Reviews

Sadly, These Great Players Now Go Underground for a While

8/9/2012

See you again in the 2015 WWC

The hard part of watching the Japanese and Americans battle for the Olympic gold medal on Thursday is knowing there is no sustaining model for big-time women’s soccer.

The 2-1 victory by the Americans was terrific television, just like matches last Monday, last July, in 1999, in 1996. But two American professional leagues have failed since the United States allegedly discovered women’s soccer during the Summer Games in Georgia in 1996.

NBC did right by the women in this Olympics. I can recall an American soccer federation official, Hank Steinbrecher, screaming at NBC functionaries right after the 1996 final in Athens, Ga., when the network played catch-up ball in showing the American gold medal celebration when it hadn’t bothered showing the match itself.

''NBC must think the world is full of divers,” Steinbrecher snarled.

In 2001, it was a shock to me when the league known as W.U.S.A. opened a few miles from my home on Long Island – with tens of thousands of registered female players within driving distance – and Mia Hamm and the best players in the world could not fill a dinky so-called stadium.

That league went down, as so did something called the W.P.S., not because the media did not publicize them but because ratings did not attract sponsors. Apparently, people – girls, women – would rather play soccer than watch soccer. That’s probably good.

Now there is talk about a few teams forming a new league in 2013 but I will believe it when I see it. To a soccer buff who loves to watch the women’s game, it is sad to think there is no showcase for charismatic players of this generation – Americans like Hope Solo, who made three terrific saves on Thursday, or Carli Lloyd, who scored both goals, or Alex Morgan, who won Monday’s semifinal over Canada with a sensational leaping header, plus that great bridge to the past, Abby Wambach.

Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy and the rest can be secure in what they accomplished, but Solo and her teammates have earned the right to wear the t-shirts they broke out Thursday that said Greatness Has Been Found. It’s kind of a passive statement, but the point was made. They are the champions, my friends. And the highly competitive Solo can be assured that her three magnificent saves Thursday probably trump anything the resourceful Briana Scurry ever did during the golden age.

Plus, the game itself keeps improving. As great as Michelle Akers was – she’s still the best female player I have ever seen – the skill and tactical level of these players keeps rising.

On Thursday, I saw fine points I don’t think were being performed in 1996 or 1999 (admittedly, memory is tricky.) Megan Rapinoe forwarded a ball with a flick of the back of her head; Morgan chased a ball along the end line and pivoted and blindly centered it to create the first goal; and Lloyd dribbled over 30 yards and split two defenders to find her space for the second goal.

Have the new champions learned from coaching? From competition? From watching the Messis and Cristiano Ronaldos of the world, as I suspect female basketball players have learned from watching the Jordans and Kobes? The women have expanded the art of the possible in their sport.

The new wave has produced three hugely entertaining matches – Thursday’s final, plus Monday’s American victory over Canada, plus last summer’s shootout victory by Japan over the U.S. in the 2011 Women’s World Cup following the terrible tragedy in Japan. The matches were gripping; the players admirable; as an American with friends in Canada and Japan, I could not root in either match. But I do root for women’s soccer.

8/9/2012 01:11:05 pm

great stuff. I agree with your observation about the technical skills improving, and I really respect their courage too. At Muhlenberg we played Temple which went to the NCAA finals with St. Louis, ( we Lost 7-0). It is hard to compare, but I think today's US women are better, but my heart may be speaking.

George Vecsey

8/9/2012 01:25:13 pm

Ed, thanks. Every generation is different. I once heard Bobby Davies tell George Yardley that he could have played in the NBA in any era because he was a leaper. You play up to the level, Davies said.

