You keep saying this. It isn’t true. When GD is potentially very important, teams will keep trying to score. The “12 goal lead is OK, while the 13 goal lead is beyond the pale” idea is pretty strange. Not sure why stoppage time is relevant at all. You play until the end.
The US should beat Chile. Easily. But you know that they will. No one does. Upsets happen. And if the US starts playing games with the expectation of future wins, that will get them in trouble. They have do everything within the laws of the game and the tournament rules to increase they’re chances of winning. Anything less would be more disgraceful than scoring #13 in stoppage time.\
As they should. They’re trying to win the tournament.
Are the Thai players complaining? Coaches? The Thai press? The Thai people?
I absolutely disagree with this… every team I’ve been involved with and every coach I know will back me up that stoppage time is game time. No difference… no change in game play. I have no idea where you are coming up with this. I’ve seen many games lost in stoppage… should the winners have not tried during this time?
The mercy rule should have been no stoppage time. The refs need to be censured, or at the very least told that that kind of lack of awareness needs to not happen.
the idea that the ref decides how many extra minutes to play is stupid. Don’t think other major sports with a timer do that . But then again I’m an American and this is the “perfect” game so it will never change.
This is the group stage, where goal differential matters. Sorry, but every. last. goal. is precious beyond measure at this stage, especially in the opener. If this were the third game in group play, and the USA was mathematically eliminated, I could potentially see a problem with “running up the score.” Similarly, if this were the knockout stage, “running up the score” like this could be seen as untoward. But in this particular game at this particular stage of the tournament? They likely won’t need those 13 goals, but why take the chance?
The US is the favorite to win the whole thing 2-1 odds, second best 7-2 I think. Worst case scenario for them if they won 5-0 is they tie Sweden and finish second on GD, in which case I think they would play Canada or Holland instead of probably Spain. I think. The US would be a heavy favorite against any of the three. The three are similar in quality and have odds to win at 25-1, 30-1 and 40-1, respectively.
This is not some marginal team fighting to get out of the group. They could not show up for the next two games and would likely advance on three points as a third place team.
The notion they needed to do this to ensure a place in the knockout round is nonsense- they will be heavily favored over their next opponent, first or second. So, show some class, and respect for fellow human beings, whose only crime is not being as good at soccer as you. The only valid celebrations were those scoring their first ever WC goal. The celebrations by the veterans were shameful and embarrassing- you are literally the biggest kid on the block, and not only are you beating up by far the weakest, you are running around acting like its a big accomplishment. Save the bullshit choreographed routines for when you score against a worthy opponent.
Morgan has already won the prestigious Golden Boot award for top scorer in the tourney, probably if she doesn’t even score again, so that’s kind of bullshit as well- no other top players will get the chance to pad their stats against the worst team in the tourney, by far.
I would get zero excitement beating another person at any discipline in which I am their overwhelming superior, especially if I had been there before. Rapinoe should be ashamed. From a player perspective, the angelic Hope Solo agrees the celebrations by the senior team members were embarrassing, as have many many others, so this not exactly a novel opinion.
So yes, it can be argued that this scoreline probably ensures them a next round game against a slightly worse opponent, but still one way beneath them. But personally, if a choice between the two I would choose class and basic human decency every time.
Meanwhile, Australia vs. Brazil is definitely the match of the tournament so far…
Brazil started up 2-0, Australia gets one back in first half stoppage time to gain some momentum back, and is now up 3-2 in the second half, including a very odd own-goal with an Australian player pressuring the ball, but not touching it, and she was offsides, but apparently because the Brazilian player was actively tryign to play the ball, the own-goal counts. Or something. Can’t say I totally understand the ruling.
I think this is a FAR more insulting “ugly American” type attitude than running up the score vs. Thailand. You seem to be saying that all the other teams in the tournament are so inferior to the USA, and so interchangeable, that we can just ignore tournament seeding entirely. Really, the arrogant thing would be to NOT run up the score when possible. “Yeah, we could do everything we can to ensure the top seed coming out of the group. But, eh, who cares.”
And while I can see an argument that some of the USA’s celebration was a bit tacky, there’s a LONG step from “a bit tacky” to lacking “basic human decency”.
Interesting. I’ll be curious to see a highlight later. VAR didn’t give a penalty in the US-Thailand game that seemed obvious and the explanation didn’t make sense.
