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The women of the 2007 World Cup take the fieldHi, my name is Siege, and I'm a sports addict. I'll admit it. If I didn't, my better half would surely scold me. I don't like when she scolds me. I love watching sports of almost any kind. Baseball, football, golf, tennis and of course hockey. Basketball is the only one I don't tend to get all excited about. I think my dislike stems from my inability to do anything remotely coordinated on a basketball court. I used to feel the same way about soccer. I didn't understand it. I couldn't get my limbs to do what I wanted them to do while trying to play it. That all changed in the summer of 1999. In fact, I remember the exact moments that made me fall in love with soccer, particularly women's World Cup soccer. Moment number one: Michelle Akers leaves it all on the field.
I remember watching Akers literally collapse in exhaustion on the field. I remember hearing of her suffering from chronic fatigue. And I remember her triumphantly returning to the field for the celebration, having basically defied team doctors to be with her teammates. Who says women aren't tough? Moment number two: Briana Scurry makes the save.
I remember the save, but more than that I remember her fist-pumping, foot-stomping strut to the sidelines after the save was made. I'm quite sure I shouted, "you go, girl" at the TV screen. Moment number three: Brandi Chastain celebrates.
I remember the PK going in the net. I remember her jumping for joy. And then I went speechless. I also remember drooling over the Sports Illustrated cover and finally being able to record the game during some replay telecast or another so I could rewind that moment over and over and over and over ... you get the idea. Oddly enough, I find myself thinking of Chastain whenever I see Bend It Like Beckham. Wonder why that is?
Unfortunately for those of us cheering on Team USA in 2003, things didn't go according to plan. Well, as many of you already know, the 2007 Women's World Cup is underway in China and things have changed over at the U.S. Women's National Team. Sure, a few of the faces are the same, though some of their names have changed. Scurry is still around, but she's not the star keeper. Akers and Chastain have long been retired. And the face of U.S. Women's soccer, Mia Hamm, has faded into the sunset.
Does that mean I'm uninterested? Absolutely not. I'm waiting patiently for the next shirtless victory celebration. My hope is the U.S. women live up to expectations in China and raise the cup again. Should they manage it, I'm hoping one of the new batch of beautiful women will pay homage to Chastain. I vote for Abby Wambach, Natasha Kai or Shannon Boxx.
The U.S. women, ranked No. 1 in the world, opened play yesterday against North Korea in a highly anticipated match. They spent several minutes playing a woman short after Wambach went out with an injury. By the time she returned to the field, the U.S. was down 2-1. They rallied for the tie, salvaging a point in their opening match. They are playing in what is considered to be the toughest pool of the tournament along with North Korea, Sweden and Nigeria. They've got their work cut out for them. They play Sweden, ranked number three in the world, on Friday. Other teams looking to make their mark include China, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil, England, Australia, Japan, Ghana and Germany, who handed Argentina an 11-0 drubbing on Monday. And, lest you think I am entirely U.S.-centric, I would settle for a little "Oh Canada!" from Christine Sinclair and the rest of my North American neighbors, should the U.S. bow out early.
No matter what happens, I can't resist this group of 16 teams, all filled with strong, talented women showing the world that we girls can play too. I know I'll be watching. Will you? Submitted by on September 12, 2007 - 2:59pm. |
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I love football!
...or soccer for some of you.
And I think I have a crush on Abby Wambach. It's a bit annoying - I'm Swedish damn it!
I bet she still has a whopping headache
Hehe. Det tror jag många av
Hehe. Det tror jag många av oss har. Men jag blev lite arg idag för det stog massa i tidningarna idag om hur svenska spelarna tycker Abby går ner alldeles för lätt och massa sånt.
*ignorence is bliss*
England!
Come on England!
Gutted at the draw against Japan yesterday... we were definitely the better side (I'm not biased at all...)
The equalising goal was from a free kick in the last minute of the match... as a result of some rather suspect refereeing... from a USA referee! shocking! It was never a free kick, I tell you!
Bring on the Germans on Friday... as Hope Powell said, we've never beaten them before, so lets do it now in the World Cup! And Germany aren't one of the best looking teams in the competition so we could do with knocking them out asap! ;-)
Three Words:
Reigning World Champions.
Go Germany!
Haha
You know, I was rooting for Germany during the Men's WC last year considering the were hosting the tornament. But I can't root for them for the women :D.
USA all the WAY!
Hot
My loyalties are split between Germany and the United States--it's a product of my international upbringing. I'll cheer for them both, as long as they're not playing each other...
