USA in the final!

[Gob]

The United States will play Japan in the Fifa Women's World Cup final on Sunday 17 July.

USA scored twice in the last 11 minutes to overcome France 3-1 in the first semi-final.

The favourites, bidding for an unprecedented third World Cup title after their wins in 1991 and 1999, were pushed all the way by Les Bleus.

Japan beat Sweden 3-1 thanks to a double from Nahomi Kawasumi, including a spectacular 35-metre lob.

Josefine Oqvist gave Sweden the lead after pouncing on Sawa's poor back-pass before Kawasumi equalised nine minutes later.

Sawa added the second with a close-range header before Kawasumi completed the comeback with a brilliant lob.

Earlier in the day, Laura Cheney tapped the US into a half-time lead, but Sonia Bompastor curled France deservedly level.

However, Abby Wambach's header and Alex Morgan's lob sealed the US victory.

France coach Bruno Bini, meanwhile, was left to lamented his side's missed chances, saying: "We had a lot of chances and played a very good game except the first 10 minutes.

"We were as good as we could have been. It was very physical and we stood up to this. But they have a lot of experience. They know how to play at this level and that told today. I thought we could get back to 2-2 but at 3-1 it's over."

[Sean]

Amazingly, England were beaten on penalties in the QF.

Who woulda thunk it!

[Gob]

Hard lines USA...

Japan beat USA 3-1 on penalties to become the first Asian nation to win the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Defender Saki Kumagai, 20, scored the winning penalty after Ayumi Kaihori saved two of USA's three spot-kicks.

Alex Morgan opened the scoring with a low strike before Aya Miyama poked in the equaliser late in normal time.

Abby Wambach headed USA ahead in extra-time but Homare Sawa ensured a thrilling finale with a spectacular flicked effort at the near post.

USA will be heartbroken and aggrieved that they did not manage to win a record third World Cup having dominated for long periods in the match. But Pia Sundhage's side will rue their profligacy in front of goal, particularly in the first half.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14168601.stm

[Lord Jim]

Yes, I saw that on the news a little while ago....

Well done our gals to get as far as they did; there's no shame in finishing second in such a large field...

And congratulations to the Japanese ladies for their victory...

If there was ever a country who's people deserved a morale boost, Japan certainly qualifies.

[dales]

Maybe they can bomb Pearl Harbor again.

(sorry, sometimes I can't refrain from making an @ss out of myself)

[Long Run]

Somebody forgot to let the Americans know that as nice as it is to totally outplay the other team up and down the field, the point is to get the ball in the goal and prevent the other team from doing the same at the other end. How many in the box, good shots did the U.S. miss? Tons. Japan had only a few good opportunities, but converted on two of them (mainly U.S. defensive lapses). The penalty kicks are hard to fathom, they are much easier than making a free throw in basketball and yet . . . The U.S. team should feel bad about losing this one since they were clearly the superior team, but then again a few other foes of the Japanese team probably felt the same way.

[Gob]

Fair summary LR.

[Rick]

They trew the game for the reason LJ mentioned...

[Sean]

The penalty kicks are hard to fathom, they are much easier than making a free throw in basketball and yet . . .

You might think differently if you ever had to take one under pressure LR...

Taking a free throw in basketball can be practiced and perfected as the technique shouldn't need to vary. With a penalty kick it is very different. Should you blast it or place it? High or low? To the left, to the right or down the middle? Is the keeper right or left handed? Does he have a tendency to dive one way or the other? Is the grass wet or dry? Is the ball wet or dry?

All of these (and more) need to be considered before you even put the ball on the spot.

[Long Run]

Getting ball in little hole = hard.
Getting ball in big net = easier.

Penalty kicks made is about 85-90% in top level play: http://penaltyhq.com/ and http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoor ... ck-physics

Free throws made in the NBA is about 75%: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/sport ... throw.html Making free throws in pressure situation is actually harder than the penalty kick because the free throw requires more fine motor control and much more room for the mind to get in the way.

fwiw, I have always hated deciding games on penalty kicks . Takes what is supremely difficult (scoring a goal) and completely reverses it by making goals cheap. Better to pull players off the field to open up scoring opportunities and keep playing soccer/football, than turn the contest into some kickball roulette.

[Gob]

Getting ball in little hole = hardish, though any competent high level player should not miss a free throw..
Getting ball in big net with another player able to use any part of his body to stop it = hardish too.

Have to agree with you on penalty deciders, they suck, extra time and / or "golden goal" should decide.

[Sean]

http://penaltyhq.com analyses penalties taken during the normal course of a game which is a completely different situation to the shootout.

From the other article you linked to:

It might be the most pressure-filled moment in all of sports: a penalty-kick shootout to decide a World Cup soccer match.

A study of 138 penalty shots in World Cup Finals games between 1982 and 1994 suggests that even world-class goalies aren't able to buck these odds. They guessed the direction of the kick only 41 percent of the time—slightly worse than random chance. And they stopped only 14.5 percent of the shots.

That only the shots the keepers saved! There were plenty missed too, well below 75% conversion rate.

Golden goal is just as bad IMO. The silver goal idea was better. At least the conceding side had a chance to come back. Golden goal just made for defensive football.

[Andrew D]

fwiw, I have always hated deciding games on penalty kicks . Takes what is supremely difficult (scoring a goal) and completely reverses it by making goals cheap. Better to pull players off the field to open up scoring opportunities and keep playing soccer/football, than turn the contest into some kickball roulette.

Getting ball in little hole = hardish, though any competent high level player should not miss a free throw..
Getting ball in big net with another player able to use any part of his body to stop it = hardish too.

Have to agree with you on penalty deciders, they suck, extra time and / or "golden goal" should decide.

Golden goal is just as bad IMO. The silver goal idea was better. At least the conceding side had a chance to come back. Golden goal just made for defensive football.

How about doing it the old-fashioned way? Keep on playing actual football (soccer) until one side or the other wins the game by playing actual football (soccer). Viz. baseball ....