Rapinoe: 'You can't win without gay players'
Here’s your game report from the sweltering Parc des Princes ...
Are you ready, England?
The other problem for the USA -- after all that, now they face a team that was simply dominant in its quarterfinal match.
England 🏴 ladies got nothing to worry about in semis USA poor running out of steam come lionesses 🦁🏴
— The Bionic Man aka Old Gooner (@WinderDad) June 28, 2019
But let’s say this about the USA ...
- Last time around, Julie Ertz got all the praise while linemate Becky Sauerbrunn was criminally overlooked. This time, Ertz is simply locking down the middle of the field, so much so that Jill Ellis can have the confidence not to play Lindsey Horan. (Not that the Horan benching was a good idea.)
- You simply cannot sleep on Tobin Heath on the right flank. Imagine if she had as many chances as Rapinoe has had. She might have hat tricks of goals and assists by now.
And give credit to Megan Rapinoe. She’s a lightning rod for controversy, by choice. She might lose five straight 1v1 battles and then kill an opponent on the sixth. She made her name as one of the best crossers of the ball (think of her long floated ball to Abby Wambach at the death against Brazil) and has just added to her game since then. She takes fantastic set pieces. Sure, Bouhaddi should’ve done better with the first one, but that was a drive that puts a lot of pressure on a defense.
They’re vulnerable. Sure.
And if they can run the table here -- beating France, England and then probably Germany -- that’ll be one of the most impressive World Cup runs ever.
Even if we’ll still be asking when the defense will be tested.
Thanks for all the comments. Hope you enjoyed it, and maybe we’ll get an epic in the semifinals.
The questions that remain ...
Alyssa Naeher has faced three difficult shots on goal, and two went into the net.
Crystal Dunn has been overmatched at left back for the last two games.
Kelley O’Hara was playing with fire for the whole game today.
Alex Morgan, as many commenters are noting, has been ineffective since drubbing Thailand. Maybe should’ve saved some goals from that game for the future games.
And the commenters aren’t happy with coach Jill Ellis ...
Rick McGahey: “Jill Ellis is the new Maurizio Sarri. Make the same substitution regardless of the actual game situation. Lloyd?”
Michael Wilcox on Alex Morgan: “I know she’s the star of the team and everything, but the fact that Ellis won’t substitute her under any circumstances short of crippling injury is also ridiculous.”
He continues: “Mewis for Lloyd is the dumbest substitution I’ve ever seen. Hope Solo was right, the team wins in spite of Ellis. I play Football Manager and I feel confident I understand positions and roles better than Jill Ellis.”
Ironically, given the presence of a commenter from Cork, I was fired in Football Manager by ... Cork City.
In her defense ...
jay: “jill ellis specifically said that france doesn’t want the ball, so the us will let france have the ball. thus, the us will give up possession and play 5 at the back. and france only scored (just now) on a set piece, not really because of the 5 at the back.”
what do people have against capital letters?
Your comments:
George Meikle: “Seems like USWNT do well with offsides discipline, while France did not do well and was caught many times.”
Simon McMahon: “Bonsoir Beau. Genuine question, but have they changed the rules during the tournament? The penalty awarded against Scotland in their opening game against England was about 1000% less of a spot kick than the one just not given for France.”
Maybe the call in that opening game wasn’t very good?
Chris in Cork, where I visited in my honeymoon in 1999 but bypassed on my trip to Ireland this spring, also thinks it was a penalty. What are they saying elsewhere? The US commentators aren’t saying anything.
FINAL: France 1-2 USA
The USA had possession less than 40% of the time. They were outshot 20-10. Their outside backs looked vulnerable. The offense sputtered.
And they’ve just beaten the home team, considered to be their toughest opponent in this Cup.
Updated
90 min +5: French throw-in, and they can’t find anyone open. This looks like one of the U11 games I ref, where the player simply doesn’t want to throw it away. They throw it away anyway, and now Morgan is in the corner getting away with a push and winning a throw-in.
90 min +4: Oh my. Mbock dispossesses Heath, who catches her and ... it certainly seemed that she slid through the French player’s legs. No call.
