Olympics: Canada vs USA - Monday, August 2nd - Kashima, Japan - 4am Eastern / 1am Pacific

[Kent]

4 hours ago, JohnnyFranchise said:

Oh gees, who takes it now?

That was my thought too. When I saw it awarded I thought "YES!!! Oh wait, WHO TAKES IT?" I went from pure joy to nervous instantly.

[Kent]

Fantastic win today. We didn't really create anything, but we got the job done. The penalty call was a little bit soft, but if that play happened in the middle of the field nobody would question if it was a foul or not. It's the kind of call where it is easy for the ref to turn a blind eye when it is for a penalty, but it wasn't a bad call in my opinion.

I disagree with the take that it was softer than the Kaye penalty but also don't think it was as clear cut as the Zimmerman (USA in Gold Cup) one on Laryea. I strongly agree with the take that it is much more legitimate than the time wasting or handball calls from 2012.

But if the Americans feel hard done by (no idea if they do) then I am OK with that!!

Great win. Gilles is a rock in the back. Can't wait for the next game.

P.S. Thank you CBC Gem app for letting me watch a replay on demand when I woke up!!! Full credit to those of you who stayed up or woke up early!

[TGAA_Star]

Either way our women are destined for a medal. We win, we get gold. We lose, we get silver. My point being that this is huge for our women's program. Just one more step up into our evolution as far as being potential favorites for 2023 in Australia/New Zealand for the FIFA Women's World Cup.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

Always love it when club and country come together. 

https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2021/august/02-august/adriana-leon-and-canada-reach-final-2020-olympic-games

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

Oooh I had that same thought when the ref pointed at the spot.  Like who's gonna take the PK now?  I was saying out loud, "Oh no, don't hand that off to Beckie again."

Not gonna lie.  I was nervous to see Fleming take charge.  Nothing against Fleming, but my mind immediately shot back to all the games I had watched in both men's and women's soccer where  young players would miss PK's in very important games.  I even told my husband, "Ok, I can't watch." He covered my eyes as a joke but later told me to have faith.  A few seconds later I was screaming, "I was wrong!  I love you, Fleming!!"

I definitely nominate this girl to be our PK taker going forward.  She has proven that she can do it under termendous pressure.

[finchster]

 

[TGAA_Star]

12 minutes ago, finchster said:

 

That American arrogance was going to haunt them sooner or later

[jonovision]

If Canada played like this against a different opponent at the She Believes Cup or Algarve or something I'd have lots to say about how sloppy their passing was or how they didn't create anything, but this is as big a match as they've ever played in and they won. Focusing on mistakes misses the forest for the trees.

If the MNT were at the World Cup and won a knockout a match, or heck, won a match at all, I wouldn't be nitpicking no matter how negative the play might be.

In other words, let's gooooo!!

 

Also, having seen the replay a few times, that penalty was clear as day, and I expect the main reason the referee failed to call it initially is that one doesn't expect a penalty offense to come out of such an innocuous looking situation. Fantastic job by Rose to put pressure on the defender without her realizing it was there.

[BearcatSA]

I liked how we kept our heads defensively after the penalty and road it out to the win.  And a very cool finish on the penalty, to boot.  It was a smash and grab but that's how the game sometimes is.

(A little part of me wished Nigel Reed would have taken the piss and said the Al Micheals line, "Do you believe in miracles?  YES!!!" at the final whistle but I think the lawsuit papers would have been sent immediately!)

[_Vic_]

1 hour ago, finchster said:

 

 

Even better is sung by a Canadian.

[JohnnyFranchise]

2 hours ago, _Vic_ said:

Kailen Sheridan would have added more value.

Leon or Schmidt or even Zadorsky out of position way more value than Grosso. She was way out of her element. Don't know enough about Carlyle.

As much as I respect Bev Priestman and her staff and the Australian coach got on my nerves, I would have loved to have heard someone like Big Sam on our sideline demanding people get in the game.

The grosso sub I didn't mind because it was a huge upgrade from Quinn who made more passes to American players than Canadians all game.

But someone needs to tell huitema that when you get subbed on with 5 minutes left protecting a one goal lead you put your foot on the gas and you don't take it off, she was jogging around out there. Leon, on the other hand, hit the field like she'd been shot out of a cannon.

[JohnnyFranchise]

2 hours ago, Kent said:

That was my thought too. When I saw it awarded I thought "YES!!! Oh wait, WHO TAKES IT?" I went from pure joy to nervous instantly.

It's pretty funny looking back now. When Sinclair picked up the ball I was like "OK, it's her team, she should take it". Then she walked past the spot and I thought "oh f*ck, she's giving it to Beckie". Then she turned to Fleming and I jumped out of my seat and started pumping my fist already. Hahaha

[JohnnyFranchise]

6 hours ago, jonovision said:

Watch that penalty again. Side netting. Stone cold.

