2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final: USA vs Japan, Round Three

The Third Place match and Final Match of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup are set. However, I just have to touch upon England first after that match. The beautiful game turned devastating for them.

England, the Lionesses, had an ending that left most people gutted/devastated. A solid 1-1 match between England and Japan was headed to Extra Time. Then Japan sent the ball into the box and the reliable Laura Bassett went to clear it. Only the ball just hit the crossbar and went down into her own goal, giving Japan the 2-1 lead and win. It was a freak play and an extremely rare way to lose a game, so Bassett should not feel bad at all. However, England shouldn't feel bad. They've grown so much over the past few years, and can rightly be seen as a top contender now alongside Japan, USA, Germany, France, Sweden and Brazil. 

It would have been fun to see England back in a World Cup final for the first time since 1966, and the first time in the Women's World Cup. That country really has no luck in this sport. Don't worry though, the England Women won't need luck at the 2019 Women's World Cup, which will be held in France. They should be a contender to hoist the trophy. I'll be cheering for them to win the third place match against Germany. How about a Bronze Medal for Lucy Bronze and co? 

England frustrated Japan, who struggled when it came to finishing even as they dominated in the passing category which they always do. England were firing off some good shots, and Ayumi Kaihori made an excellent save to prevent a goal from Ellen White. Kaihori doesn't get enough praise from the media. 

So USA and Japan are set to meet again, for the third straight major final, on Sunday July 5th. Japan won the 2011 Women's World Cup final, while the US won the London 2012 Olympic final. This is the first ever rematch in the Women's World Cup. Japan will be looking to join the US & Germany as two-time winners. USA will try to become the first Women's team to win three World Cups, and their first since 1999. Something to watch will be to see how Japan uses Mana Iwabuchi. The super sub is incredibly fast and may have as much talent as Marta. Will she play longer, and can she get behind the outstanding US defense? USA is riding high on confidence right now, and the midfield and attack are starting to click. 

Japan should get a goal, but the US should be too determined in this one. Alex Morgan has just one goal, but that was to be expected as she returns from injury. She is creating space and chances, which can be just as beneficial. Both teams have a variety of players who can score, and both have a solid defense with the edge going to USA. This will also be the final World Cup game for Abby Wambach, as well as 1999 veteran Christie Rampone who probably won't play due to an injury. It will also be the last for Japan's Homare Sawa, in her record 6th World Cup. 

England will take on Germany for Third Place on Saturday. I'm picking them to win this game and go out on a high note. Maybe that's just me feeling bad for them due to losing on a freak own goal. I mean, its an angry Germany coming their way. They do have the ability though, which they showed against Norway and Japan, two previous Women's World Cup winners. I say England get an emotional win to go out on a high note. 

For the first time, Sepp Blatter will not appear at a final. Of course he won't. He's afraid he'll have a "Handshake for Peace" with an FBI Agent who will turn it into a Handcuff for Peace. 

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Semifinals

Down to the Final Four

The Semifinals are upon us at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. I got three of my four predictions correct (USA, Japan, England) from before the start of the tournament. However, I had France beating Germany. And they certainly should have beaten Germany in that game, but failed to put the ball into the back of the net despite dominating the pace of the game and getting behind the German defense. Now, a look at the two semifinals.

USA vs Germany - June 30, 2015 in Montreal. Germany are ranked #1 in the FIFA rankings, with USA at #2. They haven't met at the World Cup since 2003 when Germany beat USA in the Semifinals. USA defeated Germany in the 1999 Quarterfinals and 1991 Semifinals. The crowd could reach 50,000 in Montreal's Olympic Stadium, with many expected to be US supporters who just have to travel over the border. However, Germany just dealt with a loud French-Canadian Montreal crowd supporting France. 

France were able to get in behind the German defense in the Quarterfinal, and controlled the pace of the game. Germany were struggling to score until getting a Penalty Kick late in the game. Meanwhile, France had a bunch of of great looks at goal they couldn't capitalize on. The US should use their fastest players to get in behind Germany's defense much like France. And bury those chances they'll get because of it. Alex Morgan should get her chances in this game, while Megan Rapinoe should be rested after missing the match against China with a yellow. Its a 50/50 toss up, but I'm sticking with the USWNT getting it done. 

