The Soccer Thread (Version 9)

One of the reasons they're tone deaf is because American media is in a tough spot of criticizing anything the USWNT might say or do. It's seen as a personal attack and a mark against, oh, any number of things related to equal rights.

It's really unfortunate how this team and tournament has been presented in America and elsewhere. Just a massive chip on everyone's shoulder. The Americans are dominant and mirthless outside of their own circle. The games can't be enjoyed by adults so much as seen as an argument in some political discussion.

 

Oh, bullshit.

I watched the second half of the France match at a bar steps off the sand in Gulf Shores. It was filled with a mishmash of people from all backgrounds who were spending time on the Redneck Riviera who were into <GASP!> the actual on-field play and not the off-field drama.

 

Thought I may have communicated it poorly, I meant from the media's perspective.

 

That is your self-fulfilling perception and really not is grounded in any fact.

 

It's true that it's hard to criticize the USWNT, especially if you're a man. You will catch a ton of shit, at least. If I were American, I would probably be fine with them, although I still think I would have winced during the Thailand debacle. Not being American, I would like very much to see them lose.

 

They beat up a bad team which was there for geographic reasons. While they celebrated the goals, it wasn't like they were showing up the other players as they were doing it.

Since then, they haven't done anything wrong other than being slightly underwhelming at times on the offensive end. They are a tough team which isn't dirty and doesn't dive.

 

Here's the thing: I don't think any of it is that big of a deal. Really.

I'm more disappointed in the American media coverage. It's been downright cranky. Like it was the media's job to go over there and be pissed off at whether fucking France had enough billboards or were playing the games in the right stadiums.

As for the games themselves, I mean, they haven't been thrilling, the last two matches. There's a little glory years New Jersey Devils in the USWNT. Winning is winning, though.

 

We have different definitions of this, apparently. I'll totally cop to the possibility that I thought it was especially gross because it was committed by the Americans.

 

I hate the false modesty of the "striker who won't celebrate against his former club". Were they beating up on the freshman team? Sure -- but they weren't denigrating the Thai players -- they were celebrating what they did. Let's be honest, everything after the second goal (at latest) was completely unnecessary.

 

I think the margin will be 1 if by land, 2 if by sea.

 

I don't care that they scored 13. It's a World Cup. Goal differential might matter. Score as much as you can. But when the bench was celebrating 11, 12, and 13 like they were game winners... If I'd been coaching that team, I would have told them to sit the fuck down. And if I'd been playing and seen the opposing bench acting like that, their No. 10 would have been carried off.

 

And also, never, NEVER call a 1-1 result a "tie."