongest bunch. Going all female refs to make FIFA look Super-Woke isnt fooling reasonable folks


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## espola (Jul 1, 2019)

cks1450 said:


> This is O'Hara's position with the ball in flight in the first picture and then as it strikes her in the 2nd.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So will it be Nike or Adidas to be the first to offer a soccer jersey with elastic sleeves that will pull the wearer's arms back into the "natural" position?

Speaking of jerseys, I noticed a little blurb in the news that the current USWNT jersey has set the record for team jerseys sold in a year, despite the fact that it is not offered in men's or children's sizes.   And the year is not yet over.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jul 1, 2019)

espola said:


> So will it be Nike or Adidas to be the first to offer a soccer jersey with elastic sleeves that will pull the wearer's arms back into the "natural" position?
> 
> Speaking of jerseys, I noticed a little blurb in the news that the current USWNT jersey has set the record for team jerseys sold in a year, despite the fact that it is not offered in men's or children's sizes.   And the year is not yet over.


website has them for $90-$120. wonder how many dudes, that arent family members, have ordered shirts?


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