The U.S. Women were eliminated from World Cup championship play by Brazil. The score was 4-0 for Brazil. Here are three things will be find their way into the press and into discussions by soccer fans:
1. Shannon Boxx, for the American team, was given two yellow cards. That means that she was ejected from the game. That also meant that the U.S. played the second half with just ten players. Not only did the U.S. miss Shannon Boxx but the extra person advantage allowed Brazil to dominate in the second half. Further, Shannon Boxx is not eligible for the consolation match on Sunday. My opinion: the second yellow card was a poor call.
2. The U.S. coach, Greg Ryan, is going to be catch a huge amount of criticism for changing goalies. He played Briana Scurry for Hope Solo. The argument will be that this change was a distraction and impacted on team chemistry. My opinion: Briana Scurry played well and cannot be faulted for the four goals. She is part of the team - and this group has been together long enough that a change in goal should not matter. I know that many will not agree with that. I do feel badly for Hope Solo. She played well and, as a competitive athlete, she should be upset at not playing in the semifinals. That does not mean that she is disruptive or that she is anti-Briana. At this level, she has to be competitive and has to believe that she is the best. Kudos to Ms Solo for a stellar tournament.
3. Speed and skill cover a multitude of errors. The team from Brazil is fast and they are so dangerous on offense. The quickness of the attack from Brazil really exposed openings in the American defense. The one player advantage in the second half was just an added bonus. The team from Brazil was far superior on this day. My opinion: I feel so badly for Leslie Osborne from the American side. The first goal, into her own net, was off her. It was a mis-play and gave Brazil the lead. In the end, the team from Brazil had an outstanding game and were dominant even before the red card to Shannon Boxx. This is Leslie Osborne’s first World Cup and she has been brilliant. I hope she is back for more international competitions.
So, on Sunday, it is Brazil and Germany in the finals. It will be great soccer.
Catherine
0 Responses to “World Cup: The U.S. Women Fall to Brazil”