I once play fullback for Jamaica High in a 7-0 loss to the great Grover Cleveland HS in Maspeth, Queens. A striker named Bubbi went around me 3-4 times for goals. I feel your pain. GV

8/9/2012 03:44:01 pm

George, thanks for your compassion. I had a similar experience against Haverford. I was matched against a center halfback who was at least 6'6, probably more, who was supposedly a Nigerian Prince. He could handle the ball with his feet better than I could with my hands. Any attempt at heading resulted in my elevating to his navel. The coach took me out, furious. I said, "What do you expect me to do?". He replied, "you could have kicked him in the leg- or something."

Alan Rubin link

8/10/2012 05:04:15 am

Ed

The comment that your coach suggested that the Nigerian should have been kicked in the leg caught my attention. I was Lehigh’s goalie in 1954, 55 and 56 and Muhlenberg was on our schedule. In one of our games, a 2-0 win, two of my former high school teammates warned me the team had been instructed to get me out of the game. I had to protect myself throughout a very rough game until I hit one of the culprets while punching a ball clear. It was the only time in my ten year career that I intentional hit an opposing player.

Lehigh never contended for the league championship, but we won about half of our games and split the other half almost evenly between ties and losses. Except for a 6-1 win over Lafayette and a 6-0 loss to Swarthmore, the goal differential of our games was usually one or two.

One sided losses are always humiliating, particularly for the defense. Regardless of who was at fault, the burden of the defeat was always the goalies. Ironically, the 6-0 loss to Swarthmore was one of my better games. I did not think so until their coach shook my hand after and congratulated me on a great game. When I commented that we had just lost 6-0, he said it should have been at least 15-0. I thanked him and said I would have preferred to have won with a lousy performance.

Ed Martin

8/10/2012 10:15:01 am

Alan, I graduated from Berg in 53, and naturally, the moral climate deteriorated. A new coach, Jeff Tipping was appointed a year or so after, replacing the coach I had, so depending on when your game was, it might have been the old coach. Berg got much better under Tipping, getting to the NCAA division 3 several times, and to the new Centennial Conference championship playoffs pretty regularly. Lehigh and the Patriot conference was a big step up, Muhlenberg had under 1000 students. Our games were always more important to us than to Lehigh, little man stuff.
About CCNY, in 1950 Muhlenberg was still playing LIU, CCNY and Seton Hall plus the big five in Philly in basketball. CCNY beat Muhlenberg by more than 20 points as I recall, and they were probably shaving.

Alan Rubin link

9/30/2012 05:58:27 am

Ed---I just came across this web site for FC Lehigh http://www.fclehigh.com/coaches. Things have really changed since we both played in Lehigh Valley. The link is for the coaches page, but the rest of the site is also interesting.

Dean Koski, Lehigh's head coach, has put together a very impressive coaching staff and program. You should note the number of Mulenberg and Lehigh soccer alumni.

I did not realize how strong Mulenberg's program was when we play you in the 50's.

i wish there was something like FC Lehigh in the Berkshires, western Mass where I live. I volunteer as a goalie coach for McCann Technical HS boy's soccer team, but i would prefer to work with a broader base.

John McDermott link

8/9/2012 02:05:29 pm

Now NBC must think the world is full of beach volley ball players! But at least they showed THIS game, and many others, even if only on a secondary channel which is only available on cable. Still, better than not at all. As for the US women, their situation is not much different from that of the men returning from the World Cup in Italy in 1990. A small handful had jobs in Europe, but the rest had nowhere to play in this country. The speed and quality of play is clearly improving, but whether there are enough high-quality players to sustain an entire league of teams that people will pay to see, over and over again, is still very much open to question. If only there were more Wambachs and Rapinoes and Morgans and Lloyds(and Martas and Sinclairs and Sawas) to go around...

Mikey

8/9/2012 02:37:04 pm

Sadly, you didn't hear that US Soccer was creating a new Womens Pro League this morning. Kinda makes your whole point moot. But still good article and great points. Well except the one that there is no showcase, because there is. If viewers only care every 4 years, thats their problem.

eos

8/9/2012 03:17:34 pm

Respectfully disagreeing with your assessment of the goalkeeping -- has Scurry against Brazil in the 2004 gold medal final already been forgotten? (A performance that eventually inspired Greg Ryan's unfortunate decision three years later.)

