# USA vs. Japan tomorrow **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 16, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273 "2011-07-16T19:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nobullshit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nobullshit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nobullshit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/1 "2011-07-16T19:28:25Z")
I am SO excited. Although Japan has surprised people all over the world with their play, I don’t think they will be able to defend the amazing Abby Wambach or Lauren Cheyney. Opinions? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/2 "2011-07-16T19:56:05Z")
In case anybody else was wondering, this is about women’s World Cup soccer/football. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/3 "2011-07-16T20:03:16Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > In case anybody else was wondering, this is about women’s World Cup soccer/football. Not WWII? Dammit! Because I know how that one turns out already. I was hoping to make my fortune gambling. ---
**Author:** ![nobullshit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nobullshit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nobullshit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/4 "2011-07-16T20:24:00Z")
yes i probably should have specified that. well, i figured anyone who obsesses over the world cup like i do would have known. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/5 "2011-07-16T20:28:22Z")
USA vs. Japan tomorrow is so '80s-Cyberpunk. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/6 "2011-07-16T20:32:03Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > In case anybody else was wondering, this is about women’s World Cup soccer/football. Whew! I was going to phone Obama and tell him to get the battleships out of mooring at Pearl Harbor. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/7 "2011-07-16T20:33:30Z")
Damn. My biggest regret is that my generation never got to shoot flamethrowers down Japanese hidey holes. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/8 "2011-07-16T20:34:53Z")
> [@nobullshit](#): > > yes i probably should have specified that. well, i figured anyone who obsesses over the world cup like i do would have known. Do you think this would even be on ESPN if the US weren’t in the finals? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/9 "2011-07-16T20:46:08Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Do you think this would even be on ESPN if the US weren’t in the finals? Yes. They have contracts. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/10 "2011-07-16T20:52:49Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Yes. They have contracts. Do you think ESPN would have entered into the contract(s) if they didn’t think the US had a chance of going to the finals? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/11 "2011-07-16T21:35:24Z")
> [@Mince](#): > > Do you think ESPN would have entered into the contract(s) if they didn’t think the US had a chance of going to the finals? Yes cuz they have the rights to the Men’s World Cup too…and we don’t have as good a chance of winning that. ESPN is trying very hard to have soccer make it in America. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/12 "2011-07-16T21:44:11Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Yes cuz they have the rights to the Men’s World Cup too…and we don’t have as good a chance of winning that. > > ESPN is trying very hard to have soccer make it in America. I know. I was just having fun, like a child who asks “why?” after everything you say. Please don’t ask why. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/13 "2011-07-16T21:44:16Z")
> [@Mince](#): > > Do you think ESPN would have entered into the contract(s) if they didn’t think the US had a chance of going to the finals? What does that have to do with anything? > [@Sir T-Cups](#): > > Yes cuz they have the rights to the Men’s World Cup too…and we don’t have as good a chance of winning that. I think that it being the largest sporting event in the world might have something to do with that. Comparing men’s and women’s sports is not fruitful. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/14 "2011-07-16T21:55:22Z")
I’m guessing a US win by 3-0. Maybe 3-1. Though Japan can control the ball and the pace of the game, they will have a hard time generating good scoring chances. They are a wonderful team to watch, though, and their progression through the tournament has been a great story. ---
**Author:** ![nobullshit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nobullshit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nobullshit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/15 "2011-07-16T23:23:11Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m guessing a US win by 3-0. Maybe 3-1. Though Japan can control the ball and the pace of the game, they will have a hard time generating good scoring chances. They are a wonderful team to watch, though, and their progression through the tournament has been a great story. Yeah, I’m definitely counting on a US win. I rooted for Japan because of their great story up until tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/16 "2011-07-17T00:40:30Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Do you think this would even be on ESPN if the US weren’t in the finals? Yes. Why wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/17 "2011-07-17T01:24:30Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yes. Why wouldn’t they? Because last time after US lost to Brazil it was like the whole thing was over. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/18 "2011-07-17T01:39:16Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Because last time after US lost to Brazil it was like the whole thing was over. They did not air the final? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/19 "2011-07-17T02:14:04Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > They did not air the final? They did. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273/20 "2011-07-17T16:42:54Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > They did not air the final? They did, but almost begrudgingly–not with all the analysis, build up and pre-game attention they’ve been giving this time. My point is that for ESPN, women’s FIFA doesn’t seem to be all that important unless the US is winning. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-vs-japan-tomorrow/589273.md?page=2)