WWC19 | Final: USA v Netherlands

16th June
Sunday's matches
F: United States vs Chile 5pm - BBC One
F: Sweden vs Thailand 2pm - BBC red button

Least balanced group in the tournament will continue to look unbalanced.
 
A couple of startling stats from the England- Argentina game.

First, the weirdest attacking key pass map I've ever seen:


And now one for people who like to keep tabs on the United players:

Looks like Abbie was in charge of recycling.
:D
 
Score predictions for those 2 games?
I’ll go with 5-0 to the US and 7-0 for Sweden.

Chile's goalkeeper, Christiane Endler (PSG) could have a really busy day, but she's good. They've got a few players playing pro/semipro football in Spain as well. I'd like to see them keep it below 5.

Thailand could be awful again, but I reckon Sweden will take pity. Not too much pity though, 4-0 maybe.
 
Sweden unsurprisingly winning 3-0 at HT against Thailand. That's the same HT score as the US had, but I'm really not expecting Sweden to score 10 more.
 
Chile's goalkeeper, Christiane Endler (PSG) could have a really busy day, but she's good. They've got a few players playing pro/semipro football in Spain as well. I'd like to see them keep it below 5.

Thailand could be awful again, but I reckon Sweden will take pity. Not too much pity though, 4-0 maybe.

Still 3-0 with 20 mins to go. Not a bad bet.
 
Penalty finishes the match and Sweden win 5-1. The game really didn't need that penalty called, we were all happy at 4-1 :lol:
 
USA 2 -0 ahead.
Corner should never have been given. They’re much the better side but feck, the officials have favoured them on a couple of decisions
 
The officials have been a joke in this tournament. Quite clearly a goal kick but the ref gives a corner which the USA score from.
 
That goal has to stand if Brazil's own goal v Australia does (Neither should in my opinion).

Yeah, I'm not sure why it was that different, however the rules now say on interfering:
interfering with an opponent by:
• preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
• challenging an opponent for the ball or
• clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or • making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

So I guess the judgment call is around the definition of "challenging an opponent", and "attempting to play a ball"

Of course I think that whole definition of interfering has made a stupid rule change more stupid. Offside has to recognise the effect of an attacker's presence on a defender's behaviour - the defender isn't the one who should have to decide if the attacker is offside before acting. But eh, I guess we'll just have wait and see how it plays out and what the next rule clarification brings.
 
Yeah, I'm not sure why it was that different, however the rules now say on interfering:


So I guess the judgment call is around the definition of "challenging an opponent", and "attempting to play a ball"

Of course I think that whole definition of interfering has made a stupid rule change more stupid. Offside has to recognise the effect of an attacker's presence on a defender's behaviour - the defender isn't the one who should have to decide if the attacker is offside before acting. But eh, I guess we'll just have wait and see how it plays out and what the next rule clarification brings.

Kerr is deemed to be influencing but not interfering. It's a crazy interpretation in my opinion. As far as I'm concerned if the defender has to think about you then you are in interfering.
 
Kerr is deemed to be influencing but not interfering. It's a crazy interpretation in my opinion. As far as I'm concerned if the defender has to think about you then you are in interfering.

It's just so counter to all the years of being told to play to the whistle. I don't like it. Bah humbug :smirk:
 
USA has a population of 350m and unlimited resources. Let’s be honest, this is probably how the men’s World Cup would be like if their best male athletes played soccer.
 
USA has a population of 350m and unlimited resources. Let’s be honest, this is probably how the men’s World Cup would be like if their best male athletes played soccer.
Not going to happen but if it did, they’d dominate alright.
Can you imagine guys like Kobe Bryant, Le Bron, Tom Brady, Mike Trout, etc all tearing it up in the WC :)
 
USA has a population of 350m and unlimited resources. Let’s be honest, this is probably how the men’s World Cup would be like if their best male athletes played soccer.
They have a huge population, correct
Unlimited resources? Not quite correct. Relatively speaking of course but they’re still having problems with funding
 
Justice served. How the hell did the ref watch the video and still give a penalty?
 
So VAR cannot be used to show the foul was outside the box?

I didn't mind the VAR in Russia last year. It feels really intrusive, and not in a good way, at this tournament. It's also been very "big-team friendly" in this tournament, which doesn't help.
 
USA has a population of 350m and unlimited resources. Let’s be honest, this is probably how the men’s World Cup would be like if their best male athletes played soccer.
Most important is the culture and societal support behind it. Once you get to the high school level soccer seems to get far more support for the women when men/boys play their football/basketball/baseball and maybe things like LaCrosse. Same with Volleyball being looked upon as more of a women s sport. Changing that perception has been a loooong proces..i dont feel the MLS has accelerated that process as much as expected.
 
Watching this game on Fox; the US commentator calls everything. Sometimes the play speaks for itself....he should learn that.
 
I didn't mind the VAR in Russia last year. It feels really intrusive, and not in a good way, at this tournament. It's also been very "big-team friendly" in this tournament, which doesn't help.

Been mentioned in this thread already that it seems the female referees don't trust their decision if VAR get involved. It seems like they think "uh oh I am made an error if they are involved, better overturn my decision" without accepting what they see in game and after on the screen.
 
What a performance from Endler, the Chilean keeper. Looks so good in goal.