Going the other way, Bussaglia more obviously fouls Morgan and sees yellow.
90 min +3: Press has been impressive in her brief stint, winning a throw-in to help kill the game.
France regain possession. What can they do?
90 min +2: This is a very patient French buildup leading to a telegraphed pass that Dunn easily picks off and plays forward to no one, killing 30 more seconds.
90 min +1: We’ll play five more. Press smartly wins the ball and plays back to O’Hara, who smartly goes to the corner and smartly dives. Ref isn’t interested, but the defender plays the ball off her ankle.
Now we have a Heath dribbling exhibition, which I’d pay to watch.
89 min: The French attack is just too tentative. Thiney takes too many touches and finally plays forward just in time for a correct offside call.
Some people in the inbox says France have made too many bad decisions going forward. They have, but the US defenders have forced some of those.
And then falling behind 0-1 early on was immense.
88 min: When we have a long stoppage, I’ll get to the inbox.
Dunn draws a foul at midfield.
87 min: Crystal Dunn, who’s about 5 foot negative 1, is one of two players in the wall. Better than being in the box, where Henry appears to try to score a Maradona-style goal with her hand.
Christen Press enters the game for Rapinoe, who was in the right place at the right time multiple times. (RIP Dr. John.)
Updated
85 min: France move forward. Ball played off O’Hara. France wants a penalty. None given. Would’ve been harsh, but we’ve seen worse.
Back down the field, and France earn another free kick anyway. Renard lurks ...
84 min: The corner kick floats to Henry, who’s triple-teamed and is still called for a foul. OK.
Dunn wins the ball and gives it away. She wins it again and blasts it forward, where Rapinoe loses it.
83 min: France goes back to working on Dunn, and they win another corner. Renard steps forward with a fierce look.
82 min: Substitution -- and I warned you. Carli Lloyd, a superb clutch scorer who never was very good at possessing the ball and is not young any more, is into the game in place of Sam Mewis.
This makes no sense. None. Whatsoever.
And it’ll probably work out anyway.
GOAL: France 1-2 USA (Renard 81)
A poor foul from O’Hara, a free kick floated into the box, a US defender (Mewis?) holding people onside, and Renard easily deposits the header into the box.
And then Le Sommer comes out, with Asseyi coming in.
Updated
Sure, let’s be controversial ...
Ruth Purdue: “Who wants to ask Hope Solo why the best team in the world is playing 5 at the back and refusing to come out?”
Well, she’s writing for The Guardian. What say you, editors?
79 min: A real save from Naeher! Le Sommer gets a boot on the ball in the box against O’Hara, and Naeher has to leap to punch the lob over the bar.
The corner kick goes nowhere.
78 min: Free kick to France. Majri plays ahead of the line of players in the box. No French players run forward onto it. Naeher catches.
The ball eventually gets to Henry on an O’Hara giveaway, and the French attacker blasts a 20-yard shot, again straight at Naeher.
76 min: Oh come on. That was beautiful, even it was North Carolina grad to North Carolina grad. (I went to Duke.) Crystal Dunn -- again, a better attacker than defender -- races down the left and crosses back to Heath. The flag goes up. We have some sort of VAR intervention, and apparently one fiber of Dunn’s boot was offside.
Cascarino has come on for France, and Sauerbrunn welcomes her to the game with a leg sweep. Ouch.
75 min: Nothing’s happening.
George Meikle points to a difference between the USA and a Mourinho team: “Big diff being USA WOMEN want to play their hearts gutz out for each other, coach, maybe us(?).”
Yes, I see everyone on Twitter and in the mailbox gloating about Rapinoe and a possible invitation to some address about 15 miles east of me. I know, I know. Take it to the politics section. Or tweet away.
73 min: Foul by Morgan, and we need to ask what subs to make. Probably another defensive-minded substitution, maybe Tierna Davidson for Dunn.
But Jill Ellis will probably come up with some reason to bring on Carli Lloyd.
71 min: Replay shows Henry jumped on Horan’s back and managed to hurt herself banging into Horan’s head.
Clever tweet:
@duresport "Rapinoe has inexplicably scored four goals in two games without being particularly effective."
