USWNT has world class players and athletes , they went out after last year disappointment and hired a world class coach
The federation should be commended for that .
Can Emma also coach the USMNT?
New USWNT head coach
- Thread starter whatithink
- Start date
USWNT has world class players and athletes , they went out after last year disappointment and hired a world class coach
The federation should be commended for that .
Can Emma also coach the USMNT?
EH is definitely emphasizing youth in order to always keep the cupboard full. As they say, "When you're good enough, you're old enough". She had Shaw instead of Williams on the original roster. I have been quite happy with Rodman, a break out tournament for her. Haven't seen the statistics but I would expect she has carried the ball forward the most on the team and has the most successful 1 v1 dribbles. She has put in a ton of dangerous crosses in addition to her 3 goals. In addition to what she does on the ball, she has an incredible motor, which isn't surprising given her family tree.
She is the best defensive forward on the team as well, and is the only one of the three forwards that can win header.
I agree on Horan... not impressed. Why was Lavelle out? I've read she's available but maybe not fit for '90?
Anyone else questioning that goal?
Orangeteam
SILVER ELITE
Horan needed a reminder of what color jersey they were wearing. She passed the ball away a lot.
I was equally frustrated watching Smith. She waits to long to excute her final pass and it results in her passing under duress. She draws a foul here and there because of it.
As far as the goal. Swanson was onside but what bothered me was the ball was played to Smith and it was very close to her.
Because of where the ball was played the Brazilian marking Swanson took a few steps towards Smith. She wasn't going to catch Swanson anyways, but I do think her decision was impacted by Smith.
People need to read the offside law as the goal quite clearly was not offside. No one's ability to play the ball was impacted. A defender taking a step in the wrong direction following a player in an offside position does not constitute an offside infraction. Meanwhile, tournament football is a results business and the USWNT came home with the ultimate prize. The team has a lot of areas for growth but the attack overall was so much better than the WC. An amazing start to a new era!
While that may not be the case in situations, in this situation - the offside player did impact play. She ran towards the ball, blocking the line to the ball and Swanson and causing the defenders to have to slow down and think about what they need to do to get around Smith and Swanson because they couldn't just run hard at the ball.
If Smith didn't make a run to the ball, three defenders would have focused their attention completely on the ball and Swanson, without any slow down, and at least one defender would get to the ball and another would get behind it.
Those defenders were thinking about how they could get around Smith to get behind the ball or on the ball and that moment to think is huge as a defender.
Also, the run straight at the ball is very different than the run trying to go around a player in order to get to the ball - it is much slower.
I played in college. I know what the rule is. When you bring subjectivity into it, in terms of how and whom is affected by a pass or cross, it's not that simple.
Are you going to watch this and tell me both Swanson and Smith weren't 5 yards past the 3 defenders when that ball is hit at 0:02 in? Or are you going to tell me I need to read the rule book because there actually ARE players faster than a ball?
Can't tell anything from the narrow range of that video.
This one at least has a broader view.
Here's the moment the ball is passed. Smith is off by a body lean, Mal isn't.
Was Tarciane drawn to Smith or the ball? I can't tell.
RandomSoccerFan
PREMIER
Forgive me, but how is the rule written for these matches in the Olympics? What part of the body is supposed to be used when judging offside or not - is it the feet? torso? arms? head? furthest part over in the direction of the goal on the field? I think I'm aware that that has changed over the last season in Premier League, to make it somewhat less likely to be called compared to prior - but I have no idea of the specific circumstances these women were playing in.
SOOOO clear that she was on. I don't know what that other person is talking about.
I think it's head body or feet..........any part of the body that can "play the ball".
If it's SOOOO clear, why was the first thing out of the announcer's mouth, "probably offside but the flag stays down for now"?
I'm not saying it should have been called, but to say Smith didn't affect the play is questionable.
I'm basing my comment on the photo that was posted. Not when the actual play happened. When the actual play happened, to the naked eye, I can see why the announcer mentioned offside because it looked very close in real time. OR........maybe the announcer had their eye on Smith who WAS in an offside position.
My point is the rule is subjective. The official has to determine how much influence the "offside" player had. That's difficult to determine unless you're a mind reader.
whatithink
GOLD
It hardly matters. The 3 Brazilian defenders were yards behind both US players. Both US players went towards the ball before Smith peeled off into the center. Swanson was still in the clear.
If Smith had done nothing, Swanson would still have received the ball 2-3 yards ahead of any Brazilian. It was a super ball played to a super run - the 2 defenders closest to Swanson were out of position and/or the defender playing Swanson on was way out of position. To me, that's why it was ruled that Smith didn't interfere, because the defenders had zero chance of getting there before Swanson irrespective of Smith.
The rule has gotten more narrow for what qualifies as being involved in the play. Used to be that being in a sufficiently threatening position qualified: if the goalie needed to worry about you, then you counted towards offside. They changed it so that an uninvolved person in an offside position doesn’t count, regardless of whether the goalie would need to worry about you.
In other words, Tarciane was supposed to know in real time that Smith was off side, choose to ignore her, and focus on Mal. Ridiculous, but I think that’s the rule.
whatithink
GOLD
If you impede the GK, physically or even line of sight, you will be offside. Defenders know that they have to just play and let VAR figure it out. Its the same as it ever was, i.e. play to the whistle. The Brazilian defenders tried to cover back, but they were too far behind the play and couldn't make it in time. It was a great through ball, but it was also really silly defending against a forward line that has 3 players that can out pace your backline.
In the old days, we used to call this an offside trap. Forward(s) are beyond the last defender. Offsides. Smith and Swanson are what... 10 yards apart from each other when it's hit and less than 5 when it arrives... and the ball was sent between them? LOL. I wonder how this goes over if it's the U.S. giving up the goal.
Well said. I see the men's side of soccer run plays all the time with a player in the offside position. While this wasn't a purposeful play, Swanson said afterwards that she was yelling at Smith to leave that ball alone because she knew she was in the offside position.