USWNT 2023: Journey to a 5th Star

[VirginiaLonghorn 4722]

2 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

All those years as an Orioles’ fan worked you. 

Nothing like the Bullets … so much in fact that I no longer watch the NBA.

 

[VirginiaLonghorn 4722]

Canada ties on PK 2-2 with only a few seconds left in the OT period.  On to a shootout …

Somebody who understands wrasslin’ rules in soccer can explain the ending of the OT.

[VirginiaLonghorn 4722]

Ohhhhh Canada.  Fuck right off, eh?

US wins shootout … G saved 3 PK and scored one herself.

Brazil on Sunday.

[shnsajax 3589]

12 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

Ohhhhh Canada.  Fuck right off, eh?

US wins shootout … G saved 3 PK and scored one herself.

Brazil on Sunday.

Canada's PK's were slightly better than average HS team. All three saves about 3-4 feet to the right and right down the middle.

[Captain Ron 12708]

6 hours ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

Canada ties on PK 2-2 with only a few seconds left in the OT period.  On to a shootout …

Somebody who understands wrasslin’ rules in soccer can explain the ending of the OT.

Thats called a makeup call for 2012.

But seriously seems pretty straight forward, keeper missed the ball, so it’s a penalty. 

[Incredulity 11160]

Those Canada PKs were terrible.

I'll take the win.

[Captain Ron 12708]

10 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Canada's PK's were slightly better than average HS team. All three saves about 3-4 feet to the right and right down the middle.

I'm not even sure they were even that good. That's being super generous.

If you throw in the PK to tie the game in overtime, 4 of their 5 kicks were very bad.

Game Tying PK: Leon, if Naeher goes left instead of right, this game ends right here. That's very save-able, barely halfway between the post and middle of the net. 

 

Shootout kick 1, Leon again, went the other way, got a touch of height on it, but that's not great.

 

Shootout 2, Huitema, identical to Leon, so again not great.

 

Shootout 3: Quinn - This is the same shot, but other direction, it has more height and a little wider. This is likely not saved even if Naeher went left.

 

Shootout 4: Fleming, this shot is right before the save is made. Same as the Leon and Huitema misses, but with less height.

 

The US showed how this was done. Smith and Naeher both put their PKs just inside the post and even though the keeper guess right, couldn't save them. Horan's winner is about the same height as the Canadian saves, but further out (it was at the C of CUP, not the P). Even the Albert miss was barely over the bar, that's not saved if she gets it down a foot to keep it on goal.

 

Anyway - suck it Canada.

[BrickHorn 18028]

Why does Crystal Dunn still play for us? 

[Grande Mart 502]

Just got around to watching today's match. The call that gave Canada the PK to tie was terrible. 

[BrickHorn 18028]

11 hours ago, Grande Mart said:

Just got around to watching today's match. The call that gave Canada the PK to tie was terrible. 

No it wasn’t. Dunn stepped in and clipped the Canadian’s foot. The announcers claiming it was “soft” are idiots. It wasn’t a vicious tackle or worthy of a card, but it was certainly a foul. 

Dunn is a massive liability at left back. The other goal was her fault, too. She lost her man tracking back, then didn’t even try to recover. 

[Grande Mart 502]

11 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

No it wasn’t. Dunn stepped in and clipped the Canadian’s foot. The announcers claiming it was “soft” are idiots. It wasn’t a vicious tackle or worthy of a card, but it was certainly a foul. 

Dunn is a massive liability at left back. The other goal was her fault, too. She lost her man tracking back, then didn’t even try to recover. 

No, The canadian player dove, Dunn never touched her foot. Pretty obvious.  The first goal was mostly a mistake by Naeher who didn't need to go out that far when there were other defenders in position to shut down the attack which is also probably why Dunn was not in a hurry to get back.

Edited April 11 by Grande Mart

[Captain Ron 12708]

I went back and watched the highlights, I gotta say that's close. The problem is two fold for Dunn on this:

• She got beat, so her move to play the ball is coming from behind
• Dunn impeded Leon on the play

You combine the two, I very much see why that ends up being called. I won't disagree that Leon sells the foul by going down on the contact, but Dunn screwed up getting into that position in the first place.

