Key occasions
Closing ideas …
Some individuals could have a look at the superficial stats and say the Dutch have been fortunate. The US outshot the Netherlands 17-4. However heading properly huge off well-defended nook kicks received’t win video games. The US solely put three of these pictures on the right track.
The Dutch accomplished 400 of 509 passes. The US accomplished 291 of 403. However the US have been extra bold with 29 cross makes an attempt (11 full) to the Netherlands’ 7 (1).
(All that from the Fifa web site.)
Odd stat alert: No NWSL gamers scored on this recreation. Horan is the one US participant who performs in Europe.
The third matchday on this group now guarantees to be exceptionally dramatic. Catch these video games at … 3 am ET Tuesday? Yikes.
Can the Netherlands flip possession into a number of objectives in opposition to Vietnam? Can the US overcome a Portuguese staff that gave the Netherlands matches? May the US be (gasp) eradicated?
I’ll say in all probability, in all probability, and positively not.
Portugal performs Vietnam in just a little greater than 4 hours. I’ll be asleep, however for those who’re awake, please observe together with us. See you subsequent time. And right here’s the report from tonight’s recreation too:
Our man in Australia (properly, considered one of them) spots a US icon:
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Humorous factor in regards to the halftime commentary – Carli Lloyd was proper. As soon as the US discovered its spark, these passing lanes the Dutch discovered so simply within the first 60 minutes have been out of the blue clogged with gamers within the distinctive paint-spatter shirts the US have worn up to now on this Cup.
Will that be sufficient in opposition to a staff that has regarded extra spectacular right here? Spain? Germany? Japan? Brazil? Arduous to say.
Full time: USA 1-1 Netherlands
Aw, that’s good. Van de Donk and Horan hug and smile afterwards.
It was a fiercely fought however largely sporting recreation. You can say it was a story of two halves, nevertheless it was actually extra of a story of 60 minutes of Dutch possession and half-hour of the Dutch hanging on for pricey life.
First place within the group will likely be huge open at this level. The US has a goal-difference edge proper now, however the Netherlands may actually run it up in opposition to what would certainly be an exhausted Vietnamese staff of their third recreation. I’ll say the Dutch rating at the least 4, so the US would want … two?
And eventually, we’ve a few video games wherein each groups scored!
90 +8 minutes: Clear sort out for the Dutch. The US followers disagree, however they’re flawed.
Sport over.
90 +7 minutes: Dunn takes some time to throw it in. The ball will get to Rodman, who’s on their lonesome in opposition to 5 defenders. Stunned to see the USA not going more durable for a late winner.
90 +6 minutes: Van de Donk is getting some type of headgear.
Paul Connelly on why Horan didn’t get yellow: “Good query. I feel it’s obtained one thing to do with the expansion of the sport. At this level, I feel the referees are snug calling niggling fouls that you just or I would suppose aren’t that unhealthy, nevertheless it’s arduous for the referees to have the arrogance to make large calls like giving a yellow card to a star participant. I do agree with you that Horan ought to have gotten a yellow there.”
And I’ve stated many instances, although my fellow refs could not like to listen to it, that the US have had … let’s simply say some luck with officiating through the years.
Play lastly resumes.
90 +4 minutes: Conflict of heads between Lavelle and van de Donk. Play understandably stops. Whereas the sport has been fairly spicy within the second half, that wasn’t malicious.
90 +3 minutes: Smith does properly to create area and put in a cross. Rodman doesn’t fairly settle it that properly.
The Dutch objective scorer, Jill Roord, leaves the sport – too slowly for booing US followers. Renate Jansen is on.
90 +2 minutes: Excellent play from Dutch keeper van Domselaar to cease a by means of ball from reaching its goal.
Play surprisingly continues as two gamers tangle at midfield.
Nonetheless some drama right here?
90 +1 minutes: Now it’s the USA’s flip to construct slowly from the again. It doesn’t work, and the Dutch have possession.
90 minutes: My goodness, time flies while you don’t make any subs. For me, anyway. I’m certain the gamers who’ve been on the market chasing the ball within the first half and battling for it within the second would disagree.
Replay – the Dutch defender who headed Fox’s shot clear was really a ahead. Effectively finished, Lieke Martens.
5 minutes of stoppage time.