John McDermott

8/9/2012 05:32:28 pm

An entertaining and exciting game, for sure. But I can't help wondering what the reaction would have been in this country if it were the USA, rather than Japan, that was denied not one, but TWO, clear penalty kicks by the ref and ended up with silver. The Japanese team handled the situation with absolute class and grace, not the first two words that came to my mind when I saw the USA girls rushing to don those tacky Nike-created t-shirts which proclaimed their "greatness"..

George Vecsey

8/10/2012 02:16:16 am

Readers, thanks. I did allude to the 2013 target, and am skeptical, having seen WUSA go down.
John, you're right about crassness (whoever wrote the slogan for the t-shirt has a tin ear) but I think women have the same right to do the sponsors' bidding as male athletes. I wish there were more sponsors for women's soccer.
And, yes, I did spot one hand ball (so did the commentators) and the US also caught a break with that un-necessary time-wasting call against Canada. The great Collina would have wagged an index finger to count off six seconds and any keeper would have sped up his act. Still, I don't see a pro-US plot, and wouldn't speculate how the US would have reacted. Canada behaved sportingly about an American injury during an attack -- but the Canadians grumbled loud and long (and with some reason) after the ref's decisions.
Thanks so much to everybody for your expert opinions and criticisms. Please keep them coming. GV

Alan Rubin link

8/10/2012 05:14:05 am

George

This does not fall under soccer, but this is as good a place as any to post it.

DeWitt Thompson is giving my 12 year old Madison,WI granddaughter tennis lessons. He was the basketball coach at Jamaica HS and you attended a game during the 1996 season as the guest of the AD. He said that he still has fond memories of that meeting.

He also mentioned that Hilty Shapiro was his mentor and they still are in touch. I was a big CCNY fan and the 1950 scandal was one of the few things in sports that upset me.

George Vecsey

8/10/2012 09:03:37 am

Hi, how cool is that. Yes, I remember DeWitt., Please say hello if you see him again. Great to hear Hilty is still going strong. I have a friend younger than me who played for Van Buren against Hilty's Jamaica teams. Now the Pol Pots of NYC Education have decimated Jamaica High. What a travesty. GV

Alan Rubin link

8/10/2012 10:57:19 am

George

I'll be seeing DeWitt several times the next two weeks. Shall I pass along any message.

I gave him your URL, so hopefully he will log in.

Alan Rubin link

8/10/2012 05:49:15 am

George

The US women’s victory over China was well played and well deserved. However, they were very lucky to get past Canada, who played very tough and probably should have won.

I believe that referee Christina Pedersen made the correct call on McLeod’s delay of game penalty. Players in all sports continually push things to the edge. After McLeod was warned several times during the game about stalling, she continued playing on the edge, ultimately putting her tieam at risk.

Amy Wamback showed her experience and leadership by counting for the referee throughout the game. A goalie's delay becomes more important in the later stages of a game with her team protecting a one goal lead.

However, Christina Pedersen’s hand ball call was incorrect and a gift to the Americans. The ball played the defender, whose arms were against her body, after bouncing off another defender. A penalty should be called only if the player influences the path of the ball with their arm or hand away from their body.

I came to these conclusions while watching the game, but the soccerusareferee web site later posted the same opinion.

http://soccerrefereeusa.com/index.php/entry/45-six-second-rule-violation-pivotal-in-the-u-s-defeat-of-canada-at-the-olympics

I’ve extracted some of their comments in case the above link does not work.

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soccerreffereeusa blog comments:

However, in this blog we wanted to highlight one critical decision by the match referee Christina Pedersen. In the 78th minute of the game, Ms. Pedersen penalized Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod for holding the ball in her hands for longer than 6 seconds and awarded the U.S. an indirect free kick.

