Olympic Soccer Thread

[Arch Stanton]

I thought I saw the ball make contact with the arms/hands of two defenders on that play. It hit the first player on the elbow tucked into her body and then bounced to the second player who had their hand away from their body. I can't tell if it the second defender on the elbow or the arm, but she clearly had her arm extended away from her body. When you have your arms and hands extending away from your body it can be perceived as deliberate action. You have made yourself bigger to occupy more space. If there is a foul it was on the second defender and not the first. And there is no telling what the ref thought she saw because she only has a fraction of a second to put everything that happened together.

The defenders turned their back on the player shooting. The first player was was trying block the kick, but it wasn't a deliberate act with the hands or arms to handle to the ball. The ball hit the hand / arm, there was no attempt by the player to deflect the ball away. Where the hands and arms are is a total red herring, it's what you are doing with them that matters! They couldn't see the ball anyway. LOL

 

[Romo_To_Dez]

Kind of stupid that NBC is not going to show the Gold medal match on it's main network or at least one of it's other cable networks that more people will receive like MSNBC or Bravo. Instead it's on a special package network.

 

[Ren]

The defenders turned their back on the player shooting. The first player was was trying block the kick, but it wasn't a deliberate act with the hands or arms to handle to the ball. The ball hit the hand / arm, there was no attempt by the player to deflect the ball away. Where the hands and arms are is a total red herring, it's what you are doing with them that matters! They couldn't see the ball anyway. LOL

Once that happens you are in a no win situation as a ref, make the call and Canada whines don't make it and the US whines. Go ahead make that split second call when you don't have replays or anything else to go on, and make it so everyone is happy.

Soccer needs video replays in the worst possible way, people complain it will break up the flow of the game but all the flopping and injury faking is doing that already so i don't really see a down side to it

 

[Phrozen Phil]

Kind of stupid that NBC is not going to show the Gold medal match on it's main network or at least one of it's other cable networks that more people will receive like MSNBC or Bravo. Instead it's on a special package network.

You have to be kidding. Somebody at NBC clearly has major league blinders. Their decision not to broadcast the opening ceremonies was a joke, but to relegate a gold medal game in a team sport to a "boutique" network is just plain stupid.

 

[MC KAos]

i dont know about the women, but most of the mens soccer games have been played on telemundo, which is a spanish channel owned by NBC, i wonder if it will be on there

 

[Romo_To_Dez]

You have to be kidding. Somebody at NBC clearly has major league blinders. Their decision not to broadcast the opening ceremonies was a joke, but to relegate a gold medal game in a team sport to a "boutique" network is just plain stupid.

It's being shown on the NBC Sports Network which not everybody has. Not that the USA women's team was guaranteed to make it but they still should have scheduled the match for their main network, they can show water polo on NBC but not the women's soccer Gold Medal match?

I don't get it. They are messing out on going better ratings because a lot of people are going to be interested in the USA vs Japan rematch. Americans can't even see our own team playing for the Gold unless we have NBCSN or go to the internet for live stream.

 

[Mash]

I may be bias toward the Canadian women's soccer team ....

But there shouldnt of been a free kick to begin with. Making a call like that on the goalie....without a warning is bogus.....

The to top it off....give them a penalty kick on another questionable call.

It was sad.....Canada played hard...and it would of been a great upset.

Its too bad a ref helped decide this game. Who knows what would of happened if those dumb calls werent made.....

Anyways....was a fun game to watch...

 

[brickman]

I love the women's game. I think it is much better than the men and the women don't seem to embelish every injury like the men do. We had a team in Rochester last year (Western NY Flash) and Sinclair, Morgan & Marta played on it. They won the championship and it was truly entertaining and a joy to watch them play. What talent!! Also, the Olympic team is coming here to play a match against Costa Rica on September 1st. It will sell out for sure. Rochester really loves it soccer!

 

[MC KAos]

I love the women's game. I think it is much better than the men and the women don't seem to embelish every injury like the men do. We had a team in Rochester last year (Western NY Flash) and Sinclair, Morgan & Marta played on it. They won the championship and it was truly entertaining and a joy to watch them play. What talent!! Also, the Olympic team is coming here to play a match against Costa Rica on September 1st. It will sell out for sure. Rochester really loves it soccer!

a girl i went to high school with also played on that team, her name is kaley fountain

 

[Ren]

Not to impressed with Mexico today, they need to be better then this if they want to beat Brazil

 

[MC KAos]

that last goal was pretty nice though! mexico has improved tremendously since they went to their current generation, i wont be surprised if they make a deep run at the world cup as well.

 

[Muhast]

...was interpreting the rules too literally. In this case the delay of game.


If you watch FIFA or MLS soccer the keepers regularly hold the ball past the 6 secs.