Japan vs. England - July 1, 2015 in Edmonton. Defending champs Japan got a scare from Australia, but prevailed in the end with a late goal. They are completing 83% of their passes, the best in the competition. England defeated the hosts, capitalizing on mistakes by Canada and holding onto their win with a grit and toughness we haven't seen from any England team in a while. Its the first time England have been in a World Cup semifinal since the men in 1990, and the first time the women have made it this far. It's good to see the Lionesses have such a solid run to captivate the attention of those home in England. 

England should put up a fight, but they can't rely on mistakes to score here. Japan are so technical and pass the ball better than anyone, rarely giving the ball away in a bad position. However, England are the last team to beat Japan at the Women's World Cup which they did in the group stage in 2011. Still, I think Japan will be too experienced and too technical for England to win. England will have to try and make the most of any set pieces they get.

And yes, many have noticed how there's a whole WWII Allies vs Axis theme with USA & England taking on Germany & Japan. Its nice that we can peacefully joke about it now with them all being allies. 

2014 World Cup: Luis Suarez Takes (Another) Bite

The 2014 World Cup had quite an interesting day in more ways than one. First, Costa Rica finished on top of one of two Groups of Death after their draw with England. USA has a slight chance to do the same, but 2nd place seems more likely for them after the late tie with Portugal. Then, Greece beat Ivory Coast with a 91st minute Penalty Kick, as Japan failed to find the net more than once again...thus sending Greece to the Knockout Stage for the first time ever. Costa Rica and Greece will play each other, meaning one will make it to the Quarterfinals for the first time ever.

The biggest news of the day came in the Uruguay-Italy match. Luis Suarez has struck again, this time intentionally biting Giorgio Chiellini. I wonder if Italian flesh tastes as good as Italian food? Yet, the ref didn't give Suarez a red card even as Chiellini pulled down the shoulder of his jersey to show the bite marks. This is the THIRD time Suarez has intentionally bitten a player during a game. We all know FIFA will barely punish him though, because they have no guts and only care about money as evidenced by Qatar getting the 2022 World Cup. 

Twitter exploded with Memes galore...and I instantly thought of that original Pokemon names Raticate when I thought about Suarez and his giant teeth and made my own. 

Suarez said in a statement after that "these things happen." Uh, no they don't, unless its on an episode of The Walking Dead. I love how each time he bites someone he ends up falling to the field in pain, pretending to be hurt to make it seem like he didn't bite a person. Uruguay captain Diego Lugano actually blamed Chiellini. I wish FIFA had the guts to ban Suarez for life and take away all the goals he scored, thus sending England in their place to the round of 16 (on Goal Differential over Italy). They won't, so hopefully Colombia will dominate Uruguay as they should when they meet in the knockout round. Another note: biting someone usually puts you in jail. How come on a sports field its a slap on the wrist? US Women's goalie Hope Solo got into a fist fight with her sister & nephew and promptly got arrested. But why is it okay to assault someone during a game? FIFA (and other leagues) are making it so.

This is my favorite spoof video of the incident, as Suarez gets the role he so desperately desires, the lead in Jaws:

2014 FIFA World Cup Preview

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is here...even if Brazil isn't quite ready with the stadiums. For the 2011 Women's World Cup, I correctly predicted Japan would defeat the USA in the final, which I'm sure makes me one of the few. That probably means I am going to get this completely wrong, but I'll try my hand at the 2014 World Cup.

Group A: 1. Brazil, 2. Croatia, 3. Mexico, 4. Cameroon. This is one of those groups where the 2nd place team could really be anyone after Brazil, who are the odds on favorite to win the group at home, and clearly the most talented of the bunch. Mexico have been struggling, Cameroon is hit-or-miss as is Croatia, though Croatia has a slight talent advantage over Cameroon. On top of their lackluster year, Mexico just lost a starter.

Group B: 1. Spain, 2. Chile, 3. Netherlands, 4. Australia. This group should feature some great match-ups between four capable teams, and Chile could definitely take out the Netherlands, who will need to be on their A game against Chile. Spain should take it, but we've recently seen previous winners falter in the group stage 4 years later (Italy in 2010, France in 2002 both finished last after winning the previous Cup). Australia is good but probably the odd team out. They can still give teams a tough test.

