Women's World Cup

[gk10002000]

Have any of you been following the Women's World Cup? I watched the Thailand Norway match today. The Thais gave it a good effort but they really were outmatched physically. I watched the Germans win against the Ivory Coast. Tomorrow, the USA plays Australia. The one thing I don't like is they are playing all these games on synthetic turf. that is just not right.

[marinediscoking]

Yes they (thailand) were outmatched physically but they had some moments were they put some nice passing together. I thought the Ref should have done more as they were knocked down on several occasions and no call was given. I am all for hard tackling when done legally but many were not and it looked like that affected them mentally and they could not keep composure after that. Some really sloppy central defending that will have to be fixed too.

Yes the turf has been a very controversial decision since it was announced that all games will be played on it. They said it go to 55C on the pitch today as it attracts a lot of heat.

[Chicog]

How much did it cost to lay all those plastic pitches and who awarded/got the contract, etc.

[JakeSully]

Have been a lot of fun games to watch.

Thailand has 3 points so they could technically make it out of the group stage if other groups screw up enough but Thailand will really get a thrashing from Germany.

[bannork]

Well done ladies, you beat The ivory Coast. Tremendous stuff !

Don't be afraid of the Germans, they lost 2 world wars.

[jellydog]

How much did it cost to lay all those plastic pitches and who awarded/got the contract, etc.

Exactly. 5'll get you 10 somebody got greased.

[Sparkles]

How much did it cost to lay all those plastic pitches and who awarded/got the contract, etc.

This term "plastic pitches" is so 1980's.Things have moved on since then.

If you want to get up to speed have a look at www.dessofootball.com just one of many companies that have developed a variety of new surfaces for different conditions.

Some are a blend of natural grass and rubber compound,far too many variations to go into here.

Arsenals training ground for example is 1400 m2 of artificial surface as in Man Cities,Spurs and a host of other clubs not only using it on training pitches either on some of the main pitches as well,a mix that protects and encourages natural grass growth

I got to view one first hand last year at my old club in Sydney who play in the top league,3 clubs in the competition play on grass blend pitches. Walking on it, it looked like grass and felt like grass,2 of the senior players said to me that they preferred playing on for its true bounce it and this particular pitch was hosting at least a dozen games week. They were top dressing it lightly with sand while I was there.

I played on the old style "plastic" pitches but that was 30 years ago,believe me there is no comparison to what is available today.Check the web sites you might just have a different view.

[Chicog]

How much did it cost to lay all those plastic pitches and who awarded/got the contract, etc.

This term "plastic pitches" is so 1980's.Things have moved on since then.

If you want to get up to speed have a look at www.dessofootball.com just one of many companies that have developed a variety of new surfaces for different conditions.

Some are a blend of natural grass and rubber compound,far too many variations to go into here.

Arsenals training ground for example is 1400 m2 of artificial surface as in Man Cities,Spurs and a host of other clubs not only using it on training pitches either on some of the main pitches as well,a mix that protects and encourages natural grass growth

I got to view one first hand last year at my old club in Sydney who play in the top league,3 clubs in the competition play on grass blend pitches. Walking on it, it looked like grass and felt like grass,2 of the senior players said to me that they preferred playing on for its true bounce it and this particular pitch was hosting at least a dozen games week. They were top dressing it lightly with sand while I was there.

I played on the old style "plastic" pitches but that was 30 years ago,believe me there is no comparison to what is available today.Check the web sites you might just have a different view.

That's all well and good but these aren't Desso pitches, which are a blend of plastic and real grass.

They are plastic pitches, and I'm guessing a portion of that 1.327 million slipped into a Cayman Islands bank account.

B.C. Pavilion Corporation contracted Centaur Products of Burnaby to supply and install the Polytan Ligaturf field for $1.327 million in time for the Vancouver Whitecaps’ May 30 win over Real Salt Lake.

Visiting players complained it was slippery and sandy. Reporters’ shoes were covered in green residue during a Wednesday FIFA briefing. A planned match for Women’s World Cup volunteers was cancelled Saturday evening.

Canada 2015 is the first Women’s World Cup to use only artificial grass fields, and the Netherlands-based world players’ union FIFPro is keeping an eye on the six-city tournament.

“After all the debate around the use of synthetic turf, it is terribly disappointing that, with the World Cup already under way, we are now forced to question if the turf falls short of its own standards,” said FIFPro communications director Andrew Orsatti.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Chicog

[ThaiPauly]

Congratulations to England Ladies on getting to the semi-finals after beating the host nation Canada in the quarter finals.

They now face Japan on Saturday.

Doing far better than our Men's team !!!