 

[BrickHorn 18028]

39 minutes ago, Grande Mart said:

No, The canadian player dove, Dunn never touched her foot. Pretty obvious.

Watch the highlights. You’re dead wrong about that. It was a very clear foul. 

[Anastasis 23207]

I didn't see a definitive replay, and didn't get to watch the whole game so no idea how the ref was calling it overall, but what I saw in real time looked light to me. Good job by the canuck drawing the call. 

[Grande Mart 502]

21 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Watch the highlights. You’re dead wrong about that. It was a very clear foul. 

I rewatched them before I replied to you the first time.  Looks to me like Dunns foot comes down on the ground next to the Canadian without making contact.

1:40- 1:41 looks like the best shot to me.

Smart play by the Canuck to draw the foul though at that point in the game. and you are correct in that Dunn seems to have lost a step.

Edited April 11 by Grande Mart

[Anastasis 23207]

50 minutes ago, Grande Mart said:

1:40- 1:41 looks like the best shot to me.

That's very light, but well sold, and Dunn didn't do herself any favors trying to recover. 

[Captain Ron 12708]

IMHO, this is the key point right here:

Before I said there are 2 things here, but there is really 4:

• Dunn gets absolutely ZERO ball on this play - this is easily her biggest crime of the whole play
• She's making the play from behind, not shoulder to shoulder. If this play is shoulder to shoulder, this call likely isn't made. This is because Dunn had to make up space after getting blown past on the give and go.
• Dunn lightly gets Leon's foot, probably knocking her off balance
• Dunn's left arm, she is pulling back Leon's right arm on this play, which does lead me to the next part:

 

Leon is very much diving here, at first I thought she wasn't because there is no way she could have forced the dive that quick after her leg was kicked, but in watching this 20 times + I realized she started the dive when the hand was on her arm. Once Dunn kicked her foot, it was over and that's a penalty. 

I will say if Leon doesn't go down, this penalty isn't given, and she only goes down because of the dive. But at the same time, this is still a foul.

[BrickHorn 18028]

18 hours ago, Anastasis said:

That's very light, but well sold, and Dunn didn't do herself any favors trying to recover. 

…because she has zero feel for the positional aspect of defending. Dunn is an excellent second-team forward or midfielder who has been forced into a first-team fullback spot. She’s never been a natural there but was able to cover up for a lot of positional / technique errors with pure speed and hustle. But as she ages, those aspects of her game are fading.

Naeher’s play on Canada’s first goal wasn’t great, but she was forced to help defend a 2-on-1 created by Dunn’s poor positioning, awareness, and hustle.

[Napoleon 8579]

Last night’s USWNT is looking more and more like the composition of the US Men’s basketball team.

Not sure how pay-to-play families across the USA are going to react to that.

A 16 year-old scored on her debut last night.

 

[Incredulity 11160]

SK is way overmatched by the USWNT.

IMPO talent isn't an issue.  If they underperform in the Olympics its strategy or lack of effort.

[alincoln 2347]

8 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Last night’s USWNT is looking more and more like the composition of the US Men’s basketball team.

Not sure how pay-to-play families across the USA are going to react to that.

Are you suggesting that because there is some diversity on the the field that the young players weren't raised and developed in the pay-to-play system?  All of the players on the USWNT roster under the age of 27 other than Lily Yohannes (raised in the Netherlands) were developed by ECNL clubs (the most expensive club league in the country).  You might also want to look at the rosters of the US youth national girls teams where every player is from an ECNL or GA club (the two most expensive club leagues in the country).  

Jaedyn Shaw (Solar - ECNL)

Korbin Albert (Eclipse - ECNL)

Hal Hershfelt (Corcorde Fire - ECNL)

Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues - ECNL)

Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers - ECNL)

Sophia Smith (Real Colorado - ECNL)

Naomi Girma (De Anza Force - ECNL)

Catarina Macario (San Diego Surf - ECNL)

Sam Coffey (Match Fit Academy - ECNL)

Tierna Davidson (De Anza Force - ECNL) - Yes, our starting CBs both played for the same ECNL club

Mal Swanson (Real Colorado - ECNL)

[Napoleon 8579]

54 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Are you suggesting that because there is some diversity on the the field that the young players weren't raised and developed in the pay-to-play system?  All of the players on the USWNT roster under the age of 27 other than Lily Yohannes (raised in the Netherlands) were developed by ECNL clubs (the most expensive club league in the country).  You might also want to look at the rosters of the US youth national girls teams where every player is from an ECNL or GA club (the two most expensive club leagues in the country).  

