Three Shutouts in First Round, Spain Up Next

So the United States completed its stroll through the group phase of the Women's World Cup with 16 goals for, none against and three wins.  The most recent victory was 2-10 against Sweden in LeHavre Thursday.  Sweden, which hasd already clinched a spot in the knockout phase, will face Canada Monday, June 24 while the Americans take on Spain at the same time.

Andrew Keh and Andrew Das of the New York Times reported on the Sweden match.  The Times' Jere Longman reports on the growth of women's soccer in Spain.

On To The Sweet 16 - But First Sweden

Nobody expected 13 goals and although the U.S. scored "only" three against Chile, they dominated the match and would have had at least three more but for the brilliant goalkeeping of Christiane Endler, who robbed Christen Press of sure goals twice and did the same on other shots.  Endler, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, was named player of the match.

Good to see my former player, Carli Lloyd get back into the starting line-up and reward Coach Jill Ellis for the decision by scoring in the 11th and 35th minutes.  The first goal was a left footer one-timed into the corner and the second a header.  Sandwiched between these two was a goal by Julie Ertz off a corner.

Lloyd missed a chance for a hat trick when she hooked a PK wide left in the 81st minute.  I thought the penalty was questionable and was awarded after VAR review.  There was a foul, but it appeared to be just outside the 18.  Not so said the ref as she pointed to the penalty mark.

Sweden beat Thailand, 5-1 so the only question that remains is which team will finished first and which second.  Given the huge goal differential favoring the United States, Sweden would have to win Thursday's showdown,. but regardless of the result both teams will advance.

Andrew Das has game coverage in the New Yorks Times.

Forget Thailand. Chile's Up Today

Much has been written and said about the United States women's 13-0 thrashing of Thailand in the World Cup opener.  Many have defended the scoring as necessary because goal differential is the first tie-breaker in the group stage.  Agreed - but celebrating each goal like it was the World Cup winner was over the top.  Keep in mind, Eastern High School's team probably would have been a tougher opponent than Thailand.  In other words, the goals were expected so why act like it was such a big deal, even for women playing in their first World Cup?

The U.S. plays another less than stellar opponent - Chile - today before taking on powerhouse Sweden in the last match of the group stage.

13 Proves Lucky For U.S. in World Cup Opener

    JUNE 11, 2019 -- The United States women exploded for 13 goals in a rout of Thailand in the World Cup opener for both teams before 18,591 in Reims.  Alex Morgan scored five times for the U.S. and Carli Lloyd, who (along with Christen Press) came on in the 57th minute, netted the final goal in stoppage time.   Andrew Keh reports for the New York Times.

    In the other Group F match, as expected Sweden defeated Chile, 2-0.  The U.S. will face Chile and Sweden will take on Thailand on June 16.

If You Build It (Downtown) They will Come

Today's Boston Globe, reports with some envy how the MLS team Minnesota United opened a soccer-specific stadium in by a rail line St. Paul not quite two months ago, while the New England Revolution is stuck at the New England Patriots' stadium out in Foxboro.

The Globe notes that smaller soccer-only venues in downtowns have recently opened in Orlando, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C while others are in the works in Cincinnati, Nashville, and Austin.   

I recall how the Philadelphia Atoms of the old North American Soccer League played at Veterans Stadium, the multi-purpose facility that housed the Eagles and the Phillies.  The current MLS team, the Union, plays in a vey nice soccer-only stadium, but it's out of the way in Chester, a difficult to reach decrepit place south of Philadelphia. 

Challenging Cup Final for Penn Fusion U13s

There is something about the Cup, whether it's the World Cup or the Medford Cup.

When every minute is important and every goal counts, the intensity picks up whether there is a stadium full of fans and a TV audience, or nothing more than a few dozen family and friends standing on the sideline.

"Relax," I told one of my players before my first State Cup final as a coach back in 1994.  "It's just another game."  "Another game?" she shrieked.  "It's the freakin' State Cup final."  (I'm happy to say we won that final.)

This past week my granddaughter, Allison, got to experience the "freakin' State Cup Final" when she played goal for her Penn Fusion U13 girls team in the Eastern Pennsylvania Challenge Cup against the Lionville team in Manheim, Pennsylvania.  For those unaware, in U.S. Youth Soccer, Eastern and Western Pennsylvania are separate "states" so winning an Eastern Pennsylvania cup is the same as winning a New Jersey cup.

One of the Cup traditions is the pre-game parade used in international matches when the teams march onto the field and line up in the center.  It was exciting for me as a coach to watch the girls I'd coached walk out there, and even more so to see my own son in the parade in 1995 and then 24 years later to see my granddaughter, wearing the orange keeper's shirt and the captain's armband, take the walk to center field.

The game itself was exiting and well-played, but the results didn't go our way.  Lionville, in blue, went on the board in the 12th minute with a well-placed shot to the lower left corner, then added another in the 49th (35 minute halves) on a crazy bounce.  Penn Fusion couldn't solve Lionville's pressing flat back four and tenacious defense and it ended 2-0.

Nothing to be ashamed of.  As I told Allison, 28 teams started the Challenge Cup and last Saturday only two remained and hers was one of them.   The girls played their hardest and no one could ask for more.