I'm having Nations League flashbacks.

Correct decision, though.

This is prime England at a major tournament.

Perhaps giving the pens to the striker burying every chance would have been a good idea?

Usually I'd say that I'm proud of the team, but that was such a disappointing way to go out.

England have missed three out of their four penalties throughout the tournament, with not one being taken by Ellen White despite the amazing form she's been in.

Bright had an awful game and rounded it off with a rash tackle. Maybe understandable in the circumstances but you need cool heads in that situation, not blood and thunder.

England's passing in general tonight was awful. Like watching the men's team in 2010. Just pumping balls over the top or trying to force it down the middle. Very little combination play between the forwards as well. Don't know what Neville was thinking by changing the formation but removing a midfielder didn't help his team's passing in the slightest.

The only thing worse than the passing was the defending.

So yeah, we didn't deserve to go through. USA were stronger, more organised and managed the game and occasion far better. They've been in control of this whole tournament and I expect they'll win the final as well.

I have to have a little rant.

I've been trying to watch the games in the morning after they've been played which means generally avoiding social media before I've finished watching the game. But for half the games I've tried to watch, the match has been spoiled either through the website I watch them on (putting up highlights with results before the full match replay) or today, I loaded up my browser which has some saved tabs, and facebook loaded half way down my news feed to the exact result, instead of the top of the page where there was Chelsea content...

Anyway, congrats to the USA, I'd have liked to have seen England get the win but I don't think anything will stop the USA now.

Asllani magic knocking the Dutch out today.

I'm rooting for Sweden only because I think the thought of Miedema up against our CBs in the final is frightening. Sauerbrunn and Dahlkemper had a rough time with Ellen White so I don't think they'll be able to handle Miedema, who is perhaps the best #9 in the world at this point.

Naeher's going to need to be at her best again to keep out Miedema. Lindahl did well on the saves she made to keep the scoreline low.

Rapinoe and Lavelle should be fit for this game as well, but I think only 1 of them starts.

People keep saying the Dutch are at a disadvantage given they will have less recovery time, but I think it's a mistake to bank on that. We haven't looked as impervious as made out to be in these knockouts. England exposed just how soft we are in the middle of the defense. If the Dutch can exploit that, they're going to have some good chances.

Thats it for me for this tournament.

well in Asllani, making sure England finish 4th.

England need to improve, bunch of scrubs being relevant because of media driven emotion. We've seen a lot of that, come on, 2 hugs doesn't make you world class.

Congrats to the USA, they were unstoppable.

I have to say, credit to their defence, it was immense in every game and with a defence like that, it's so much easier to win games

I had a question to some of the USA fans on the back of this win.

Growing up in New Zealand every boy idiolised the All Blacks and for me at least, it motivated me to be the best in everything because to be an All Black you had to be the best.

With the massive success of the USWNT, do you guys feel there is a similar feeling about the USWNT or is it something that still has a long way to go? Because I believe there are some excellent role models for young girls in that team.

Long way to go for a couple of reasons

1. We only see them play every 4 years, so they kind of get pushed to the back end of our thoughts.

2. Sports viewers dont care about women sports

3. Americans dont care about soccer

It might be different if we see these girls play every year but we dont

CBarca wrote:Could you be more specific about the line "I had a question to some of the USA fans on the back of this win." ?

Not because I have a problem with it, only because an elaboration on this part helps inform my answer to the question you pose later on.

I suppose it isn't overly important but I would compare the success of the USWNT to the All Blacks, at least over the last 10 years.

Clutch wrote:Long way to go for a couple of reasons

1. We only see them play every 4 years, so they kind of get pushed to the back end of our thoughts.

2. Sports viewers dont care about women sports

3. Americans dont care about soccer

It might be different if we see these girls play every year but we dont

Thanks for that answer, I suppose only seeing them every 4 years would make things difficult. If I were a father to a young daughter, I'd be trying to catch every game if she was a football fan.

Kick wrote:I had a question to some of the USA fans on the back of this win.

Growing up in New Zealand every boy idiolised the All Blacks and for me at least, it motivated me to be the best in everything because to be an All Black you had to be the best.

