Women's World Cup - 2019 Champs!

[gus]

Looks like a reasonable OG to me...I'm not even confident it was a shot. Would have been well wide of goal if not for the defender chipping it in though.

Maybe it's my bad internet connection - I literally cannot see a frame when the ball is touching Andersson. I see it leaving Heath's foot, then I see it behind the defender.

[bedeviled]

Lloyd, in an offside position causes Linda Sembrandt to push the ball wide to Tobin Heath, who just puts in at a ridiculous angle. Apparently the ball touched the defender (Andersson) and FIFA ruled it an OG.

You have my sympathies, gus. It was clearly offsides as Lloyd attempted to play the ball, drew both defenders, and caused one to misplay the ball. It's indefensible to me that the VAR ruled otherwise.

I literally cannot see a frame when the ball is touching Andersson. I see it leaving Heath's foot, then I see it behind the defender.

Not sure if this is the same video as posted, but here's the video & replay on Twitter. Easiest way to get a sense of the "shot" is to look at Heath's approach and leg swing. It looks like she was attempting a short chip to the center. You could also convince yourself that there's a ball spin from the deflection...or, convince yourself otherwise if that's your preference. Either way, Lloyd was offsides

[Acymetric]

Maybe it's my bad internet connection - I literally cannot see a frame when the ball is touching Andersson. I see it leaving Heath's foot, then I see it behind the defender.

The angle right at the 1:00 minute mark shows it pretty clearly. It was going to be a ground-level ball wide to the outside before the defender chipped it up and towards goal. If you can't see the contact, just look at the way she strikes it and the way it goes into the goal. No way the ball moves like that without a deflection (should be going much faster and lower based on how it was struck).

[JasonEvans]

You have my sympathies, gus. It was clearly offsides as Lloyd attempted to play the ball, drew both defenders, and caused one to misplay the ball. It's indefensible to me that the VAR ruled otherwise.

Yeah, VAR is useless if it is going to miss that. Clearly offsides and even if she did not touch the ball, Lloyd's presence impacted the way the defense handled the ball. I love team USA and want us to win, but I wish we had not gotten a bad call like that to go our way. From a karmic standpoint, we sorta owe one to the gods at this point and that could come back to haunt us in a more important situation.

[Reisen]

I don't think it has much to do with VAR, the ref just made a (IMO) bad judgement call in saying Lloyd didn't interfere in the play.

I think VAR is great, and is getting unfairly blamed for things in this WC. The Argentina - Scotland decision was absolutely the right one. I forget what game I was watching years ago where the referee made a team retake a penalty kick like 4 times because the keeper kept coming off his line. In the Argentina-Scotland game, there was no doubt, even in real time, the keeper moved early. Easy, and correct call.

[Neals384]

Unlimited substitutions would be the #1 way to make soccer more exciting. Just make them hockey style. One player comes off at midfield, another goes on at midfield.

There are times in a match where you can tell both teams are just coasting trying to get their wind after a few frantic minutes and both are content to waste the clock and regroup. I can only imagine how hard some of the players would go if they knew they could go all out and have a 5-10 minute breather.

the substitution rule is just dumb.

Can't spork you but wow would that be awesome!

[Neals384]

Secondly, the main reason substitutions take so long today is that the player coming off must completely exit the field of play before the substitute can come on. This is to prevent someone from committing a red card worthy offense during a substitution and having 12 players on the field.

Which is a silly rule since substitutions happen during a stoppage of play.

[budwom]

Soccer subs are like baseball in that once you come off, you can't go back out. So in your scenario, the team must play the rest of the half down a player, which is a significant disadvantage. And there is subjectivity - how long does a player have to get up before the referee decides he must exit? As it stands today, an injured player can come off at any time, but the team must play down a player while he is off or substitute. The player needs the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play.

Secondly, the main reason substitutions take so long today is that the player coming off must completely exit the field of play before the substitute can come on. This is to prevent someone from committing a red card worthy offense during a substitution and having 12 players on the field. Does the team play a man down or was the substitute considered a bench player? During close games teams may use their substitutes to chew up clock, which is honestly kind of silly b/c the referee can add time to compensate for the behavior. It does allow players to take a short timeout tho.

We would NOT want a Too Many Women on the Pitch penalty I guess...in 1979 I had front row seats to game 7 of the Bruins vs Canadiens in Montreal, Stanley Cup Semi Finals...Boston nursed a one goal lead and then with about two minutes left, they got called for too many men on the ice, Montreal sent out the power play unit (five guys in the Hall of Fame: Guy Lafleur, Serge Savard, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt and Jacques Lemaire, you don't see that too often), Montreal tied it and then won in OT.
Legendary sports moment, especially if you were a Montreal fan...

