[VegasRandy]

Hope Solo isn't close to hot. More like manish.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

acarmelo, get me a picture of Kamasumi. Think she's pretty hot.

Leave it to BTJ to throw in his politically incorrect Two cents.

[gregm]

One of the most exciting soccer tourneys I have seen in awhile, copa america has been a dud. Japan's performance during this tourney was ferocious , incredible display of talent and discipline.

Congrats from an American to the nation of Japan, you should be extremely proud of these womens accomplishments.

[BookiesBernanke]

Good Job Japan

[vividjohn45]

japan's first goal had to be one of the worst goals i've ever seen. or any professional sports play. period.

the first defender clears the ball. and the second defender just had to get out of the way. or deflect it for a corner ,, but no.

like all good defenders do. she tried to clear a ball already cleared. and passed it right into the center of the goal to a japan forward. who pounded a shot from 6 feet out.

100% courtesy of the 2nd american defenderless.

very ez the biggest gaff i've seen in a long long time. up 1-0 in the world cup with 10 minutes to go.

next time defenderless. don't stand on the train tracks. when the train coming things get messy as you well know.

[wal66]

really guy??
Could you give even one example in which she gave up a goal because she was out of position?

As I've made clear, I don't know much about the sport or what it takes to play but she appeared to react or anticipate where she thought the ball was going and not where the ball went.

Easy to be a critic I realize when you aren't knowledgeable in something but it didn't look natural.

My fat ass certainly couldn't do it but some of the other goalies in the World Cup seemed more agile.

[freeVICK]

Hope solo is so overrated. Honestly she cost the US that game

[FishFace5]

Hope solo is so overrated. Honestly she cost the US that game

. I tried to think of a better response for 2 minutes but the rolling laughing guy is the only thing that does this post justice.
Let me redirect my question to Wally towards you?
How did she cost them the game?? Show me even one soft goal she gave up all tourney??
Both goals Japan scored yesterday were in no way shape or form the goalies fault. Im not exaggerating either. 100% defensive breakdowns on both goals.

[freeVICK]

Tell me what she did to win that game? Any keeper shoulda have been able to stop te second goal. Solo get all this hype from her looks and cry baby antics. She is a average keeper at best who can kick the ball far big whoop

[FishFace5]

First of all she was hardly challenged in that game so I guess I cant point to much she did to win the game..... but to say any keeper should have stopped the 2nd goal is a joke. She didnt even have a chance at that ball guy. Im not sure if you have Bruce Lee type reflexes but that 2nd goal was unbelievable. Perfect corner kick. Low hard line drive that took a perfect deflection into the goal. Keeper had no prayer. The best mens goalie in the world wouldnt have gotten to that ball.
She is far better than an average keeper, cant think of any I would trade her for.

[wal66]

Fisher, you sound involved in soccer so I'll ask you. Were there better goalies out there?

For the record the in-game goals Japan scored were not the goals I was questioning. I agree they were pretty difficult if not almost impossible to stop. I was referring to the penalty kicks.

I had a problem with our attempts with the penalty kicks as well. The first attempt was a great (and pretty lucky) block by Japan's goalie but our 2nd and 3rd attempts appeared weak. Novice opinion but did they not look like pretty weak attempts from such top players?

Again I'm not arguing a point I am asking an opinion.

[pavyracer]

Wal,

If you were the player taking the PK and you knew the goalie is 5'-3" tall with a maximum hand reach of 6'-6" and you knew the goal is 8' tall where would you have kicked the ball?

[wal66]

Wal,

If you were the player taking the PK and you knew the goalie is 5'-3" tall with a maximum hand reach of 6'-6" and you knew the goal is 8' tall where would you have kicked the ball?

If I had the ability (which I don't) to make the kick, upper corner I would think.

[FishFace5]

^^
Its difficult to ever put the blame on the goalies once in the penalty kick stage of the game. At that point the goalies are basically playing a guessing game.
The responsibility is on the shooter in a PK situation and yes after the Japanese goalie made an incredible first save our next 2 shooters had terrible shots.
I dont follow Womens soccer beyond watching the major tournies on TV but I didnt see any better goalies in the WC. I think she is one of the best in the world.