In penalizing McLeod, the referee followed Law 12. Indeed, according to Law 12, “an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, … controls the ball with his hands for more than six seconds before releasing it from his possession.” In its Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees, the International Football Association Board further explained that “a goalkeeper is not permitted to keep control of the ball in his hands for more than six seconds [and] a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball: (i) while the ball is between his hands or between his hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body), (ii) while holding the ball in his outstretched open hand, (iii) while in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air.”

By our count, the Canadian goalkeeper held/controlled the ball in her hands for approximately 11-12 seconds (almost double the time during which she is required to release the ball from her possession). Therefore, the referee correctly penalized her with an indirect free kick inside the penalty area where the offence occurred.

We are highlighting this decision not because it was controversial but because it was courageous. Despite the six second rule’s clear directions to referees to penalize goalkeepers for maintaining possession of the ball for longer than six seconds, you hardly ever see referees enforcing the rule. For this, we applaud Ms. Pederson. Moreover, it was reported in the media that McLeod conceded that before the second half started she was warned by one of the assistant referees "not to slow down play" and Abby Wambach was reported as saying that she saw the referee warning McLeod previously about time-wasting. While not required, it is customary, and in our opinion a good practice, for referee to warn a goalkeeper about taking too much time before releasing the ball. Having received explicit warnings -- one from the referee and one from the assistant referee -- McLeod should have no reason to complain about the referee's decision.

Wambach also said that she started counting aloud whenever McLeod held the ball because she thought that the Canadian goalkeeper was purposefully wasting time. She also counted when McLeod was penalized and said that when "I had gotten to 10 seconds counting out loud next to the referee, [the referee] blew the whistle, and I think it was a good call."

We also highlight this decision because subsequent game events that stemmed from this decision proved critical. At the time the referee penalized the Canadian goalkeeper for violating the six second rule and awarded the U.S. an indirect free kick inside Canada’s penalty area, the U.S. trailed Canada 2:3 and only 12 minutes remained on the game clock. Tobin Heath of the U.S. took the indirect free kick and passed the ball to her right to Carli Lloyd who took a right-footed shot. The ball flew through the crowd of players in the penalty area and ricocheted off the first Canadian defender and then hit another defender, Marie-Eve Nault, on her arm/elbow. The U.S. team screamed “penalty” and Ms. Ped

John McDermott

8/10/2012 08:26:59 am

The rules are the rules. What players really want most from referees is consistency of their application. It is undeniable that there can be significant variation from one ref to another, one league to another, one country to another. At a tournament like the World Cup or the Olympics it can become a bigger issue when you get officials from many different leagues. I can't remember when I've ever seen a goalkeeper whistled for keeping the ball too long(or for handling the ball outside the penalty area while punting it upfield, another rarely-enforced rule). But referee Pederson was as correct on this call as she was wrong on the hand ball.

Alan Rubin link

8/11/2012 05:22:50 am

Since there has been considerable comment on two rules relating to the third US goal against Canada, I want to question another one.

In the 2010 world cup game between Ghana and Uruguay, Ghana was awarded a penalty kick late in the game when a defender blocked a sure goal with his hand. Ghana missed the PK and ultimately lost in a shootout.

Ghana was actually the team that was penalized since they were denied a sure, probably winning, goal.

This is like goal tending in basketball.

George Vecsey

8/10/2012 09:10:25 am

Alan & JOhn: I would say Pederson was legally correct on the time call -- I was aware the GK was killing time -- but a ref should probably warn first on that infraction. Maybe not in the rules, but common sense.
As for the hand ball call, maybe I'm judging by male soccer standards but most top professionals are devious enough to interfere while making it look accidental (forget Maradona; think Frings in 2002 vs the US). I don't think the women have become that devious, but a ref has the right to hold a player to not getting his with the ball like that. But you two know the game much better than I do. GV

John McDermott

8/10/2012 10:11:39 am

I agree with you George about the need for common sense in the application of the rules. The best referees, like Collina and others we could name, are known for their intelligent and skillful game management and strong verbal communication with players. Good referees want to protect the players and help them to stay in the game if possible. Unless it's a straight red card offense for something like violent play, the best refs will almost always have a word with a player first before going to a card. We see it every week on TV in Italy, England, Germany, Spain, Brazil and everywhere else. Given that the Canada keeper was continually taking too much time it is surprising then that Pederson didn't say anything to her earlier, before giving the USA a very good scoring opportunity by making what was a surprising call.

