OT: Olympics: U.S. Women’s Soccer

[hoopsfan22]

How are people watching this game? I looked on USA and it was like men's volleyball.

 

[Plebe]

Wow.

What a gritty game. Alyssa Naeher redeemed herself and finished as an absolute star in the goal. She had a spectacular save in OT and seemed to actually get in the head of the Dutch PK takers, first stopping Martens late in regulation and then the star Miedema to open up the shootout.

Each of the US penalty takers —Lavelle, Morgan, Press, Rapinoe — were clinical and precise on their PKs.

 

[rvwsleep]

The semifinal vs Canada can be seen live on Monday at 4am.

 

[cordarone]

Naeher in boss mode throughout this match.
Next up, your neighbours up north. Canada beat Brazil, also on PKs, also on two great saves by the keeper Labbé.
Hope it goes better than the last time ; that Norwegian referee from the London games is still persona non grata up here, I think.

 

[Ozimoto]

How long will the horse shoe last and when will they figure out how to stay onside and score a goal?

 

[stamfordhusky]

4th Goal disallowed by Off Sides. Dutch defender fell and that's the only reason why the call was offsides. Defender fell trying to stop USA from getting the ball. Might be the correct call, but it shouldn't be.

Why shouldn't it be called? It was offside. U.S. team is extremely undisciplined and often creates offside situations.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Why shouldn't it be called? It was offside. U.S. team is extremely undisciplined and often creates offside situations.

As I saw the play the defender was behind the offensive player going after the ball. The defender fell down attempting to get control of the ball and when USA got control of the ball she was offsides. If the defender doesn't fall down USA player would have been onside if they were able to get control of the ball. I don't think the defender intentionally fell, she lost her balance while going after the ball.

 

[JoePgh]

As someone who never played soccer in my youth and who is at best an uneducated viewer, I have an honest question to which I truly don't know the answer:

On the last two USA goals that were ruled offside (by Morgan and Press), it appeared to me that it would have been fairly easy for Alex or Kristin to take one step back so there would be no question about their onside position, and that they could have scored the goal just as readily if they had done that. True? If so, why didn't they? Is it just indiscipline? Why give the ref a chance to make an adverse judgment call when you can score without doing that? Or is there some subtlety of the game that I am missing?

 

[UConn990411]

I really have mixed feelings on this game. IMO the Netherlands has the better team, but at the same time, but how do you take into the consideration of four USA goals disallowed by Off Sides. A foot difference and USA scores a couple of goals and easily wins the game. Just like the on ball offense and defense played by the Netherlands. Great goal attending by USA in the Shoot Out the difference in the game.

They objectively don’t have the better team, but their coach is using her roster much more intelligently.

Crazy concept here, but I would like to see the U.S. play it’s best lineup next game. They haven’t really been doing that all tournament.

 

[Vowelguy]

As someone who never played soccer in my youth and who is at best an uneducated viewer, I have an honest question to which I truly don't know the answer:

On the last two USA goals that were ruled offside (by Morgan and Press), it appeared to me that it would have been fairly easy for Alex or Kristin to take one step back so there would be no question about their onside position, and that they could have scored the goal just as readily if they had done that. True? If so, why didn't they? Is it just indiscipline? Why give the ref a chance to make an adverse judgment call when you can score without doing that? Or is there some subtlety of the game that I am missing?

the fact that the US has a record number of offsides goals definitely indicates something bad
Whether it’s lack of discipline , overeagerness, immaturity (odd for a veteran team). Could the forwards feel slow relative to defenders and so they are over-pressing to try to gain an edge?
whatever it is, it’s not good.
8 or 9 offsides goals is unheard of

 

[TheGOAT23]

How are people watching this game? I looked on USA and it was like men's volleyball.

I watched via Telemundo. It was also on NBCSN.

 

[oldude]

To paraphrase Monty Python: “US Soccer is not quite dead yet………”

After the win over a great Dutch team, anyone who thinks the US can’t win this thing is most definitely mistaken.

