US Soccer matches

[soccerdad72]

Do they have a third place “bronze medal” match?

Yes, there's a third place game in the WC.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

We have friends who watched the match in person and they said Portugal definitely outplayed the U.S. team. Long way to travel for such a dismal game. Here's hoping the next round goes better!

Why on earth were there clips of the US team celebrating and dancing after this dismal performance. I hope the coach reads them the riot act.

I find it hard to believe that this bunch represents the best America has to offer to play on our national team. We look old and tired out there compared to the teams we are playing.

 

[soccerdad72]

Ummm, whoops?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/uswnts...re-for-fifa-fox-and-us-viewers-190008447.html

 

[sam_gordon]

Well, that was a disappointing ending. I thought the US was the better team in the match, especially in the first half. If they would have played like this in group stage, they probably would have won the group.

Sweden's GK was the player of the game. She had 11(?) saves, plus two shots went off the woodwork.

Yes, a shootout is a poor way to end the game. This game should have never gotten to that point though.

 

[White Cat]

Good bye Woke Warriors.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Well, that was a disappointing ending. I thought the US was the better team in the match, especially in the first half. If they would have played like this in group stage, they probably would have won the group.

Sweden's GK was the player of the game. She had 11(?) saves, plus two shots went off the woodwork.

Yes, a shootout is a poor way to end the game. This game should have never gotten to that point though.

We should have also easily won the shootout - we had 2 pressure free kicks to win the game thanks to our goalkeeper - both the players who took them choked...and thus, we went to even more extra kicks and lost by a millimeter...

 

[RedAngie]

First, paragraph breaks would help make that more readable.



ETA: Women's sports will generally get fewer viewers than men's sports, again pretty much at any level. Look at how many people watch NBA vs WNBA, MLS vs NWSL, MLB vs Softball. It even extends down to the youth game.

The only exception, and I confess I have no statistics, may be women’s gymnastics.

There seems to be more media attention and viewers for women’s rather than men’s.

Boo for the shootout format. I realize it’s probably necessary for the knockout rounds. But I don’t want to see that in the final match, like it was for men’s last December and in the past. The Olympics are the same. Phooey!!! Play the final match until a legitimate goal is scored during on field/ice action. Sudden death preferably, not entire 15 minute OT periods.

 

[sam_gordon]

The only exception, and I confess I have no statistics, may be women’s gymnastics.

There seems to be more media attention and viewers for women’s rather than men’s.

I'll give you that one.

Boo for the shootout format. I realize it’s probably necessary for the knockout rounds. But I don’t want to see that in the final match, like it was for men’s last December and in the past. The Olympics are the same. Phooey!!! Play the final match until a legitimate goal is scored during on field/ice action. Sudden death preferably, not entire 15 minute OT periods.

Our HS extra time (over time) rules is "golden goal", meaning if one team scores, that's it, game over. But they're just 5 minute periods.

Keep the "shootout" format, but make it less likely to get there. Each OT period, one player comes off the field for each team. So for the second OT, you're 9v9 instead of 11v11. The two players brought off CAN participate in the shootout.

I read one suggestion on a referee forum that would be 3 (attackers) v 3 (two defenders & GK), ball starts from midfield. If the defense gains possession, that turn is over (similar to college FB). Each team gets three(?) chances on offense and, aside from the GK, need to use different players each "turn". This way it's more like a "run of play". I think this one is interesting, but might have some of the details mixed up.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

The US ladies got what they deserved. The seemed way more interested in everything except excellence in Soccer play. I hope the leadership does a reboot and cleans house. The US Soccer team needs new leadership that puts the talent / quality of play above all of the off the field crap.

 

[Babs Johnson]

The only exception, and I confess I have no statistics, may be women’s gymnastics.

There seems to be more media attention and viewers for women’s rather than men’s.

Boo for the shootout format. I realize it’s probably necessary for the knockout rounds. But I don’t want to see that in the final match, like it was for men’s last December and in the past. The Olympics are the same. Phooey!!! Play the final match until a legitimate goal is scored during on field/ice action. Sudden death preferably, not entire 15 minute OT periods.

Women’s figure skating too. It’s the premier event of the Winter Olympics.

Besides lack of scoring, penalty kick shootouts may be a reason that many Americans reject the sport. It happened last year in both the men’s WC final and MLS soccer to determine the champion.