Jaedyn Shaw (Solar - ECNL)

Korbin Albert (Eclipse - ECNL)

Hal Hershfelt (Corcorde Fire - ECNL)

Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues - ECNL)

Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers - ECNL)

Sophia Smith (Real Colorado - ECNL)

Naomi Girma (De Anza Force - ECNL)

Catarina Macario (San Diego Surf - ECNL)

Sam Coffey (Match Fit Academy - ECNL)

Tierna Davidson (De Anza Force - ECNL) - Yes, our starting CBs both played for the same ECNL club

Mal Swanson (Real Colorado - ECNL)

I am suggesting that white families across the country may shift their kids’ pay-to-play focus to other sports.

There is a saying- “Representation is everything.”

The USA is not a soccer nation. It is not like football for boys. 

This isn’t a discussion for this thread, but I could see a slight shift in pay-to-play sports participation towards softball, volleyball, or other sports in the future. 

That is all that I will add to this subject. 
 

⚽️⚽️

_ 🥅 _

[alincoln 2347]

10 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

That is all that I will add to this subject. 

Good.  Suggesting that white parents may shift their daughters to other sports because there is more diversity on the USWNT is insane.  You may also want to consider reviewing the diversity in elite club volleyball and softball.  

[Napoleon 8579]

28 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Good.  Suggesting that white parents may shift their daughters to other sports because there is more diversity on the USWNT is insane.  You may also want to consider reviewing the diversity in elite club volleyball and softball.  

Okay, one more comment because you appear to be dense. 

REPRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING 

The girls are going to gravitate towards sports where they see participants like themselves.

 

Now, if you can’t grasp that, perhaps there’s no hope for you. 

[alincoln 2347]

2 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Okay, one more comment because you appear to be dense. 

REPRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING 

The girls are going to gravitate towards sports where they see participants like themselves.

 

Now, if you can’t grasp that, perhaps there’s no hope for you. 

You post one of the most inane takes on the board this year and then have the gall to characterize someone else as dense and hopeless. 

Have you been to a youth basketball tournament?  Tons of white people.  You would think they would all be playing lacrosse or water polo given the demographics of the NBA and WNBA.

Have you been to an ECNL event?  Lots of minorities and there have been for years.  

[Captain Ron 12708]

Olympic Roster out. Big news, no Alex Morgan

 

 

[Napoleon 8579]

US Soccer finally saved themselves from themselves and hired a top coach who is NOT from the USA. 🇺🇸 

Unlike that disaster of an assistant-turned head coach who took them to the last Women’s World Cup, and who had “Women’s soccer’s answer to Gregg Berhalter.”, they got a coach who wants to win with the best team.

I think that having a reduced roster, which is the way at the Olympics, helped the new coach trim the olds, because everyone is going to need to be able to run their asses off and likely be available to play a second position.

Thanks Alex, your work is done here.

[BrickHorn 18028]

Dunn at forward. Thank fucking God. 

[Napoleon 8579]

HARRISON, N.J. -- Forward Catarina Macario will miss the Olympics with what United States women's national team head coach Emma Hayes called "knee irritation" that developed during training this week.

Forward Lynn Williams, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 2023 World Cup, will replace Macario on the USWNT's 2024 Olympic roster.

Defender Emily Sams will assume Williams' place as one of four alternates for the USWNT.

Sams had been training with the USWNT this week. All those moves are still pending approval from the ICO, USOPC, and FIFA, since the deadline for final rosters has already passed.

"She's devastated," Hayes said of Macario. "It's not a long-term situation; [she's] just not going to recover in time.

