WWC - Thoughts
Some thoughts about the just-completed WWC:
1. The best team won. Germany certainly wasn't the flashiest team or the most interesting to watch. But they sure were the best team, and Birgit Prinz knows what to do the the ball near the net. The goal keeping was more than up to the task: yes, they didn't concede a goal, but I thought this less because of Nadine Angerer's goal keeping than a defense that didn't give up too many scoring opportunities. Angerer's luck held on Marta's PK: one of the weakest attempts seen this side of the men's game, though she earned her money a couple of minutes later, when she knocked aside a strong effort that would have tied the game at 1.
2. Brazil was fun to watch. But I couldn't support them after the display of poor sportsmanship in the US game. Specifically, after Cristiane tripped over Shannon Boxx and fell, and the Swiss referee, Nicole Petignat, ran over to the two players, Cristiane immediately looked over the ref and held up two fingers in the air, telling the referree both to card Boxx and to show the red card, and then applauded when Petignat pulled out the card. There's no way Cristiane couldn't have known that she tripped Boxx. That is, she ran over the back heal of Boxx's foot. Was this the worst call ever in a WC, male or female? I have no idea. Is it up there? Absolutely. Where was the AR or fourth official? Brazil was entertaining, but this game left a bad taste. (By the way, Petignat was the ref in the notorious US-Nigeria WWC game from 1999, when the Nigerians spent the first 60+ minutes hacking away at Mia Hamm without anyone getting tossed. US Soccer used the video from that game in its training program, highlighting what not to do and how not to referee, and when it's important to card players for egregious misconduct.)
3. Even at full strength, the US wouldn't have won this game. I think they lost it before it started with the mind-blowing decision of Coach Ryan to substitute Brianna Scurry for Hope Solo. All Solo had done was shut every one out in all of the games when the US played at full strength. For 10 minutes in the N Korea game, the US played down as Abby Wambach was off getting stitches. NK scored twice in those 10 minutes and no one scored after. Solo seemed a bit nervous to start, then played up to her potential. Why the switch to a keeper with, what, 6 games played all year. Nothing about the decision made sense.
4. Coach Ryan should be fired. As for Solo, she has some apologizing to do -- not to Ryan, but the team. And while maybe truth is a defense to a libel claim and maybe she would have stopped some of the balls that got by Scurry (watching the replay, I think she's right), calling out a teammate is not a particularly gracious way of demonstrating team loyalty. Apparently it was a team decision that kept Solo off the bench for the 3rd place game and Kristine Lilly may have been sending a message when she put the captain's arm band on Scurry when she was subbed out late in that Norway game. So Solo has some work ahead of her.
5. Coach Ryan should be fired. Not just because of the Scurry-Solo debacle, but also because of the US team's poor play during most of the tournament. Aside from one half of the England game and the Norway game (from what I've read: no way was I getting up for a 3d place game at 5 am on a Sunday), the US didn't show very well. The team was badly outplayed in the NK game and was fortunate to escape with a tie. I don't think one can derive much from the Nigeria game, which was played during a typhoon. As for the game against Sweden - I think that the Swedes were a bit over-rated coming in, and they showed less for a high FIFA ranking than the Yanks. We need better mid-field play, so it's time to begin urging the UNWNT to take a better and longer look at available midfielders, beginning with Lori Lindsey.
6. Will anyone be able to stop Marta? She was the best player in the tournament, bar none, and is likely to get better. She's 21 and Cristiane is 22. If Brazil supports this team, they should be the favorites at the Olympics next year and in the 2011 WWC.
3 comments:
agree with you on the WWC. Ryan has to go and our play was terrible, particularly in midfield. we looked far less athletic and skilled than Germany and Brazil, and given the culture of soccer in those countries it's hard to see us closing the gap.
One thing to add- maybe it was the lack of service, but Abby looked second rate compared to the top players from Germany and Brazil (and Kelly Smith of England).
Hell of a post.. plenty of links to check out...
1. Germany was the most affective with what they wanted to do with the ball. I would have liked to see the US play them at least once in the tournament in order to either see if we could step up our game up or if we would have gotten demolished. I think we could have had some inspired play like last Olympics when the players willed the team to a win for Mia and Julie.
2. That referee should be done for.. but she should have been done for after her first game. She wanted to make the headlines. 17 freekicks in the first 11 minutes of the USA Brasil game. She has a head set for a reason but did not check with her AR or 4th. pathetic.
3. When you switch your keeper like that 24 hours before the semis you show that you just dont have confidence in your team, period. Its not just the keeper but its the back four and defensive mids. horrible coaching decision.
4. yes, ryan should be fired. Solo should have kept her mouth shut but it was just such a bad call and this isnt the first time USWNT has done this to their keepers. Scurry said the same stuff about Siri back in the 90s when Scurry was on the bench with no backlash. The first two goals should not have touched the back of the net. Scurry didnt accept any responsibility in her post game quotes, just put it on the defense.
5. Ryan should be fired. but first Sunil needs to be gone. 3 horrible coaching decisions were made by him. April Henricks, Greg Ryan, and Bill Bradley. April was horrible and he stuck with her assistant. like I said the only reason why the girls came back in the olympics after losing the last WC was they willed themselves to for Mia. Greg has been working with the same core group of girls for the past 2 years. this is basically a professional national team and hasnt brought in anyone significant. thats why its so pathetic, no new blood and no fight for positions.
lastly, Lill giving the armband to Scurry just seemed to add insult to injury. If this was Lill's last world cup she should have handed it off to Abby, a team leader. Scurry isnt that and never will be.
re MBG on Abby: I think it was lack of service not anything Abby could have done. You get Abby the ball near the net and she's deadly. I think she's the equal to Prinz; Marta's an alien, so it's unfair to compare her to anyone in the women's game. Also, with good marking from the US, Kelly Smith was ineffective.
re Ref on changing keepers: good point about not trusting the back line and defensive mids. And not trusting Solo. (No one would have stopped the Marta goal when she flipped the ball to herself.) I also forgot about the Scurry-Siri "relationship," though I'm not sure Brianna called out Siri the way Hope did to Brianna.
Meanwhile, I type this while watching the SD-Rockies game, bottom of the ninth, 6-6, in a one game playoff. What a way to end the regular season!
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