Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Soccer Futbol Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
2012 Olympics-Women's Football
Topic Started: Jul 3 2012, 09:06 AM (2,132 Views)
hobbes
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Anyone want to weigh in on what happened in the 80th in the Canada-US game?
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
autogol
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
hobbes,Aug 6 2012
03:01 PM
Anyone want to weigh in on what happened in the 80th in the Canada-US game?

Canada got robbed (again) playing the US in a semifinal. I can see calling the indirect kick for time wasting, I think more refs should call keepers for holding a ball for more than 6 seconds but to call a penalty for handball on the resulting indirect free kick when the Canadian's hand was in front of her body, trying to protect herself, was unreal.

Thanks to that penalty and Wambach convetring it, the US sent the game to extra time where they eventually won it in injury time after 120 minutes on an Alex Morgan header. Incredibly cruel defeat for Canada in an even game which could have gone either way but that penalty kick sending it to extra time was the decisive moment.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Don Balon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I am not much of a fan of women's football but that was a compelling game between the USA and Canada. I also agree with autogol, the penalty call was atrocious, especially coming so soon after the rare, but probably correct call on holding the ball too long. No surprise, however, that a so called "big team" got the call in their favour.

Japan were probably happy that the USA and Canada went 120 minutes.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rufus T. Firefly
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
A tough, hard fought game which could have gone either way. Tough loss for Canada, hobbes I feel for you and your fellow Canadian fans. Strange but not without some reason, those two calls in the 80th minute. McLeod, the keeper did hold the ball too long and on the subsequent free kick the ball did strike a hand which was extended from the body. I don't think I would have called it, especially after making the unusual even if correct call just before that on holding the ball too long. But I also don't think it was an atrocious handball call. But still tough, i.e. bad, luck for Canada.

Christine Sinclair was tremendous. The US wins this all the time or at least gets to the final, would have been a pleasant change if Canada had made it instead.

DB is correct, Japan are happy the US and Canada beat up on one another for 120 minutes.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hobbes
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Did anyone see how long McLeod held the ball? She does tend to hold it a long time and I recall thinking about that against Sweden. The broadcast I saw was showing a replay when the call was made. I didn't tape the game and have no idea how long she actually had it (and of course thanks to the IOC it's nearly impossible to find video footage of anything online).

I have never seen that call made in a professional or international match. To see it called with 10 minutes left in an Olympic semifinal stunned me. It was probably correct, but I was still shocked. To then call a penalty on a ball that took a deflection and then hit the arm at the side of a player who was turning seemed particularly dubious.

There seems to be growing public sentiment that there needs to be an appeal made to look into possible match fixing, but that seems far-fetched to me. If the fix truly was in, the official wouldn't have turned a blind eye to two blatant fouls at the edge of the area on Rapinoe and Wambach.

I didn't think this was our best performance of the Games, but I couldn't possibly be more proud of this team. Had we been remotely healthy in the back, it might have been a different story, but they fought with everything they had for 123 minutes.

cheers,
hobbes
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Martin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I did not see the game so I won't comment on whether those were the correct calls or not, and as hobbes states unfortunately no replays are available online (if any are please post a link here). But I have seen the 6 second rule called on goalkeepers before. It is part of the rules of the game and every keeper knows you can not hold the ball for more than 6 seconds.

Sounds from reading accounts that both semifinals were exciting matches. Hopefully the men's semis on Tuesday can repeat some of that excitement.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
shelsoccer
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I feel for you Hobbes. Canada played a heroic game.

I had no issue with the six-second call. Early in the second half, McLoed held the ball for at least 15 seconds. I didn't see a warning given at the time, but I saw a report on the Fox Soccer Report that said she was warned by the AR. She didn't hold it as long the second time around, but it was probably a good 10 seconds.

As for the resulting free kick, the shot went off the arm of one Canadian defender and then off another. Both had their arms close to their bodies and neither had time to react, so a no-call would have been acceptable.

To think there was any kind of fix is ridiculous.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hobbes
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I can't load this, but maybe with a proxy you can get these?

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/videos/watch/soccer-can-usa.html

I thought a ball that rolled up Rapinoe's arm was more of a penalty than what they called, but it's the six second call that still baffles me. I understand that it's a call that exists, but how many times a match does the keeper hold the ball for more than six seconds? How many times has it happened in the tournament so far? 40? 50? And it gets called then? In that context and situation?

At the end of the day, the call just forced extra time. So full credit to the U.S. players for an incredibly spirited performance and a comeback win. They deserve what they got, but it's a very bitter pill to swallow from our perspective.

cheers,
hobbes
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Onslow
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
A very gripping match but like so many others here I too think the penalty decision was harsh. Even more so considering it followed the indirect free kick call for holding the ball too long. While that may have been the correct call to immediately give a doubtful penalty when the Canadian was simply protecting herself from a hard blast from point blank distance, is beyond being harsh, it was borderline scandalous. In the end that proved to be the decisive play in a very evenly played match which the US won because they had more energy in the 30+ mnutes extra. But it really never should have gotten to that point as the penalty decision was wrong.