Andy Tansey

8/10/2012 11:11:30 am

Great stuff at many levels!

Having considerable experience as I do debating decisions pursuant to the Laws of the Game, I long ago concluded that whether or not those decisions are correct depends upon two factors: 1) the facts; and 2) application of the Laws. Whether it was appropriate to award USA an indirect free kick (and caution the 'keeper) for handling the ball for more than six seconds depends, however, on more than whether she merely handled the ballfor more than six seconds before releasing it into play. Although it is not written in the Laws or the most significant guidance on their interpretation (in USSF, the Advice to Referees, or "ATR"), referees are taught to warn the 'keeper before applying the strict letter. Therefore, we have a factual question: Did the referee warn McLeod? Apparently, yes.

As far as the penalty is concerned, the defender handled the ball in the penalty area, but mere handling (not "hand-ball" or "handball," a wonderful game played against a wall in Queens or, better, in a room against all four walls, typically at a Y or athletic club) is insufficient. The handling must be deliberate. One might apply this law by asking several questions: Were the hands in a natural playing position? Here, no. Did the player have the opportunity to avoid handling the ball? Here, yes. The player here raised her arms. She could have ducked or let it hit her in the chest or head (not clear from my angle). It is not necessary (in either the Laws or the ATR) for the player to influence the path of the ball.

I am a fan of USA soccer. I would have preferred clear-cut, noncontroversial victories. NBC showed two cases where PKs could have been awarded to Japan, but who knows how many things were not seen or shown. I'll take the victory. Luck is always an element. The only clear tipping point is the score line.

It is unfortunate that the country will not buy in to professional women's sports. However, with the likes of Spain's senior men's team, Brazil, the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, the Bundesliga, etc., many fellow fans have far more than enough top quality football. When you can watch the best, why watch anything less? I know plenty who shunned the Olympics football tournament on both the men's and women's sides because it is not the best there is. Support it though I'd like to think I do (could swear I been at some NY Power sell-outs at Mitchel Park), women's soccer is just not as high quality. Witness the early rounds when the inability to control the ball (even the USA) could not be readily attributable to anatomical differences that give males the edge in strength and speed. That is a subtlety I just don't get. I am glad it got a bit better in the final few games.

Alan Rubin link

8/10/2012 11:19:19 am

John

You and George are absolutely correct about using common sense.

My friend's son is a professional referee who also qualified as an assistant in MLS and the professional women's leagues. He gave a lecture on refereeing in one of the sessions of the "Understanding Soccer" adult education course that I teach.

I learned a lot about refereeing, but his underlying theme was "using common sense".

Referees are instructed to keep the red card in the back pants pocket and the yellow in the shirt pocket. He often changed his mind on a red card by the time he reached the back pocket.

Also, the penalty must fit the crime. A second yellow card is often not given if the foul would not normally draw a red card.

A player explained to a top level international referee that the foul was accidental. He replied, I know-if you had meant it you would have received a red card.

When I was in college in the 50's, goalies were allowed three dribbles and four steps to the dribble, but no time limit. It was a pain to keep track, so I usually asked the referees how they enforced the rule. All answered the same; as long as I was moving forward and not slowing down, don't worry about it. It made sense.