 

[meyers7]

As someone who never played soccer in my youth and who is at best an uneducated viewer, I have an honest question to which I truly don't know the answer:

On the last two USA goals that were ruled offside (by Morgan and Press), it appeared to me that it would have been fairly easy for Alex or Kristin to take one step back so there would be no question about their onside position, and that they could have scored the goal just as readily if they had done that. True? If so, why didn't they? Is it just indiscipline? Why give the ref a chance to make an adverse judgment call when you can score without doing that? Or is there some subtlety of the game that I am missing?

Well the offside line moves continually, and the forwards jobs are to push that line as much as possible. To get in behind and also to make more space for the midfield to operate. You will see a lot of really good forwards walk that line and they do tend to get quite a few offside calls on them. As you've probably noticed soccer is a game where scoring is difficult, which makes the goals more meaningful compared to a lot of other sports. So the forwards are always trying to get in behind the defense. And they will easily give up some offside calls for that one time it works perfectly and they score. (But sometimes they are just lazy and don't get back onside in time.)

The difficulty in staying Onside has to do with the forwards aren't necessarily watching the line. They spend a lot of time watching their teammate and trying to time the pass with the run. And the defense practices a lot of moving that line up (offside trap). So it's not easy to get the timing right (not easy for the defense to get the timing right either). They both practice it quite a bit.

Today though, Press did try to step back onside before she took off, just didn't quite make it.

 

[Plebe]

Australia with a mild surprise over England 4-3 in OT, and Sweden dispatched Japan 3-1. This means that 3 of the 4 semifinalists are from Group G.

There were plenty of things the US could've done better this game, but it didn't even look like the same team that lost to Sweden. Huge improvement in many areas. A bit of a surprise that Lynn Williams got the start, but she came up huge with an assist and then a goal.

The Dutch are a rising power, no doubt, and Miedema is amazing, but their defense isn't great. They gave up multiple goals in each of their four games, including against Zambia and China.

I watched via Telemundo. It was also on NBCSN.

I've also gone with Telemundo, as I've had just about all I can take of Julie Foudy and her "front foot".

 

[Plebe]

Well the offside line moves continually, and the forwards jobs are to push that line as much as possible. To get in behind and also to make more space for the midfield to operate. You will see a lot of really good forwards walk that line and they do tend to get quite a few offside calls on them. As you've probably noticed soccer is a game where scoring is difficult, which makes the goals more meaningful compared to a lot of other sports. So the forwards are always trying to get in behind the defense. And they will easily give up some offside calls for that one time it works perfectly and they score. (But sometimes they are just lazy and don't get back onside in time.)

The difficulty in staying Onside has to do with the forwards aren't necessarily watching the line. They spend a lot of time watching their teammate and trying to time the pass with the run. And the defense practices a lot of moving that line up (offside trap). So it's not easy to get the timing right (not easy for the defense to get the timing right either). They both practice it quite a bit.

Today though, Press did try to step back onside before she took off, just didn't quite make it.

You explained this much better than I could have.

The other thing I'd add is that part of the reason we are seeing more goals called back for offside is because in this new VAR era, ARs now instructed to keep their flag down and allow the attack to play out even if they see an offside, under the logic that they'd rather let the VAR booth take away a goal than have a mistaken offside whistle prematurely kill a goal-scoring opportunity that can't be given back on review.

 

[Bama fan]

Australia with a mild surprise over England 4-3 in OT, and Sweden dispatched Japan 3-1. This means that 3 of the 4 semifinalists are from Group G.

There were plenty of things the US could've done better this game, but it didn't even look like the same team that lost to Sweden. Huge improvement in many areas. A bit of a surprise that Lynn Williams got the start, but she came up huge with an assist and then a goal.

The Dutch are a rising power, no doubt, and Miedema is amazing, but their defense isn't great. They gave up multiple goals in each of their four games, including against Zambia and China.


I've also gone with Telemundo, as I've had just about all I can take of Julie Foudy and her "front foot".

So Ms Foudy puts you on your back foot, eh? Very British phrasing that.

 

[LoboDays]

All theses goals called back due to offsides forced me to move Happy Hour to the wrong side of noon. Pretty even game with plenty of opportunities by both sides. Very good teams out there now. No more dominance. Sweden is the real deal. We move on.

 

[eebmg]

Australia with a mild surprise over England 4-3 in OT, and Sweden dispatched Japan 3-1. This means that 3 of the 4 semifinalists are from Group G.

