What We Talk About When We Talk about Glove
July 18, 2011While We’re Waiting… Hickson Talks, Parker Moves and Tribe Wins
July 19, 2011
Make no mistake. The U.S. Women’s National soccer team is like the New York Yankees of international soccer. They are supposed to win and they do so frequently. Since the women’s World Cup started in 1991 the women have won it twice, come in 3rd three times and after losing yesterday to Japan in the final match have now finished as runner-up. It gives you a glimpse into what it is like to be a fan of a juggernaut type of team like Yankees fans. I know sometimes there is a tendency to view them as greedy, smug and ungrateful. That’s an easy viewpoint from the outside looking in. As we all learned yesterday, losing as the favorite when you’re supposed to win can hurt just as much, if not more.
I won’t go into all the recappy goodness, but in case you missed it, the U.S. went up 1-0, lost the lead. Went to an overtime period and got the lead back before giving it up yet again. Japan was scrappy, but there was a lot of sloppiness in the defense that made it feel like the U.S. gave up the goals more than Japan scored them, if you know what I mean. The U.S. seemed so sloppy with failed clearances that they almost felt like own goals. Finally, whether you love or hate penalty kicks, the United States went on to lose after having one kick saved and air-mailing another Phil Dawson style.
I know a lot of people are very critical of deciding a game by penalty kicks, but it is tough to complain. The U.S. team won a game earlier in this tourney using P.K.s and they won the whole tournament in 1999 with penalty kicks. You might remember Brandi Chastain tearing her shirt off in celebration. Bottom line is that we all knew it was a possibility going into the game and there were ample opportunities to decide the game in regulation and overtime.
Regardless, this was a brutal one to lose. The Bob Costas spin on the event was that because of the horrible earthquakes and everything that Japan has been through this year that it was O.K. for Japan to win it all. I guess there might be some truth in all that, but it is still just a loss in a game that I desperately wanted the United States to win. Obviously, I want the best for the Japanese people, but you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t extend that to the soccer field in the World Cup final. Justifying it after the fact for even the most humanitarian of reasons is something losers do to not feel so bad.
For those who just can’t feel comfortable rooting for a favorite, just wait for the men to play next. They are still struggling to become any kind of powerhouse on the international scene with any consistency.
I’ll be looking forward to the next women’s World Cup though. This is where it is fun to be the favorites like the Yankees. I know that when they suit up again in 2015 in Canada that the U.S. women will have a really good shot at winning it all. It feels good to be greedy sometimes.
17 Comments
Really a fantastic effort by the WNT. It was just poor timing with the US team playing an underwhelming game and Japan playing their best of the tournament. I always enjoy the womens world cup because I love the game and watching the women play can be just as (if not more) entertaining as the men’s.
I agree with stin4u and will go a step further. Women’s soccer is even more entertaining because they seem to flop in dramatic fashion about 10% as much as the men’s players.
And, it was amazing how quickly the outcome of the game was switched to “the Japanese people really deserved this uplifting moment”. It was crazy how that happened.
It was painful to watch the U.S. spraying so many wild shots all around the net yesterday. With a little discipline, they could have been up 3-0 at the half.
No one seems to be talking about that red card the Japanese picked up just before the end of OT in what was otherwise a very clean and sportsmanship-like game. The U.S. was denied a one-on-one shot at the goal as the result of that foul. Not that there’s any reason to believe we would have converted it, things having gone the way they did.
But all in all, it was fun couple of weeks watching our team.
I’m glad it is over so everyone can stop caring about soccer for the next 4 years. That was unbearable.
If you are a soccer fan, that’s fine. I’m not trying to bash soccer. But people who are fanatics during the World Cup, and people who try to tell me how much popularity soccer is gaining are really annoying. I’m glad it only happens every 4 years.
The US didn’t play an underwhelming game…they dominated from start to finish. The only problem was was that they found the back of the net twice on 27the shots…that game should have been over midway through the first half but thems the breaks
@5 – So not finishing chances is not underwhelming and should be expected? Not following.
