USA, Canada, Sweden, Germany

I am a Chinese.
We lost the game,Canada won.
We lost the opportunity to enter the semis.
Do everyone here watched the game China vs Canada?
if you did,i think you will have the same feeling as what i want to say now "PITY".
We controlled the whole game.
Our ball possession added up to 70% while Canadian was just 30%.
We cried but these women football players are our national heroes for good.
They should be honoured and repected by the world.
Four years ago,namely last FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup,Chinese Roses got the runner-up.
Everything is different.
Everyone is in speculation.
Hope!
Pray!
My God!

Koolplay, I saw the game and you are right. However, the one weakness of the 'roses' was their ability to score. Throughout the tournament they showed their technical style but had only 3 goals to show for their effort.

koolplay - I missed watching the game, I'm sorry, but please don't feel too sad or angry at the result. There were many teams that played well and deserve respect who don't go on to win. Your Roses (what a nice nickname!) will come back. I know that in the USA, the Chinese team is given a lot of respect AND honored for their spirited play. Nobody who plays in these games deserves less.

As Ceili says, it is the goals that win, not the possession. Heart-breaking to the fans because they see so many chances that don't bear fruit.

Some Roses for you (I think I found enough for every Rose on the Chinese team) ...

I didn't even know this was on. There's been no publicity about it at all. And that's pretty unusual in this sports mad country.

Well, I just checked that at least the online editions of the major Australian newspaper do report on this.
Some (the German) matches are broadcasted life, but in the middle of the night not many will watch.

Thanks for Piffka.
Ceili,you are right.We need goals.
Each good team must have the super ability to score.Without it,it is just like a sleepy lion.
The "tragedy" has gone.It is unnecessary for us to cry over the spilt milk.
So come on.
Beef up!
Look forward to tomorrow's two semis.

Congratulations to Germany (and Walter) but I was totally bummed by the US's play. Germany could pass to each other -- the US didn't seem to remember how to do that. And finish? What finish? Germany could finish, Germany could pass, Germany knew how to take the ball down the field and keep possession. Argggh. I'm feeling like koolplay -- a whole lot of nothing and nothing to show. Gee whiz. 3-0 win for the German girls and Germany goes on to the final. The US's best hope is 3rd place against either Canada or Sweden.

I think I'll like down with a cold compress. <sigh>

German girls beat American 3:0 this morning.
I hit it.Maybe 1:0 is the ideal finish.But the result isn't beyond my expectation.Do you know why?
Because Genman girls show their powerful and deadly ability of attack.In today's football,goals are the most significant one.Have you ever remembered the semi Germany vs Russia?The former smoked the latter 7:1,it were terrible goals.
Now the another semi Canada vs Sweden is going.Canadian first scored and took one goal advantage.
I guess German girls will laugh at last.
Waiting...

Yes,Swedish hit it.
The score now is 1:1.
what's the final?
who will go on to the final to battle against Germany?
Watching...

The tough Swedish girls took the reversal,won over the Canadian 2:1,the second half was exciting.
The final is gonna be Germany vs Sweden.
So a new champion will be created in this FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup.

That was before the match.

And afterwards:


May be that the easier way for Germany made it really easier to win.

May be, they just had a better day.


Thanks for the congrats - I'd never believed that result before!

The German team was amazing, Walter, and held a great defense with their extremely tough keeper. They didn't seem to take so many shots, but one good set play is all you need at this level of play. It was a very physical game, too... I wouldn't want my daughter to be mixing it up there on the field.

Good luck to them against Sweden, I'll be rooting for ya. (I figure, if they beat the US, then I definitely want them to win the tourney!)

Wish I'd been able to stay awake to watch the Canadian-Sweden game. Why did they play it so late???

Btw -- anybody see the streaker? Only in Portland. HAHA <shaking head>

What, you could tell he was local? Did he have fungal infection or something?

Fungus? Oh, you've missed the drought! It would be more likely lichen.

Sadly I didn't actually see him (maybe it was a her?) so I can't say. At Portland's last World Cup there were exotic dancers who marched with a band of mostly drummers. Back and forth through the stands during the game, I figured it was more of the same. This was a different venue, I think. (Horrible turf.)

Anyway, it was quite fun, actually, once you get over the shock of half-nakeds nearby. The rhythms were great... what was that band?... it was said they are a fixture in Portland. I'll go look.

edit: I think these are the ones... Lions of Batucada

You make it sound as though this would detract from, rather than enhance, the fun...

Mr.P found it immediately quite charming, as would you, I think.

So, what did you think of the "turf"? Such short-sightedness in the states to not have good soccer pitches. I couldn't believe that even in Oregon, which is known for good fields, something better couldn't have been found. And don't get me started on the rip-off of the bait & switch field at the new Seahawks Stadium.

Dunno. Didn't see the last game. And I know nothing about the field at the Chicken Coop. I know nothing!

The field used in Portland last night was a four-inch thick layer of turf that had been recently placed on a huge plastic tarp that was covering artificial turf. They showed it, it looked bad, and there was a discussion about it. They said it had bad traction and was spongy so it slowed down the runs.

About the Seahawks Stadium... this is a longish story:

A few years ago when the citizens of WA were getting ready to vote on public participation in building the Seahawks Stadium, the Paul Allen group contacted the two major youth soccer organizations that run all the state leagues and tournements outside the school system. They got all the soccer moms and dads from teams across the state excited because they said they'd make it both a football stadium and a Football stadium. Part of the deal was a grass field.

They promised real grass which is demanded by all the European premier teams (Walter, this is right, right?) . They said that during the off season, the youngsters could have tournaments on a real football pitch just like Old Trafford or one of the others from the UK/Europe.

Real grass, bedded deep & that has grown in place is much safer, provides better traction, uhhh, lots of good things for playing the beautiful game. It's expensive. Some of the major stars have insurance contracts where they can't even play on anything but a real grass field. The bait and switch is that just before the stadium was to open the Paul Allen group suddenly changed the plans from the real grass field that was always promised to an artificial turf that is "almost as good as the real thing." Obviously it was their plan all along, otherwise they would have planted way earlier than they made their announcement since an honest turf field needs a year to grow. It should have been one of the first things they did. Mr.P builds schools and sometimes has to arrange for playing fields to be put in. It is Standard Practice for commercial buildings which include a grass field to clear and plant 'em immediately so they can mature.

link to Women's World Cup Stadia info

Ahhh. I looked at half-billion dollar Safeco, built against people's wishes, and the miniscule monorail, ungrown against people's wishes, and didn't pay any attention to the particulars of the chicken coop. Doesn't surprise me in the least. (What does surprise me is that the esteemed Mr. Allen hasn't yet figured out that he is, as far as I can tell, unfit to own a sports franchise. Ideally, you win and make money. Failing that, you do one or the other. He consistently manages to do neither. But at least he gave folks a hideous monstrosity of a museum dedicated to what appears to be his record collection. They can demonize Bill Gates all they want, but at least he sinks his money into malaria and AIDS research instead of the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Seachickens. (To say nothing of that Starbucks dude, old what's-his-name...)