— Tracy (@tracymohr) June 28, 2019
The new Miroslav Klose, then.
And here’s that goal:
MORGAN ➡️ HEATH ➡️ RAPINOE
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2019
A wonderful team goal doubles the @USWNT's lead! #FIFAWWC 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B9OGQIKzSP
Maybe France should consider marking Rapinoe next time. Just can’t give her easy chances.
69 min: And just when I say Rapinoe hasn’t been effective despite scoring twice, she races forward and forces a recovery run from Diani.
She’s been pretty good today, but it’s going to be frustrating when she’s named player of the match ahead of, say, Julie Ertz.
I’m almost speaking too soon, as a French cross finds Gauvin, but the header is wide and she was offside, anyway. The five US defenders are playing a good line here.
67 min: And I was about to post this from Raymond Smith ...
“These defensive, look-for-the-breakaway tactics are Jose (Mourinho) tactics. It didn’t work for United, and I’ll bet it won’t work for the USA either!”
Yes, but Mourinho already used up all the good luck he’ll ever have in his career. The U.S. players have not. Somehow.
To be fair, they’ve also been very, very good. France didn’t suddenly forget how to play.
GOAL: France 0-2 USA (Rapinoe 65)
I want to see VAR. Really seemed like Heath was offside. But she does the hard work, crosses, deflects, and Rapinoe has inexplicably scored four goals in two games without being particularly effective.
Replay shows Heath was on.
Now can I say it’s over?
Updated
63 min: SUBSTITUTION. Here comes Lindsey Horan at last, replacing Lavelle. Yeah, they’re parking the bus.
But Gauvin wins a header between two of the three central defenders, and Naeher actually has to make a save.
62 min: Le Sommer, almost certainly offside, gets the ball on the left and crosses.
Majri blasts the ball off O’Hara. Did that hit her in the wrist (tucked in ahead of her torso, so no handball)? She’s hurt.
Tactics, tactics ...
Ellis yells out and motions for a 5-4-1, and Ertz has dropped into the back line as the #USWNT continues to absorb pressure. Bending, bending.....
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) June 28, 2019
Tiny Rose Lavelle guarding Renard, the tallest woman in the tournament, on corners is hilarious. And working to this point.
— Chris D. Davies (@chris_d_davies) June 28, 2019
61 min: France have 59% possession and 11 shots. None on target. We may be at a ticker-tape parade in a couple of weeks asking when someone’s going to test Alyssa Naeher.
59 min: Played ahead to Diani, but if Dunn is two things, she’s a potent attacker (rather wasted at left back) and a speedster, and she breaks things up.
Simon Loft: “Can you win a corner, or a throw-in, off a pony-tail? France were denied a corner in about the 53rd min”
Don’t give the VAR crew any ideas.
58 min: CHANCE FOR FRANCE. It starts with Diani again beating Dunn. The ball is played back, then floated to the far post, where neither Renard nor Naeher can get to it. Le Sommer shoots but has no path to goal.
Updated
57 min: Le Sommer works on the left again against O’Hara and wins a corner. Will France remember that they have Renard?
They do, but it’s headed clear -- maybe Ertz, maybe Dahlkemper. I need a bigger TV.
That opening sequence:
Another fast start for the USA!
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2019
Mewis forces a good save from Bouhaddi, who then kicks away the follow-up attempt from Heath. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/UYtAfC5AhM
54 min: And another delayed offside call. And probably incorrect, but France had regained possession anyway. It’ll just be a topic of conversation with the ref assessor later.
France possessing now, but maybe 80 yards from the US goal. And now 100. That won’t help.
53 min: Thiney plays the corner, where Le Sommer goes up for it and heads it into the next arrondissement. She tries to claim a deflection, but it was not to be.
At the other side, Heath is offside.
51 min: Le Sommer slaloms past O’Hara and Dahlkemper, but it’s alleged defensive midfielder (now basically a third center back) Ertz coming in to sweep it away for a throw-in. Seems unfair. At least let France have a corner.
Henry gains a shot from distance, then a second, and this one is deflected for that corner. I must be ahead of the time-space continuum somehow.
