Women's World Cup

[CherylNYC]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/sp...acle.html?_r=1

Anyone want to comment on this article about a coach who's trying to get rid of the lesbians on her team?

Here's one response:
http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/36/1009788

I guess she doesn't care whether or not they win.

[dykeumentary]

Wow. USA advances.

[Holly.88]

Way to go, USA!

[Mister Bent]

I watched as much of the match as I could at the gym today - it was incredible!

The US Team played most of the second half with only 10 players after Rachel Buehler was ousted from the game with a straight red card. It looked like time was running out on the game when Abby Wambach made the header for the equalizing goal (fed to her off a long cross by Rapinoe).

Penalty-kick shootouts are a goaltender's worst nightmare, but Hope Solo, who is tremendous in the net, didn't disappoint! What a great game!

[UofMfan]

[Queerasfck]

Originally Posted by Mister Bent

I watched as much of the match as I could at the gym today - it was incredible!

The US Team played most of the second half with only 10 players after Rachel Buehler was ousted from the game with a straight red card. It looked like time was running out on the game when Abby Wambach made the header for the equalizing goal (fed to her off a long cross by Rapinoe).

Penalty-kick shootouts are a goaltender's worst nightmare, but Hope Solo, who is tremendous in the net, didn't disappoint! What a great game!

I was watching this game late into the 2nd half but had to leave. USA was down 2-1. So I set my DVR to record the rest, thinking I could watch without knowing the end result until I got back home. Until Bent texted me. Thanks again, pal!

Of course I was heavily into women's soccer when they won the last world cup back in 1999. I have no idea what's going to happen in the next game nor do I care to predict. But you have to admire the current team's mentality and their sheer physical will of not checking out of the game when they were so overly matched. I hope it will give them a boost in the next game and hopefully the rest of the World Cup.

It's so great to see Julie Foudy again even if she is an announcer not a player! She played on the WUSA team the San Diego Spirit. I used to take my kids to those games and had season tickets two years in a row but the league folded. Julie Foudy was so great as a team leader on the World Cup team as well as the on the Spirit and really approachable. Most of the team really did a lot of interacting with the kids who came to the games. What was really nice was there were no drunk annoying fans. It was a really fun environment.

[dykeumentary]

Frankly I am disappointed in the whole thing. The confusing/bad calls and drama took away from the game.
Also, it just doesnt seem fair that the US team has training facilities of the very highest quality, conditioning coaches, physical trainers, nutritionists, and on and on with the bankrolling of the team - and then to cheer that the USA won because of their fitness. Its like cheering when the NY Yankees beat a tram with no payroll.
The Brazil women's team hardly has any support in Brazil because they are women. The team members usually have to live in other countries if they want to play. Marta has to play for Rochester NY. She showed today that she is a passionate player with the skills to back up her fire. How many balls got into the net today past Hope Solo -- two from Marta and three penalty kicks (one of them from Marta). Hmmm 5 goals scored on Hope Solo.
So big nationalistic whoop for the USA today.
I guess I just need to let go of the outdated idea of a "level playing field" - even if it's a soccer pitch.

[AtLast]

Pretty amazing women athletes out there!

[Mister Bent]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

Frankly I am disappointed in the whole thing. The confusing/bad calls and drama took away from the game.
Also, it just doesnt seem fair that the US team has training facilities of the very highest quality, conditioning coaches, physical trainers, nutritionists, and on and on with the bankrolling of the team - and then to cheer that the USA won because of their fitness. Its like cheering when the NY Yankees beat a tram with no payroll.
The Brazil women's team hardly has any support in Brazil because they are women. The team members usually have to live in other countries if they want to play. Marta has to play for Rochester NY. She showed today that she is a passionate player with the skills to back up her fire. How many balls got into the net today past Hope Solo -- two from Marta and three penalty kicks (one of them from Marta). Hmmm 5 goals scored on Hope Solo.
So big nationalistic whoop for the USA today.
I guess I just need to let go of the outdated idea of a "level playing field" - even if it's a soccer pitch.

I agree that the drama and a couple of questionable calls are distracting, but they are part of the game, almost always. No doubt there's some amazing talent on the Brazilian team, but I think it's a little out of line to criticize people who support the US team simply because they have better support. All that aside, I'd say that playing almost half the game short sided does somewhat level the playing field. Hope Solo is widely recognized as one of the best tenders in the sport and, as a former goal tender, I can tell you that penalty kicks are greatly weighted against the goalie, perhaps as evidenced by the fact that Brazil's tender stopped not one (I won't count the one where she illegally came off the line, leading to a re-kick). Also, it is greatly underestimating the role of a goal tender to place their skills solely on blocking balls. Solo has a huge foot and fields the ball from her station beautifully.

Personally, as someone who was part of the generation that saw girl's/women's sports begin to be taken more seriously on the scholastic and collegiate level, I look at the fact that the US Women's team is so well backed as a positive advancement. Asking for a global "level playing field" in athletics is a challenging notion, don't you think? It doesn't even exist in men's sports. You can't effectively compare it to professional American sports, either, they're two completely different beasts. Generally speaking, I'm not a "go USA" sort (no nationalistic fervor here), but I have been a long time fan of the women's soccer program, because growing up, that was a dream I had. So to see it realized for others is something I recognize as a hard fought battle being won.

[UofMfan]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

Frankly I am disappointed in the whole thing. The confusing/bad calls and drama took away from the game.
Also, it just doesnt seem fair that the US team has training facilities of the very highest quality, conditioning coaches, physical trainers, nutritionists, and on and on with the bankrolling of the team - and then to cheer that the USA won because of their fitness. Its like cheering when the NY Yankees beat a tram with no payroll.
The Brazil women's team hardly has any support in Brazil because they are women. The team members usually have to live in other countries if they want to play. Marta has to play for Rochester NY. She showed today that she is a passionate player with the skills to back up her fire. How many balls got into the net today past Hope Solo -- two from Marta and three penalty kicks (one of them from Marta). Hmmm 5 goals scored on Hope Solo.
So big nationalistic whoop for the USA today.
I guess I just need to let go of the outdated idea of a "level playing field" - even if it's a soccer pitch.

I agree with you, to an extent. I also appreciate your point of view but would like to add my personal experience.

Coming from one of the countries that the US Women's team beat, embarrassingly so, I am familiar with the uneven playing field.

Men teams here get what little resources the country has to offer, and they are scarce, and the women's team is seen as a joke. They have to practice in empty fields, have very little government and corporate support and are basically on their own. What little equipment they get is second or third grade, and forget about any training facilities. I see them running on our crowded streets as their means of "training".

What we do have is plenty of raw talent, as does Brazil, but as has been demonstrated, that is not always enough.

Having said that, as a fan, a global one at that, I admire the skills and talent of any team, most particularly the US team which is also my other home team. I admire the fantastic show put on by both teams and I admire the fact that women, especially in Latin American countries, are getting a shot at a sport that is predominately men dominated. Kudos to all!

From the age of 12 on to my early 20s, I was an avid soccer player and in the states I was considered a pretty good player. Not so for much because I had awesome skills, but because I was one of a handful women players at the time. I am more than thrilled to see the sport get this international exposure and can only hope that it continues to grow and provide us with some wonderful plays, such as the goal in the video i posted.

Bad calls are always part of the equation, and to fall back on those after the fact it is to me the easiest and most used way of excusing the other team's loss. It happens in every sport, it happens in any gender. It is predictable and frankly not a very good argument.

I am looking forward to an exciting final!