Group C: 1. Colombia, 2. Japan, 3. Ivory Coast, 4. Greece. This just might be the hardest group to pick. All of these games should be exciting, and you won't have any idea which way they'll go. Japan has the technical ability, and with Honda & Kagawa they can get a needed goal at any moment even if they may be weaker in other areas compared to the other three teams. Will seeing their Women's team win the 2011 Women's World Cup be a boost to Japan? Group C will probably be the closest group, with no team being eliminated before the third round of games. Colombia's star Falcao is still recovering from tearing his ACL, so will he be 100%? Many questions in the most exciting group.

Group D: 1. Italy, 2. England, 3. Uruguay, 4. Costa Rica. What a group, featuring three previous World Cup winners (Just Eight countries have won). I like England coming in with lower expectations to take it. They might finally have an underdog mentality, after their arrogance of 4 years ago led to them finishing 2nd behind the USA. Costa Rica shouldn't pose any threat. Italy, England and Uruguay all have their question marks, so it will be fun to watch it play out.

Group E: 1. France, 2. Switzerland, 3. Ecuador, 4. Honduras. After a disaster in South Africa 2010, France should be able to make their comeback in this group, which may be tougher than it looks thanks to an increasingly improved Switzerland and Ecuador playing close to home.

Group F: 1. Argentina, 2. Nigeria, 3. Bosnia & Herzegovina, 4. Iran. Argentina got quite the gift, and should have little trouble finishing on top of the group. Nigeria vs Bosnia should decide the fate of 2nd place, though Iran won't be an easy opponent for anyone and could play spoiler.

Group G: 1. Germany, 2. USA, 3. Portugal, 4. Ghana. It was agonizing to choose between Portugal & USA for 2nd...USA famously beat favorite Portugal at the 2002 World Cup and Portugal never recovered. Will the Americans be able to do it again? First, they'll have to take on Ghana, who eliminated the US in the 2006 & 2010 World Cups. Never before have they had such an important first game. Cristiano Ronaldo is battling an injury, and though he'll be playing, will he be at his full capacity? Jozy Altidore seems to have fallen out of his slump, and him paired with Clint Dempsey may help with the absence of Landon Donovan and his goal scoring ability.

Group H: 1. Belgium, 2. South Korea, 3. Russia, 4. Algeria. Belgium is my dark horse pick for the whole tournament as a potential semi-finalist. South Korea and Russia should clearly battle for 2nd place, and Russia is likely the better team, and South Korea struggled in qualifying before firing their head coach. But we need upsets at the World Cup, so I'm going with South Korea to get that done.

Round of 16: Brazil over Chile. England over Colombia. France over Nigeria. Germany over South Korea. Spain over Croatia. Japan over Italy. Argentina over Switzerland. Belgium over USA.

Quarterfinals: Brazil over England. Germany over France. Spain over Japan. Belgium over Argentina.

Semifinals: Germany over Brazil. Belgium over Spain.

3rd Place: Brazil over Spain. Final: Germany over Belgium. Belgium has given us awesome waffles and fries, which may or may not be swaying my decision to send them so far, especially past Argentina, who very well could win the Cup. I like Germany though to become the first European country to win the World Cup in South America.

Favorites: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Spain.
Dark Horses: Belgium, Colombia, Italy, England, Netherlands, Japan.

US Soccer Abruptly Fires Women's Coach Tom Sermanni

The United States Women's National Soccer Team is coming off a 2-0 friendly win over China. Yet just hours later, they abruptly fired head coach Tom Sermanni. Maybe this was due to a 7th place finish at the Algarve Cup, which had the first back-to-back losses for the USWNT since 2001. Sermanni reportedly had no idea this was coming and is shocked.

However, why play a match against China and fire him afterwards with another match in a few days instead of right after the tournament, if it had to do with the poor Algarve Cup performance? Rumors have circulated that players have been unhappy with his approach and the constant tinkering with the lineup to try and find the perfect one in time for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. It has come out though that players were not behind it, and many spoke about how they liked him. However, nobody seems to know exactly why this happened yet. Of course, it will come out soon, especially with a game on Thursday and the start of the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) on Saturday. In an update, it seems his laid back style did not mesh well with what Sunil Gulati and US Soccer wanted.