88 minutes: I’ve the utmost respect for referees and particularly for one with the caliber of Yamashita, however how did Horan NOT get a yellow card for a clearly pointless (retaliatory) foul in opposition to van de Donk?
The Dutch free kick is tame.
87 minutes: Kerstin Casparij replaces Victoria Pelova as the sport calms barely.
85 minutes: ANOTHER nook for the US. That’s a Spinal Faucet-ish eleventh.
84 minutes: The nook is partially cleared. Emily Fox collects it on the high of the field and drills it. The ball is headed out by an intrepid and well-placed Dutch defender whose quantity I couldn’t catch.
82 minutes: CHANCE, and in the end, Smith and Rodman mix. Smith performs ahead to Rodman, who shoots huge from an acute angle.
Leaving the younger gamers on this recreation this lengthy could also be a great factor down the highway. Each minute at this level is a brand new expertise for them.
Morgan earns a nook.
81 minutes: That’s the primary nook for the Dutch. I assumed I may need seen a foul, however our ref didn’t, and I’d want a greater angle to see.
Dunn slides by means of Pelova. No name. Pelova wraps her legs round Dunn whereas they’re each on the bottom, like some try at jiu-jitsu. That’s known as.
80 minutes: CHANCE with some masterful passing by the Dutch. Julie Ertz stretches out a leg and doubtless saves a objective.
79 minutes: From Twitter, By no means Settle Coin has advised subs: “I’d choose Huerta, with Williams and Mewis shut behind.” That’s not unhealthy.
Justin Kavanaugh: “Van de Donk’s assault on Lindsey Horan regarded like a tribute foul to essentially the most well-known Dutch World Cup “yellow however ought to have been a crimson” offence, Nigel de Jong’s unforgettable karate kick on Xabi Alonso within the 2010 ultimate. For struggle followers, this might get tasty!”
Yeah, although I’d fairly take a physique slam to the midsection than a karate kicks. That stated, I’m having fun with sitting on my sofa consuming jelly beans.
Lastly, the Dutch get possession within the US third.
76 minutes: Attendance is just a little higher than 27,000. There are some empty seats.
Unhealthy giveaway from the Dutch. That tussle with Horan and the objective turned this recreation on its head. I’d like to see stats on move completion percentages earlier than and after the objective, as a result of I’m a nerd.
74 minutes: Dunn takes her flip fouling van de Donk. This may be a sample, however I’d recommend that solely gamers with out yellows from the previous recreation (or this one) take a shot.
Mary Waltz: “The Panic of the Fox crew is palpable. I don’t suppose the half was as tragic as Alexi and Carli intimated. “they need to win this recreation” As you identified pre recreation that is merely not the case. Profitable this recreation is clearly preferable however it is a younger staff, a brand new coach and a tricky compition. Each 4 years it’s a brand new staff and the previous glory is just not a given. Fox may be prepared to leap off the cliff however I’m reserving judgement.”
Completely, although once more, I feel Spain and Germany are watching this and considering they’ll do for 90 minutes what the Dutch did for 60.
73 minutes: Sophia Smith will get the ball and is straight away surrounded by 4 gamers. She’s not in a position to do something with it.
72 minutes: Perhaps don’t sub anybody. That is going fairly properly for the US. One other nook kick, and Lavelle takes it once more …
… and Julie Ertz barges by means of the center of the sphere and slams into the keeper. Spitse has just a few phrases with Ertz.
70 minutes: Not stringing collectively hundreds of passes now, these Dutch gamers are.
Sub: Egurrola replaces Snoeijs.
Faux you’re Vlatko Andonovski. Who is available in for the US?
67 minutes: Ball within the internet, however Alex Morgan was clearly offside.
Nonetheless – the momentum is just not with the staff in orange.
A man within the stands desires to see a replay. OK, man. The consequence would be the identical.
67 minutes: Horan tangles with van de Donk once more. She obtained a yeallow within the first recreation, you already know.
64 minutes: I don’t suppose Lindsey Horan wanted any additional motivation to attain a World Cup objective. However having such an emphatic reply from the captain after her feud with van de Donk received’t harm.
You poked the bear, Danielle van de Donk.
GOAL! USA 1-1 Netherlands (Horan 62)
Finest method to ship a message for Horan could be to attain, says Aly Wagner.
Lavelle’s nook goes proper to her head, and she or he buries it.