George Vecsey

8/10/2012 02:10:56 pm

Andy, thanks for commenting hre.
Does Jack Curran know you are a soccer maven?
GV

8/10/2012 09:57:29 am

just a note about Canada 1-0 over France. Fence had 25 shots on goal to Canada's 4. The winning goal came at the 92 nd minute. the futbal fates that turned away from Canada in the US game smiled this time.
Christine Sinclair, who scored six goals in the Olympics, three against the U S did not score in this one. She is tied with Abby Wambaugh for second in scoring after Mia Hamm. Sinclair, the Captain, overcame some tough personal losses- her mother and her coach at Portland U, where they won the national championship in the dying coach's last game. I never was aware of her until this summer. I believe the bronze was Canada's first team medal in the Summer Olympic competitions. Cheers to our neighbors to the north.

Andy Tansey

8/10/2012 02:38:31 pm

Mr. Vecsey, thanks for the note! The last time I saw Mr. Curran was at a gathering for Stanners last fall. He made a point to visit with my father ('45). It ws nice of him to come over for a quiet moment and remember elementary school days from the Bronx, Tollentine vs, St. Bennie's, if I have my facts straight! That's a statement about a man who is about so much more than athletic achievements, though that's what he's known for as basketball and baseball coach at Molloy. Easily the most sought-after person at an event like the one we attended, he took the time to sit with someone whom he remembered and who remembered him from when. Since Molloy went co-ed, his talent pool has diminished by half, but in most ways the programs excel at many levels.

Interesting coincidence, my second daughter, who played a bit of footie on LI and for Molloy, was looking at her brother's 2012 yearbook tonight and scratching her head about the size of the girls' team - reminds me of cross-country and track back when guys like me with no athletic talent could "play" by virtue of the no-cut policy. By contrast, boys' soccer coach Andy Kostel has more quietly made his competitive mark at Molloy. I once called a 'keeper on a youth team (unrelated to Molloy) he was spectating for handling a ball deliberately kicked back to him by a teammate, IFK! Man I caught an earful!

Speaking of alumni connections: I couldn't help but notice Alan Rubin brought up the 6-1 Lehigh win over Lafayette. We learned a bit of that FRIENDLY rivalry while considering schools for my youngest this past fall, when we visted Lafayette and Muhlenberg. We did not vist Lehigh. Muhlenberg seemed to transcend it all. The difference between D1 and academic colleges?

Earlier, Megan Rapinoe's name was mentioned. I do not get the questions raised. Without a doubt, the classiest out there in terms of composed skill on the ball. And when the game is over, her personality is transparent. An inspiring young lady.

Alan Rubin link

8/11/2012 05:09:36 am

George

Sadly, These Great Players Now Go Underground for a While was the perfect heading for this blog.

Where are the vision, courage and money of those who profess to want to see women's soccer succeed in America? The 1999 Women’s World Cup showed male cooperate America that professional woman’s soccer fills stadiums. The increasingly high TV ratings of international women’s soccer have confirmed this.

Americans are purchasing top flight Europeans clubs, but corporate America cannot seem to allocate what would essentially be spare change to support and nurture a professional woman's soccer league.

What is next for the US Women’s National Soccer Team? US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati prefers that they stay at home rather than play in overseas leagues. Among the possibilities is upgrading one or more of the various semipro leagues in the US, or having an extended residency program for the US national team with a schedule of 25-30 games per year.

John is correct in that the talent pool for a professional women’s soccer league is limited, but it is increasing every year and a league will prosper if given sufficient corporate support.

I have the utmost confidence that soccer in America will continue to grow and become more mainstream. It is not essential that the MLS rival the traditional American professional sports since it will have a substantial sustaining base of fans.

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid’s manager, recently expressed a desire to coach in the MLS later in his career. He indicated that younger European players, in their late twenties, would eventually play in the MLS.

André de Villas-Boas, Tottenham’s manager, recently ran a one day youth clinic at Chelsea Piers at 23rd street and the Hudson River.

Many European teams have incorporated July and August training and exhibition games in the US.