Her penalty in the shootout the other day was ice cold too. We have our new penal taker for sure. 

[Free kick]

5 hours ago, _Vic_ said:

I think part of that is nerves. Everyone on both sides was tight, and in a game like that our main focus is on defense. Everyone hated the Norwegian women when they played every ball direct down the park right away. But they won the World Cup and Olympic gold. I'm with you in that the offensive side wasn't pretty, but I think tactically, like the Norwegians we are playing within ourselves. We'll never be able to play like the Spanish women or have the athleticism of the American women. Keys for us offensively are the counter and set pieces.

 

Good point.   Another take away for me from watching these games is that they seem to have gained the maturity to understand tournament soccer.  They seem to know how to leverage their strenghts and weaknesses in order to succeed while understanding Tournament soccer is totally different beast from other soccer competitions.    Tournament soccer is about playing smart moreso than playing well. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Free kick

[Mango]

Boss.

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Mango

[BearcatSA]

On 8/2/2021 at 10:19 AM, Free kick said:

Good point.   Another take away for me from watching these games is that they seem to have gained the maturity to understand tournament soccer.  They seem to know how to leverage their strenghts and weaknesses in order to succeed while understanding Tournament soccer is totally different beast from other soccer competitions.    Tournament soccer is about playing smart moreso than playing well. 

Greece won the Euros playing to their strengths and recognizing their limitations.  We won a Gold Cup in that manner.  Tournament play is about doing what you need to do to get the job done.

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by BearcatSA

[Free kick]

21 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

Greece won Euros playing to their strengths and recognizing their limitations.  We won a Gold Cup in that manner.  Tournament play is about doing what you need to do to get the job done.

 

Absolutely..   and when we say “Getting the job done” we mean advancing.  When you think of it in terms “advancing” versus “winning”, they dont always mean the same thing.   I have believed that i have seen in FIFA tournaments, teams tanking in order to avoid a certain opponent or to land in a more favourable side of the bracket.    I AM not saying our women did that or ever did that.   But it illustrates just one example of what it means to play to advance versus playing to win.    
 

The way i see it,  you need to play well in order to qualify for these tournaments.  But when you get to them,  its more important to play smart.  

Edited August 2, 2021 by Free kick

[lamptern]

I was not sleepy at all when I pomped my fist infront of my TV to celebrate this justice game 3am in the morning.  I have waited 8 years for this to happen. I feel  LeBlac when she was in tear.

[BearcatSA]

1 hour ago, Free kick said:

The way i see it,  you need to play well in order to qualify for these tournaments.  But when you get to them,  its more important to play smart.  

And some luck.  Like winning a coin toss or getting a break or two at  key moments.

Edited August 2, 2021 by BearcatSA

[JohnnyFranchise]

1. i cannot stop watching that penal, fleming is a stone cold assassin.

2. noticed right after the goal beckie goes over to give sinc a high five as fleming is celebrating, almost as if to say "good call cap". 

3. awesome moment at 2:12:23 of this video. sinclair just sitting on her own, taking it all in. after everything she's given to this program i can only imagine how she must have been feeling in that moment, amazing.

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1921179203931

[rightback]

Man, I hate those types of penalty decisions but it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch. Just need to keep the luck going against the Swedes.

 

[red card]

I think the 2012 & 2016 Olympic teams from back to front were more better on paper and more interesting to watch. But the 2021 version has Champions League quality defenders. They rarely get into trouble. They know how to defuse threats to a point that they rarely need to absorb pressure and need Labbe to make 5/6 big saves per match.

Accumulated tournament experience has meant they play with more calm & confidence like a mid tier European men's team that overachieves such as seen recently with Switzerland or Denmark. One missing aspect is poor set pieces with Beckie being so erractic with her deliveries. Another missing aspect is a striker who can create half chances into serious opportunities.

Gilles should now get paid with a move to one of the top 2 clubs in France, or one of the better clubs in WSL or Germany. Rose just signed with Reading. Otherwise, no breakthrough individual performances. 

[vancanman]

12 hours ago, JohnnyFranchise said:

Well that's outstanding!

Respect to the ref for having the guts to make that call against the states.

Play of the game was sinc handing the ball to fleming!

It's a shame the we have to praise a ref for actually doing her job, no matter what team is involved, but unfortunately that's the planet we're living on.  

As for the play of the game, you're right there as well.

[Free kick]

Was just reading a column from a Quebec writer.  He mentioned In passing on his article that prior to this game the CWNT has only seven shots on goal in this whole tournament.  Wow!  Seven shots on goal.  And they are playing for gold!

[vancanman]

12 hours ago, Free kick said:

Yes, its weird in this sport.  There always seems to be that balance or see saw thats gets played out.   If you get screwed one time,   then later its gets evened out when you least expect it.   

In that case, the men's team will qualify for the next 300 world cups.