Tag: Vietnam

  • Women’s World Cup: Day 13

    It was close to being very “Unlucky #13” today – Team USA was inches away from being eliminated from the Group Stage. Portugal almost had this match, and Team USA looks beatable. There is no sense dancing around it, that target on their backs is very big and very heavy. If it turns out that Sweden is the team that USA faces in the Round of 16, then this could be the end of the Tournament for America.

    I am often wrong when it comes to football, and my predictions are wildly off base. Yet, Team USA did a very slow, grinding slide in their Group Stage. The win against Vietnam was the best match that they played, and even in that, they didn’t seem very aggressive. Everyone knew the Netherlands was going to play them hard, so no one was surprised at the draw. But Portugal should have been a win, and if nothing else, they should have at least got one ball in the back of the net. I’ve watched many big teams in big tournament struggle in the group stage. From what I’ve seen, to be successful in the Knockout Stage, you needed to have corrected your issues in the Group Stage. Hoping that the Group Stage “sacred you straight” never materializes. You need to leave the Group confident, not wounded. Team USA is wounded. And they won’t have Rose Lavelle in the next match due to yellow cards, so that just makes it more challenging.

    That having been said… I’m keeping my eye on Japan and England. They are playing hard, take no prisoners football, and they want it. I’m not giving up on Team USA, but if they do get past Sweden, then they most likely will have to play Japan. So… If I can have a Plan B wish for this Cup; an England Japan final would be pretty cool. Just throwing that out there.

    Anyway, see you on Sunday at 5am.

  • Woman’s World Cup: Day 5

    I am having trouble with the time differences when it comes to the matches. I don’t want to sound like I’m copping out on watching. I try to stay up, but I fall asleep. Or I’ve been sleeping through my alarm. If the match isn’t at 9pm, then odds aren’t good that I will be able to watch live. What I am left with is reading and watching highlights. Not very exciting for me as I did watch all Team USA matches in 2019 and 2015. I am very proud of that fact, and sadly I am not sure I will be able to continue. USA plays Portugal on 8/1 at 3am Eastern. I’m planning on being there but I will have to fight for that one.

    So, what have I seen?

    USA v Vietnam: Seems the consensus about this match was that the USA was rusty, as they should have blown Vietnam out of the water. And that consensus is stupid by the way. 3-0 is a pretty serious drumming, and I get that Group E might come down to the point differential, but only Team USA would get scolded for not scoring enough points. My second take on this match is that Team USA would have had 7 goals is it wasn’t for Vietnam’s goalie, T. Thi Kim Tran. There was only so much Tran could do, and what she did was stop the American’s from rolling all over them.

    England v Haiti: Caught the tail end of this one. I would have thought that England would have scored more, but a win is a win.

    France v Jamaica: This was the second surprise of the tournament, after New Zealand beating Norway. Only saw highlights, and a tie is not a loss for France, but still surprising.

    Germany v Morocco: Don’t mess with Germany. Germany made a loud statement with their 6-0 win that they came to win this Cup.

    Brazil v Panama: And Brazil also made their statement with their 4-0 win, too.

    Columbia v South Korea: Looking forward to this one. I know that these two are not high ranked teams, but South Korea has always been a scrappy team in my eye – fun to watch. Maybe them or Columbia could be the Dark House of the Tournament.