Updated
50 min: Ruth Purdue: “Width is the answer for France and the way around this US team. The Americans squeeze the centre for space and France struggle to go through there. Get the full back higher and switch the play quicker. There is space in behind.”
On cue, O’Hara fails to cope with pressure, and the ball is played into the box, where Dunn gives it away.
So many holes in the US team, but can anyone punish them?
Doug Burton: “French supporters seem to be resigned to a slow death. They need to lift the team for them to have a chance. US basically came into their house and are sleeping on the couch with their shoes on, eating all their food and leaving garbage everywhere.”
Sounds like a disgruntled AirBnB owner.
48 min: France concede another corner under frankly minimal pressure. The ref again wants to chat with people in the box, specifically Torrent. Aly Wagner says France will want to stop Julie Ertz. They barely do so, and the USA wave hands looking for a handball. Or a foul.
Actually, Crystal Dunn played it with her arm, but that’s probably not what the USA meant.
46 min: CHANCE FOR USA. A 20-yard shot from Mewis forces Bouhaddi to dive and stretch. Heath is there to send in the rebound from a tough angle, and Bouhaddi saves for a corner. Morgan has a shot from the corner that’s blocked by Henry, and that seemed to hurt.
What’s French for “alarm clock”?
Updated
@duresport just how small is that screen you're watching on? Or is it a tiny window in the bottom of the screen while you're typing and checking Twitter and emails?
— Marc Hermann (@marchermann) June 28, 2019
I’m 12 feet away from a 27-inch diagonal screen that was high-tech when we got it in 2006.
Teams are back on the field.
Updated
Want to look ahead?
Not writing off France here, but someone from this game will face England, and Eni Aluko has some words of caution before that semifinal:
England looked better yesterday than either team look here, but Aluko’s warning seems fair.
And one US star seems to have bounced back, which sounds odd coming back from a game in which she scored twice from the spot:
“Without question, my standout of the attacking Americans is Rapinoe. Her goal may have had a touch of luck about it, but given the week she’s had this is quite the show of intent to silence the critics. I’ve yet to see the ball stripped from her I think,” says Matthew Richman.
Meanwhile, Peter Oh asks about the USA’s third-string keeper: “Any chance of Franch being introduced from the bench to help stanch any staunch resistance by the French?”
I think a branch just fell on my house.
(BTW -- yes, I’m part French, but I’m actually more English and Scottish. And apparently American, according to my birth certificate.)
Quick note: Kelley O’Hara already has a yellow in this tournament. Needs to be careful. Seemed clear from the conversation that she is one step away.
Jamison MacLachlan is still unhappy: “France making adjustments. US not to much. The US can’t sit and defend a 1-0 lead for another 45. It’s hot, there will be a mental lapse, a bad bounce, a terrible VAR decision.”
So is Brian Doll: “Us midfield is unbelievably sloppy with their passes not sure if they have actually completed more than five. This game needs a person to put their foot on the ball and calm things down. Game tailor made for Horan yet she is on the bench.”
Aren’t the USA winning this one?
And one more from Arlo Katts: “I’m getting no sense of the ebb and flow of the game from this commentary. There’s no analysis, just reportage of what the US team is doing. Have France not turned up?”
They have not.
Updated
HALFTIME: France 0-1 USA
Give credit to France for having most of the possession after a disastrous opening 10 minutes. But the USA are content to be a counterattacking team now, and France have shown little sign of breaking them down.
All it takes is one set piece, though. France still have the proverbial puncher’s chance.
😳 Amel Majri just ran into a brick wall aka Kelley O'Hara. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/Tp1h0cfYb1
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2019
46 min +2: The last meaningful touch of the half is a hard but untroubling blast from Rapinoe.
Updated
45 min: More French possession with little intent.
Peter McMurry: “I’m surprised France isn’t attacking more down the left flank - Majri looks the most energetic French player, but Renard keeps ignoring her in order to play the ball over to the right, despite Diani having no joy so far. I don’t understand. Also, Thiney has done nothing and should be subbed off.”
