God's Own Crunk

Ed Shareen doin’ it live.  If it’s disabled, my bad yo. /brex

I’ll be brief: we pissed away multiple chances to score in the first half, couldn’t hold a lead in the second, took the lead in extra time, couldn’t hold that and were lucky to get into PKs, then we missed our first two three PKs and lost – what a choke-job.

I hate being a hater, but Solo lost her wits in extra time – Japan ruffled her, and she resorted to the ol’ “I’m injured let’s waste some time” late in ET – the play after she got up, Japan tied it with poetic justice.

The PKs were a bloody disaster. First one was blocked, second one missed by a mile, third was a horrid shot and missed, four went in, but Japan scored its fourth and game over.

Congrats to Japan, but USA gave this match away. What a disappointment. /brex

Finally, this Cup has some life in it, although Japan’s shocker over Germany was decent toward the end. It’s rare that poetic justice is served in z’beautiful game, but USA-Brazil was a game of near-instant karma - exhilaration ensued after Rapinoe fed Wambach a perfect ball in the 123rd and final minute, and it was a match for the ages:

Once again, American courage and self-belief triumphed over Brazilian skill, and now the U.S. is moving on to the semifinals of the FIFA Womens World Cup.In one of the most epic games in the tournaments history, the U.S. came back from the dead to defeat the Samba Queens 5-3 on penalties, after extra time had finished 2-2. And it took as gutsy a performance as you will ever see. The Americans had been reduced to 10 players in the 66th minute due to Rachel Buehlers controversial red card. And when Marta scored her second goal of the match in the second minute of extra time, the Americans prospects looked bleak indeed.But Abby Wambachs thumping header in the 122nd minute — the latest goal in Womens World Cup history — brought the U.S. back on level terms, and that kind of adrenalin surge carried the Americans into the penalty shootout. Hope Solo delivered a superb one-handed save from Daiane in the third round, and Ali Krieger slotted home the game winner.

via Womens World Cup — Grading the U.S.s performance against Brazil — Jeff Carlisle – ESPN.

Here’s a hint. One of the five most exciting matches, men’s or womynz, I’ve ever seen.

Well, a day of long, long matches ended in disaster for Germany – 1-0, their first ever loss to Japan and it came at The Worst Time Ever. My pick – hell, everyone’s pick – to win the Cup played 120 minutes of shitty football, ceded a goal to Japan at 108′, and that is that.

Shockah!

At least it didn’t make it to PKs, like the equally bad France-England match. France missed their opening PK and Enlgand was in control, then England missed their fourth, France made their fifth, and England’s Captain blew her shot – game over.

Tomorrow USA plays Brazil which should be a very good match. If I was playing money, I’d play it on USA, but I don’t play that.

Four hours of football in six hours. Where’d my day go?

I can’t get the games due to work – was not happy to hear about this – the loss is bad enough, but having to play Brazil in the quarters sucks donkeycawk.

WOLFSBURG, Germany — The U.S. entered its group finale against Sweden with plenty of swagger. The Americans left licking their wounds.

The Swedes defeated the U.S. 2-1 to claim the top spot in Group C, leaving the Americans to finish in second place and setting up a quarterfinal showdown for the U.S. with Group D winner Brazil.

Sweden scored first-half goals from a Lisa Dahlkvist penalty and Nilla Fischer’s deflected free kick. The U.S. halved the deficit with a header — or, more accurately, a shoulder — from Abby Wambach midway through the second half. But it wasn’t enough to bring the Americans all the way back.

via Women’s World Cup — The U.S. comes up short in Group C — Report Card — Jeff Carlisle – ESPN.

As noted by anyone who bothers to follow womynz football of the USA variety, Abby Wambach is our best player.

She also happens to be slumping.

The booth is talking about it nonstop, because – in fairness – it is officially a story. Wambach’s second-half play is starting to show the signs of an athlete whose slump is now in her head. She’s missed several goals she would normally make in her sleep, and she’s passed up two shots – think Maverick in the air after Goose died.

USA, as a team, is playing well – very, very well. They appear to me so far to be the best team in the Cup, but Wambach (who’s missed two shots since I’ve been writing this) has to get out of her own head – USA has to have her scoring goals if we expect to advance and win.

The worst of all in a competition like this regarding a side’s best player’s slump is the fact the media will begin dwelling obsessively on it, and not without merit: with Team USA, this is THE story, which is unfortunate because Wambach’s inability to find the back of the net is overshadowing some lovely football here in teh second half – sub Rapinoe in particular is blazing at the moment, and USA is passing as fluidly as I’ve seen them do so in years. Part of that is the removal of pressure thanks to a three-goal lead, but this will be the last such match where it comes easy.

Alright, I’m going to attempt to enjoy the rest of my game and my day.