With the massive success of the USWNT, do you guys feel there is a similar feeling about the USWNT or is it something that still has a long way to go? Because I believe there are some excellent role models for young girls in that team.

I'll beat a positive drum and say yes these players are not only idolized by women of my generation, but girls of the next generation. The '99 and '01 teams were immortalized and idolized as well. Without them, the 3rd and 4th titles wouldn't have happened. It's really that simple.

What I'd love to see now is more support behind women's club leagues like the NWSL and other leagues. I plan on tuning into some matches and adopting the Chicago Red Stars as my club of choice in the league. The best way to support these women is to ensure they keep generating revenue.

Clutch wrote:Long way to go for a couple of reasons

1. We only see them play every 4 years, so they kind of get pushed to the back end of our thoughts.

2. Sports viewers dont care about women sports

3. Americans dont care about soccer

It might be different if we see these girls play every year but we dont

There is truth in your 1st point. I'd point out that the USWNT do also participate in the The Algarve Cup, the SheBelieves Cup, and the Gold Cup. Each of those are annual, except for the Gold Cup which is every 2 years. So we could see the more frequently than just the WWC years, but the other cups don't have the same importance or pedigree unfortunately. Given how competitive this WWC was, I'll be giving these cups more of a watch going forward though.

I disagree slightly with your 2nd point as it largely depends on the sport and the athlete. Tennis, for example, has quite a good following among women's sports. Possibly the best. If your point was aimed more at just the NWSL and WNBA, then I have to agree unfortunately. Though this WWC has inspired me to turn into the NWSL though and pick up a Chicago Red Stars jersey, at least. My girlfriend and I ran into a watch party for the WWC final (we were in the area for a completely different event) in downtown Detroit and it was packed with people. Same in cities all over the country. That tells me that more people care about this sport than previously believed.

Your 3rd point speaks to a rationale that I think is getting weaker and weaker as the millennial generation gets older and the next generation grows closer to adulthood. These generations are the most soccer-friendly. They have embraced this sport in ways their parents never did. So this isn't as true as it once was. MLS may still be the red-headed stepchild of American sports, but it is no longer in danger of folding like its predecessors. The USL and NPSL also have developed strong followings too, such as what I've seen here with Detroit City FC, which sells out its 5K tickets virtually every home game.

McLewis wrote:

Kick wrote:I had a question to some of the USA fans on the back of this win.

Growing up in New Zealand every boy idiolised the All Blacks and for me at least, it motivated me to be the best in everything because to be an All Black you had to be the best.

With the massive success of the USWNT, do you guys feel there is a similar feeling about the USWNT or is it something that still has a long way to go? Because I believe there are some excellent role models for young girls in that team.

I'll beat a positive drum and say yes these players are not only idolized by women of my generation, but girls of the next generation. The '99 and '01 teams were immortalized and idolized as well. Without them, the 3rd and 4th titles wouldn't have happened. It's really that simple.

What I'd love to see now is more support behind women's club leagues like the NWSL and other leagues. I plan on tuning into some matches and adopting the Chicago Red Stars as my club of choice in the league. The best way to support these women is to ensure they keep generating revenue.

Clutch wrote:Long way to go for a couple of reasons

1. We only see them play every 4 years, so they kind of get pushed to the back end of our thoughts.

2. Sports viewers dont care about women sports

3. Americans dont care about soccer

It might be different if we see these girls play every year but we dont

There is truth in your 1st point. I'd point out that the USWNT do also participate in the The Algarve Cup, the SheBelieves Cup, and the Gold Cup. Each of those are annual, except for the Gold Cup which is every 2 years. So we could see the more frequently than just the WWC years, but the other cups don't have the same importance or pedigree unfortunately. Given how competitive this WWC was, I'll be giving these cups more of a watch going forward though.

I disagree slightly with your 2nd point as it largely depends on the sport and the athlete. Tennis, for example, has quite a good following among women's sports. Possibly the best. If your point was aimed more at just the NWSL and WNBA, then I have to agree unfortunately. Though this WWC has inspired me to turn into the NWSL though and pick up a Chicago Red Stars jersey, at least. My girlfriend and I ran into a watch party for the WWC final (we were in the area for a completely different event) in downtown Detroit and it was packed with people. Same in cities all over the country. That tells me that more people care about this sport than previously believed.

