USWNT

[MakeAPlay]

Watching Morgan yesterday left me with a few thoughts:

Is she hurt? If she is Ellis is clueless for playing her when she has viable even better options at her disposal.

Is she sick? Again, on Ellis.

Is she pregnant? Hmm... I remember skiing with my wife in Mammoth and her just being very lethargic. Thought maybe it was the elevation. In the way home my wife bought a pregnancy test in Mojave. The drive home was all about what to name our soon to be newest addition.

Whatever it is we definitely need to be at our best against France. If we can get ahead of them early the French fans seem terribly fickle and I wouldn't be surprised if they turned on the team.

 

[End of the Line]

@End of the Line If you are so outraged please take it to off topic so you can battle some real assholes that are actually racists and bigots. Leave us to our soccer conversation or at least watch some women's soccer so that you can add to it.

Or you could just be like @espola and just be a running joke with no purpose (I think his kids are in their 30's now).

If you are so outraged with your conspiracy theory that lesbians discriminated against Hinkle because she's a homophobe and a bigot, take it to off topic.

 

[Glen]

And yes, if you are opposed to equal civil rights based on sexual orientation, you are by definition a bigot.

Actually, a bigot, by definition, is someone who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions. Kind of ironic, don't you think?

 

[Glen]

You voted for Trump because people are against bigots? I will agree that Trump has the backing of bigots, racists, homophobes, etc.

I voted for Clinton (holding my nose) and Obama (twice - and proudly). But, again, your response is indicative of why some who voted for Obama voted for Trump. Turn everything into a flame war, turning those that on your side against you.

 

[watfly]

Japan was straight up robbed. That is "clearly and obviously" not a handball. Her arm was down close to her side trying to rotate her arm away from the ball at near point blank range. She was not making her body "unnaturally bigger" nor is she extending her arm out. Nothing deliberate about it. I'd like the ref to tell us what she would consider a natural position for the arm to be in that circumstance. That ref is lucky it was Japan and not Cameroon.

 

[Goforgoal]

Forgive me while I get things back on topic ...

Possibly the best match of the tournament just took place. That was fun to watch. Japan was the better side in this match but you gotta finish your chances. That one will sting for awhile.

 

[soccerobserver]

Japan was straight up robbed. That is "clearly and obviously" not a handball. Her arm was down close to her side trying to rotate her arm away from the ball at near point blank range. She was not making her body "unnaturally bigger" nor is she extending her arm out. Nothing deliberate about it. I'd like the ref to tell us what she would consider a natural position for the arm to be in that circumstance. That ref is lucky it was Japan and not Cameroon.

Losing like that totally sucked...I guess attackers should just aim at the arms of defenders in the box...geeze

 

[soccerobserver]

Forgive me while I get things back on topic ...

Possibly the best match of the tournament just took place. That was fun to watch. Japan was the better side in this match but you gotta finish your chances. That one will sting for awhile.

GFG I agree that was my favorite match to watch so far...

 

[LASTMAN14]

Forgive me while I get things back on topic ...

Possibly the best match of the tournament just took place. That was fun to watch. Japan was the better side in this match but you gotta finish your chances. That one will sting for awhile.

The Dutch disappeared in that second half.

 

[LASTMAN14]

Japan was straight up robbed. That is "clearly and obviously" not a handball. Her arm was down close to her side trying to rotate her arm away from the ball at near point blank range. She was not making her body "unnaturally bigger" nor is she extending her arm out. Nothing deliberate about it. I'd like the ref to tell us what she would consider a natural position for the arm to be in that circumstance. That ref is lucky it was Japan and not Cameroon.

VAR got it wrong. Ref got it wrong. Agree no PK should have been awarded.

 

[espola]

@End of the Line If you are so outraged please take it to off topic so you can battle some real assholes that are actually racists and bigots. Leave us to our soccer conversation or at least watch some women's soccer so that you can add to it.

Or you could just be like @espola and just be a running joke with no purpose (I think his kids are in their 30's now).

It looks like you are still smarting from being embarrassed yesterday by the revelation of your difficulty with reality. The way I see it, at this point you have 2 choices.

A: You told the truth about me being a helpless little old man, in which case you should be ashamed of yourself for picking on me.
B: You lied about it, in which case you should be ashamed of yourself for that.

Your pick.

BTW, from my viewpoint knowing what I do about myself and observing how you have responded on this thread, your best choice is B.

 

[Goforgoal]

Losing like that totally sucked...I guess attackers should just aim at the arms of defenders in the box...geeze

This tournament has already broadcast to defenders that you better step to the ball in the box with your arms behind your back or risk the consequences. Natural position or distance to the ball be damned. That said, I honestly thought that one would be overturned. I had to pick my jaw off the floor when she didn't even look at it and pulled out the yellow card.

 

[soccerobserver]

I wish that the US could play like this team. With the athleticism we have it would be hard to stop. Of course, you have to pick the players that can play that way instead of picking players based off of their beep test.[/QUOTE.

...and coaches who can coach it...

 

[bullsputbol]

japanese was a better team. They played better than netherlands

 

[soccerobserver]

This tournament has already broadcast to defenders that you better step to the ball in the box with your arms behind your back or risk the consequences. Natural position or distance to the ball be damned. That said, I honestly thought that one would be overturned. I had to pick my jaw off the floor when she didn't even look at it and pulled out the yellow card.

GFG, I haven't seen the replay but as you said it was a point black blast so I am not sure she had enough time to tuck her arms in even if she wanted to...

 

[LASTMAN14]

GFG, I haven't seen the replay but as you said it was a point black blast so I am not sure she had enough time to tuck her arms in even if she wanted to...

I just watched it again in real time speed and in slow motion. Still a bad and wrong call.

 

[watfly]

GFG, I haven't seen the replay but as you said it was a point black blast so I am not sure she had enough time to tuck her arms in even if she wanted to...

While I wholeheartedly agree, with the new laws, if the player is "unnaturally bigger" or arm is above shoulder, "closeness" to the ball is irrelevant...unfortunately.

It is usually an offence if a player:
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when:
• the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
• the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately
plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)
The above offences apply even if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from
the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close.

 

[LASTMAN14]

I just watched it again in real time speed and in slow motion. Still a bad and wrong call.

The ref’s took nothing into consideration on the circumstances of the play and as Watfly stated the players arm could not be in any more of a natural position under that scenario.

 

[soccerobserver]

If I had been the referee in this game- this would be my response to the alleged "handball": "That ain't no problem"

 

[Grace T.]

Agree with watfly. Under the new laws, unfortunate but that's a penalty. The instruction coming out of the rules revisions to the refs (both on this and the goalkeeper line) is (unlike some things like the throw in rule and it's lack enforcement), we really mean it.

 

[watfly]

Agree with watfly. Under the new laws, unfortunate but that's a penalty. The instruction coming out of the rules revisions to the refs (both on this and the goalkeeper line) is (unlike some things like the throw in rule and it's lack enforcement), we really mean it.

You may have missed my initial post, even under the new laws, I firmly believe that was not a penalty. The player wasn't unnaturally bigger, it hit her upper arm which was barely away from her body. Even if her whole arm was pressed against her body it will still would have hit her upper arm. My point to soccerobserver was that "closeness" to the ball is not to be considered in the "unnaturally bigger" situation, which is the only reason the ref could use to rationalize her call.

I've said this before, what's ironic is defenders playing with their arms behind their backs is what is unnatural.