By RYAN TOLMICH
The U.S. Women’s National Team is just one step away from the finals of the Women’s World Cup, but standing in their way Tuesday will be the best team in the world.
After dispatching China in the quarterfinals, the U.S. takes on Germany in Tuesday’s semifinal, pitting the world’s top two teams against one another. Led by the tournament’s two top scorers in Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag, Germany presents the biggest test that the U.S. has faced to this point.
The USWNT will be bolstered by a pair of returns, though, as Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holliday both return to the lineup after serving suspensions last time out.
SBI will be providing live commentary on tonight’s match so please feel free to follow the action here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Tonight’s live commentary is after the jump):
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I can see why you think I have USA goggles on. But one thing that makes soccer unique is that in these situations the rules (ironically) called Laws become very relative in these situations. The concept of ” in the opinion of the referee trumps all and in most cases a fair result happens.
For example there are fouls committed deep in the box near the touch line that are never called because a PK would be unfair or as we said back in my playing days “penalty kicks have to be earned”. An overly technical interpretation of the rules can lead to some bad results
I think in this case the ref got it right. Though if the same things happened during a U14 game the parents would have gone crazy because they generally have no feel of the game here in the U.S.
It is semantics, but how was that a 4-3-3. It was a pretty straight forward 4-5-1 or if You want to be picky a 4-4-1-1 with Lloyd pressing almost like a forward and Heath pinching in to clog up the middle more.
Regardless, Brilliant performance and we should keep the same lineup in the final unless you want more width then you let O’Hara tale Heath’s spot. Just keep the team pressing.
And I don’t think the ref got it wrong.
The player JJ fouled had almost zero chance of scoring as Solo was right there but the PK was the right call as was not showing red to the defender. And on the US PK it seemed pretty clear to me that the defender was straddling then line when initial contact was made. good PK call and Morgan had a much stronger chance of scoring than the German player did.
Oh, one more thing. Didn’t #13 take two PK’s against France both with her left foot and today switched to her right foot and kept the same target but missed. I was surprised nobody commented on that choice (or I am remembering the French game wrong)
Now the US have the recipe and need to execute and avoid a likely “make up” call in the final.
You clearly have your USA goggles on. That was a CLEAR goal scoring opportunity. She was past JJ with only Solo to beat. That should have been a RED, but I have seen that call screwed up before. That being said, I am glad USA won. They dominated the game. and Germany created only 2 chances.It would have been a gross mis-justice had Germany won (almost as big as the fact the Germany won their last game even thought France dominated). Clearly of the big 3, Germany is 3rd.
It was clear, but – per 4 D analysis – not obvious.
The attacker was past JJ, but the ball was bouncing and not really under control (3rd and 4th D). HS was close, getting closer, and had the German taken a touch to control it, HS gets to the balls before a shot (1st D). Likewise a first time shot would be into Solo.
There’s a reason people are amazed when attackers in that situation manage to chip or round the keeper with their first touch and score. It’s hard to do right.
That said… A red would have neither surprised nor upset me. It was a really close one, and had Solo not been coming out – it probably would have been red.
Whaddya know, dos a cero!
Zwei auf Null!
Oh wow Morgan… shes not having a good day shooting.
She’s been pretty poor all over. Just turning the ball over with no one around here.
True, movement and position is okay but the rest not so much.
JJ with tricksy ball skills in the Germany box. WhereTF has this positive, aggressive play we are seeing right now been all tourney?
I have no idea. It’s mind blowing. All those warm up games, 3 group games, Columbia… and now we remember how to pass and press.
Either Jill was playing the long con or the yellow cards saved us.
Germans getting more and more physical, I can see this getting ugly.
Oh my Morgan put through 1 v 1 on the keeper and shoots directly at her. Terrific chance. Damn
Brian seems to be the only true central midfielder on the team. You have to have that person content to sit in the middle. She lets us actually press too.
Lloyd and Holiday looked lost out there alone.
Nasty collision. Hope Brian is ok to return. And as I type…
Liking the 4-3-3 w Brian as the holding mid. Jill Eliss doing a Tom Sermani…
Lively start to this one. US looking to spring the quick counter and have looked dangerous on a couple of long ball sequences.