Women's World Cup 2019 - anyone here interested?

[fallenangle]

That's it - England are sloppy in defence and midfield giving away the ball far too often but...............they're actually not that much worse in this respect than any of the other teams they faced so far.

I think they have a good chance of getting to the final if they continue to be allowed to play to their strength. But eventually they're likely to come up against a team who are canny enough to be able to deal with that speed down the flanks, make less mistakes themselves and punish England's mistakes more severely.

EDIT

The Germans losing to the Swedes was a bit unexpected.

EDIT 03.07.19

So England lost with a 'goal' discounted for being offside, correctly, by VAR and a pretty poor missed penalty.

Decent performance and watchable game but they were still doing all the things wrong described earlier. The US made less mistakes, controlled the game well into the second half 2-1 ahead and only when England stepped up the pace did those real goal scoring chances start coming. But they did not convert them and went out as yet another England football team who had a genuine potential to win the competition but.......................didn't.

[QualityChimp]

I tuned in about the 60 minute mark where they were 3-0 up.
Watched for 15 minutes and couldn't work out why they were in the lead because they were really sloppy, made loads of mistakes and were lucky none of the Norwegians goals went in.

[fallenangle]

Norway were a pale shadow of themselves in their previous game and England scored at just the right times to knock the stuffing out of them psychologically. Three goals mitigated any defensive mistakes and that was a good thing too because Norway could have easily scored two, maybe three goals from chances gifted to them by English players' mistakes.

If I see another England women's defender try to dribble the ball, 'cleverly' out of the 18 yard box and even the 6 yard box on one occasion I'm going to go ballistic. Who on earth has taught them to do that? Likewise, that regular bizarre decision making to pass the ball back, sometimes all the way to the goal keeper, when it had been in the Norway last third only moments before. That was just frustratingly bad football and almost beyond endurance.

So many times England slowed their attack down allowing the Norwegian defence to reset the result became utterly predictable. An England player makes a poor pass and back it goes to the opposition. I suppose we should be thankful the Norwegians were almost as bad in that respect too.

It should have been blatantly obvious the Norwegians were vulnerable to quick counter attacks because two of England's goals and other best chances came from such fast moves. If England come up against a team that has a good defence and midfield who actually know what they're doing and they use that slow build up again they'll be lucky even to get a sniff of goal for the whole game.

Speed down both the wings seem to be England's USP and that is what will win them more games not the cautious, slow build up they seem to have been told to do.

[Anpanman]

Bronze was excellent in the last WC, scoring an absolute belter.

Lucy scores another corker tonight, well done to the ladies.

Next one will be much tougher but am sure they will give it a good go.

[Mayhem]

This week's Squires has it perfectly nailed on..!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2019/jun/25/david-squires-womens-world-cup-var-again-shame-england-cameroon

[Anpanman]

Yep it's MU with manager Phil sticking his oar in.

Once of the Cameroonians spat on Duggan, it looked like an accident but you never know and if you are going to gob then point your face downwards unless you have the appropriate jaw control.

[fallenangle]

In a World Cup match that sort of intimidating behaviour by the whole team is unusual.

You see some odd things in international games over the years and, particularly in the distant past (60s/70s), sometimes appallingly brutal play by today's standard. But that was then.

^ That's the stroppy northern team MU I believe . I'd certainly feel 'under pressure' having both Roy Keane and Jaap Stam shouting in my face. It could be his brother Gary but it also looks to me suspiciously like it is Phil Neville hiding behind Ryan Giggs in that photo too.

[Asura]

The referee lost control and ignored blatant verbal and general dissent from the whole Cameroon team. I think she may even have been pushed by one of their players too.

Doesn't sound as though the women's game is all that different to me

[eastyy]

Also has come to light one of the Cameroon players was shown spitting at an england players arm

[prinnysquad]

Lucy Bronze is for me our best player, her footy brain is excellent and was saying the other day that she behaves on the field just like a top male player would.
Bronze was excellent in the last WC, scoring an absolute belter. Although she doesn't play central she reminds me of Brian Robson.

Steph Houghton is another very good player, absolutely brilliant at tackling.

Quite a few of the squad cut their teeth at Sunlun. Bronze, Scott, Houghton, Telford, Stokes, Staniforth and Mead.

[Anpanman]

...and then VR comes to the rescue by reversing one disallowed for the Brazilians - without much stoppage time to be fair.

[Mayhem]

Agreed, that goal should have stood.

[Anpanman]

Yep Steph got a Tommy Smith special and the Cameroon player should have gone.

Ref did lose control, it looked as though the Cameroon players didn't know the rules at certain points. They were perplexed at what was happening with the pen area free kick and looked as though they didn't fully understand the offside rule either.
I did feel sorry for them with their disallowed goal as it was marginal and backs up what a lot are saying that VAR is becoming a safety blanket for the officials.

I do think that replays are good for sorting out pivotal moments but it seems to be being used for almost every goal that goes in, in my opinion the French have just had a perfectly good goal wiped out.

[fallenangle]

Watching the England v Cameroon game as I'm posting this. Just hope it is a entertaining as the Norway v Australia game yesterday. That was one of those well above average WWC football games probably because the sides were evenly matched and the it had plenty of incidents.

The England men's team now have serious rivals in the Australian women for the worst penalty takers in the world.

VAR - what a ******** joke.......................................and England score, yay but also boo! Ruining the game.

EDIT

Extraordinary and very entertaining game for all the wrong reasons except for England winning 3-0.

Cameroon had a collective and increasingly embarrassing hissy fit once the first VAR decision went against them. When they were on the wrong end of a disallowed 'goal' it became even worse. For most of the rest of the match they did everything they could to disrupt the play. It clearly affected England, as intended, who lost concentration and could easily have lost their lead because of that.

Towards the end there was also an undeniably deliberate 'leg breaker' foul on the England captain that only received a yellow card.

The referee lost control and ignored blatant verbal and general dissent from the whole Cameroon team. I think she may even have been pushed by one of their players too.

Not a good advertisement for the women's game except, again, for the fact that the England women were the epitome of professional in their response to such provocation throughout.

England versus the dark horse: Norway will be better football but will it be as entertaining?

[Anpanman]

Lucy Bronze is for me our best player, her footy brain is excellent and was saying the other day that she behaves on the field just like a top male player would.
Bronze was excellent in the last WC, scoring an absolute belter. Although she doesn't play central she reminds me of Brian Robson.

Steph Houghton is another very good player, absolutely brilliant at tackling.