Man oh man the women’s team team is getting roasted in the comments on practically every story about the game. About 90% of the comments are negative, often brutally so. And it’s not just the political crap. Many are calling the players arrogant, overconfident, narcissistic, in it for themselves rather than for the overall good, a group of entitled individuals instead of a team, expecting to be given the trophy just for showing up, etc.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

I think what you are describing in fan comments is pretty representative of how the US fans feel. Their athletic performance became a much lower priority than all the other crap they were involving themselves in. Nobody cares about all that junk, just play your hearts out to win for your country. Basically, just do what pretty much every other team in the tournament is doing and focusing on playing the best they can possibly play.

We seem old and slow also, I find it hard to believe there weren't some younger up and coming stars that deserved to be on this team way more than some of the older players.

 

[Kennywood]

Good news for the women! Now that they're not distracted by that whole pesky soccer thing, they'll have all sorts of free time to devote to their pet social causes!

 

[WhatDinosaur]

It’s interesting that being such a dominant team in the women’s World Cup for years wasn’t good enough for any of these male fans. Trying to improve the sporting conditions for future players on the women’s national team is apparently worthy of derision— the lawsuit wasn’t just about equal pay (though the fact that people will tie themselves in knots to argue that it isn’t deserved), but also better playing and practicing conditions.

These women fight against misogyny at every turn with every game they play and move they make. It’s so disgusting how people will come on here and other sites and just pile on with their venom for these women at the top of their sport. These fans who hide behind screen names on every news article and post are too cowardly to say they hate women and queer people but it comes through loud and clear when those are their only comments about women’s soccer.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think what you are describing in fan comments is pretty representative of how the US fans feel. Their athletic performance became a much lower priority than all the other crap they were involving themselves in. Nobody cares about all that junk, just play your hearts out to win for your country. Basically, just do what pretty much every other team in the tournament is doing and focusing on playing the best they can possibly play.

We seem old and slow also, I find it hard to believe there weren't some younger up and coming stars that deserved to be on this team way more than some of the older players.

Actually, there were a number of younger players on that team. There were 9 players with WC experience. However, for 14 players, this was their first time.

With any team in any sport, you need a mixture of experience and youth. While I will say I wasn't impressed with Rapinoe's performance in the last game, I'm not going to fault the play of Morgan, Ertz, and Naeher, along with other "old and slow" players.

I still think we outplayed Sweden and should have won the game. That's one of the intriguing parts about "The Beautiful Game" is the better team doesn't always win.

I think many "fans" were more focused on all the 'non soccer stuff' than the games and were actually happy to see them lose. Heck, just reading this thread shows that. USA Today had an opinion piece on it today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...iots-cheer-womens-world-cup-loss/70539945007/. Careful, it could be triggering for some people.

 

[BrianL]

I think people are being way to harsh to the team. They were playing in the World Cup - ALL of the teams there are good and any of them could beat another on any given day. That's why the game is played. Sure, there are favorites and underdogs, but if it were so cut an dry they could just plug the stats into a computer and let it pick the winners.

As to pet causes, many athletes in the world have causes that they champion, but they can do that and still practice the sport. Why wouldn't they be able to? The criticism comes from not one not liking a particular chosen cause. It still has nothing to do with ability on the field.

 

[Buzz Rules]

It’s interesting that being such a dominant team in the women’s World Cup for years wasn’t good enough for any of these male fans. Trying to improve the sporting conditions for future players on the women’s national team is apparently worthy of derision— the lawsuit wasn’t just about equal pay (though the fact that people will tie themselves in knots to argue that it isn’t deserved), but also better playing and practicing conditions.

These women fight against misogyny at every turn with every game they play and move they make. It’s so disgusting how people will come on here and other sites and just pile on with their venom for these women at the top of their sport. These fans who hide behind screen names on every news article and post are too cowardly to say they hate women and queer people but it comes through loud and clear when those are their only comments about women’s soccer.