Right on cue, Diani slips free for a header in the box that goes wide. And Dunn has not looked the part at left back through the whole tournament. She plays eight positions, probably five of them better than left back.
43 min: O’Hara dives to win a foul from Gauvin at midfield. (Granted, I’m watching on a small screen. Your view may differ.)
The ball works out to Rapinoe, who plays back to Dunn, who is always eager to get into the attack but had better options than shooting there. First US shot in a while, but not one of interest.
France have 61% possession, five shots -- not one on target.
41 min: A US player -- looks like Mewis -- somehow wins the header off the free kick away from Renard, but it’s nowhere near the frame.
USWNT hasn't been able to clear their lines. Struggling to get out of their own half for the past ~10 minutes. When they do see the ball, they've quickly given it back with some poor giveaways.
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) June 28, 2019
40 min: Off the free kick from the O’Hara foul, we once again have a seminar with our ref. After the long wait, the ball floats straight to Naeher.
At the other end, Bouhaddi decides she has been idle for a while, so she races off her line on a whim. That action solves nothing, and Rose Lavelle is needlessly fouled for a US free kick that Tobin Heath (remember her?) will take.
38 min: Alex Morgan lifts her studs up. Whistle blows. Morgan says she didn’t touch her. She kinda did.
Through ball from France is cut out by O’Hara, running twice as fast as everyone else.
And then O’Hara slams into Majri. Literally. Not sure how she avoided yellow there.
OK, it’s not over. France have looked better here.
Updated
37 min: Not much possession for the USA at the moment.
Ruth Purdue asks: “Have they changed the rule about having to receive the ball outside the box from a goal kick?”
Yes, and I’m not looking forward to my referee recertification test.
See, I’m not alone ...
#FRA are out of ideas already in the final third. Mentally spent, much like other major tournaments for them. Only roads back are a major #USA mistake at the back or a set piece with Renard skying high. It's hard to say at 0-1 a match is done, but this feels it. #FRAUSA #FIFAWWC
— Kartik Krishnaiyer (@kkfla737) June 28, 2019
33 min: The corner kick gets to Henry, but the header goes well over.
France are at least putting a few things together. Still no shots on target.
Updated
32 min: Still not sure what happened with Morgan. Replay showed she might have landed badly after going up for a header, but she walks off with little trouble and immediately asks to come back in.
We resume, and Diani takes the ball from Dunn and goes forward. Mewis blocks the cross for a corner.
29 min: A corner kick for France, which might be their best chance to get something going thanks to the height of Wendie Renard. The ball floats past her head, and as France try to cycle it back in, they’re offside. Again. That’s at least four.
Alex Morgan is down, which gives us an unofficial hydration break. Not sure what’s up, but the trainers are out.
28 min: Things have quieted down a bit. The USA are clearly content to press in spurts and wait for France to hand over the ball.
25 min: Not saying the USA have parked the bus, but while France play the ball around midfield, we can clearly see a line of five keeping France at bay.
And it pays off with an offside call.
So if you wanted Ertz to play center back today, congratulations. Now she is.
Two from Mary Waltz in the inbox:
“Spain shut down Morgan with constant tough,not dirty, play well before the box area. With the early yellow will France be able to duplicate those tactic. French goalie just assumed a tip in on that goal.”
Also: “Dunn still looks shaky. If France focuses on her this match is far from over.”
But they won’t. It’s over.
Note to emailers -- I am not going to mention the person whose name rhymes with “rump” and is a part-time resident of Washington, DC. Sorry.
21 min: Do you know me?
This is Tobin Heath. She plays right forward for the USA. She barely saw the ball against Spain but was very effective when she did. She’s one of the most skilled players in US women’s history.
Rose Lavelle just tried to play the ball to her, but the pass was about 10 yards (9 meters) off target.
18 min: A sweet cutback from Diani to beat Dunn, and that sets up a series of near-chances. Still nothing to trouble Naeher. France’s defenders play the ball around, hoping they’ve weathered the storm while only conceding one goal.
