USA 2-1 Japan - London 2012 Olympic Women's Football, The Final (9th August 2012)

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by 2xehxtxemyk65 on August 8, 2012 at 18:45

The Wombat will, indeed, be 35, perish the thought. Gunnar Gren was 37 when he took Sweden to the World Cup final in 1958 and Uwe Seeler scored for Germany in 1970 at the age of 34. Magdalena Forsberg was just short of 35 when she hung up her gun and skis, though not only Sweden but the whole world was begging her to keep going.

   Had I the money I would sign the Wombat today and if I had loads of cash I would grab the Body-painter as well!

   Go, Abby, go go go!  Do not listen to the silent quadriped. His siren voice is in hock with tomorrow´s opponents. "Tomorrow is another day", and all that. Frankly I doubt if you give a damn.

Gromit said:

Even if she's still a killer in the penalty-area, particularly with her physical impact and headers, Wambach hardly runs anymore. It's ok for this tournament but the next one will be in 3 years time. Three years is a long, long time when you are already 32 and are a striker. Maybe she will be in the squad but I can't imagine her more than being a joker, a luxury sub. In football, you need to run a minimum. Again, for this time, ok. But she's already much less mobile than last year, I think.

I don't know if there was a single 35 years old forward in this tournament or at last WC. Birgit Prinz ? Unfortunately, we saw her time was over.

I wish Wambach to be fit, of course, don't misunderstand me.

Permalink Reply by Kat Neyer on August 8, 2012 at 21:53

Good article about the press conference and respect these players have for each other.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/espnw/story/_/id/8248015/20...

Permalink Reply by Ken Suzuki on August 8, 2012 at 22:04

I love Abby. Hear what she says. It's the spirit that counts in the end, and spirit never ages.

Morgan, Wambach comment

"We've kind of proven throughout this tournament that sometimes it isn't the best soccer that wins games. It's people who are willing to fight, put bodies on the line and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure your team comes on top at the end of 90 minutes or 120 minutes."

Permalink Reply by 2xehxtxemyk65 on August 8, 2012 at 22:35

Verily.  Maybe they have watched reruns of the 1954 classic? Let´s hope we get matches like the 1974 final rather than the 2010 one, or, failing that, the QF in 1970 or even the group match of that tournament.

Ken Suzuki said:

I love Abby. Hear what she says. It's the spirit that counts in the end, and spirit never ages.

Morgan, Wambach comment

"We've kind of proven throughout this tournament that sometimes it isn't the best soccer that wins games. It's people who are willing to fight, put bodies on the line and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure your team comes on top at the end of 90 minutes or 120 minutes."

Permalink Reply by Gromit on August 8, 2012 at 23:03

It's curious you talk about the 1974 Final. It happens that I watched it again some months ago and after 38 years without having done it. If you did it, you'd certainly by as surprised as me to see how this match was actually boring ! And with plenty of fouls. Time embellishes memories, no doubt... I also watched again some matches of 1970. The most dramatic was not England-Germany (it comes in second) but Germany-Italy in SF. And the best one was not England-Brazil (it came in second too) but Brazil-Peru in QF. If you have the opportunity to watch them again, do it, you'll see.

One of the best matches ever in (men's) WC was France-Brazil in 1986. It was so good that the BBC broadcasted it again months later in prime-time !

Lars Breimer said:

Verily.  Maybe they have watched reruns of the 1954 classic? Let´s hope we get matches like the 1974 final rather than the 2010 one, or, failing that, the QF in 1970 or even the group match of that tournament.

Permalink Reply by A-Hamm on August 9, 2012 at 0:15

I wonder if they can reach 85-90,000 people since they were at 83,000 yesterday. Luckily these two teams are used to big crowds. Want a close game, maybe some extra time. 

Permalink Reply by Julia Bic on August 9, 2012 at 3:30

Also,  I noticed that the opposing side that Japan usually plays against give up sloppy goals that should have been prevented. It seems the Japanese are very intimating and fast I might add! They have a lot of skill and it's always a pleasure watching them play- very accurate. I hope they play 100% tomorrow, and win!