Nadeshiko Japan has seemed to have the United States' number since the 2011 Women's World Cup in big matches. Of course, USA defeated Japan for the London 2012 Gold Medal, however an obvious handball that was missed by the ref which would've led to a Japan PK, and likely goal, helped with that. Japan has been a model of consistency, discipline and technicality. Will one year with a new coach and new scheme be enough for the United States to roll through the world's best teams, particularly Japan, next summer? Sweden is another contender who have played very well against the US beating them at the 2011 Women's World Cup and 2014 Algarve Cup. And now they've got former US Coach Pia Sundhage coaching them. Though if any team is built to do it, it would be the United States.

2014 FIFA World Cup Groups Set

The 2014 FIFA World Cup draw just took place...and its safe to say England & the United States have a tough road after getting drawn together in a manageable group in 2010. Australia also has a brutal road ahead... FIFA was not kind to the English speaking countries this year. Well, FIFA's plastic balls weren't kind. The groups are as follows:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

As you can see, the United States and England were both drawn into what can be called a Group of Death. USA plays two of the top teams in the world in Germany and Portugal, plus a Ghana team who knocked the United States out of the 2006 & 2010 World Cups. USA will open up play against Ghana on June 16 at 6PM ET. They'll then face Portugal on June 22 and Germany on June 26. They must beat Ghana in the first game to have a hope of moving on from the group. They will then have two rematches from the 2002 World Cup. USA shocked Portugal in the group stage, defeating them 3-2 which helped them move on and sent Portugal home early. They faced Germany in the Quarterfinals after defeating Mexico, losing a tight contest 1-0. USA would have had a goal, but a German handball that kept it out went unnoticed by the refs. We'll see if these 2014 contests will be as memorable. One thing you can say about this group is it will be exciting. USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann is a German legend, adding yet another storyline to Group G. This could be the final World Cup for Landon Donovan.

England also has a tough group, taking on Uruguay in South America (which is never fun for European countries) and Italy. Poor Costa Rica has an uphill climb there. Japan could be dark horses much like the women who became 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champions. They landed into a manageable group and can definitely take on Greece and Colombia. We'll see how they handle the physical nature of Ivory Coast. Spain and Netherlands, who played each other in the final of the 2010 World Cup, will meet in the same group. France & Argentina lucked out by getting into the easiest groups, and Belgium should be clear favorites to win Group H. The battle between South Korea and Russia should decide 2nd place there.

Draw winners: France, Argentina, Belgium. Losers: English speaking countries Australia, England, USA, who got hosed by the plastic balls much like they did by the voters for 2018 & 2022 in favor of controversial human rights violating countries Russia & Qatar.

NRA Head Blames Mortal Kombat

Wayne LaPierre of the NRA blamed 'Mortal Kombat' and movies like 'American Psycho' and 'Natural Born Killers' for gun violence during a ridiculous press conference meant to address the Newtown Tragedy. Apparently he just walked out of 1994. This press conference was basically to protect gun manufacturers, not even the individual owners. The only bad thing Mortal Kombat has done was give the Kardashians the idea to chance every "C" to a "K".

Its nothing but a total cop out and PR stunt meant to deflect attention elsewhere, by focusing on the entertainment industry. What's next, going to blame a robbery on Catwoman? Well I can put a big fat stop to that argument right now.

1. Mortal Kombat and other video games are extremely popular in Japan, even more than in the USA. Yet Japan is also the safest country in the world, as well as one of the most peaceful. Apparently they aren't affected by seeing Raiden shoot lightning from his hands, or Kitana throw sharp fans. Try again NRA.

2. So what do you blame for all the violence before the 1990s? To name a few: Son of Sam, Charles Manson, Bonnie & Clyde, 1966 University of Texas shooter, Ted Bundy, Hitler & the Nazi's, the mafia & gangsters of the 20th century, the catholic church killing "heretics" during the inquisition, the KKK, etc. I didn't know they all had access to video games and action movies.

Its up to parents to take more responsibility. If they have a kid (or know an adult) with clear issues and mental problems, they need to keep them away from BOTH guns and violent entertainment, both of which millions of people enjoy without ever doing harm to others. So instead of throwing blame somewhere else, it would be wise to actually get out in communities to educate people and do your part to make the world a better place.