When they play, though, I must admit, I usually cheer for Germany...though, Natasha Kai makes that decision more and more difficult all the time.
So that is the one with the tats
woah
can't wait for tomorrow.....
i'm with you I'm hoping we can get something from the game tomorrow it would be great to win but I'm hoping we can at least nick a draw.
I agree we were the better team against Japan, what was the free kick they got at the end all about anyway!
I have to say I am so excited about this world cup and willing the girls to do well, how amazing a player is kelly smith, mind you karen carney and rachel yankey are pretty amazing players as well.
come on england!
Nike Ad
Did anyone else notice that one of the two Nike ads that they're running non-stop on ESPN and ESPN2 during the games actually makes fun of the Brandy Chastain jog bra moment? They've got this PR guy who's showing the players how to act when they score/win/whatever, and he rips off his shirt and is wearing a jog bra underneath, and all the players are looking at him like he's completely nuts.
Anyway...crazy game yesterday between the US and Korea--I about had a heart attack two or three times. Here's hoping we get our act together for the next two. And I'm rooting for England as well--Germany needs a bit of humility after that 11-0 win.
-abzug
Visit http://www.badgirlsannex.com!
come on
what do you mean? - humility: they weren't bragging. they couldn't just stop playing just because the argentinians did... instead they stayed focused and took the chances argentina presented them on a silver platter. and, while i myself would have preferred a more interesting and exciting match, i admire their ability to keep going, even when it all seems like a big joke.
i agree, though, that england will be a better opponent on friday. they'll certainly improve the quality of the game and increase the enjoyment of the viewers. but i think it's their first world cup, right?
the best game so far, in my opinion, was the US vs. N. Korea match. it had everything i'm looking for: excitement, disappointment, joy, great plays, goals etc. the match with the most controversy, i think, is the one china played against denmark today. the ref (and her team) seemed a bit out of sorts, a bit overwhelmed. at least nobody attacked her (although some of the danish players were steaming). (if you don't know what i'm talking about look at the forum thread linked in the article above.)
i'm enjoying this world cup immensly. and i'm hoping to see many great matches.
rooting for germany. it won't be easy though.
My Childhood
Hell yes! I'm an avid sports fan, you name it I pretty much love it. Soccer is my all-time favorite sport and the Womens National Soccer team is very dear to me. I grew up watching Mia, Brandy, Julie, Michelle, Carla, Trisha...I can go on and on. WWC 99 final, I can tell you exactly where I was when we won the game. I still remember the feeling I had when they won. I'll be honest, I cried like a baby, it was as if a dream had come true. My childhood dream was to play for the WNT. I didn't think in my lifetime I would watch a sporting event on mainstream TV get this much attention and devotion. It was like "finally, America is realizing something I've known for years". These women worked their ass off to make sure this tornament was a success.
I still support the WNT, but I have to say, when Mia and Julie and the 91ers retired, I felt like part of my childhood was gone forever. They kept me glued to the game. I watched every televised game possible, I waited for ESPN to interview any one of them. I wanted to know them, even in Mia's prime and she garnered all the hype, I thought she was a class act. BTW, I was a huge fan of hers before Pert Plus and Gatorade got ahold of her. I remember seeing UNC play University Of MD and she was there. I wanted to be like Mia, she was everything I wanted to be as a player. When she scored a goal against my home college, I saw her run in the air with her arms up high, I remember mimmicking her when I scored a goal. It isn't just Mia, but we have to respect the other players, especially Julie. She fought relentlessly for the US WNT to earn respectible money and publicity. She is the modern Billy Jean-King, she works tirelessly still to this day.
I guess the point I'm trying to say is they were my hero's even into my 20's. As a sports fan and former athlete, these women were someone I could look up to. They had a very healthy image and I was proud to say I want to be like Mia or Julie. I respect the younger players and the current team, but they will never compare to my childhood hero's. I will look back at WWC 99 or the 96 Olympics with the fondest of memories and I will remember my reaction when they played their last game together. Tears of joy for their accomplishments and tears of saddness to realize such important figures in my life are now retired.
Thank you for the post.
Briana Scurry rules
does anyone know if they
Rebroadcasts
Check the schedule on ESPNtv.com
They re-air some of the matches at 5:00PM on ESPN Classic
http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnTopics?topic=Soccer&watch=FIFAWWC
abby
is ridiculously awesome!!! she gets hit in the head, is bleeding, goes off the field and gets STICHES and comes back on to play!!!!!!!! she is my hero:)
also i loooooooove natasha kai's tattoos
also i saw the commercial mentioned above and i think the crazy guy is rainn wilson from the office.
