The Thailand match was not an international “friendly” - it was a World Cup match, so “it is what it is” with regard to the score. The USWNT is clearly a quality side. We saw a much more competitive match with Chile, whose goalkeeper’s stellar play kept it a lower score affair (in fact, the GK was named player of the match despite being on the losing end). Looking forward to Thursday’s tilt with Sweden.
As a product, the women’s game is very entertaining. It’s a draw in the seats and on TV. The ladies deserve a commensurate cut of the proceeds - whatever the market will bear.
I’ve been frustrated by how hard it is to get official US women’s team gear. As of a couple of weeks ago everything was backordered until early July. Ridiculous.
Somebody in charge is not taking the women seriously, if the official licensed gear is not readily available during the Women’s World Cup.
Yes, and that rule change was a relaxtion of the rule of having BOTH feet on the line in response to the PK taker being able to stutter step.
- Nearly EVERY GK comes off their line on a PK.
- If you review the play, she came off her line by just a few inches, if that.
- If you're going to follow the rules, then there was obvious encroachment by French players on the second PK, so why wasn't the 2nd PK re-taken (3rd attempt)?
The home team got a “home call.” It’s as simple as that.
@“Cardinal Fang” – Lots of people besides official license gear holders aren’t taking women’s soccer seriously. As many a poster here has proven. “You’ve come a long way, baby” the slogan used to say. Clearly, not long enough.
What kind of gear are you looking for, @Sue22? I see plenty of jerseys online.
@katliamom , I watched the US play Chile, and they turned me into a believer. I hadn’t watched in 20 years! Skills are so much better now, even better than the men, I think.
But given how far the US has come, they still need competition. Blowouts are boring. Why haven’t other countries with competitive men’s teams fielded competitive women’s teams?
What blows me away with regard to the men is not their superior “skill,” but their speed and aggressiveness.
I watched a Youtube video on red cards in the men’s games, and then one on red cards in women’s games. NO COMPARISON. In the clips I saw, the women typically got red cards as the result of getting two yellows, but some of the men’s cards were unbelievably violent/dangerous plays.
I’ve been fortunate enough to watch a lot of men’s and women’s college soccer at both Cal and Stanford. I totally agree @Nrdsb4 Also, the men play the ball more in the air than women do, IMO. Women tend to keep it more on the ground.
Having said that, as was on display in the US-Chile game, watch Kristen Press. She played at Stanford. She has always been a speedster. Likely, one of if not the fastest female soccer players that I ever saw is/was Amy Rodriguez, aka A-Rod. She played at USC and on the USWNT. Not only crazy fast, but manically aggressive.
Funny story about Kristen Press. I used to take my kids to see soccer games at Stanford. My oldest and I would have a good chuckle at the expense of Kristen Press. She was fun to watch. She could kick the ball about as hard as anyone and from huge distances. In fact, so hard, she almost always seemed to kick it over the goal and into the surrounding tree groves at Stanford. The ball would sail forever into the night. She had a hard time getting the ball “on frame.” During her years there at Stanford, they must have lost a lot of ball girls and balls in those tree groves. 
One of the most skilled 1v1 players that I ever saw play in college? Kelly O’Hara. Simply amazing.
Who remembers the loss to Sweden in the 2016 Olympics? Who’s looking forward to Thursday’s match? Sweden has been trash talking about the US.
I’m looking forward to the game. I’ve got my jersey in my bag and am heading to a local bar at 3.
@sushritto, trash talking how? About the 13-0 celebrations? Or something else?
@Nrdsb4, About their win over the US in the Rio Olympics.
That’s trash talking? Looks like USA Today was looking for a story where there wasn’t much of one.
That’s Swedish trash talking. 
In the world of sports, you will use anything as “bulletin board material.” But no, this trash talking hasn’t reached the heights of say the NBA or NFL. Plus, we don’t what is said on the field, which stays on the field for the last 3 years.
I like the idea that that’s trash talking in Sweden! lol
BTW, this early game is something.
Wow, I just checked in on the early scores and Netherlands beating Canada 2-1 is a surprise. I don’t know the details of the game, but superficially speaking, that’s a bit of an upset.
I MISSED IT!
At 3’, it’s 1-0 US. Motivated maybe?
At the 29’, Tobin Heath, nutmegs a defender and earns a corner. She loves to nutmeg players.