Friday. On Friday, you don’t work. On Friday, you watch perhaps the most anticipated match in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The USA vs France World Cup 2019 predictions, previews and general hype train is building to a crescendo, like a Marta message to the children.
We’ve all seen him by now, the USWNT assistant coach.
With a broad, reassuring face and hair pulled back tight, he shadows U.S. head coach Jill Ellis on the sidelines, almost brother-like in appearance.
So who is this guy anyway? And what’s with the man-bun?
On Friday night, goalkeeper Eloy Room stood on his head to earn the Curaçao national team its first-ever Gold Cup victory, 1-0 over favored Honduras.
Juriën Gaari did one better on Tuesday night.
The Telegraph has reported that Qin Liang, the England vs Cameroon referee, twice ignored VAR advice in order to prevent the Cameroonian team from walking out during the game.
The first instance was Fran Kirby’s penalty appeal, in which Kirby was taken down with a high challenge in the box by a Cameroonian defender.
Japan has reached the end of a semi-successful Women’s World Cup run and finished on a good note. The Netherlands lucked out by receiving a penalty kick to surpass the Japanese in a final score of 2-1. However, the Japanese managed to keep fighting after scoring a cheeky goal before half and unfortunately got the boot in the round of 16.
In the midst of Women’s World Cup nail-biters and Luis Suarez antics you probably missed it, but Monday night Bermuda quietly made history. With a convincing 2-0 victory over Nicaragua at the Gold Cup, Bermuda, an island nation of about 65,000 people, achieved its first victory ever in a major international competition.
It’s been five years to the day since Luis Suárez bit Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, resulting in a four-month ban from football, so it's only right that we return to the mad lad’s antics during tonight’s Copa América match against Chile at the legendary Maracanã.
With top spot in Group C on the line during the final day of group play, you know that Suárez was taking it all too seriously and descending into that haze of competitive demonry that makes him both unplayable and insufferable.
Sweden and Canada played a pretty dour match at the Women’s World Cup today, but given the added spice of knockout football at a major international tournament, the second half provided some immense drama despite the irregularity of attacking action.
The opening 45 minutes produced zero shots on target — a first at this World Cup — but things sprang to life in the 55th minute when Sweden grabbed the lead. The run and pass from Kosovare Asllani in the buildup to the goal was sensational, and Stina Blackstenius provided the finish.
With the USWNT and Spain knotted at 1-1 after the hour mark at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims on Monday, La Roja’s Patricia Guijarro broke free on the left-hand side of the U.S. defense and fizzed a shot just wide of Alyssa Naeher’s far post. It was in this moment that a possible upset of historic proportions went from “there’s no way in hell” to “oh shit, this kinda feels like it’s happening.”
The USWNT overcame a spirited, physical and tactically disciplined Spain to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup and setup an enthralling match with France, but the manner of the victory was hardly assuring.
The U.S. required two penalties from captain Megan Rapinoe — one in the seventh minute and the next in the 76th — to overcome a defensive error that allowed Jennifer Hermoso to score the first goal against the USWNT of this tournament.