[wal66]

FF, we ,ay have violated some unwritten rules here by discussing differing opinions without name calling and insults. Don't be surprised if we receive an infraction notice tomorrow.

I don't watch much soccer. I watched some of the men WC and really was amazed at the skills on display. I have tried to watch a little MLS but it's not nearly the same game from what I've seen. I doubt I will ever be an actual fan but I certainly appreciate the athleticism and talent involved.

[FishFace5]

^^
HA. PT can get a lil rough.
Lookin forward to talking college football soon guy.

[k13]

Wal,

If you were the player taking the PK and you knew the goalie is 5'-3" tall with a maximum hand reach of 6'-6" and you knew the goal is 8' tall where would you have kicked the ball?

In to the crowd.

[Dirty Sanchez]

The World Championship shouldn't be decided on Penalty Kicks...period

[FishFace5]

Wal, If you were the player taking the PK and you knew the goalie is 5'-3" tall with a maximum hand reach of 6'-6" and you knew the goal is 8' tall where would you have kicked the ball?

In to the crowd.

.

[doylfish]

terrible collapse..brutal lapses in defense for maybe 2 minutes total out of all 120 and there you go..

[Bill Dozer]

the bad play was the first goal for japan. defender gets confused and puts ball back in center of goal area to a unmarked japan forward. total stupidity. get out o the way of the ball or put it out for a corner.

USA dominated the whole game, but that's not enough... you have to convert and you have to play solid D... first Japan goal was like pee wee soccer...

I haven't seen much about this but I thought this was the deciding play of the game. In 6 yr old soccer, one of the first things the kids learn is don't pass the ball back in front of your own goal. They drill it in their heads so much that for the next 3 years in youth rec soccer the kids boot any ball that comes within the last quarter of the field...to no one. Parents yell good job even when they have a teammate wide open down the line.

Yesterday a USA defender tries to clear it in front of the goal and she flubs it. Could she have given them the corner the other way? Probably but it happened. But, what was the second defender doing moving the ball back in front of the goal with a pass? It might as well have been an own goal.




And it's not like they were owning the backfield. All they had to do was boot it like the 6 yr olds. Japan had a handful of shots on goal the whole day while US offense controlled the game.
I don't think you can blame Solo for either of those goals. They were both point blank range shots. The other was a Marta type shot off the corner.

[sportfan]

USA gave that game to Japan but who care , its soccer

[Jnas]

That was a huge choke. lost the lead w/ 10 to go and then like 3 minutes to go in OT. not that anyone really cares though. glad its over

[ThaTopMoron]

I don't know shit about soccer or care too... but even when I saw how Japan got their first goal... and then the replay of it, even I was thinking "WTF... u gotta be kidding me? Why the f did she boot it back the other way... so softly, setup a perfect kick for Japan "

never betting again on women's soccer... luckily I got back my losses on that wager and some yesterday

SO F YOU CHOKING BITCHES hope you got your pockets lined good for throwing that game

[giveNtakeRH]

The best chance Japan had was in 2nd half or penalties. They came out and were dominated by USA, nothing like the team we saw against the Swedes or the Germans. USA were CLEARLY the better team on the night but mistakes do happen and it was like the soccer gods were on Japan's side. The second goal by Sawa to take it to extra time was freakish, there is no goalie on this planet that would be prepared to save that shot. The Japanese girls are well trained with PK and they got the job done, well done to them.

My bet was with Japan to win the cup, I thought it was a losing bet but these Japanese girls just didn't give up. Well done to the US girls on making it to the finals and keeping a positive attitude towards the loss. I believe it was Brazil's cup to win but as destiny has it Japan shocked the world. They did a good deed for their country recovering from the disaster, real fairy tale ending, looking forward to the next WWC.

[giveNtakeRH]

*Sawa's goal to take it to PK

[jjgold]

.

Not easy to sneak a goal by net with 1.5 ft of space
N ever kick high because hard to control

[thetrinity]

does anyone else think pia screwed up the lineup on the pks?

boxx made hers after a rekick vs brazil and tobin heath was in the game for about 5 minutes and selected to shoot one.