The US' Rapinoe is one fine player, she combines excellent technique and a great motor. I am looking forward to watching her in the final. Japan will present a much different challenge to the US, they won't try and outmuscle them like Canada did, instead they will attempt to outpass them. Should be an intriguing clash of styles.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Johnbuildr
Member Avatar
Advanced member
[ *  *  * ]
Tremendous effort by both teams. It is fun to watch women's soccer any time it is played at this high of a level and is this compelling.

Saw the game last night including the delay call. Chastain(color com) speculated that the GK had been warned. There is nothing else a ref can do except make the call if their warning is ignored, regardless of what it was for or how seldom the call is generally made. But then the act of delaying gamesmanship by players drives me nuts at all levels of soccer, and it makes me even more crazy that more is not done about it by the refs in general. Hell of a time to enforce it, that's for sure.

As for the pk, I'll go with the majority, it was a harsh call. But you could also clearly see why she blew the whistle, the ball hitting two defenders arms as it did, which quite effectively stopped the ball from going in the net, intentional or not. Still, I disliked the call.

But as so many people on this board have pointed out during previous criticisms of reffing, the overall officiating job did not seem suspect. The rest of the 122 minutes seemed fairly or evenly done, while there were admittedly mistakes made going both ways. Either team could have won this, Canada had plenty, plenty of chances after the pk.

Rapinoe! She has been something special since her youth soccer days. She played briefly for the US senior team in 2006 scoring a couple of goals in her debut 3 or 4 games, but knee injuries kept her out in '07 and out of the 2008 Olympics.

But since returing full time to the team in 2009-10 she has been as much of a clear stand out as to bring to mind one Claudio Reyna in his peak on the men's team.
She has been a personal favorite of mine since coming on as a substitute(why she was not already starter I will never understand) vs. Columbia to immediately score in that eventual 2-0 group win in the 2011 World Cup.
Rapinoe celebrated that goal by running to the corner to the side of Colombia's net, picking up an on-field microphone being used for the match's television broadcast, tapping it, and singing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." into it.
You don't even have to be American to smile at that kind of bravado from a woman player. Hilarious. :lol:
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yogi
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Great story John, I did not know that about Rapinoe. She really is a fine player, two footed, great passer and shooter and as somebody else mentioned she runs all day.

My view of the penalty incident is it was probably harsh especially in a game of that magnitude but it also was not a call without some reason, as the Canadian did knock the ball down with her hand as she was jumping and although in front of her the hand was away from the body. A tough call but IMO not exactly a wrong one, just a harsh one.

Overall a great game between the two nations and this result should only enliven the rivalry.

Now Japan who have had the better of the US in recent matchups await more rested in the final.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hobbes
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I think no one in the women's game is capable of taking a game over quite like Rapinoe. She is a joy to watch. Wambach, Sinclair, Sweden's Lotta Schelin can be game-breakers, but they need service. Rapinoe can dictate a game better than anyone in the women's game right now IMO.

A day later and the Canada-US match remains the focus of the Olympics up here. Sinclair and Tancredi are both being investigated by FIFA and may be banned from the bronze medal final for their post-match comments. It's to the point that the Prime Minister reluctantly had to weigh in on it today during his daily press conference.

I'm not sure if I would say McLeod was warned by an official. One of the assistants told her in the tunnel at half time to keep the game moving. Is that a warning?

Abby Wambach was counting out loud every time McLeod had the ball. She was apparently beside Pederson and when she said "ten" Pederson penalized McLeod.

This may seriously adversely affect the 2015 Women's World Cup when we host. I've had so many casual fans ask me to try to explain the rule and what happened. The prevailing public opinion (which seems to be constantly reinforced by the media) is that we got royally screwed and that there isn't a level playing field in women's soccer.

I agree that I don't believe the game was fixed, but there is more outcry now than there was in 02 when Jamie Salé and David Pelletier didn't win at the winter Olympics and that WAS fixed.

cheers,
hobbes
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Merlin
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I know that everyone wants to talk about the 80th minute and rightfully so.

But there was another noncall that maybe had a huge impact on the game. Melissa Tancredi stomped on the face of a US defender after the ball cleared the box. It was behind the play and was missed by all referees. This foul was MORE flagrant than the Colombian punch on Abby. Tancredi should not have been on the field for most of the second half with Cananda playing with ten. It is ironic that the Canadian coach would discuss US play in the box and then have one of his players pull that move.

Would have, could have, should have. Another game marred by horrible refereeing. I really feel for the Canadians as it seemed it was going to be their turn, finally.

I will be surprised if Tancredi escapes suspension to play in the Bronze medal game.
Equinus Halitosis and Hoop MLS Cups: 0
Dynamo MLS Cups: 2
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
rosarino
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
A video of the stamp in question, view it before the evil overlords force You Tube to take it down! Does look intentional to me but apparently Tancredi will not be suspended.

I have to give this US team credit, remember in the World Cup they scored in injury time at the end of 120 minutes to tie Brazil and eventually beat them on penalties. They are in such good physical condition that they still have the energy to produce something special in the final minutes, even after 120 minutes of play.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sammy Maudlin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
A good article previewing the Japan-US final? and the mutual respect both teams have for one another. As the writer states this should be a game where most of the discussion is about the play on the field, not off the ball edginess or officiating. Hopefully that is the case.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Olympics · Next Topic »
Add Reply