Permalink Reply by Julia Bic on August 9, 2012 at 3:45

Julia Bic said:

When you compare Sinclair to Wambach; I think it's two years of age but Sinclair is more in shape especially this year after Herdman made the whole team lose weight while adding more muscle(toning down). Wambach has 40 pounds on Sinclair. For Sinclair's age, she runs pretty fast and a lot! Wambach scores mostly headers these days so it's very possible she'll be there with Morgan crossing it in.. Also if USA wins tomorrow, they'll be getting a 1.5 million dollar bonus to be shared within the team.
 They still have Alex Morgan, but I don't feel that she's that amazing as many people say she is. I know she has a lot of speed but when it comes to skill level, one on one without the speed-she doesn't seem to do that well. She's young, so we'll see.
Gromit said:

Likely Rampone's and Wambach's last international tournament. I would be surprised to see them in Canada for the WC in 2015.

Permalink Reply by 2xehxtxemyk65 on August 9, 2012 at 5:51

The 1974 final is justly remembered for Jack Taylor awarding a penalty to Holland in the opening minute of the game, from which Holland took the lead. Taylor did this against Germany on their home turf. He would have remembered how disgracefully Germans behaved in 1958 when they were knocked out of the World Cup.

   The contrast of the quality of refereeing of the 1974 final with the 1978 final (and some other finals) is lightyears.

   The 1986 tournament is rightly infamous for a certain Argentinian player deliberately using his hand to score a goal, an event missed by both the referee and linesman. Argentina went on to beat Germany in the final.

   My memory of the 1970 Italy-Germany SF was that it makes the SF in this Olympic games a model match played in a comradely spirit of mutual trust and shining example of player behaviour. Italy were trounced in the 1970 final, because against the (male) Dream Team brute force was never enough. The abiding photo of the 1970 world cup is the one of Bobby Moore and Pelé exchanging shirts.

   The ladies´ Dream Team is, of course, the 2011 Japanese Ladies.

   Jack Taylor was a butcher by trade.

Gromit said:

It's curious you talk about the 1974 Final. It happens that I watched it again some months ago and after 38 years without having done it. If you did it, you'd certainly by as surprised as me to see how this match was actually boring ! And with plenty of fouls. Time embellishes memories, no doubt... I also watched again some matches of 1970. The most dramatic was not England-Germany (it comes in second) but Germany-Italy in SF. And the best one was not England-Brazil (it came in second too) but Brazil-Peru in QF. If you have the opportunity to watch them again, do it, you'll see.

One of the best matches ever in (men's) WC was France-Brazil in 1986. It was so good that the BBC broadcasted it again months later in prime-time !

Lars Breimer said:

Verily.  Maybe they have watched reruns of the 1954 classic? Let´s hope we get matches like the 1974 final rather than the 2010 one, or, failing that, the QF in 1970 or even the group match of that tournament.

Permalink Reply by Gromit on August 9, 2012 at 8:52

@Chrystal - Buehler played the most pathetic match from a player in this tournament against Canada. She missed everything and was in charge of Sinclair who scored a hat-trick. I always thought she is a limited player whose only qualities are her good will, energy and physical impact.

@Lars - For me, the image I keep from 1970 WC, more than Bobby Moore and Pelé exchanging shirts and Pelé's header and goal in Final, is Franz Beckenbauer playing more than the last 45 minutes (extra-time included) with his demolished shoulder stuck in a scarf. And always so elegant.

Permalink Reply by Gromit on August 9, 2012 at 9:25

I think it's 3 years between Sinclair and Wambach but I didn't check and I might be wrong. And this difference is fundamental. Sinclair is at the top and as you said, Julia, she runs a lot ! Abby doesn't really run any more. She stays in the penalty area, waiting for the crosses to convert with her high-skilled headers or by putting her body on the spot. She compensates her lack of movement and speed with her physical impact, not hesitating to use her shoulders and elbows

. I like Wambach as a person very much. Actually, it's the US player I like the most as a person, even if I don't know any of them in a intimate way, of course. Some irritate me a lot when I hear them in interviews (as in any team or country, anyway) but not Abby who is a great girl.  But I can't say I really enjoy her style of playing today. She's often a bit like a tank. Of course, it's effective most of the time. But is it pleasant to watch her bumping in opponents ? Not really but it's a personal question. I just prefer technical playing than physical. That's why I didn't like Canada before. Because their playing was too much physical and on the limits of regularity. What the Canucks showed against Sweden, GB and Usa was different. And pleasant.

Sinclair is physically strong but she is technically so gifted. Her goal ratio with the Canada National Team is incredible (like Wambach's). Her hat-trick against USA is just beautiful (I mean, each goal is beautiful).