Sane people with guns don't kill, entertainment doesn't kill - Lunatics kill. The US needs to find a way to keep guns away from criminals & mentally ill people, and part of that means families need to step up. The NRA dropped the ball today, and should have addressed that to try and be part of the solution, rather than placing blame on fictional entertainment. They could have come out in support of "Smart Gun Technology", which uses fingerprints registered to the gun owner, so nobody else would be able to fire their gun. They claim its "expensive". So what, you can't put a price on safety. The auto industry has added so many safety enhancements to cars, such as multiple airbags as one example, which cost more money but keep people safer. But, I guess we shouldn't have expected anything better from them.

Olympic Women's Soccer: USA vs Japan

The United States is golden again after defeating the world cup champions Japan 2-1 in front of 80,203 fans at Wembley Stadium to finish the Women's Soccer/Football tournament at the London 2012 Olympics. Japan defeated the US in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup final in Germany, and this re-match more than lived up to the hype. Both teams were outstanding from start to finish. Carli Lloyd scored both goals for the USA, and Japan cut the lead to 2-1 in the 2nd half, but couldn't find a 2nd goal to tie. Hope Solo came up with some big saves to hold the US lead.

Even though Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach missed some chances, they didn't need it in the end with Lloyd stepping up for the United States. There was a Tobin Heath hand ball early in the game that should have been a Penalty Kick for Japan. However, referees missing these calls are nothing new, you have to keep playing and try to get another goal back. In attendance were members of the US Men's Basketball "Dream Team" and soccer icon Mia Hamm. Japan, nicknamed Nadeshiko, were upset at first but danced their way onto the podium, happy to win the silver medal a year after winning the World Cup. You can't help but like their great spirit that goes along with the talent.

A funny moment happened during the medals ceremony, as the fans at Wembley Stadium let the boos rain down on FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Earlier in the day, Canada defeated France 1-0 with a late goal to win the Bronze medal. I also wondered why they didn't move the game to NBC instead of NBC Sports Network. Maybe they're trying to build awareness of the NBC Sports Network, but still. There will be homecoming friendly matches on NBC in September.

Carli Lloyd shoots her second goal

Misty May & Kerri Walsh Make History

Misty May and Kerri Walsh finished their Olympic gold medal three-peat by winning gold in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and now London 2012, remaining undefeated (21-0) in all three Olympics. And they only dropped one set during their reign as well, easily the best and most popular Beach Volleyball team of all time. The match was Misty May's final one, confirming she will retire from the sport. Kerri Walsh is going to continue on with a new partner and attempt to qualify for Rio 2016. Odds are she will, and it will be interesting to see who she chooses and how they play together on the big stage.

In some other Olympic news, track star Allyson Felix won her first individual gold medal in her third Olympics and as expected, Usain Bolt continued his Olympic dominance on the track. The US Men's Indoor Volleyball & Water Polo teams were both eliminated, leaving it up to the women to get medals.

And as a reminder of the biggest event tomorrow, USA takes on Japan for the Gold Medal in Women's Soccer at Wembley Stadium. As of Tuesday 83,000 tickets had been sold, which will make it the most attended Olympic women's soccer match beating the 76,489 from Atlanta 1996 as well as the most attended soccer match at London 2012. It will probably fall short of the women's soccer record 90,185 that attended the Rose Bowl in California for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final that the US famously won on penalty kicks over China. Live coverage of the game starts around 2pm ET on NBC Sports Network in the US, don't miss it!

London 2012: Women's Soccer Steals The Show

Oh what a day for women's soccer at the London 2012 Olympics. It started off with Japan taking on France in front of over 61,000 people at Wembley Stadium. The first half was a bit slow, but the game picked up in the second half. Japan took a 2-0 lead and controlled the ball. Then France unleashes a storm of shots, getting one back. They missed a penalty kick but kept on attacking Japan's goal. Japan sealed the win 2-1, and after the game consoled the upset French players in true Olympic spirit.

