France 2019 Catch-All: June 7 - July 7

Back three + Scott seems excessive against this New Zealand side. Not enough throughballs (Lawrence seems to be the only player even attempting them), too many long balls, not enough creativity in the centre of the pitch for the 2nd part of the first half.

FLEMINGGGGGGGGGGGG

(nice to have a shot not from long distance. Especially since it ended up a goal).

Sinclair could have had a hattrick today. Crossbar, ball off her ankle and over from 8 yards out, post.

Totally missed the first US game, but tuning in today.

The pub is packed out today and the USWNT is putting on another great show!

The outright level of petty in Carli Lloyd's celebration for the first goal is something to aspire to.

The Chilean goalkeeper for WotM. Wowza.

Prederick wrote:

The Chilean goalkeeper for WotM. Wowza.

Yeah, she's keeping this from being a Thailand-level goalfest.

Edit: Can she win the gold glove if they fail to advance? Only half joking.

Great showing for what you could argue is the B+ squad. That Chilean goalkeeper was fantastic.

BRING ON THE SWEDES

17 World Cup finals goals for Marta. What a career she's had.

Roke wrote:

17 World Cup finals goals for Marta. What a career she's had.

Maaaaaaartaaaaaaa!

England 1-0 ahead against Japan. The "0" is thanks to Keeper Karen Bardsley who may have made one of the better saves I've seen in either the men or women's game to turn a high free kick onto the crossbar and over.

Heartbreaking for Scotland, but Argentina kept going and deserved the draw (even if I think the VAR for penalty retakes is bullsh*t).

Dimmerswitch wrote:

Heartbreaking for Scotland, but Argentina kept going and deserved the draw (even if I think the VAR for penalty retakes is bullsh*t).

Pretty much the most Scottish thing to happen at a major tournment, even more than Euro 96. They can complain about the pen all they want but they let a 3 goal lead slip in 15 mins, impressive stuff.

VAR for awarding red cards and penalties is the only potentially decent use of VAR.

Roke wrote:

VAR for awarding red cards and penalties is the only potentially decent use of VAR.

It'd be cool if they could automate offsides calls like they do with goal-line technology. I'd bet a lot of companies would be able to work out an automated system that could just get offsides calls right all the time without silly humans mucking it up. I can imagine a robo-AR in a little track flying up and down the sidelines and raising her robo-arm flag whenever there was an offsides. It'd be the coolest thing ever.

Or maybe just lasers that freeze-stun an offsides player so he falls down and they can just let play continue on.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Roke wrote:

VAR for awarding red cards and penalties is the only potentially decent use of VAR.

It'd be cool if they could automate offsides calls like they do with goal-line technology. I'd bet a lot of companies would be able to work out an automated system that could just get offsides calls right all the time without silly humans mucking it up. I can imagine a robo-AR in a little track flying up and down the sidelines and raising her robo-arm flag whenever there was an offsides. It'd be the coolest thing ever.

Yeah, if an offside technology is ever developed it would be huge, though I'd expect it to be an earpiece/watch signal for the Assistant Referees like goal-line technology is for the ref. Freeing up the ARs to spot fouls would be a nice benefit to it. Of course there are so many more variables to deal with than goal-line technology so I imagine it would be quite difficult to actually do.

Following Canada-Netherlands on Twitter since I won't be able to watch it until tonight. Sounds like it's been kind of nervy for Canada.

Roke wrote:

Of course there are so many more variables to deal with than goal-line technology so I imagine it would be quite difficult to actually do.

Humm. Harder than goal-line technology for sure, but I was thinking it'd be easy to do compared to say the AI you need for automated driving.

If CONCACAF just had goal line tech without VAR in 2018 qualifying, the US would have gone to the World Cup.

Here we go! USWNT vs Sweden starting now!

This is definitely more competitive than the previous two US matches.

Nice win for the USWNT, solidifies their status as favorites.

Very happy for Cameroon though, a goal of the tournament contender to advance? Nice.

Prederick wrote:

Nice win for the USWNT, solidifies their status as favorites.

Very happy for Cameroon though, a goal of the tournament contender to advance? Nice.

Sweet moves! That was some world-class skill.

Cameroon to play England in the last 16. Cameroon vs England in the 1990 World Cup is one of my favourite games of all time, so if this one rises to that level it'll be great.

I've watched all the US games in public so far, but if we beat Spain on Monday, I won't be able to keep that up for the Friday game. Alas. Go USA!

Round of 16 today! Now the tournament really starts.

This is going to show I haven't watched a non-Canada second until now, but God I love the international feed of FIFA tournaments. No co-commentator is the way all soccer should broadcast.

God, VAR is implemented so badly, why can't it at least be like rugby? If I wanted to watch a sport with interminable breaks and the referee running over to the sidelines to watch a tiny screen I'd actually watch the NFL.

I have been pro-replay forever for all sports, but you want to implement it sensibly. In all sports I hate having the refs look at a screen - why aren't your replay officials competent for that? They're already looking at tons of screens and angles!

In college football, the replay booth not only makes the decision independently, but it has in some cases (the SEC, for starters) become centralized at one location nowhere near the game, where the best replay officials can make all the big decisions.

However, in soccer, where so much is interpretation rather than black and white, I kind of understand wanting the center ref to make all the judgment calls.

Yes same in baseball, ump goes to put a headset on and replay booth person tells them the call.

There's some arrogance in NFL, NBA, and FIFA where they think the ref on the field has to make the call or he's being upstaged or some nonsense. It's ludicrous.

I'd hate to be a ref nowadays. So many video angles running at slow motion analyzing a play and showing you how you suck because you got a call wrong that you had a partial view of for a fraction of a second.

Stele wrote:

Yes same in baseball, ump goes to put a headset on and replay booth person tells them the call.

There's some arrogance in NFL, NBA, and FIFA where they think the ref on the field has to make the call or he's being upstaged or some nonsense. It's ludicrous.

Like I said, I hate it in all sports except possibly soccer, because cards and such are very subjective. In basketball and American football, I feel like most important calls are clear-cut. The most common officiating confusion in the NFL comes from their somewhat frequent rule changes.

Mr Bismarck wrote:

Cameroon to play England in the last 16. Cameroon vs England in the 1990 World Cup is one of my favourite games of all time, so if this one rises to that level it'll be great.

So far today's game features a pretty clear elbow to the face from Yvonne Leuko and now it appears Augustine Ejangue is spitting on Toni Duggan. I appreciate the call back to Cameroon's 1990 World Cup game against Argentina, but please stop.