[Highlander]

Which is a silly rule since substitutions happen during a stoppage of play.

Soccer rules draw a distinction between "fouls" and "misconduct." Yellow and Red cards are given for misconduct, and not strictly for live ball fouls. Misconduct can absolutely happen during a stoppage of play, and is not limited to live ball events. For example, a player could punch, kick, or intentionally strike another (or the referee), substitute improperly, or use foul or abusive language all while the ball is not in play. All of these would also be considered misconduct. If you have 12 players on the field because they are subbing one off and red card worthy misconduct occurs, you have a problem, which is why the substitution rules prevent that scenario from ever occurring.

[Neals384]

Isn't lacrosse's substitution rule similar to hockey as well? (Must admit, I only watch Duke playoff games so I am far from an expert)

As long as we're borrowing ideas from ice hockey and lacrosse, how about moving the goals 10 yards closer to midfield so that play can continue behind the goal? Imagine soccer with wrap-around goals and bang-bang passes from behind the goal!

[camion]

As long as we're borrowing ideas from ice hockey and lacrosse, how about moving the goals 10 yards closer to midfield so that play can continue behind the goal? Imagine soccer with wrap-around goals and bang-bang passes from behind the goal!

If you did that then would you have a semi-circle around the goal to protect the goalie and/or prevent congestion?

[Acymetric]

As long as we're borrowing ideas from ice hockey and lacrosse, how about moving the goals 10 yards closer to midfield so that play can continue behind the goal? Imagine soccer with wrap-around goals and bang-bang passes from behind the goal!

We would have to re-imagine the offsides rule in that scenario, as well. Not sure what it would do to corner kicks. Also not really sure it would make the game more interesting.

[Reisen]

Umm, anyone watch the England - Cameroon game?

We went from debating sportsmanship around goal scoring and celebrating, to a game with intentional elbows to the head, spitting on opponents, multiple blatant examples of spiking players, and on-field reactions to referee decisions the likes of which I have never seen in 30 years of playing soccer and watching thousands of games.

The best part was Rob Stone to Alexi Lalas: "Hey Alexi, does soccer have timeouts?"

Alexi: "No, Rob, not that I know of..."

Here's the Guardian's take:

https://www.theguardian.com/football...ayground-farce

https://www.theguardian.com/football...6-match-report

[Tom B.]

The Spanish women are not playing around.

USA scores on a PK by Rapinoe after Heath is taken down in the box.

Two minutes later, a bad giveaway by the USA just outside the 18-yard box leads to the first goal against the USA in this tournament.

1-1 in the 23rd minute.

[pfrduke]

The Spanish women are not playing around.

USA scores on a PK by Rapinoe after Heath is taken down in the box.

Two minutes later, a bad giveaway by the USA just outside the 18-yard box leads to the first goal against the USA in this tournament.

1-1 in the 23rd minute.

We seem to be playing pretty sloppily on both ends of the field.

[Tom B.]

We seem to be playing pretty sloppily on both ends of the field.

Well, I'm exhausted after just watching that half.

[gus]

Umm, anyone watch the England - Cameroon game?

We went from debating sportsmanship around goal scoring and celebrating, to a game with intentional elbows to the head, spitting on opponents, multiple blatant examples of spiking players, and on-field reactions to referee decisions the likes of which I have never seen in 30 years of playing soccer and watching thousands of games.

The best part was Rob Stone to Alexi Lalas: "Hey Alexi, does soccer have timeouts?"

Alexi: "No, Rob, not that I know of..."

Here's the Guardian's take:

https://www.theguardian.com/football...ayground-farce

https://www.theguardian.com/football...6-match-report

I didn't see the match, but from what I read it's just astonishing.

This line from the Guardian article though, about the early yellow for an elbow to the head that could have been a red card:

VAR did not call back the incident, suggesting violent conduct is less important than marginal movement of a goalkeeper.

lol.

[gus]

The Spanish women are not f---ing around.

USA scores on a PK by Rapinoe after Heath is taken down in the box.

Two minutes later, a bad giveaway by the USA just outside the 18-yard box leads to the first goal against the USA in this tournament.

1-1 in the 23rd minute.

The goal from Hermoso was beautiful though.

[elvis14]

The goal from Hermoso was beautiful though.

It was an amazing shot!

I like our possession and how well we are building play and getting opportunities. We need to finish a few. I also like how we are strong to the ball and pressuring Spain all over the pitch not allowing them to play their game (possession).

I'm really interested to see our substitutions in the second half.

Hope we can pull this out!

[Reisen]

I pride myself on being unbiased, and while I am obviously pulling hard for the US, that looked like embellishment by Lavelle. I'd probably be irritated if that call went against us.

Good PK by Rapinoe, though.