DREAM START FOR THE USA! 🇺🇸@mpinoe's free kick gets past everyone as the @USWNT takes an early lead once again! #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/K5oHYnCyvD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2019
And Rapinoe is down in pain again. Amandine Henry, who has played in the USA, chats with the ref. The Seattle-Portland rivalry is everywhere.
Updated
16 min: I can’t possibly keep up with the US attack today. Neither can Bouhaddi, who has to race out of her box to play the ball away from Rapinoe (who was offside, the replay shows, but VAR is far behind).
Then Mewis falls in the box with no contact, and Aly Wagner thinks it should be a card. Every sports journalist who watched women’s soccer religiously -- every four years -- would be aghast. They think US women don’t dive.
Nice one here ...
— Stephen Borg (@FCBorg) June 28, 2019
Our Caitlin Murray, for one, does not think this is over.
I think France sees the #USWNT fullbacks as being vulnerable. And that works out because France has incredible wingers. #FIFAWWC
— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) June 28, 2019
Hey, maybe Jill Ellis will bring in Carli Lloyd for Abby Dahlkemper just to make it interesting.
14 min: Torrent whacks Rapinoe’s ankle from behind as is lucky not to see yellow. (As you may recall from the last MBM, I am not a US homer. This has just been dreadful from France so far.)
Updated
13 min: Finally some attacking possession for France, and actually, it’s a half-decent chance in the end as Le Sommer gets her head on the second cross attempt. Naeher snares it, but replay showed it was going ...
Pardon me -- Morgan shoots at the other end.
Can we possibly try Spain’s defense with France’s offense? Would they have a chance?
— Dan Vaughn, Rapinoe Supporter (@SoccerBarista) June 28, 2019
Look, so many French players play for Lyon, who win every game by a score of 308-0. You think they know how to play from behind?
Forget it. It’s over.
But follow along with us anyway
Updated
8 min: France finally attack on Dunn’s flank. They’re offside. Well, maybe. Looked OK on the replay.
OK, no deflection, and the three-time global goalkeeper of the year just lost the ball in traffic.
It’s over. Calling it now. Bring on USA-England.
GOAL: FRA 0-1 USA (Rapinoe 5)
Rapinoe’s free kick goes into traffic and emerges on the other side. Surely it was deflected?
Updated
5 min: We spend a rather long time setting this up for some reason .. and ...
4 min: YELLOW CARD to Mbock! The USA take a quick throw-in, and Mbock grabs Alex Morgan as she races down the left flank near the box. Free kick now that Rapinoe will take. She has been erratic with these.
2 min: Speaking of left backs who attack, Amel Majri (wearing No. 10) tries to work her way past O’Hara into the US box. She falls. There was no contact. Not a good idea. Refs from Ukraine don’t fall for that.
1 min: Instead of going straight at the left-back who isn’t a left-back, Crystal Dunn, France try to walk a tightrope down their left. The USA go the other direction, Rapinoe finds space to play to Ertz, and the USA already have as many shots on goal from the run of play as they did against Spain.
Updated
Kickoff: The countdown is English. The kickoff is French. The ball is out of play.
Updated
OK, all silliness aside -- this is one of those matchups you dream of seeing in sports. It’s a privilege to be here to talk about it.
Here we go ...
Updated
Speaking of penalty controversies, today’s officials are ...
@duresport
— Angelos Themelis (@AngelosThemelis) June 28, 2019
So you make line-up suggestions for the USWNT, ha?
WOW !
But . . .
You forgot the most important one of all, though:
Katalin KULCSAR, the Hungarian referee - the one who gave the two #Fake penalties to the USWNT, so that they could move on to face #France2019
The first was rather obvious, wasn’t it?
Anyway, tonight’s people in green are ...
Referee: Kateryna MONZUL (UKR)
AR1: Marina STRILETSKA (UKR)
AR2: Oleksandra ARDASHEVA (UKR)
FO: Kate JAZEWICZ (AUS)
Reserve AR: KIM Kyoung Min (KOR)
VAR: Danny MAKKELIE (NED)
AVAR1: Chantal BOUDREAU (CAN)
AVAR2: Pawel GIL (POL)
Whoa, whoa ... a Canadian? With a French name?