What she did was step ovn the golden rule of reffing If it is close try with all your might to avoid inserting yourself into the outcome. Let the players decide with their play.

Too bad. Excellent header by Morgan. US really controlled the pace of play and you can tell by the differential in corner kicks. (12) for US and (4) for Canada.

there is speculation that the referee must have warned her that she was holding it to long and slowing down the game, that is the reason it was called. Not sure if there is merit to that speculation or not, but Brandy Chastain said it as well.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Canada got away with plenty of physical stuff that could have and would have been called by other refs.

there is always one person who has to go against the mainstream.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I love the women's game. I think it is much better than the men and the women don't seem to embelish every injury like the men do. We had a team in Rochester last year (Western NY Flash) and Sinclair, Morgan & Marta played on it. They won the championship and it was truly entertaining and a joy to watch them play. What talent!! Also, the Olympic team is coming here to play a match against Costa Rica on September 1st. It will sell out for sure. Rochester really loves it soccer!

I stopped reading after "I think it must better than the men's"

 

[erickb]

6 seconds is a rule, sometimes it's used sometimes it's not. My daughter is a keeper and it is drilled into her don't hold the ball longer then 6 seconds PERIOD. Calls and refs are funny but at the end of the day it is a rule and she was punished under the rule, there is no argument if you know the game, yes there where missed calls on both sides just like every soccer game in every level of play

 

[Ren]

6 seconds is a rule, sometimes it's used sometimes it's not. My daughter is a keeper and it is drilled into her don't hold the ball longer then 6 seconds PERIOD. Calls and refs are funny but at the end of the day it is a rule and she was punished under the rule, there is no argument if you know the game, yes there where missed calls on both sides just like every soccer game in every level of play

Problem with that rule and a few others is the random enforcement of it, you hardly ever see it called yet it's broken a few times in almost every game.

So when that call turns out to be game changing it's hard not to feel like you just got screwed. That said it was the correct call. The penalty on the other hand was cheap

 

[erickb]

Problem with that rule and a few others is the random enforcement of it, you hardly ever see it called yet it's broken a few times in almost every game.

So when that call turns out to be game changing it's hard not to feel like you just got screwed. That said it was the correct call. The penalty on the other hand was cheap

Oh I agree with that, I hate what soccer is becoming. It use to be about ball control and skill, now it's about take downs and refs. Youth soccer is crazy, both my kids play at high levels and the stuff that goes on is crazy from the kids to the parents on the sidelines who have no idea about the rules

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Oh I agree with that, I hate what soccer is becoming. It use to be about ball control and skill, now it's about take downs and refs. Youth soccer is crazy, both my kids play at high levels and the stuff that goes on is crazy from the kids to the parents on the sidelines who have no idea about the rules

there was a great elbow from Tancredi on the American amazon Wambauch, better than anything Gordie Howe ever threw in hockey.

Unfortunately, the argument that there were calls not made both ways is always the weak response from the winner in any sporting event.

Fact is, her decision to enforce a never enforced rule without warning and then to call a penalty on a handball the Canadian wasn't trying to play with her hand, and had no chance to get away from, did change the game. Two bad calls from the ref did change the game. There were no equally bad calls in Canada's favour that offset them.

 

[MapleLeaf]

there is speculation that the referee must have warned her that she was holding it to long and slowing down the game, that is the reason it was called. Not sure if there is merit to that speculation or not, but Brandy Chastain said it as well.

...have stated this as well.

I think what has many questioning the nature of this call is the inconsistency of the call and the nature of the warning.

First, the Canadian keeper was handling the ball at times right up to the 6 second mark earlier in the game. Why wasn't the warning given earlier?

Next the warning from the ref was so subtle that even the announcers had no idea there was a warning given. Typically, given the severity of the punishment, a referee will clearly warn a player knowing that the next time it occurs the referee is going to make a call that could alter the outcome of a game in the final minutes.

The problem is not the rule it was more in the administration of the rule. On many soccer forums this game is being talked about. You know this poor ref is not having a fun Olympics now.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

...have stated this as well.

I think what has many questioning the nature of this call is the inconsistency of the call and the nature of the warning.

First, the Canadian keeper was handling the ball at times right up to the 6 second mark earlier in the game. Why wasn't the warning given earlier?

Next the warning from the ref was so subtle that even the announcers had no idea there was a warning given. Typically, given the severity of the punishment, a referee will clearly warn a player knowing that the next time it occurs the referee is going to make a call that could alter the outcome of a game in the final minutes.

The problem is not the rule it was more in the administration of the rule. On many soccer forums this game is being talked about. You know this poor ref is not having a fun Olympics now.

forgive me if I couldn't care less about how that Norwegian feels or what fun it isn't having now.