Futbol

[Vrede too]

I'll be rooting for both Canada and Netherlands deep into the tourney, if not all the way.

My heart wants Netherlands ...

Quarterfinals, go (all EDT):

Netherlands > Italy, 29 June - 09:00

Netherlands to win it all.

Go (all EDT):

Netherlands > Sweden, 03 July, 15:00, but I don't hate Sweden.

Netherlands or Sweden > England or USA, applies to both Final and 3rd place games.

Go (all EDT):

Sweden > England, 06 July, 11:00
Netherlands > USA, 07 July, 11:00

[O Really]

Not your post, just the coverage...

"Alex Morgan has explained her tea-sipping goal celebration which provoked controversy during the USA’s World Cup semi-final victory over England."

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/fifa-w ... &ocid=iehp

[Vrede too]

Not your post, just the coverage...

"Alex Morgan has explained her tea-sipping goal celebration which provoked controversy during the USA’s World Cup semi-final victory over England."

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/fifa-w ... &ocid=iehp

Thanks. Okay if true, I'd never heard the slang usage. I'm glad that it was just thoughtless in this particular game rather than mean. Regardless, I think Megan Rapinoe still wins:

[O Really]

Well, if they were playing real "football" nobody would have noticed the tea cup...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2vdkmiOp8c

[Vrede too]

... Off the top of my head, it is a little rude to mock an opponent's symbol rather than just celebrating one's own accomplishment. If opponents wiped their butts with a picture of an eagle, Americans would be annoyed. There's a difference between chanting, "We're #1," and "You suck." ...

Well, if they were playing real "football" nobody would have noticed the tea cup...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2vdkmiOp8c

Some of those were cool - like bowling - some over the top, some just stupid, but they're all celebrating the team's accomplishment, not dissing the opponent like Morgan evidently inadvertently appeared to do. An end zone celebration is expected and accepted, but there's outrage when visitors do something nasty on the home team's midfield logo.

I haven't seen anyone griping about Rapinoe's more blatant than the sipping tea gesture.

[O Really]

"Futbol is a gentleman's (ladies) game played by ruffians..."

[Vrede too]

"Futbol is a gentleman's (ladies) game played by ruffians..."

A real ruffian would have said, "Take that you tea slurping limeys with rotten teeth, don't be such crybaby wankers," or would have piled on 13 goals , not said, "Opps, it was supposed to be about American slang and (failing at) showing up Megan.

Some sports aren't so tolerant of (uber-tame) celebrations, and some umpires are assholes. Skip to 2:00 for the interesting bit.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Vdl-EMY1E

I'm pretty sure that the catcher and 2 coaches were booted.

[Vrede too]

Odds of winning the tourney and 3rd place game:
https://www.sportbet.com/news/odds/Socc ... rnational/
USA > Netherlands
England > Sweden

I wrote VegasInsider at 1300 EDT:

Website lapse

Hi,

Why aren't you updating:
“Soccer Future Odds, Odds to Win the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (7/7/19)”
http://www.vegasinsider.com/soccer/odds/futures/

The quarterfinals are over, the semis begin in 2 hours, France, Germany and Italy have zero chance of winning, and the odds have certainly changed for USA, England, Netherlands and Sweden.

Thanks,

I have not gotten a reply, but they removed "Odds to Win the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (7/7/19)” from the webpage entirely.

Odds to Win the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (7/7/19)
USA > Netherlands

Just sending now:

To: technical.support@vegasinsider.com
Subject: Re: Website lapse

Why do you show "Odds to Win the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (7/7/19)", but not the odds to win the 7/6 3rd place game between England and Sweden?

Thanks,

Also, Men's CONCACAF Gold Cup
Mexico vs. United States (Soldier Field, Chicago; 9.15 p.m. ET)
Mexico is favored.

Go Mexico!

[Vrede too]

"Futbol is a gentleman's (ladies) game played by ruffians..."

Morgan's tea cup celebration 'next level' - Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe continued to insist this week that she'll be available to play in Sunday's Women's World Cup final against the Netherlands, but the United States star admitted she may have already lost the competition for the tournament's most iconic celebration.

Unable to play in Tuesday's 2-1 semifinal win against England because of a hamstring injury, Rapinoe watched from the bench as teammate and co-captain Alex Morgan scored the decisive goal and then mimicked drinking from a cup of tea.

"I think I might have been upstaged," Rapinoe told reporters on Wednesday. "That was next level. That was pretty sharp by Alex."

Nah, she's just being modest.

The range and tone of U.S. goal celebrations has become one of the stories of the tournament, from the Americans continuing to celebrate goals through the end of a 13-0 opening win against Thailand

I agree with the criticism, even more so that they scored 13 than that they celebrated them.

to Rapinoe's arms-outstretched poses after scoring back-to-back braces against Spain and France

I don't agree with that criticism.

to Morgan's choice of material in the semifinal.

Apparently an unintentional dis, but I'm not sure she's apologized for that.