What can happen in theory and reality are two completely different things. Germany men could play one of Europe’s minnows like Faroe Islands or Andorra 100 times, and might actually lose a couple, and tie a couple.
If US women play Thailand 100 times, US will win every one by at least five goals, and Thailand would be lucky to score five total. Such is the current gulf in womens soccer.
And while Chile has better cup odds than Thailand for some reason, they are actually below them in FIFA rankings. Sweden scored exactly two on Chile, both very late on.
So the idea that ‘we needed to score 13 in case Sweden scores 15 on them’, or in case we lose to an even worse Chile team, is bollocks.
I’m not being snarky or deliberately obtuse here, I genuinely want to know where you’re coming from here. If you were the USWNT coach, at what point would have told the women to dial it back? After one goal? Five? Ten? After which goal would you have told them to stop celebrating?
HeyHomie! No worries, I can see the 12-0. But the 13th was scored in the freaking last minute of the game. Was there truly a need for that? Yes, goal differential, I get it, but does anyone think it is going to come down to that 13th goal?
American football teams do not try and score in the last minute when up big. Basketball teams up big will not attempt a shot with the shot clock off in the last minute. (knockout tourney, gd, yes, I get it, just examples).
Passing the ball back and forth in their own end the entire second half would have been much more embarrassing to Thailand than continuing to score, I agree. Is there a set minute of a game when up big you stop trying? No. But last minute of the game, stoppage time, was that really necessary? I could even see the 13th if it was on a bad backpass right in front of goal, but it wasn’t, IIRC.
It is standard for soccer players playing against a former team, if they left on good terms, to not overly celebrate ANY goal against a former team, out of respect, regardless of the stakes. My celebration level would be tempered based on the level of opposition- why if you have been there done that does scoring against the worst team in the tournament require a choregraphed dance? Smiles and high fives and hugs are always fine, but the crap by Rapinoe was classless.
Is your goal any less memorable to you if you don’t dance afterwards?
I always thought that the post-goal business of sliding around on your knees, invoking your god, and tearing your shirt off (why or why did they stop doing that??) was just part of soccer culture. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what Megan did that was so objectionable, since I lost interest in the game after the third US goal. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume she didn’t do anything vulgar, like give Thailand the finger, though.
*Those celebrations drew ire on social media, some of it directed at Megan Rapinoe for twirling and turf-sliding after her goal — which made it 9-0. Morgan was rebuked for holding up four fingers after her fourth goal, which made it 10-0.
“If anyone wants to come at our team for not doing the right thing, not playing the right way, not being a good ambassador, they can come at us,” Rapinoe told Fox Sports on Wednesday. “It was an explosion of joy. If our crime is joy, then we will take that.”*
Preening about scoring four, then five, on the worst team in the tourney is stupid at best, classless at worst, and something only the most jingoistic American can justify. Both her and Rapinoe have won it all before, so you cant call it first time or youthful exuberance. The standard response when scoring goal 9 on a minnow is smiles, hugs and high fives.
Bleh. Much ado about not a lot, if you ask me. And I’m hardly a jingoistic American. But regardless, neither of us is going to change the other’s mind by continuing to hash this out.
Female soccer player here… Actually, Jill Ellis was my high school club coach.
I have no problem with the score. You respect a team by playing hard for 95 minutes. It would have been pandering to do any less. And goal differential matters. These women have worked their asses off to achieve at the highest level of the game. They deserve to celebrate. EXCEPT
Megan Rapinoe played like absolute garbage. Her celebration was over the top and ridiculous considering how she played. Her passing percentage must be abysmal, as she gave the ball away or got stripped more than she played positively. Several of her crosses and shots sailed acres over the goal line. Total hot garbage. She is in for a rude awakening against even a semi-decent opponent.
That poor goalie… but two thirds of those goals were saveable. Almost half touched her gloves. Again, the USNWT is in for a rude awakening.
Moving on from Thailand, I agree with your assessment of the team. I think most Americans who don’t regularly follow the sport just assume its same team, different year, but I personally do not see them as THE favorite at the moment.
They did not play well in the She Believes Cup they just hosted, at all- two draws and one unconvincing win IIRC. England, the winners, were to me clearly better, and I was bit surprised they are not favorites.