Updated
A few more of your pregame thoughts before I go into full-bore game mode. I mean full-blown. Hopefully not full bore.
alincoln on Twitter, presumably referring to Horan’s omission from the starting XI: “Remember when Greg Ryan started Scurry over Solo against Brazil in 2007 WC?This is Ellis’ Greg Ryan moment and will also be her last game as HC of the USWNT.”
Was there an off-field issue with Horan?
Joe Pearson has already has wine. I’m on my third soda, which I never do. I don’t think caffeine affects me, though -- hey, should I rewire the entertainment center while I watch? I think I’ll also juggle.
Julian Borrill: “Red, white, blue - US ... Bleu, blanc, rouge - France”
Je parle francais un peu, mais ma vocabulaire est tres mal. I’m the product of US schools. You’re all lucky I can speak English.
Peter Oh: “I like the sound of “the Statue of Liberty derby”. Hopefully this match will be remembered only for the actions of the ladies on the pitch, and I’m not talking about the referees. No VARc de Triomphe, please!”
Actually, I heard they checked the video again, and they’ve taken back the penalty awarded on the Lavelle we-won’t-say-dive incident against Spain. We’ll have to play the rest of that game again.
Anthems are underway, and France has the USA beaten there.
Pregame scenes
As ever, I’m astounded at the disposable income Americans can conjure for things like this. I can’t even afford to see my alma mater play basketball, but I made poor career choices. “Poor” as in financial. This is clearly its own reward.
Speaking of the red, white and blue, we have this from the mailbag from Jamison MacLachlan ...
“The one HUGE Achilles Heel the US has is that they seem to have an inability to either recognize they need to make adjustments in game or they refuse to. ... If the US plays the way they did against Spain....lacking awareness and creativity in adjusting on both sides of the ball....it could be a long night for my red white and blue.”
Which red, white and blue, though?
Speaking of the seven European teams in the last eight, Shane Hart asks a question of all England fans: Who do you want to win?
Red, white and blue!
I lost the tweet that referred to this game as the Statue of Liberty matchup. At least we’re remembering that wonderful celebration of democratic ideals and not selling “freedom fries” any more.
From our correspondent on the scene ...
Crowd was very loud for both lineup announcements. Just a lot of red, white and blue so tough to get a visual idea of the support breakdown. #USWNT #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/rWkNDzBhwz
— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) June 28, 2019
Brandon Dwonch, in the inbox: “I have not looked towards to a game this much since the Champions League Final.” But he says it’ll be goalless, and France will win 4-3 in PKs. (Or, as we pedants call it, kicks from the mark.)
Worth noting -- the USA didn’t have a lot of shots on goal in the game against Spain. To be precise, three, including the two penalties.
Also on the interwebs ...
Hopefully, Naeher ignores Ellen’s advice.
— Paul Klee (@pgklee) June 28, 2019
Predictions
I picked the USA to win it all before we started, and I’m sticking with it. I also picked Australia to reach the final, so I may not be good at this.
Today, I’m thinking if the US women score the first goal, it’s all but over. The French have a word for how that will feel -- Déjà vu.
The host country has had a good team throughout the 2010s, but medals have been elusive. In 2011, two late goals by Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan pushed the US to a 3-1 win in the semifinals. They’ve never been closer to the top three than that.
Controversy No. 3: The heat
Tom Lutz informs me that, contrary to what I said previously, our sun cannot go supernova.
That will be of little comfort in France, which just saw a record temperature of 45.9C. That’s nearly 115 degrees in US temperatures. Or, as we sometimes call it, Death Valley hot.
But at Parc des Princes, it’s merely 30 degrees. That’s 86 in the USA, the land of stubborn measurements. And we’re told it’s not the same humidity as those of us who dwell on the US East Coast swim in every day.
France lineup
Unchanged from the last game.
La composition de l'Equipe de France !! #FRA #FiersdetreBleues #FRAUSA 🇫🇷🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/M9uCUg2Gmz
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 28, 2019
And it’s pretty much as projected from our team guide.
Wendie Renard has made the odd uncharacteristic mistake here, but she and Griedge Mbock are a generally sound defensive partnership. And like the US women, they have more attackers than they can possibly start, with Delphine Cascarino being the in-vogue supersub.