US WNT
I'm seriously addicted to soccer. Yes, I woke up before the asscrack of dawn to watch their first match live. I was on pins & needles during the entire game vs. North Korea. OMG. I thought I was already watching the finals! I think this World Cup will bring a lot more attention to women's soccer.
I'm so happy to see my girls Abby Wambach and Natasha Kai be sponsored by Nike. However I don't understand what Nike is thinking with this "Jim Mike" character in their ads. WTF? If you want to market the US WNT as "the greatest team you've never heard of" then why are you throwing in this nonsense? I don't understand their marketing strategy.
My theory/question is "are
My theory/question is "are they wrong"? Other than avid fans, how much have you heard about the team? I mean, think about it, the players that really brought the WNT in the spotlight are now retired. The players that America really identified with are gone doing their own thing. They had a certain personality to them, they really geared towards middle-class-white Americans and that's how they were marketed. Case and point, the WUSA failed after two seasons. Why? Because they refused to market outside the white picket fence. Why do we still have the WNBA? Ha, because they have a huge lesbian following and they really work off that. The WUSA refused to do that and they were only short a couple million in sponsorship, if you think about it, it's not a lot.
As for the new group of players. They are tough,gritty, no-nonsense type of players..ahh, same goes for the team I grew up with, but these girls definitely look the part..for the most part. However, they're still trying to ride the shoulders of the previous teams success, and society is fickle. One minute your in then you out. I just think they have to get themselves out there and this campaign can do it. It's actually pretty funny in my opinion. I didn't mean to go on the rant.
i gotta be honest...
Im Canadian so i'll be rooting for them, but i'm also Swedish at heart, so i'm rooting for them as well :)
It's sad...
Hardly anyone in New Zealand cares that our women have made it to the World Cup for the first time in 19 years because the Rugby World Cup is on at the same time!
I had to trawl right to the bottom of the sports news to find out anything about the team and there are no pictures of the 'Football Ferns' anywhere. Very sad indeed, especially when all the rugby world cup games are live on TV and every single little bit of news is being blasted out at all hours.
I've played soccer all my life and I wish I could support our team by actually watching the games!
I feel your pain
I was a soccer player and am now a fan, & here in the U.S. we get the women's world cup games on TV, but I am also a rugby fan and there is zero coverage of the RWC on tv here. Not that the Eagles have a snowflakes chance in hell of advancing, but I want to be able to watch the All Blacks march to finals, and victory. The only option is online pay per view, which I cannot afford on my budget.
I am rooting for the Football Ferns in the WWC as well as Canada and the U.S.
natasha kai
Needless ot Say...
At The Risk Of...
Getting my head chopped off I have to state here that team USA had some help from the referee in winning that game agains North Korea. A few of the calls (and a few is too many in any sport) that should have gone against the US went against Korea especially in the last 6 or so minutes of the game. Fouls, Throw-ins.... I wanted to toss the referee a pair of glasses (well really I wanted to do more than that - but I won't go there). I L-O-V-E football and totally H-A-T-E when a game is not judged fairly and that game wasn't.
I'll now sit here and wait for the ensuing comments but I stand by what I've typed. May the best team win! I'll definitely be glued to my TV.
Im really looking forward toe the quarter finals
As a german I am convinced that we are going to be world champion again!
Maybe we play against USA in the quarter final... and of course we will again :-)
Women's Football
Enemies on Friday
As much as I'd like to hate the US team. I just can't. Good and hot team. That Kai (saw her for the first time in their first match), oh my. That pic "pecola"posted here... I have no words. And I can't make up my mind if I like Wambach or not. It's just impossible. Were she playing for Sweden I'd pass out everytime I saw her and think she was the coolest thing ever! =D But that isn't the case. Hoping for a good, exciting match. And as long as Germany is beaten as quickly as possible, I'm happy. They stole a gold from us a few years back and does not fall in my good grace after it. >:)
Anyways, I'm with Marta Da Silva; Sweden vs. Brazil in the final. What a treat for us Swedes! (since we've adopted her)
The team
Much as it pains me
I have to disagree about the strength of our midfield ... Lingor has not been playing her best game in over a year - against England it became obvious what happens if she is challenged. If Laudehr didn't play so strong and make up for Lingor's slip-ups the midfield would turn into a mine-field for us (no pun intended). At this point it's more her reputation than actual performance that earns her a place in the starting line-up. Also we haven't played with a consistant midfield for months - Neid kept changing the players around from game to game. Bartusiak - who'll most likely start on Monday instead of Laudehr - has only come on as a substitute in a couple of games and has never played a competition at this level before.
