World Cup

The opening goal from today’s Women’s World Cup Round of 16 match between England and Cameroon was an epic tale involving back passes, indirect free kicks and saliva. Yeah, that kind of goal. 

The story begins in the 12th minute, when Cameroon’s Augustine Ejangue cushioned a cross straight towards her own goalkeeper. Instead of clearing it, Annette Ngo Ndom picked it up, putting Cameroon in violation of the back-pass rule. 

Norway’s Ada Hegerberg is the best player in the world, at least according to FIFA and the Ballon d’Or. But she has refused to to play for the Norway national team.

The best player at the Women’s World Cup is arguably Sam Kerr, Australia’s dynamic forward who entered the knockout rounds tied with Alex Morgan in the Golden Boot race with five goals. 

Cat Whitehill probably shouldn’t announce again this Women’s World Cup.

The FOX commentator made multiple racist remarks when calling Nigeria’s 3-0 loss to Germany in the round of 16 on FS1, apparently clueless as to the offensive nature of her words.

It did not go unnoticed. 

Stop doing racial stereotypes about African teams ffs!!!

— Kim McCauley (@lgbtqfc) June 22, 2019

For all the crap we put up during the 2018 World Cup from FOX, the U.S. broadcaster is doing better this time around for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. FOX seems to give a damn now that the U.S. is involved, and the broadcasts have improved because of it.

But there remains a group that would rather not listen to JP Dellacamera describe every single second of action when the USWNT plays. 

For those viewers, another option has cropped up for how to watch USWNT vs Spain on Monday.

The USWNT discrimination suit may be decided by mediation after the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

The U.S. women’s national team players sued U.S. Soccer in March as part of a long-running fight for equal pay. The women must play and win more games than the men’s national team but still get paid less. 

Penalty kick rules are changing and goalkeepers at the 2019 Women’s World Cup are getting a reprieve. Kind of.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that determines the rules for FIFA competitions, announced a change to the way certain penalty kicks are viewed by the VARs.

Three years ago, the USWNT suffered its worst defeat ever. OK, it wasn’t USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago bad, but it was, by the high standards of the American women, a major disappointment when Sweden knocked the U.S. out of the 2016 Olympic quarterfinals.

The USWNT defeated Sweden 2-0 in Le Havre on Thursday to clinch top spot in Group F and confirm next Monday’s Round of 16 meeting with Spain, exorcising some three-year-old demons in the process. 

Key to casting out the lasting visages of that Olympic smash and grab was Tobin Heath, who ensured an American victory in the 50th minute after squaring up her defender, tip tapping her way forward like Yoda approaching Count Dooku before whirring into action and working a yard of space to hit one.

Assuming the USWNT finishes top of Group F later Thursday, as is expected, the Americans are going to face a tough path to the final, one that might include Spain, France and England. But what about the other side of the bracket?

While Germany is a big favorite, Die Nationalelf lost their best midfielder in Dzsenifer Marozsán to an injury. So who else might reach the final from that half of the bracket?

With a victory over New Zealand on Thursday afternoon, Cameroon would secure passage to the Round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup. They got there with the last kick of the match — Ajara Nchout’s improbable winner lifted her nation to a 2-1 victory after a calamitous 80th-minute own goal had threatened to ruin it all.