US lineup
AKA Controversy No. 2: Lindsey Horan’s omission
Lindsey Horan is a tremendous two-way midfielder. She has experience playing with an against the French players. She sat out the round of 16 game against Spain until the very end, perhaps because she was carrying a yellow card, and a second would put her out of action for the game against France.
As it turns out, that didn’t matter. Out of the four main US midfielders -- Horan, defensive destroyer / attacker Julie Ertz, two-way player Samantha Mewis, and playmaker Rose Lavelle -- Horan is the one that sits.
Another option Jill Ellis would have had -- sit Becky Sauerbrunn, one of the finest defenders in women’s soccer’s relatively brief history but coming off some minor injury concerns and a major mistake against Spain, to move Ertz to center back. Didn’t do that.
It’s the familiar lineup at the back: Alyssa Naeher in goal, Sauerbrunn and Abby Dahlkemper at center back, attack-minded Crystal Dunn at left back, attack-minded Kelley O’Hara at right back, Ertz behind Mewis and Lavelle in the middle, Megan Rapinoe trying to do better on the left flank than she did against Spain, Tobin Heath trying to see more of the ball on the right than she did against Spain, and Alex Morgan trying to be fouled out of the play a lot less than she did against Spain.
Personally, I’d put Dunn at forward in place of Rapinoe, and I’d go back in time to include Casey Short on the roster so she could play left back.
For our Nation
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 28, 2019
For the 🔴, ⚪️ and 🔵
For U.S. all.
Lineup Notes: https://t.co/Swf85Gglmd#OneNationOneTeam pic.twitter.com/B2sgyUmQ9y
Controversy No. 1: Equal pay
Please check out the work Caitlin Murray and Sam Morris did with respect to the comparative World Cup bonuses that the US women might achieve in the next 10 days and the US men might achieve before the sun goes supernova.
This is, of course, part of a couple of larger questions, and not just the glass ceiling in American workplaces.
The tough part is that FIFA’s bonuses are pretty far from equal. In 2018, France got $38 million. This year, the winner will get $4 million.
So your options are these ...
FIFA will award $4m to the 2019 champion. It awarded $38m to the 2018 champion. So if you're US Soccer, do you raise the WNT bonus all the way up and hope sponsors make up the gap? Do you slash the MNT bonus and reinvest? Or what?
— Beau Dure 🗯️⚽👨👦 (@duresport) June 28, 2019
Preamble
It’s Brazil-Germany in the men’s World Cup. It’s Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg, had Rousey stuck with MMA and gone back up to her old weight class. It’s Kelly Clarkson vs. Susan Boyle in an all-star battle of reality-contest singers.
It’s big. Grande. Incroyable.
Super Bowls are hyped for two weeks. This game has been hyped since the World Cup draw was made in December, assuming the USA and France would win their groups and their eighth-final games. (As it turns out, each team made hard work of it.)
So this could be a contest of titanic proportions.
Or it could be Mike Tyson knocking out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. But let’s hope not.
The winner faces England, which will be the next epic match.
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Caitlin Murray on how today’s game may be settled:
The set piece battle
“We take set pieces very seriously,” Megan Rapinoe said in France before the USA’s first game of the tournament. “Those are moments you can practice, you can set things up, you can potentially catch the other team off guard, go quickly or if you’e got tricky plays. We have a lot of specialists in all the different areas of set plays.”
Although the Americans are traditionally been strong on set pieces, such scenarios haven’t been the deciding factor for the Americans yet. France, meanwhile, have scored five of their goals in this tournament from set plays.
Samantha Mewis, standing at almost 6ft tall, is the tallest outfield player the US have ever had. Wendie Renard, the French center back, has at least two inches on her and is the tallest player in this World Cup. If there’s a play the US will have to watch on corner kicks, it is surely Renard.
“She’s great in the air and a really well-rounded player,” Mewis said Wednesday. “We all have so much respect for her and I think our setup on set pieces will remain the same – we just have to make sure were doing our jobs and executing because she’s definitely dangerous.”
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