Chelsea's Cat Macario will miss the Olympics for the United States due to a knee injury. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

"I'm absolutely gutted for Cat. She's someone who has worked hard within the last 12 months. She's really put in a shift to get there, but it's not to be."

Hayes said that Macario will return to London to get treatment with her club and Hayes' former club, Chelsea.

The USWNT coach added that Macario had some irritation leading up to training this week.

Hayes called the situation "complex."

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40547073/cat-macario-miss-olympics-us-knee-injury

 

[InkaUtexas 24932]

Playing vs. Mexico on TNT.

[randomhorn 1500]

Playing vs Costa Rica tonight at Audi Field in DC

[Napoleon 8579]

2 hours ago, randomhorn said:

Playing vs Costa Rica tonight at Audi Field in DC

I bet that fans behave better than at the Copa Final at Hard Rock Stadium.

[Incredulity 11160]

10 min left

21 shots

11 on goal

12 corners

0 goals

 

ridiculous

[randomhorn 1500]

Maybe one day they’ll find the net

[randomhorn 1500]

But that day is not today. Ugh 😑 

[dieucla98 2767]

Their xG must have been like 24. Gotta figure out a way to cash all these chances.

[Incredulity 11160]

23 minutes ago, dieucla98 said:

Their xG must have been like 24. Gotta figure out a way to cash all these chances.

I’m a newer fan(kids in soccer) but I can’t think of a match with a matching stat line.  Unreal.

[Ted Lange 15924]

Most xG without scoring

https://www.statmuse.com/fc/match/10-29-2016-mun-vs-bur-9458

And one from last EPL season

https://www.statmuse.com/fc/match/12-17-2023-liv-vs-mun-11427

As for the ladies, Usually these last matches before heading off to a tournament are shit, nobody wants to take a chance of getting injured. 

Edited July 17 by Ted Lange

[dieucla98 2767]

1 hour ago, Ted Lange said:

 

As for the ladies, Usually these last matches before heading off to a tournament are shit, nobody wants to take a chance of getting injured. 

How did drawing against a scrub team before Copa work out for Brazil?

Though I do agree, nonetheless.

[Napoleon 8579]

If they only had that slow old lady that was on the team 10 years ago…

🤷‍♂️

[Jive Turkey 12323]

14 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

Their xG must have been like 24. Gotta figure out a way to cash all these chances.

build up play was great.  but at times, they were way too cute in the final third.  too many passes in the box.  shoot the ball.  maybe you'll get a deflection or rebound.

[randomhorn 1500]

we weren't really in position to get the rebound either

[Napoleon 8579]

4 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

build up play was great.  but at times, they were way too cute in the final third.  too many passes in the box.  shoot the ball.  maybe you'll get a deflection or rebound.

 

 

[perfectchaos007 6534]

Getting in low scoring dogfights with CONCACAF teams is what I’ve been used to on the men’s side for decades, but now the women are down at that level. It’s also bullshit that the rest of the world “caught up” with the US…..the US women have gotten shittier at soccer, particularly at the scorer/striker position over these last 5 years or so. I’m not sure if our new British manager will be able to fix that issue 

[WBT 20212]

2 hours ago, perfectchaos007 said:

It’s also bullshit that the rest of the world “caught up” with the US….

It's not though.  European clubs and fans care now.

[Napoleon 8579]

3 hours ago, WBT said:

It's not though.  European clubs and fans care now.

The USWNT of 1996 through 1999 would beat the shit out of our current team. 

Only Girma would have a shot at starting in that team.

The women have gotten progressively worse while the rest of the world has gotten significantly better.

 

Edited July 18 by Napoleon

[Chips O'Toole 1307]

Let's go. Rodman on the board after a slick turn in the box to split two defenders and beat the keeper. 

[dieucla98 2767]

Not having any goal scoring issues today. Holy shit ladies. 3-0 in a blink of an eye. Swanson with a brace.

Edited July 25 by dieucla98

[shadow_operative2.0 15726]

@tokamak needs some company over here. 

[Jive Turkey 12323]

Thanks for everything, Alex. She announced her retirement this morning.  Last match is Sunday.

 

Edited September 5 by Jive Turkey