Most longtime soccer fans, like myself, have no issue with the USWNT wanting (and getting) equal pay and conditions. The issue I have with the team is that they tried to get out of a deal they agreed to, took it to court, lost in court, and instead of going after FIFA, they went after the USSF and tried to paint the USMNT as part of the problem along the way. They went to congress and the President for help, in which the President wanted to hurt the USMNT by claiming he could withhold funding for the 2026 WC unless the women got what they want (which I'm still not sure he had the legal right to do, but I'm not an attorney so someone else who is can clarify if that claim is true or not). FIFA does not like government involvement into its sporting matters and has taken action in the past against those FA's who do. Again, 90% of honest soccer fans are not against the USWNT but many of us do not like how they got the result they wanted. I still stand by what I said before, if USWNT won the WC and had to give part of those winnings to the USMNT per the new deal, would all those proclaiming equality be okay with that or would they be doing another smear campaign against the USMNT and demand they give those winnings back to the USWNT automatically?

 

[jrmasm]

Women’s figure skating too. It’s the premier event of the Winter Olympics.

Besides lack of scoring, penalty kick shootouts may be a reason that many Americans reject the sport. It happened last year in both the men’s WC final and MLS soccer to determine the champion.

Man oh man the women’s team team is getting roasted in the comments on practically every story about the game. About 90% of the comments are negative, often brutally so. And it’s not just the political crap. Many are calling the players arrogant, overconfident, narcissistic, in it for themselves rather than for the overall good, a group of entitled individuals instead of a team, expecting to be given the trophy just for showing up, etc.

Ask yourself this, how many of those people do you think have ever watched a WNT game and how many are just responding to the latest dog whistle?

 

[soccerdad72]

I think people are being way to harsh to the team. They were playing in the World Cup - ALL of the teams there are good and any of them could beat another on any given day. That's why the game is played. Sure, there are favorites and underdogs, but if it were so cut an dry they could just plug the stats into a computer and let it pick the winners.

As to pet causes, many athletes in the world have causes that they champion, but they can do that and still practice the sport. Why wouldn't they be able to? The criticism comes from not one not liking a particular chosen cause. It still has nothing to do with ability on the field.

The rest of the world has definitely caught up to the US Women at this point. Years ago, they were able to pretty much run any other country out of the stadium on any given day. Not anymore. Which, as some of the USWNT members have said, is a good thing for the sport on a whole.

The US team did not come into the tournament playing very well and they had a poor performance overall - that's pretty obvious. The younger players didn't seem to blend well with the veterans and, at times, it looked as if the older players that they relied on for many years just weren't very good.

Now that Rapinoe has retired, I'm curious if the usual folks who ignore this team except for the World Cup and Olympics, then whine about their "social causes" will continue to do the same in the future?

 

[BrianL]

The rest of the world has definitely caught up to the US Women at this point. Years ago, they were able to pretty much run any other country out of the stadium on any given day. Not anymore. Which, as some of the USWNT members have said, is a good thing for the sport on a whole.

The US team did not come into the tournament playing very well and they had a poor performance overall - that's pretty obvious. The younger players didn't seem to blend well with the veterans and, at times, it looked as if the older players that they relied on for many years just weren't very good.

Now that Rapinoe has retired, I'm curious if the usual folks who ignore this team except for the World Cup and Olympics, then whine about their "social causes" will continue to do the same in the future?

Yeah, the same thing happened with "The Dream Team." Sure, that first time we fielded pros on the world stage, they were unbeatable! Certianly that team was a bit ridiculous - Jordan, Magic, and Bird? Come on! The players from other countries were just excited to meet them - their heroes. Fast forward to today, and a lot of NBA players come from those other countries and they go back and play for them, elevating the entire field and honestly, making for better games. It's much more competitive now.

 

[Buzz Rules]

The rest of the world has definitely caught up to the US Women at this point. Years ago, they were able to pretty much run any other country out of the stadium on any given day. Not anymore. Which, as some of the USWNT members have said, is a good thing for the sport on a whole.

The US team did not come into the tournament playing very well and they had a poor performance overall - that's pretty obvious. The younger players didn't seem to blend well with the veterans and, at times, it looked as if the older players that they relied on for many years just weren't very good.

Now that Rapinoe has retired, I'm curious if the usual folks who ignore this team except for the World Cup and Olympics, then whine about their "social causes" will continue to do the same in the future?

I have said multiple times on the Disboards, that once European and South American countries take women's soccer seriously, the USA will no longer win a WC again. Soccer isn't the number one sport yet in North America, and that will hinder the team's chances of winning in the future for years to come.