Uncategorized They Inspired

They Inspired



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Though they came up short the U.S. Women’s soccer team has inspired a new generation of young athletes to shoot for the moon. Congrats to Japan, a nation in need of healing, who played with poise and congrats to team USA for representing our country so proudly. Way to go Ladies!

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6 thoughts on “They Inspired”

  1. Good Morning from Omaha,

    what a great game and to lose it in a shoot out 3-1!

    The problem is that they only play the cup, I think, every 4 years and its hard to build a fan base with “important” games every 4 years. The American memory is short so encourage your young ladies to get outside and play soccer. UNlike baseball, football and even mens soccer and Lacrosse there are games of real importance played every year, there have been attempts at pro women’s soccer but with out the financial support that is keeping the WNBA afloat.

    Tip of the hat to Japan for winning the cup and to the American women for showing that “Rosie the Riveter” spirit that helped make the UNited States what it was, what it is and what it will become.

    Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

    Gene

  2. Soccer runs on a Four-Year cycle: The qualifiers alone take two years, and FIFA allows the Olympics to be just as big a deal as the WWC (which they don’t for the men).

    Women’s soccer here is getting it right: It’s succeeding as a college sport (like most women’s sports at that level) and WPS is set up more as a regional league on the East Coast, where getting 4-6K is enough to support a team – not to mention cutting down on travel costs.

    As for the game:

    Japan excells at the bend-don’t-break game and weathered the first half, which the US should’ve ended up 2-0 at least. Sawa kept the counterattacks dangerous and didn’t let down. It was almost a mirror image of the US Brazil game, except with less thuggery and cheap shots. Iwashimizu’s red wasn’t so much dirty as it was professional.

    I knew the jig was up after Lloyd’s PK went into low orbit. Japan was in our heads, and wasn’t giving up.

    Next up for this Soccer nut: Summer Friendlies and MLS!

  3. First off, congraulations to Japan. They deserved to win the World Cup, and it will help heal their nation.

    As for the USA, if you’re looking for someone to blame, try FIFA boss Sepp (Weak) Bladder. He did away with the “golden goal” for overtime. Had he and FIFA not done away with it, USA would be World Cup champs.

  4. Nothing to blame for that useless Golden Goal. It was installd for just one Championship btw, as was Silver Goal. Both Ideas let the Game going the wrong Way, instead of more offensiv ist was going into more Defense.

    Womans Soccer will never reach the Level of Mens Soccer, neither in Quality (has to do with Physics) then in Sponsoring or Attraction. You see it well here in Europe, for example in Germany at Mens Soccer there are around 50.000 watching just Club Leagues, at the Ladies there are at highest around 3.000…..

    Japan did well and earnd it, but the US Ladies have to ask themselves how they lost that one, they were way better in regular Time and should have scored at last 3, 4 Goals.

  5. Chris is right. The Golden Goal in the 1998 Men’s tourney just made things worse: everyone was packing the box and playing for kicks. Sudden Death only really works in hockey; I don’t even like it in (American) Football.

    Plus: Had there been a Golden Goal at this tourney, Brazil would have beaten us in the Quarterfinal.

  6. What a great tourney! The US and Japanese women did their countries proud. The U.S. couldn’t win it, and Japan wasn’t going to lose it.

    Chris, quality-wise, I’ve got to say I enjoyed watching the U.S. women and the few other teams I saw play highly technical soccer without the overacting flops so prevalent in the mens’ version of the sport. This tournament had the speed, passing game, and shooting, plus a much higher level of teamwork and respect. All in all, it came off as a far more entertaining product than even the recent UEFA matches. Still, you are right that the mens’ clubs get the money and fame. All I can say is the World Cup made a convert out of me.

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