Also our strikers arein trouble as soon as the key crosses don't keep coming - again this could be seen against England. Smisek is basically out of the game if faced with a strong defense and Prinz is easily frustrated. Some changes will have to be made here - maybe starting physically stronger the Wimbersky instead of Smisek.
As for our goalie ... Natze nearly gave me a heart attack in the game against England, but then again Rottenberg had an even worse screw up in the semifinals of the Sydney olympics. Domestically Angerer has been playing on the same level as Rottenberg for a while and at least she and Hingst are very much in sync with each other since they both used to play for Potsdam until last year. I don't think she's any more likely to truely slip up than Rotenberg would have.
are you me?
When I started reading this blog it sounded so much like me I thought I wrote it...even down to the not caring for basketball...and an American who likes hockey? are you sure your not an ex-pat Canadian?
Looking forward to the Canadian girls showing well at the World Cup, I was a bit worried after the loss to Norway...til I heard they were the pre-tourney favs! Will be watching while waiting for hockey to start!
AHHH The World Cup
Aint nthn better than watching these games. I love soccer like whoa. I'm torn b/w my nationalities of Nigeria and England. And then, USA. I dont even care who wins as long as it's one of these teams. Chi-Chi Igbo [Nigeria] is one hotttt stud!!!!
Nastasha Kai....bom chica wow ow. Can I please have my way with her just once??? lolz
+stephlikewhoa+
*I need someone to bring color to my world*
Sweden lost today, but
Abby!
I've been following Abby since she played at Florida. She has amazing presence on the field and can do ridiculous things with the ball. No crush on Abby but I second the hottness of Natasha Kai.
Glad they won today.
GO USA!
http://onefootinonefootout.blogspot.com/
England vs Germany
Well we drew... YES! Hopefully we'll go through to the quarters. I think everyone was so worried and nervous about this game. Well, who wouldn't be when you're playing a team that beat their last opponents 11-0!
One question I have about England is what is with Kelly Smith's celebration? It's definitely a strange one.
And I didn't realise how good the USA side was til this World Cup! Amazing team.
Come on England!
Smith has her own signature
Get in!
Come on England!
We played really well, Anita was awesome with Faye at the back, I hardly noticed Prinz was playing!
It's especially satisfying because of all those egotistical german players and fans who said we were crap and that they were gonna thrash us... unlucky!
Bring on the Argentinians on Monday!
England
the germans definitely underestimated england's back line. they were strong through and through. and they shut down prinz which is unheard of. she barely touched the football. hopefully england destroys argentina to bring up their goal difference to surpass japan and get up there with germany.
I'm not a huge fan of soccer, myself, but
if it's on, especially WOMEN'S soccer, I'll watch it. It's one of the only sports that I'll get distracted by if I'm flipping through the channels and I happen across it.
But that's not why I'm posting.
I'm posting because I suddenly remembered that a long long time ago I had a dream where Mia Hamm was playing soccer with me. She was conditioning me, too. Making me run and all that.
Oh, the weirdness of dreams...
The English side played an
The English side played an excellent game! They exploited every single one of our weaknesses.
Most people in Germany I know who watch women's soccer regularly didn't think the game against England would be a piece of cake ... after all this was the second time we didn't manage to score against them this year. Also it's not a secret, that it is perfectly possible to shut down Prinz if you play a strong, disciplined defence (I've seen it done a couple of times in the German league) and England did just that perfectly.
The only bright side was that our defense shut down Kelly Smith almost as effectively, but as far as tactics and discipline go England definately had the better side.
Germany WWC winners?
Hmm, you know, at first I was going to say Germany is going to put away this entire tornament and win this thing without any problems. Then we realized how horrible Argentina is this year. Germany's game against Japan, from what I saw, wasn't their best effort either. They should have been all over Japan. Japan has a very slow style game and they're not as aggressive as Germany. Germany didn't look like they were putting up much of an effort. I'm also going to say that England has a very small chance at winning the WC because they are an underdog. I'm not betting on it, but I won't be surprised that England is going to continue to put up a fight. Like the Mens team, I think England will definitely be a team to reckon with in the next few years.
I'm still rooting for the US as always. I'm not feeling it this year though and I didn't feel it in 03 either. We should be doing a hell of a lot better than we are, that being said, we have one of the most difficult brackets this year too. But Brazil is sick too this year. Oh the drama.
England next, and it will be very tough
Up early
Caught the game this morning and fortunately just saw the second half where the US totally dominated England lead by a header from Abby! Bring on Brazil next!
http://onefootinonefootout.blogspot.com/