They could possibly go on to win it

Here's hoping

[rijit]

great effort against the current world champions japan , who are a class act, However it could be very strongly argued England were the more effective team constantly pressing japan not giving them time to settle and break and from what i saw had by far more and the better chances.. And what a totally cruel cruel way to go out, think it was in added time on the 90, admittedly a dangerous ball ax the box and our lass bassett trying to put it behind beat the keeper and it went in off the bar, But well done England a tremendous show, definitely one to be proud of and the girls deserve to go home with their heads held v v high

[Macclad]

It was a very cruel way to go out.....90 mins it was 1-1 and 3 extra minutes are signalled......2nd minute of injury time the poor English girl turned a cross into her own net......9 times out of 10 it would have gone over the bar or wide.

England were the better team for much of the second half.....in a 5 minute spell they hit the bar,then their keeper made a good save and then an English header flashed just wide of the post.....just wasnt their day !

But the English girls can hold their heads high.....a bit different than the men in Brazil last year.

[rijit]

3 rd place play off v germany

England looking ok and stopping them

Last ten of the 1st half perhaps germany r gonna step it up

rijit

[Lite Beer]

England beats Germany 1-0 in extra time to finish 3rd
JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Fara Williams scored on a penalty kick in the 108th minute, helping England beat Germany 1-0 on Saturday for third place in the Women's World Cup.

It was England's first win in 21 meetings against Germany, and secured the team's best finish in its four World Cup appearances. The victory over the top-ranked Germans came after a gut-wrenching 2-1 semifinal loss to Japan that was decided on an own goal on Wednesday.

Williams' goal was set up by a pass into the penalty area intended for Lianne Sanderson. As Sanderson turned to go after the ball, she was pulled down by Tabea Kemme.

On the penalty kick, Williams punched the ball just inside the left post, while goalkeeper Nadine Angerer faded the other way.

England had previously never won an elimination game, and finished this tournament with a 4-1-1 record.

Germany had several opportunities to tie the game in the final 10 minutes.

Anja Mittag, off a free kick just outside the penalty area, found an opening and got a shot off that was scooped up by goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.

In the 116th minute, Bianca Schmidt got behind England's defense and headed a cross just wide of the right post.

The two-time champion Germans were coming off a 2-0 loss to the United States on Tuesday. Their semifinal loss turned when Celia Sasic missed a penalty kick in the 59th minute, and the Americans took the lead on a penalty kick of their own 10 minutes later.

Germany dropped to 18-1-2 against England.

It marked only the third time Germany has lost two games in seven tournament appearances, and first time since losing the 1995 championship game to Norway.

It also was a disappointing end to the World Cup careers of German coach Silvia Neid and Angerer. Neid is retiring after the 2016 Rio Games, while Angerer is retiring from the national team following this tournament.

England avoided a big scare in the opening minutes when captain Steph Houghton made a clutch play to prevent an own goal.

Germany's Sara Daebritz sent a pass into the penalty area, and teammate Bianca Schmidt headed it toward the net. Unaware that Bardsley was preparing to catch the ball, Jo Potter leaped and got her head on it. The ball caromed toward the goal, where Houghton was facing the net and kicked it back over her head inches before it crossed the line.

It was reminiscent of how England lost to Japan, when Laura Bassett directed the ball into her own goal with a minute left in stoppage time.

After both teams had played games with on-field temperatures approaching 100, the weather was comparatively mild on Saturday. The game-time temperature was a comfortable 70. There was a moderate breeze, and the sun was hidden by an overcast sky for much of the game.

The Germans had the majority of the better scoring chances through the first 65 minutes. In the 53rd minute, Sasic broke up the right side and sent a pass through the middle to an open Daebritz. She got a solid shot off that was stopped by Bardsley, who made a diving save to her right.

Houghton had the Lionesses' best scoring chance of the first half in the 12th minute. She was set up 8 yards out, and got a weak shot toward the net, which Angerer stopped.

England finally began applying consistent pressure during a three-minute span late in the second half, only to be foiled by German's well-positioned defenders.

In the 77th, Jill Scott was all alone to the left of the net. Faking a shot, Scott pulled Angerer out of position, and then took a shot at the open net that was blocked by Saskia Bartusiak. Karen Carney then fed a cross through the middle, and Scott just missed tapping it in at the left post.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-05

[salty]

Even our 4 legged friends have been following the tournament.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2515480-dog-refuses-to-turn-away-from-2015-womens-world-cup-to-acknowledge-baby

[Chicog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sCq73-R3c0

[wilai]

Carli Lloyd...the star yank, is an LFC fan. In 2010, she took the "p" out of Manure being knocked out of Champions League......given her new-found status, the neanderthals have found her. The responses to her on Twitter are unbelievable. Five years after her original tweet