Then one of the most epic sports matches ever took place in Old Trafford between CONCACAF rivals the United States and Canada. Christine Sinclair of Canada put on a clinic, scoring three goals to give the lead to Canada three times during the game. But the USA would not go away. Megan Rapinoe scored two and the 3rd was scored on a controversial penalty kick by Abby Wambach. The back and forth battle fittingly went to Overtime as Twitter exploded with more and more people joining the action. The game was still tied 3-3 as 120 minutes went on, now into added time. In the final seconds, the USA sent in a cross and Alex Morgan headed the ball in to give the US the 4-3 win. Basketball coach Doc Rivers called it the best game he's witnessed at the Olympics in any sport. Another side-story was Abby Wambach and Christine Sinclair both chasing legendary Mia Hamm's record of 158 international goals.

USA will move on to Wembley Stadium to take on world champions Japan in a re-match of last summers outstanding FIFA Women's World Cup final, which Japan won in a penalty kick shootout. The match will air Thursday at 2:45 ET on the NBC Sports Network here in the states. Canada will take on France for the Bronze Medal at 8AM ET. Canada no doubt won many fans during the match, and they may not have beaten the US since 2001 but I can guarantee they will very soon.

The Canadian women's team has elevated soccer in Canada ahead of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which has been expanded to 24 teams. Plenty of Americans will be making the trip to our friendly neighbor to the north for that tournament and the atmosphere could rival the 1999 Women's World Cup in the USA. Until then, it's the Olympics.

London 2012 Olympic Soccer/Football Preview

The London 2012 Olympics begin on July 27th (Soccer starts July 25th) with Paul McCartney playing at the finale of the Opening Ceremony. That's one way to compete with Beijing and their scary army of drummers. I'm probably most excited for the Football/Soccer tournaments, particularly the women's tournament. The men's tournament has a restriction where only three players can only be over the age of 23. Women's teams use their full senior national teams, so it will be all the favorites seen in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, like Hope Solo, Homare Sawa, Marta and Abby Wambach. The main difference is there will be "Great Britain" teams as opposed to England, and David Beckham may be playing for the men's squad as one of the three veterans. Onto some predictions for the women's tournament.

Group E - 1. Great Britain, 2. Brazil, 3. New Zealand, 4. Cameroon - Great Britain and Brazil are the clear favorites in this group, but New Zealand could be a dark-horse. Cameroon is too inexperienced.

Group F - 1. Japan, 2. Canada, 3. Sweden, 4. South Africa - Since their are only 12 teams in the Olympics, two 3rd place teams get to move on to the Quarterfinals. One of them should come from this group.

Group G - 1. USA, 2. France, 3. North Korea, 4. Colombia - USA & France finished 2 & 3 at the World Cup, and should finish top of the group. North Korea will probably be fighting with the other 3rd place teams, and New Zealand might edge them out for the final QF spot.

Japan winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

The final four teams should include World Cup champion Japan and the United States, as well as Great Britain which will be on home soil. Its hard to pick the fourth, but Canada may have extra incentive since they are hosting the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. I'm not sure Great Britain is quite ready to go all the way to the gold medal match, but I pick them to win the bronze medal over Canada. It's rare to see a major final rematch two years in a row, but Japan & USA should battle it out for the Gold Medal. The USA defense is shaky, but they tend to follow up a World Cup loss with an Olympic win, so I'll take USA winning the Gold. Japan easily has the power to beat the United States again though, especially if they score first since they always control possession.

Over on the Men's side, I'm going with Brazil winning their first Olympic Gold Medal, because it's surprising that they have yet to win a gold medal. I'll say South Korea gets the silver, and Great Britain get the bronze. As an update, its been announced that David Beckham will not be on the team.

FIFA Women's World Cup: Miracle on Grass

If anyone missed the United States take on Brazil in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Quarterfinals, you missed out on one of the most exciting, thrilling and hard fought sports matches of all time. It's almost hard to explain in words to get that same thrill of seeing it unfold live.

Down 2-1 in Extra Time, the United States ended up tying it on an Abby Wambach header in the final minute of the match. This came after a player on Brazil pretended to be hurt to waste time, which the ref added on since she clearly faked after jumping up and running back on the field. If not for the fake injury, the USA might not have tied it. Karma? Maybe. The game then went to penalty kicks, 12 years to the exact day after the USA beat China on Penalty Kicks to win the 1999 Women's World Cup at the Rose Bowl in front of over 90,000 people and 40 million watching on TV in the US alone. That 1999 team captivated the country, and the buzz surrounding the 2011 team has catapulted up to the top of every news outlet, just like in 1999. The USA beat Brazil this time on Penalty Kicks, in the same way Brandi Chastain did 12 years earlier. USA goalie Hope Solo came through big as well, blocking Brazil's 3rd penalty kick in the shootout which helped.