61 minutes: By no means Settle Coin: “You’re approach off with ‘techniques v athleticism’, however then you definately’re Pleased with blaming unhealthy commentary on a too-small TV (2015 WWC). USA staff has few hrs collectively. We misplaced 6 starters (700+ caps!) + Macario to harm and three others have nearly zero USWNT play time in ~12 months.”
The harm issues are legitimate. The US additionally misplaced Mallory Swanson, by far their main scorer this 12 months.
We’ll have a US nook in a bit. The referee is busy mediating between van de Donk and Horan proper now. Once more – teammates at Lyon. However Horan isn’t fascinated with listening to something proper now.
59 minutes: Individuals are nonetheless utilizing the service previously referred to as Twitter.
Bunny Lake: “there are 2 groups on the pitch and never the usa has a objective and extra possession. cope with it.”
Was I not? Sorry about that.
Danielle van de Donk simply pile-drove her shoulder into Lindsey Horan – her teammate at Lyon! The robust US captain is down for a bit.
57 minutes: One other spell of US possession. It’s not the free-flowing passes that the Dutch have managed – it’s extra of a “lose possession however win it again” model – nevertheless it’s working.
Alex Morgan tries a backheel to Lavelle. Intelligent.
Nook, USA. Cleared.
55 minutes: That is higher for the US, and a cross was simply one other inch or so of top away from touchdown on the ft of a wide-open Alex Morgan.
53 minutes: A great spell for the US on the high of the Dutch penalty space, however the ultimate move isn’t there.
In equity to the US, if we’re going to speak about Miedema’s absence, we may additionally point out that Samantha Mewis would’ve been a great particular person to introduce into this recreation.
52 minutes: Extra Dutch possession.
I nonetheless suppose the US will give you a giant play or two and switch this round for a consequence. I additionally suppose Spain and Germany are watching this recreation and salivating.
51 minutes: The primary yellow card finally, and it goes to Rose Lavelle, who’s already lashing out in frustration after being on the sphere for barely 5 minutes.
50 minutes: “For those who have been the Dutch, would you modify something?” asks the nice commentator JP Dellacamera.
“No!” says Aly Wagner with fun.
48 minutes: And now the ladies in orange have it once more. Think about if Miedema was taking part in …
46 minutes: Lavelle replaces DeMelo. For the Netherlands, Aniek Nouwen replaces van der Gragt, who had a little bit of an harm problem close to the tip of the primary half.
US begin with strong possession.
Proper on cue … right here’s Rose Lavelle.
Netherlands accomplished 285 passes to the USA’s 179 within the first half.
Kickoff …
Extra mail, rapidly:
Torran Turner: “Gotta be stated, the US are repeating a sample right here – wasteful in entrance of objective in opposition to Vietnam (may simply have been 6 or 7 nil). Wasteful now of their probabilities up to now in opposition to the Netherlands. Pictures off track. Probabilities not fairly taken. Sure, the ability hole is quickly diminishing – significantly amongst the upper ranked groups – however whisper it, this USA staff appears to be like *very* beatable by the likes of Spain and Sweden.”
Primarily based on what we’ve seen up to now, Spain may match what Brazil did to the US in 2007. However I feel Vlatko Andonovski has a greater likelihood of fixing it than Greg Ryan did, for a complete host of causes.
Nathalie Jans: “What’s the problem with the variety of passes on the Dutch aspect? Do you not like that model of recreation play? Sorry if it is a dumb query.”
Not a dumb query. A sensible model of play – at the least, as soon as they began getting previous midfield with it.
Justin Kavanagh: “These referees being given microphones on the world stage worries me, I need to admit. In our age of narcissism and viral fame-seeking, how lengthy can it’s till a lady in black breaks out with a bout of womansplaining a crimson card for dissent, interspersed possibly with an Arethaesque musical plea for “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”? Or a penalty given to the tune of Beyonce’s “Examine on it”?”
Contemplating that every one we’ve seen up to now is an ungainly “after … evaluation … it’s … penalty,” that will be an enchancment.
Stephen Mitchell takes problem with my criticism of DeMelo.
Sydney Nash: “My good friend Morgan and I are watching the sport from an outside bar in sweltering Chicago, IL and following together with the minute by minute. Thanks, we find it irresistible! Nonetheless, we have been very upset to see that one our favourite facets of the Males’s World Cup protection, the pennant watch (image hooked up for reference) was not making its rightful triumphant return. We’d be joyful to supply our ideas on every staff’s pennants if that will be useful.”