There were plenty of things the US could've done better this game, but it didn't even look like the same team that lost to Sweden. Huge improvement in many areas. A bit of a surprise that Lynn Williams got the start, but she came up huge with an assist and then a goal.

The Dutch are a rising power, no doubt, and Miedema is amazing, but their defense isn't great. They gave up multiple goals in each of their four games, including against Zambia and China.


I've also gone with Telemundo, as I've had just about all I can take of Julie Foudy and her "front foot".

But why did they take out Williams in second half? Fitness?

 

[Plebe]

Does anyone know who the 5th penalty taker for the US would have been if it had gone to a 5th round?

So Ms Foudy puts you on your back foot, eh? Very British phrasing that.

As with much soccer lingo, fully imported and naturalized into US soccer pitches.

Foudy has a very short list of shallow buzzwords that she just cycles through to pass for soccer analysis: let's go, press, unleash, numbers forward, and now her favorite, "play on the front foot" ugh.

 

[JavaMan]

Does anyone know who the 5th penalty taker for the US would have been if it had gone to a 5th round?

I was wondering the same thing. I don't know how or who is eligible to be in that five, but I was surprised that the often selected penalty kicker from past international gold medal tournaments was not one of the first four. So...perhaps it was the WNT locksmith; Carly Lloyd.

 

[Plebe]

I was wondering the same thing. I don't know how or who is eligible to be in that five, but I was surprised that the often selected penalty kicker from past international gold medal tournaments was not one of the first four. So...perhaps it was the WNT locksmith; Carly Lloyd.

It has to be one of the players on the pitch at the end of OT. Lloyd started the game but, like all the other starting forwards (Heath, Williams) plus attacking mid (Mewis), was subbed out.

In fact, the four US subs (Lavelle, Morgan, Press, Rapinoe) were the first four PK takers. So the options for PK #5 would have been Horan, Ertz, Dunn, O'Hara, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper.

Going back to this question:

But why did they take out Williams in second half? Fitness?

I can only imagine that the plan was to use our competitive advantage in bench depth and have fresh legs in the attacking third, which did almost pay off with numerous near chances late in the game. Whether this aided in the outcome of the PKs — as noted, all four PK takers were the subs — can be debated.

 

[UConnCat]

This may have been posted but Canada's goalie Steph Labbe played her college soccer at UConn.

 

[Plebe]

Naeher in boss mode throughout this match.
Next up, your neighbours up north. Canada beat Brazil, also on PKs, also on two great saves by the keeper Labbé.
Hope it goes better than the last time ; that Norwegian referee from the London games is still persona non grata up here, I think.

I must admit I'd forgotten how that 2012 match transpired. I just looked it up and was like, "Oh yeah, that was insane". The infamous 6-second call, yeesh.

This may have been posted but Canada's goalie Steph Labbe played her college soccer at UConn.

I didn't know she went to UConn. Labbé was the hero against Brazil. With Canada trailing by one in the PK shootout, she made two consecutive saves to save the day.

 

[stamfordhusky]

It has to be one of the players on the pitch at the end of OT. Lloyd started the game but, like all the other starting forwards (Heath, Williams) plus attacking mid (Mewis), was subbed out.

In fact, the four US subs (Lavelle, Morgan, Press, Rapinoe) were the first four PK takers. So the options for PK #5 would have been Horan, Ertz, Dunn, O'Hara, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper.

Just prior to the first kick, the US team was lined up as follows in the center circle: Lavelle, Morgan, Press, Rapinoe, Horan, O'Hara, Ertz, Dahlkemper, Dunn, Sauerbrunn

Based on the fact that the first four turned out to be the exact same ones who took the kicks, in the exact order, I think it’s a very good bet that Horan was going to be the next one to take a kick. Logically that makes sense even without seeing the way they were lined up.

One other small thing, that I'm sure you know but many casual observers may not: Another option for PK #5, at least in theory, was Alyssa Naeher. At some point, if the kicks from the mark go long enough, the goalkeepers must take a kick. Normally they will go 11th, (i.e. last) but sometimes a GK may go earlier. Although some youth referees don't know it, a team can just decide on their kicking order on the fly. No requirement to submit a list or anything else.