The Soccer Thread (Version 13) — Winter World Cup Edition

USWNT couldn't score.

The defense was great the entire tournament.

 

I was surprised at Rapinoe’s reaction after her miss. She was smiling and laughing in a way that looked like foreshadowing - as if she knew instantly that if they lose, she will be blamed for it. The irony after what she’s done for the game.

 

Everybody gets juice boxes.

 

No excuses. These matches ending in shootouts are always kind of cruel and bordering on wrong.

But when you win them, it's a lot easier to kind of wiggle past it and move on. But at times like this, it hurts.

They had a lot of chances to score. If the Swedish goalkeeper isn't the Woman of the Match, someone is brain-dead. She was off-the-charts good.

 

They mentioned pregame the US was a small favorite. I remember being surprised because the talk in the States all week has been that the ship be sinking.

 

Rapinoe's accustomed to it. She'll be fine. But the post-match interviews are going to be really rough. Especially for Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O'Hara ... two of which were subbed in for PKs. Yes, Rapinoe was subbed in before the 118th or 119th minute, but Vlatko was surely thinking of her ability to take PKs when she subbed in for Alex Morgan.

 

After paying some attention to UK betting and especially props about ten years ago, well before all this Draft Kings, etc., stuff here in the USA, I became convinced that betting is a huge driver to overseas soccer betting.

Still don’t know what drives Ruben to Atlanta though.

 

Nothing short of bringing home the Cup again was going to meet expectations.

Still, I couldn't care less about the gambling lines. Take that crap to your special threads on it.

 

Fanboi pouting isn’t a great look here.

 

I'm a low level AYSO soccer ref. Gonna be honest, I wasn't familiar with the 'end of game' hand signal the ref gave. I am searching the interwebs and haven't found it online either.

 

I can’t say I’ve ever brought it that strong against another SJ poster in a dozen years here. Perhaps I’ll speak in code the few times I stray from the special threads.

Or just hit the button to silence me.

I. Will. Not. Be. Silenced.

(that last part made me giggle)