I’ll ask …
The mailbag is stressed, and we should always level out that an earlier draft of Citizen Kane noticed the protagonist saying “Rose Lavelle,” not “Rosebud.”
Liisa Sletzinger: “as an american soccer fan i by no means thought i’d really feel the sinking discomfort of being overrated. it’s loopy how a lot a staff can deteriorate in 4 years. i used to be in lyon in 2019 and even with a powerful squad, we’d’ve been nothing with out Lavelle vs the Netherlands. hope i’m confirmed flawed.”
Alexi Lalas famous at halftime that in the event that they’re not going to alter the formation, they should enhance the gamers, and he talked about Lavelle.
That was after Ariane Hingst and Carli Lloyd demonstrated the distinction between Europe and the US, with Hingst mentioning a bevy of tactical errors on the Dutch objective and afterwards, whereas Lloyd used her “Jersey bluntness” to say the staff must play with extra coronary heart. Coronary heart, possibly, however additionally they want extra brains.
Halftime: USA 0-1 Netherlands
For those who’re a type of pedantic individuals who’ve been insisting for years that the European emphasis on creating tactically sound and technically proficient gamers will someday push these groups previous US groups that rely too closely on athleticism and “mentality,” the previous 45 minutes will enable you to make your case.
However I’m a type of individuals, and I feel it’s too quickly to say I informed you so. The Dutch haven’t regarded that harmful other than the objective, and the US simply appear poised to transform one swift transfer or one set piece into an equalizer at any time.
We’ll see. Compelling stuff in any case.
45 +3 minutes: That may be a petulant sweep of the legs by DeMelo there, and inexplicably, she isn’t carded for it. The younger midfielder hasn’t been too overawed at this Cup, however she may be a primary candidate to get replaced on the half.
45 +2 minutes: Whereas Lindsey Horan wonders what it’ll take for somebody to move her the ball whereas she’s huge open in the course of the sphere 30 yards out, Smith neatly beats one defender however doesn’t beat the second.
45 minutes: We’ll have three minutes of stoppage time. We had a merciful lack of stoppages this time. Simply the objective celebration and a few temporary harm breaks.
44 minutes: Oh, that’s a flop by DeMelo. Our referee falls for it. I reserve the proper to alter my thoughts based mostly on replays I can’t see, however she went to floor awfully simply there. The free kick goes nowhere.
43 minutes: Aly Wagner is among the most tactically and technically proficient gamers the US girls’s staff ever had. Now a Fox commentator, she is marveling on the Dutch possession and motion. Then, in fact, they shank a move straight to Dunn.
42 minutes: A contact for Smith! And it’s solely a contact earlier than the Dutch resume keepaway. The younger US star has been awfully quiet.
40 minutes: Are we sick of me saying the Netherlands are finishing (an exaggerated variety of) passes? Sure? OK. You get the thought.
39 minutes: DeMelo with an armbar on the high of the Dutch penalty space, and that’s a foul.
However the US get it again, earn a free kick of their very own, take it rapidly, and keep possession.
37 minutes: Trainers are likely to van der Gragt. She doesn’t appear critically harm, however the gamers are joyful for a water break, and the coaches are joyful for a chance to do no matter coaches do.
We talked about the denim stars jerseys earlier, sure? Right here’s player-turned-commentator Jordan Angeli modeling that classic look.
35 minutes: Morgan is engaged on the left once more, and it’s harmful. She drives a cross towards Rodman that’s deflected again to her, and she or he then wins a nook.
Undecided the place Smith matches into that assault, although.
The nook goes to Ertz, who tries a header that will in all probability smash my backbone if I attempted it. That deflects for one more nook, and this time it’s Horan heading it huge.
33 minutes: One other 3,300 passes from the Dutch, although to be truthful, the US aren’t urgent all that tough. They lastly pressure an extended move, and the US defenders declare it with ease.
31 minutes: Smith might imagine she was fouled, however honestly, she held the ball far too lengthy.
However the US regain possession, DeMelo is fouled, and Sullivan is lined as much as take a free kick 45 yards out. She sends it sq. to Girma, and the younger middle again floats it into the field, the place it’s knocked out for a nook.
