WWC

[mdeth1313]

Anyone else been watching the Women's World Cup? Cripes. Japan and France getting thru, then today's US/Brazil matchup- which really had to be some of the worst officiating ever (for both sides), but that header at the end of extra time. Just, wow!

[Ypsylon]

worst officiating ever

I'll sorta have to go ahead and disagree with you there. Sure there was repeating the penalty for no reason and the second goal for Brazil was offside, but after all this must have been average for this WC. The refs have really not been up to the level of the game.

Seen this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QtiWhwnCI?

That header in the extra time of over time was sweet though. I was pretty sure the US would have an edge over Brazil in penalty shooting. The way they "played" Brazil didn't gain any extra fans today, either. They are such a skilled team, I'm not sure why they think they need to add the acting.

[mdeth1313]

yeah, you're right- there has been worse, it seems every year the officiating just keeps getting worse and worse (men and women).

[Ypsylon]

I guess it has to do with becoming easier for us to see at home, too. They always have the perfect angle to show the referee is an idiot. I think the level at men's worlds was ok. They tried to implement new interpretations of the rules and that always looks weird at first and they had sent home the uncapable ones by the time they got into elemination mode.

Women's worlds has been much worse, IME, because it wasn't just single decisions where the ref missed something, they were just not up to the job. They could neither lead the came that would not affect the outcome nor protect the players which is just a plain fail. Nigeria against Germany was just out of control and when the ref decided to show a yellow card the came was out of control already and 22 players on the field where in battle mode, and 2 in the hospital.

I saw Sweden vs. the US in the stadium and there were 20.000+ Germans cheering for either team when they played well and after 20 minutes booed every single call.

[mdeth1313]

Kind of takes me back to coaching girls in HS- one game was totally out of control- I was glad my team didn't retaliate, but every time my striker would go to receive a pass the defenders were punching her in the stomach-- they were staring right at the players each time and twice they didn't call it- I don't know if they were watching the ball or what, but after the third time and still no call my striker was standing in the middle of the field screaming "WHAT THE F__K!" at the top of her lungs. It's the only game I coached where I actually ran to the ref at the end of the game to let him know he failed at doing his job and then keeping the girls from having a fist fight during the handshake was no fun either. That was pretty much where I decided my coaching career needed to come to an end.

The good news on that one was the player who lost it and screamed WTF in the game was one of the captains- she called a meeting the next day before practice (without me knowing) and I walked in to hear her apologizing to the team for losing her cool.

Then came my next fight- the athletic director from my school wanted me to suspend her for a game, even after I told him what she did on her own- I refused and offered to quit on the spot over it. I think he knew the parents would kill him so he backed down. We finished the season undefeated and I resigned.

[Ypsylon]

I thought you had mentioned you coached soccer before, but I wasn't sure.

You would have enjoyed watching a game in the stadium. Especially the US team is on a really high level as far as tactics are concerned. A lot of plays right out of the book. And all the players are so close together. Sometimes there were barely 20m between the strikers and the defenders. I would love to see more of the stadium perspective in TV, but I guess it's more spectacular if you go a little closer.

The Swedish game was a lot more straight forward and vertical. And the Swedish strikers were so much faster than the US defenders, it wasn't even funny. I guess long legs do help.

[mdeth1313]

yeah, tv coverage of soccer in the US is just awful. I used run the traditional italian 4-4-2 (zone) and teaching that to high school kids is no small task- I got lucky and found a couple of matches on tv that showed a majority of the action over a full field. There was one match between 2 italian teams and it was like a textbook- both teams running the same system and one going into the offensive shape while the other set up for defense. Made my job a lot easier!
I went to a bunch of the WWC matches in 1999. The level of play for the women has come so far- it's still slower, but I always believed tactically it was a better game- unless you factor brazil in there, but that's cultural

[Ypsylon]

I never got the 4-4-2 zone right, either.

I got to watch a couple of games in 1999 as well. My host family was about to kick me out of the house when the US w/ Mia Hamm were trailing against Germany. Luckily for me they were able to turn it around.

[mdeth1313]

...if Japan wins on Sunday, I don't think I'd be the least bit upset. Just, wow.

[Thomskie]

North-Korea...

[pritchet74]

Come on Americun Chicks! Woo-hoo!

[mdeth1313]

Come on Americun Chicks! Woo-hoo!

not sure why, but that brings me back to the 100 mile ride I do every year the last sat in march (in delaware). It's the only time I see that group of guys- part of the ride goes past a boarding school. When we were riding by there were girls playing lacrosse. Someone made a comment and I busted out w/ "Cool, chicks with sticks!" Almost caused a crash.

[Thomskie]

Japan... They really deserved it. NOT

[pritchet74]

So bummed. I was driving during the entire game and kept refreshing the score on my Blackberry as I was driving....

[mdeth1313]

eh, you can't really say they didn't. The US only had what, 50 chances in the first 10 minutes? You gotta finish!