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

Based of how it played out, the vitriol should be directed at Smith’s miss and there really hasn’t been compared to Rapinoe et al, which like you pointed out is predictably predictable

 

There’s a sensor in the FIFA ball. They could do that in football.

 

I have no personal beef with Kelley O’Hara, but I’ve also seen toddlers at a daycare strike a ball with more velocity than she managed on her PK.

 

You could do it for the goal line. But if your knee is down and then you stretch the ball to the goal line, it is going to light up the sensors. Same thing if you bobble it a half-second before crossing the plane.

 

Until something can be done to determine receiver possession consistently, TDs are always going to be a problem.

And if a sensor can determine whether a ball crosses the goal line, can it also determine if the ball is out of bounds if a player dives for the front corner of the end zone?

Heh. The "Holy Roller" football play would be ruled a TD by the sensor before it was even recovered.

 

RE: Rapinoe, isnt this what it is to be the star and the face of your sport/team? Lot of adulation when you win, lot of shit when you don’t?

Allen Iverson in the ‘04 Olympics, all of Peyton Mannings chokes etc

 

Not really, no.

The USWNT could win the cup with a 6-0 win in the final -- with Rapinoe scoring all six -- and about half the country would have shit on her for it.

 

Always been fascinated by the penalty kick mentality.

My son was a goalkeeper and his true specialty was stopping penalty kicks. IIRC, he stopped 5 of 12 his senior year in high school and went 3-0 in PK shootouts with club teams — getting at least a stop (not just a miss but a stop) in each one.

He told me, once you get to the third kicker, he always found it easier as the 3-4-5 kickers were usually not as good as the first two. He read the hips and that would tell him where the ball would get aimed. Very sharp at it.

When he had a PK, I felt like a baseball manager when you know you have the best closer.

I’m puzzled by all of the kicks that went over the crossbar today. All the years I saw him play, never saw a PK booted over or even miss the goal (except for a couple posts). But never a full miss. Not once.

 

Let me guess: The usual "disrespect forbthe anthem" crowd meets the "how dare girls play sportsball" crowd.

 

Did not watch the game. Just watched the PKs. My God, we choked. Two chances to make one kick for the win and we don't even come close. Not even on frame.

Gag job of monumental proportions. To think otherwise is crazy.

 

If you go for a higher kick, you risk getting under it. Plus, the harder you plant, the greater the chances of slipping.

Our second and third misses were pretty unforgivable because you have to plan to put it a foot inside the post. They both saw the keeper going the wrong way but I don’t know if they had time to adjust.

 

Don't forget the sexual orientation. That's a lightning rod for a nontrivial number of 'Muricans, I figure.