@stin4u – just think of it like the Tribe having 10 guys LOB at the end of a game. it’s not that we didn’t hit, it’s that we didn’t have timely hitting. just barely not capitalizing on those non-rare instances. I think the distinction is that if they were truly underwhelming, they would not have even had those opportunties.
now, let us also remember that the US team was thoroughly outplayed by France, but managed to score more goals and advance. such is life sometimes. great win for Japan.
The shots just didn’t go in. There were some great shots going-off the cross bars. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Personally, I played soccer and baseball as a kid, so I love watching anything I can watch… except for MLS because, to be honest, MLS is like watching minor league baseball. If you’re a good enough player, you’re gonna be playing in the Premiership, Serie A or La Liga, the same way the best baseball players in the world play in MLB for the most part.
I don’t even think World Cup play is as interesting or exciting as the league play or European championship play.
Another nice thing is that there weren’t any vuvuzelas.
believe it or not, Andrew, there are actually leagues around the world that run every year, so people like me – and a few billion others – can care about soccer every day.
Dear Soccer,
You are irrelevant.
Sincerely,
Hockey
Canada in 2015? Do I head a WFNY road trip forming?
WWC Canada 2015
Closest venue is Montreal then Ottawa.. Surprised that there isn’t anything in Toronto.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup
Definitely NOT an underwhelming game. Disappointing, but not underwhelming. It may even be fair to say that this tournament’s USWNT peaked in the finals (lack of scoring aside).
They played 120 minutes of (mostly) pretty awesome soccer, created a plethora of scoring opportunities, and had fans jumping from their seats numerous times during the course of the game (Wambach’s crossbar, Cheney’s near misses, Lloyd’s cannons from outside the 18, O’Reilly’s open lefty at the end of the game…..clearly, I could go on…..).
As someone who played soccer my entire life, it’s SO fun to see friends co-workers getting as excited by the competition as me. And it’s amazing and important for girls to see women excelling athletically because unfortunately we don’t get to see much of that in our terribly underfunded women’s professional leagues. Hopefully the world cup will generate more interest in the WPS (women’s professional soccer), along with the WPSL and W-leagues (semi-pro soccer teams) which are filled with female soccer players of the highest caliber, usually working full time jobs and training multiple nights a week just so they can play =)
Really glad to see a WWC article here….I was actually wondering if ya’ll would post one or not. So thanks!
@6 no…the US had way better chances and were clearly the more dangerous team. It took a brain fart (gifting a loose ball inside the six) and a deflected shot (although Sawa did extremely well to put that ball on frame) for Japan to have a shot at winning. The Japanese didn’t win the game so much as the US lost it.
Although watching earlier games of the Japanese, I was surprised at how poorly they played. Couldn’t find a rhythm passing, never were extremely dangerous in the final third. Just an unlucky game. 9 times out of 10 and the US come out winners of this game. Thats just sports.
And the game was definitely not underwhelming, exciting from start to finish.
First off, Im a soccer fan. Love the game. I find women’s soccer a bit underwhelming considering the talent gap between the men and women, but do appreciate how the game is relatively clean and free of all the BS associated with the men’s game (i.e. flopping).
The reason the WWC was so entertaining this year was simply dramatics. The Brazil game was arguably one of the most dramatic games I have ever seen, men or women. Plus, the whole patriotic, nationalism push was huge.
In the long run, I think losing might be better for the women’s game. Follow my logic as a Cleveland fan who is used to losing please. By not winning there is a greater focus and incentive to win it all in four years. The team has re-distinguished itself after basically going into hibernation for over a decade since 99′ (I challenge anyone to remember the 2003 or 2007 WWC). So, as we move forward to Canada in 4 years, we as a country have something to build on with a few girls who are hopefully still household names in 2015.
I’ll always follow men’s soccer over the ladies, but I hope this whole thing elevates their sport and continues to bring some national pride to the states. Despite the loss, I cant remember being as enthralled by a women’s sporting event in my life. I hope everyone at least gives them even just a little more support moving forward (and yes, that includes ESPN, the national media, and even this site).
@Foghorn Leghorn – “talent gap between the men and women”?
…..Ignorant.
Also, every player on the US women’s team has securely made it into adulthood, therefore, feel free to refer to them as “women,” not girls.
Thanks for playing.