About Alex Morgan, I think she's very talented. Of course, her speed is her best friend. But she is also very technical, collective and not selfish. I like to watch her play, even if it's for the worst of my teams. She's a bit stange in her way of running with her arms at large, as if they were wings. Her physical impact is less than Wambach's of course but it's ok and always correct. She's definitely not a demolition player like Abby, Rapinoe, Lloyd or (much less talented than those former ones) O'Reilly or Buehler.

Julia Bic said:

Julia Bic said:

When you compare Sinclair to Wambach; I think it's two years of age but Sinclair is more in shape especially this year after Herdman made the whole team lose weight while adding more muscle(toning down). Wambach has 40 pounds on Sinclair. For Sinclair's age, she runs pretty fast and a lot! Wambach scores mostly headers these days so it's very possible she'll be there with Morgan crossing it in.. Also if USA wins tomorrow, they'll be getting a 1.5 million dollar bonus to be shared within the team.
 They still have Alex Morgan, but I don't feel that she's that amazing as many people say she is. I know she has a lot of speed but when it comes to skill level, one on one without the speed-she doesn't seem to do that well. She's young, so we'll see.
Gromit said:

Likely Rampone's and Wambach's last international tournament. I would be surprised to see them in Canada for the WC in 2015.

Permalink Reply by Ken Suzuki on August 9, 2012 at 10:21

Over 3 weeks ago (the date was 7/16), NHK aired a TV show to discuss the then nearing women’s soccer tournament in London Olympic, to which 4 retired soccer players (all women) attended.

 

Yoshie Kato (Japan)

Naoko Kawakami (Japan)

Brandi Chastain (USA)

Monika Staab (Germany)

 

The show started by introducing the result of poll. NHK asked Japanese fans if they think their Nadeshiko will get gold medal in London. Over 1,800 gave answer, and the result was

 

41.4% said YES

58.6% said NO

 

The result is not very surprising since the poll took place a month after Nadeshiko was trounced by USA in Halmstad, Sweden. NHK then asked each attendant how much of probability she sees for Nadeshiko’s gold.

 

Kawakami 50%

Chastain 40% (She said US has 55-58% chance of winning)

Kato 25%

Staab declined giving number and just said “yes they can.”

 

I (Ken) found Kawakami’s “50%” most intriguing since she was the NHK’s commentator during the last year’s World Cup, but, in the middle of games, turned from a commentator to a cheerleader, and started screaming support for her former teammates. This was most conspicuous during the QF against Germany, but also distinct during the Final. So, even Naoko-san sees only 50% of chance.

 

Since everyone knew “if Japan can gain gold” is almost equivalent to “if Japan can beat the United States” NHK introduced the result of the next poll – Can Nadeshiko beat US?

 

44.4% said YES

55.6% said NO

 

Remember, again, that all poll-respondents were Japanese fans. This result is incredible even considering many Japanese came to love the US team especially after they paid visit to the region devastated by tsunami and invited schoolgirls to entertain.

(The scene is still available.)

http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Videos/US-Women/2012/03/12032...

 

So, since it seemed a Herculean task to win over the Americans and especially to stop the mighty 2-top – Morgan & Wambach – NHK directed a very straight question to Chastain.

 

“Chastain-san, allow us to ask this straight question. Is there any weak point in US team that Japan can exploit?”

 

And Brandi’s answer was it might be the American back line which is prone to make open space when the team pushes forward in offense mode. In other words, she recommended the very tactics Nadeshiko used against Brazil – create wall before its goal, and do a quick counterattack when chance is there.

 

So, this is what we saw in mid-July. Just allow me to add my own view. I dearly love the Nadeshiko but predict the US will win this time. The reason: each team is doing the same thing done by the other last year. Japan finished as the second of its group, played Brazil at QF, then France at SF, just as the US did in Germany. The US, on the other hand, is in a mental condition similar to the Japan’s last year. The Nadeshiko in Germany always thought of people devastated by earthquake, and they must demonstrate the spirit to fight back. Every one of them says this mentality was the source of the resilience they showed. Now, it’s the turn of Americans. Their home league collapsed and their colleague players are rendered jobless. They will never forget these people and it gives them the spirit. I have no doubt this is what was there during the infernal game against Canada.

 

Yes, thanks to the Coach Sasaki’s “clever” manipulation, the Japanese spent only 3 hours in moving, from Cardiff to London, since the last game of group league, while the Americans moved from Manchester to Newcastle (2.5 hrs), back to Manchester (another 2.5 hrs), then to London (3.5 hrs). Besides, they played 120 minutes at SF. They have to fight fatigue as well as the Nadeshiko. They can do it.

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