WWC France 2019 - Quarters, Semis, and Final

[Lofty 3,260]

England and penalties. The truth is they aren't that hard to save when you know exactly where they are going. You'd think that SOMEONE in the England camp would have thought about shooting to the keeper's left once in a while. A shame to go out by missing a late chance to equalize from the spot.

USA win 2-1 and show why they are ranked #1 in the World.

[The Ref 261]

This is just too much, this Lofty refuses to quit, so I just blocked it.  Good riddance.

[Patrick 72]

And once again we see why the US is the most classless team in women's soccer.  Morgan, after scoring, decides that the best celebration is one that mocks her opponents.  I don't think I'll watch the match on Sunday, I have better things to do than witness more of that.

[Binky 113]

2 hours ago, Patrick said:

And once again we see why the US is the most classless team in women's soccer.  Morgan, after scoring, decides that the best celebration is one that mocks her opponents.  I don't think I'll watch the match on Sunday, I have better things to do than witness more of that.

No. Watch. Record the game. The USA is going to lose on Sunday. There will be a new World Champion crowned!!!

[Lofty 3,260]

I didn't mind the tea drinking celebration. I thought it was rather clever actually.

Ooh, ah, Miedema!  😁

[Lofty 3,260]

8 hours ago, The Ref said:

This is just too much, this Lofty refuses to quit, so I just blocked it.  Good riddance.

So, no thoughts on the matches then? You know, the topic of this thread and presumably why you are here.

[mtlfan 15]

9 hours ago, Patrick said:

And once again we see why the US is the most classless team in women's soccer.  Morgan, after scoring, decides that the best celebration is one that mocks her opponents.  I don't think I'll watch the match on Sunday, I have better things to do than witness more of that.

I liked Morgan when she first came up years ago, now I  think she she is just a stupid ***t.

[Lofty 3,260]

Netherlands it is, 1-0 AET. Credit to Sweden for making it this far. Winning Netherlands goal was very worthy.

Final: USA vs. Netherlands

I'm going with USA, 2-1. Key for the Netherlands will be to stop USA scoring in the first quarter hour, which nobody else has been able to do.

[Lofty 3,260]

England vs. Sweden for 3rd place on Saturday morning.

Prediction: England 2 Sweden 0

I'm sorry to keep disrespecting Sweden but England are the 2nd best team I have seen in this tournament and but for some bad luck (White's offside by inches) and an astonishing inability to convert penalty kicks, they might have been in the final anyway. They will be a lot more disappointed than Sweden to be playing in this irrelevant match so maybe that will tip the balance Sweden's way.

[Lofty 3,260]

3rd Place: Sweden 2 England 1

Well done to Sweden on claiming the bronze medal. Absolutely crushed England in the first 25 mins or so, when they scored their goals.

[Lofty 3,260]

I suppose it is only fitting that VAR, which has been so controversial throughout this tournament, should ruin what up until that moment had been an engaging final. I was so upset I didn't even watch the rest of the match. At that point I was just done with it.

But let's analyze the call anyway. The only thing the pen could possibly have been given for is "kicking" an opponent. So far as I could tell any contact between the leg and Morgan, quite apart from being laughably minimal, was just as much on Morgan who was moving laterally and ran into the leg as much as it ran into her. So no case there whatsoever. It was, however, a high boot and I would not have had a problem if the ref had called it dangerous play, for which the punishment is an INDIRECT FREE KICK (so not a pen) from the spot of the foul.

Anyway, USA clearly the better team on the day but I want my football matches to be decided by the players scoring goals, not by the ref.

Edited July 7 by Lofty
Not the same ref who did USA vs Spain

[Lofty 3,260]

Meghan Rapinoe wins the Golden Ball (best player) and England's Lucy Bronze the Silver Ball. Hard to argue too much with that.

Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Ellen White all scored 6 goals but Rapinoe and Morgan also had 3 assists each (to White's 0) and Rapinoe takes the Golden Boot over Morgan on fewer minutes played.

[Lofty 3,260]

This is a very enjoyable watch:

Most Memorable Matches at France 2019: