OT: Women’s World Cup - Quarterfinals - Is Europe the strongest geo?
The quarterfinal matchups in the women’s World Cup are almost set - and will be if France effectively parks the bus and can hold on to their 3-0 lead over Morocco.
Of the final eight (8) teams - five (5) are from Europe - England, Sweden, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Two (2) are from Asia / Pacific - Australia and Japan. While one (1) Columbia is from the Americas.
Several commenters have said the rest of the world closed the gap on the perceived lead the US had.
Any thoughts you have on the subject?
Japan Sweden looking like it may be the best game of the tournament.
The quarterfinal matchups are:
Spain v Netherlands
Japan v Sweden
England v Columbia
Australia (host country) v France
August 8th, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^
Japan-Norway was like night-and-day from USA-Sweden, especially close to the net. Sweden's GK made a ton of saves but most of USA's shots were either wild misses or right at the keeper. It'll be interesting to see how Sweden does against Japan's surgical ball control.
As usual Japan is at a huge disadvantage in an aerial dogfight (and everyone knows to take advantage of that) but they more than make up for it with their ground attack. They time their attacks so well and Miyazawa is such a dangerous player. Their GK (Yamashita, again an oompa-loopma) doesn't have any reach but her positioning is so good she gives you no margin for error. Norway's goal was surgical on its own and she stopped another precise shot with an incredible save.
Europe has the most teams in the field by far, but I can see Japan taking this one.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Japan plays with panache. I love to watch them, and am rooting for them.
In answer to the OP's question, yup. But it's just so great for the game that three African teams persisted into the round of sixteen, that South America is showing out. And honestly, although people are mourning the U.S. loss, I'm not upset. They set the table for the world over the last 20 years, and this is what everyone wanted. The way they lost was no disgrace whatever, and they'll stay strong.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
Yup, Africa didn't survive the first round but it was nice to see some fresh faces. Nigeria in particular really showed up and could've gone further. Also, Vietnam's GK looked pretty good! I liked her aggressiveness. Their defense was physically overmatched but she made team USA earn their goals.
I do disagree about the disgrace, though. It's sickening that the misogynists charged in and made it about themselves (they're world champions FFS, WTF have your men accomplished for all their toeing the line) but to me, the disgrace was seeing stars showing the world that their glory days are clearly behind them. The team had younger players that were denied their chance on stage.
August 8th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
It's the rough period of a generational transition. And they had five key players out--three of whom are veterans. That's a lot; all five might have been starters. Maybe Rapinoe is too old and shouldn't have been on the team, or maybe she just played poorly. They needed someone to make those long crosses into the box, because Rodman, Smith, and Morgan are all the same kind of player. Swanson would have been so helpful to have up there. And I've been watching her continue to do that in the NWSL this season with not a lot off of her strong game.
I think that Andonovski's likely done. By the next WC, by the next Olympics, the transition is accomplished. While a new powerhouse might not have emerged under his watch, I don't think he'll be looked back on with too much hostility. This is arguably what was going to happen anyway, only with five starters out. And they only lost to Sweden through buzzard (aka soccer) luck.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:55 AM ^
Japan, France, snd Spain are the teams to beat.
It's unfortunate that if Japan & Spain advance, they face each other again in the semis and not the final.
For those less knowledgeable of women’s European soccer, this Spanish team is effectively their B team. Half of the starting team from a year ago was kicked off the team after complaining about the coach. It was a brutal period for the team. That just shows how deep that squad is.
Yeah, eight of the original 14 players who protested refused to take part. I'm torn about whether to pull for them! I have spent a lot of time in Spain and love their play and promise/
sad to say yes. US had the advantage of title IX for decades but other countries are starting to invest in developing talent. you take a look at some of the teams remaining, mostly european. England, Spain, even France who was up 3-0 the last I checked this morning.
Europe owns soccer
Europe's chief weapon is talent. Talent, and development, TWO weapons, and resources. Ahem. Their three weapons are talent, development, resources, and an almost fanatical devotion to soccer, are their four weapons oh damn.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
I think you should come in again
Of course it is!
Columbia is in South Carolina
August 8th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
I thought Colombia was a school in NYC.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
I thought that was called King's College
The top 10 will be basically unchanged with the US sliding because they couldn't put PKs on frame three times in a row. ( Sweden was #3 and the US outplayed them).
Yes, the rest of the world has improved and the current US team/coach did not improve as much.
Canada, Colombia, Japan, Australia join the US along with the regular Euro countries that have been, and still will be, top 10 teams, so while there may be a temporary reshuffle, I don't really think much has changed overall. No need to overreact just the US needed some of the older members to retire and get a new coach who makes adjustments. Sometimes a painful loss is what is needed to make changes and improve. I wouldn't bet against the US in the next cup.
August 8th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
I’m on board with this perspective. For all the hand-wringing about the drop-off in performance, this team was still playing at a very high level, albeit in an oddly disjointed fashion. The US defense was the best in the field. They conceded one goal on something like three legit chances across four games. That’s fantastic. Sweden advancing in this tie was downright fluky. They were thoroughly outplayed and then saw not one but two PKs that would have beaten them sent wide (while the goalie had gone the wrong way). The main culprits in the US defeat seem to have been the inability to relegate certain veteran players to complimentary bench roles. There’s talk of the pipeline of talent not being what it once was, but on the contrary, a reluctance to fully trust the younger attacking players is what cost this team.
All that aside, I wonder if the American braintrust needs to rethink the tactical approach of the team going forward. The Sweden game seemed to be the first attempt to actually build out from the back, to be patient, to work the ball down the flank in which they’d have a numbers advantage. Going forward it would be cool to see the US have a clear plan of attack from the start of a tourney, rather than from the fourth game in…
August 8th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
Youth development needs to be better. Yes, this particular team needed to have its youth playing more. But they mentioned in the studio that our youth U-20 & U-17 teams haven't won a World Cup since 2012, which was the U-20. Since then our U-20 record is QF in 2014, 4th in 2016, and didn't get out of group stage in 2018 & '22. We did qualify for 2024 in Colombia. U-17 record is group stage in 2012, didn't qualify in 2014, group stage in 2016 & '18, COVID, QF in 2022, 2024 TBD.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^
They ran out a 4-5-1 with a 34-year-old Alex Morgan at the spearhead and got zero goals out of her the entire tournament. She couldn't possibly have been the best option. She and Rapinoe are two of my heroes but they're so obviously washed up; they were absolutely putrid this tournament and it was not a good time seeing them out there like that.
August 8th, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
The US has won very few game against top competition during the last olympics and the world cup because they can’t score.
1 Goal vs the Dutch at the WC That’s it.
0 Goals vs Australia and Sweden in group play at the Olympics
2 vs the Dutch to move on in PKs, 0 vs Canada.
The only game against competition at the Olympics that they won without (edit typo) PKs was the 3rd place consolation game vs Australia (4-2)
This is the coach’s fault. He had basically the same team in the Olympics that Jill Ellis had two years earlier to win the world cup. They lost 3- 0 to Sweden and tied Australia 0-0 in group play. He will be canned. He should have been fired two years ago.
August 8th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
Should be fired but holy crap it looks like this country is glad they lost. I can see the coach being kept around just to drag the USWNT down to prove some sick point about being "woke".
August 8th, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
I'm thinking next WC, forwards in their mid-30s+ should be left off the team. That means Lynn Williams would be out at 34. Other positions, it depends. Becky Sauerbrunn was 34 in 2019 and was very good. Maybe you bring a veteran D, like Ali Krieger, who was 34 then and came in for when Kelly O'Hara was out due to concussion. Sofia Huerta will be 34, Emily Sonnett 33. I don't know that you bring Dunn or Ertz at 35.
MF, Horan will be 33. Lavelle 32. Sam Mewis will be 34. Not sure what her health will be, but she is 6' tall.
But it's time for the 20-somethings, and to find their backups.
The best player plays regardless of age.
Messi is 36
Yeah. But we don't have any Messis.
That was sad to see, after Morgan and Rapinoe provided so much scoring in the previous World Cup.
Hup Holland.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
Europe has clearly surpassed the USA because their players aren’t woke (eyeroll).
Japan is fun to watch and I think they’ll win it if they can survive Sweden.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
if France effectively parks the bus
France took 15 shots and scored four goals. Not sure how that’s parking the bus.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
When I began this thread, France was up 3-0 in the first half. And, at this level - my view of a 3-0 lead is - just play D and counter attack if the opportunity presents itself.
Regardless, the quarterfinals and remainder of the tourney should be fun to watch.
Enjoy...
The rest of the world has been catching up. Before the tournament, the USWNT was perceived as vulnerable this year because of having to integrate more roster changes. Having key players such as Swanson and Press out because of injury also didn't help. The group stage malaise was ugly to watch, and reminiscent of 2015, but it could have been worse--see Germany, Italy, and Brazil. Way too early to write off the team for subsequent years.
Press is 34, so I wonder if she'd have been that key. I think Catarina Macario would have been key and was missed.