US women’s soccer team running up the score on Thailand was a bad lookI watched the entire match. I do not share that opinion, because nearly all of the goal celebrations went like this - one of the USWNT scored a goal, there was some jumping around, followed by a group hug, then they went back to the center circle. Their objection seems to be that it was done thirteen times.
My fellow Americans will take to the pitch again Sunday in France, resuming their quest to advance in the Women’s World Cup with a match against woeful Chile.
I have no doubt that victory will be ours. I’m just hoping to see a better demonstration of fair play and sportsmanship.
In case you missed it, on Tuesday the Americans beat Thailand, 13-0, in their opening Cup match. Our players never let up and celebrated every goal with exuberance you’d expect to see if somebody hit a walkoff grand slam in the seventh game of the World Series.
In the aftermath of our World Cup slaughter and the odious, self-congratulations that accompanied each goal (even the ones after we reached double figures), some criticism was aimed at the American squad. This triggered the standard angry defenses from the Colosseum crowd.
It goes on from there, but let me state this - Thailand was badly outclassed in every metric - height, size, speed and skill. My prediction before the game was 7-0 but once the 2nd half began the level of physical conditioning between the two teams became eyepopping as well, so the ass kicking wasn't a surprise at all. Furthermore, this is probably the best USWNT side to ever take the pitch, so again, this result isn't surprising, at least to someone who actually watched the whole match.
Conveniently omitted from all this, of course, was this touch of class by USWNT striker Carli Lloyd, but that doesn't fit Shank's agenda, does it?
And all of this, from a columnist who also complains when Tom Brady is still in the game when the Patriots are 'running up the score'. Jagoff.
Go back to 2003, when the Red Sox scored 14 runs in the first inning enroute to a 25-8 thumping of the Marlins. After the game, our manager (whose name I shall not repeat) apologized for "running up the score." Anyone remember what happened the next game? The Sox jumped to a 9-2 lead after six innings and, with the game "in hand", proceeded to give up four runs in the eighth and another four in the ninth, eventually leading to a 10-9 loss.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't Little League and there are no "mercy rules" once the deficit reaches a certain number. The US was playing its game, and Thailand was playing its game, which is why the score ended as lopsided as it did. What was Ellis supposed to do, take a couple players off the field or give Thailand some of our players; this is what we do in our town youth league to prevent this, but that's not a realistic option at the World Cup.
CHB should stick to what he knows, which is nothing.
If I was able to do rotating mastheads, FenFan, your last sentence would be one of the ones chiseled in stone.
ReplyDeleteThe Globe spent the entire 2007 regular season finger wagging at the Patriots for running up the score.
ReplyDeleteWhen does the next ladies league fold here in America?