Some around the world have criticized the U.S. for arrogance -- a claim winger Christen Press flatly rejected -- with a contingent of fans and media in England the latest to take exception.

"Wah, wah, wah," Rapinoe said in mock crying when asked for a response to the criticism. "We're at the World Cup, what do you want us to do? This is the biggest stage, the biggest moment.

Be a little classier. You're the reigning champions and have been favored to repeat all along, act like it.

... Next up is the final against the reigning European champions. After her team beat Sweden to reach its first World Cup final, Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk was asked if she thought Morgan had a new celebration lined up for Sunday.

"I don't think she's going to score against us," Van de Donk said.

Zing.

Nor, apparently, have the Dutch been preparing counter measures.

"I don't think of celebrations or anything because I don't really care who scores," Van de Donk continued. "As long as someone does."

As a group the Dutch are the most practical people I've gotten to know.

[Vrede too]

After my rotten winless start: 1-1 in the semis, 2-2 in the quarterfinals, 3-10-1 in all knockout games.

[Vrede too]

Go (all EDT):

Sweden > England, 06 July, 11:00

2-1 Take that, Brexiters.

[Vrede too]

The US won the 1st half, BUT a PK against Netherlands was not called, and the Dutch keeper has been brilliant - 2 sure goals stolen from tea-sipping (joint-toking) Morgan, 4 or more saves total, 0-0. First time the US has not scored in the first 12', 8 of 11 Netherlands goals have been in the 2nd half.

[GoCubsGo]

THE WOMEN!!!!

Badasses!

Pay Them!!

[Vrede too]

THE WOMEN!!!!

Badasses!

Oh well, US earned the 2-0 win.

After my rotten winless start ...

50-50. Loss in the Final, win in the Bronze, 1-1 in the semis, 2-2 in the quarterfinals, 4-11-1 in all knockout games.

Pay Them!!

Opinion: More than title at stake for USWNT in World Cup final. Trophy would boost legal case

Rapinoe: FIFA's prize money boost still 'not fair'

Despite a proposal announced on Friday by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to invest $1 billion in the women's game over the next four years and double prize money at the Women's World Cup in 2023, U.S. captain Megan Rapinoe said women soccer players are not respected equally by their sport's international governing body.

"It certainly is not fair," Rapinoe said of the gap in prize money awarded at the men's and women's World Cups. "We should double it now and use that number to double it or quadruple it for the next time. That's what I mean when we talk about, 'Do we feel respected?'"

FIFA doubled the 2015 prize money for the Women's World Cup to $30 million in 2019 and raised the amount awarded to the winning team to $4 million. At last year's men's World Cup, France received $38 million for winning the title from a $400 million purse, and earlier this year, FIFA announced it would raise the men's pool to $440 million for 2022. That means that while the women's purse will increase to a proposed $60 million in 2023, the gap between the men and women will increase the next time around.

"Earlier in the year, a quote came out that I said, 'FIFA doesn't care about the women's game,' and that's what I mean," Rapinoe said. "If you really care about each game in the same way, are you letting the gap grow? No….

[Vrede too]

... Pay Them!!

Stadium:

As US Women’s Soccer Team Clinches World Cup, Fans Demand “Pay Them” (or “equal pay”)
The fight for equal pay on the pitch continues.



Great pic:



Sports bar in Lyon:

USWNT fans chant 'F--- Trump' on live (Fox) TV after World Cup title



Kudos to Fox Sports for continuing the live feed. They must be sick of POSPOTUS, too.

Edit: billy.pilgrim beat me to it.
http://www.blueridgedebate.com/forum/vi ... 464#p98464

[Vrede too]

Great pic

Morgan jumped on Megan's back so fast that watching live I thought she might have diminished the moment, but this pic makes it worth it.

That said, it's a little showy for a PK, especially that one. You're supposed to make them at any level of the sport, and it wasn't a very good one compared to her prior two. The goalie just played it even worse.

[1 CAT FAN]

Thanks to the player who rushed forward to grab the flag.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/07/07/alli ... gjtUTcn4XU

[Vrede too]

Also, Men's CONCACAF Gold Cup
Mexico vs. United States (Soldier Field, Chicago; 9.15 p.m. ET)
Mexico is favored.

Go Mexico!

1-0, woohoo!

[1 CAT FAN]

Fayetteville's Kelley O'Hara wins over the internet with US flag rescue, post-game kiss, locker room celebration: https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/ ... TweTBPXkrg

[Vrede too]

Megan Rapinoe views Donald Trump's tweets as a positive: 'We do carry with us other people'

“Trump … said he would invite the team to the White House, win or lose.”

Megan Rapinoe wins World Cup golden treble: Champion, top scorer, best player award

Trump appears to revoke invite to White House for US women’s team after World Cup win

Awww, that big bad Megan hurt his widdle feewings.

More crybabies:

Conservatives object to Melania’s (and Ivanka's) Team USA shout-out: ‘They don’t deserve your attention, Mrs. Trump’