I’ve been a volunteer goalie coach at McCann Technical HS in North Adams, MA for the past four years. The skills levels of the incoming freshman have been better in each of those years. I trust that this is happening at every level of play throughout the US and will continue in the future.

.

George Vecsey

8/11/2012 05:53:54 am

Alan, I was writing a lot about WUSA in the day. There was a lot of money spent, but sponsors and fans were in short supply. Some backers put a lot of money in it, but knew when to back off. The salaries and sights were too high. MLS is a perfect model for growing slowly, but I believe the demographis show that men will watch sports more than women, and they were quite pragmatic about women's soccer. A decade later, that could change. But people really did try. GV

Chris Young

8/12/2012 04:48:05 pm

We've got the World Cup up here in 2015. Everyone welcome, so c'mon up. We even have a spare room, though sadly, but understandably (a rail link to the airport, and other improvements, is too much to give up), Toronto is taking a pass in favour of hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games.
As for the tournament in London, and the 50-50 loss for our women vs USA, hey, that's football. Hated the timing of the decision, hated the injustice, but those are the scars you take from being an active part of the world's most popular and important game. Ed is spot on - the gods that smite you one day, smile the next. Be thankful you're in the same room.
At the end of this day, USA won and all the respect to them (I could have done without those shirts). Meantime, Canada's women's team have carved out a spot next to our greatest of sporting heroes, and Christine Sinclair is this generation's Phil Esposito - the brilliant workhorse wearing her emotions on her sleeve - to Diana Matheson's Paul Henderson (and it really is that big up here).

George Vecsey

8/13/2012 09:56:06 am

Chris, bad taste or bad syntax, those t-shirts were not necessary.
I couldn't root -- Canada was good and emotional and a bit chippy, the way a team should be. When yoiu're that close, you really should win -- like Pirates against the Braves in the NLCS, or the Canucks three times. cheers, GV

Gerard Lambert link

8/13/2012 01:39:43 pm

George,
I never had the opportunity to become a soccer fan, but the four trips I made to Europe in the last ten years found me occasionally watching soccer on the hotel TV. Soccer was the best thing on, so I enjoyed giving it a chance. That led to watching a few World Cup finals. Last year I discovered the USA Women's Team and I found that I followed them to the Championship game. While I hoped that they would win, Japan also had my respect and I wasn't disappointed that they could bring that Medal home to their country.

Which brings us to 2012 and the Olympics. Again I followed them and hoped that this was their year. On August 6, I had my best soccer experience ever. There were strong indications that Canada might deny them. Another worthy opponent stood tall and in their way. Please not another shootout. I didn't believe the clock had enough time. A figure appeared on the right hand side of my screen - the ball didn't appear to be going towards the net. All of a sudden one of the most beautiful poetic moments of athletic sports I have ever seen was set in motion. The figure caught up to the ball and without breaking stride redirected it in a breathtaking arc, that seemed like winged flight, to the head of a teammate who was immovable, front and center of the goal. Again redirection - this time into the net for victory.
Alex Morgan was the name on everyone's lips and the crowd roared. She had scored the winning goal and of course deserved every word of praise. In all the excitement, I couldn't remember another name. Eventually, I learned the name of Heather O'Reilly, the figure who had appeared on the right side of my screen. She was the Alpha of that athletic poem and Alex Morgan the Omega. Heather O'Reilly deserves more praise and recognition than I have heard to date. They both have my deepest gratitude.

August 9 was the Gold Medal game with Japan. It was special game to watch, with both teams giving us another memorable battle. For me, the highlight was seeing Carli Lloyd go from having Melissa Trancredi (Canada) step so casually on her face in the August 6 game to her scoring two great goals for the Gold Medal win. Carli Lloyd also deserved all the praise she received.

George Vecsey

8/14/2012 01:14:35 am

O'Reilly was a late sub...after the attrition on some of the starters.
Good for Sundhage, too.
Nice to hear from you. GV

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