Your 3rd point speaks to a rationale that I think is getting weaker and weaker as the millennial generation gets older and the next generation grows closer to adulthood. These generations are the most soccer-friendly. They have embraced this sport in ways their parents never did. So this isn't as true as it once was. MLS may still be the red-headed stepchild of American sports, but it is no longer in danger of folding like its predecessors. The USL and NPSL also have developed strong followings too, such as what I've seen here with Detroit City FC, which sells out its 5K tickets virtually every home game.

Thanks for the insight!

I am also looking at getting tickets to my local woman's team

McLewis wrote:There is truth in your 1st point. I'd point out that the USWNT do also participate in the The Algarve Cup, the SheBelieves Cup, and the Gold Cup. Each of those are annual, except for the Gold Cup which is every 2 years. So we could see the more frequently than just the WWC years, but the other cups don't have the same importance or pedigree unfortunately. Given how competitive this WWC was, I'll be giving these cups more of a watch going forward though.

I disagree slightly with your 2nd point as it largely depends on the sport and the athlete. Tennis, for example, has quite a good following among women's sports. Possibly the best. If your point was aimed more at just the NWSL and WNBA, then I have to agree unfortunately. Though this WWC has inspired me to turn into the NWSL though and pick up a Chicago Red Stars jersey, at least. My girlfriend and I ran into a watch party for the WWC final (we were in the area for a completely different event) in downtown Detroit and it was packed with people. Same in cities all over the country. That tells me that more people care about this sport than previously believed.

Your 3rd point speaks to a rationale that I think is getting weaker and weaker as the millennial generation gets older and the next generation grows closer to adulthood. These generations are the most soccer-friendly. They have embraced this sport in ways their parents never did. So this isn't as true as it once was. MLS may still be the red-headed stepchild of American sports, but it is no longer in danger of folding like its predecessors. The USL and NPSL also have developed strong followings too, such as what I've seen here with Detroit City FC, which sells out its 5K tickets virtually every home game.

 I was being a bit facetious but I think my overall point stil stands which is, we have a long way to go. I did not know about those cups and I follow soccer very closely. The average American is not going to know about these and even if they did, it's not like they can watch it on TV. Finding a stream would be tough, hell I even have a hard time watching good streams for Real Madrid games, imagine finding a good stream for those games. If they make these games more accessible then we definitely got something brewing.

Yes you're completely right about tennis but I was alluding more to team sports. I remember I used to watch some of the NWSL when I was younger when I had the fox soccer channel but once that subscription ended I never saw another game and apparently the league ended but now its back? I'm not even sure what the story is. I'd like to think that Americans are more into the sport based upon what you saw in Detroit but Americans will go drink in a bar and root for America in just about anything. I think it's a little bit of both.

Yea I totally agree. I have friends who have became fans of the sport just because of Fifa. Americans who travel to different countries often tend to follow the sport a little bit more as well but we still got a long way to go. When I was younger, especially when I was playing club, it was almost impossible to find games to watch outside of paying a subscription or watching Liga Mx. I wish I had access to soccer like we do nowadays and now with NBC sports playing the epl its done well for people to get interested in the game. I think we need to have access to women's champions league and the NWSL to really see more change. I do think women's soccer in the USA is only going to get better and better andits where it's at because of 99 and 01 like you said.

Equal pay thoughts?

I'd love to see more of the Women's Champions league. I heard a lot about Lyon's women's team, how good they are and the players they have playing there. I think Wolfsburg also has a good women's team as well from what I recall. Heard Arsenal and Chelsea mentioned quite a bit too. Barcelona has a rising team and we just heard that Real Madrid are launching a women's team as well.

When Roma got a women's team last season, Chiesa Di Totti (our club's SBNation community) was instrumental in keeping us informed on the goings on of that team. We've really rallied around them. Their games were aired live either on Roma's official site or from Roma Women's officially Twitter account so it was easy to find ways to watch them. I feel like the same ease of watching needs to increase in order to get more viewers. Once those ratings go up, that should entice networks. NWSL is almost there with a deal being inked with ESPN, though all that means is those games get aired on ESPNNews. I'd love to see it aired on ESPN+.