Germany has embraced the tournament as well, with over 20 million people watching Germany matches on TV. On Saturday though, Japan shocked Germany by eliminating them, playing more physical than anyone thought possible. Japan passes the ball with more accuracy than any team I've ever seen, and play tough. They've become a sentimental favorite following the March Tsunami and Earthquake, and will take on Sweden. Do yourselves a favor and watch the rest of the matches! The semifinals are on Wednesday. In the USA, they'll be on ESPN starting with France vs. United States at 11:30AM Eastern Time (Game starts at 12), followed by Japan vs. Sweden at 2:45 PM Eastern. My pick: USA and Japan moving to the final. France vs Sweden for 3rd place.

As for soccer in the US, the World Cup and Olympics are very popular, as well as other big international matches. The attendance record for the Men's World Cup is the 1994 World Cup held in the USA, and the record for the Women's World Cup is 1999 in USA. The MLS (and WPS) can't have that same excitement, so it's seen as second rate to the World Cup and Women's World Cup. Finally, watch the big Wambach goal below:

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Preview

I love these international tournaments, and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup begins on June 26, 2011. The first time I watched soccer was during the memorable 1999 Women's World Cup held in the USA, so I still enjoy it to this day. Most people remember how big that was, with the team selling out football stadiums across the country, culminating with the United States beating China in penalty kick overtime for the championship in front of over a record 90,000 people at the Rose Bowl. Mia Hamm became a household name and Brandi Chastain scored the game winning penalty kick then pulled her jersey off to reveal the infamous sports bra. The game is still the most watched soccer match in US history.

Those players have retired, but the tournament lives on. The big difference between the men's game and women's game is the women don't slop around and fake injury as much, which is refreshing. It can get annoying watching Cristiano Ronaldo pretending to be hurt every 5 minutes, which I why I slightly prefer the Women's WC, but both are great fun to watch.

The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup comes from Germany, and will be another great spectacle, and every single game will be broadcast live on ESPN. The time zone difference is a bit better for US fans than it was in China in 2007, when they played early in the morning US time. All of the United States matches will be at 12 pm ET. Be sure to watch the first match between Germany and Canada on Sunday June 26th, which will be at Berlin's Olympic Stadium in front of 75,000 people. Sure to be an exciting match.

I'll give some predictions for who will move on.
Group A: 1. Germany, 2. Canada, 3. Nigeria, 4. France - Germany should win at home and the second spot should be up for grabs by all three. I'll give Canada the edge.
Group B: 1. Japan, 2. England, 3. Mexico, 4. New Zealand - Japan vs. England should decide who wins the group. Mexico could be the spoiler, but Japan and England should come through.
Group C: 1. United States, 2. Sweden, 3. North Korea, 4. Colombia - The US is ranked #1 in the world, so not winning their group would be a disappointment. The second spot is up for grabs between North Korea and Sweden, I'll pick Sweden to beat them.
Group D: 1. Brazil, 2. Australia, 3. Norway, 4. Equatorial Guinea - Brazil is the favorite here along with Norway, but I will pick Australia to surprise and take out Norway.

Quarterfinals: Germany over England, United States over Australia, Japan over Canada, Brazil over Sweden. I'm tempted to pick Sweden over Brazil as an upset, but it's always tough to pick against Brazil. The USA has won the cup twice and never finished below 3rd place. Germany has won the cup twice in a row.

Semi-finals: United States over Germany - Germany knocked the USA out in this round in the States in 2003, so why not the other way around? Japan over Brazil. Am I nuts? Maybe, but Japan is ranked 4th in the world. It may be a sentimental pick, but they have the talent.

3rd Place: Germany over Brazil. Championship: Japan over United States. I'm going with the underdogs, even though most think Brazil, Germany, USA or Norway will win it all. Who do you think the top 3 teams will be?

After this, the 2015 Women's World Cup will be held in Canada and the number of teams will be increased from 16 to 24. Enjoy!