Women's World Cup

Penalties, Once The Most Widely Understood Part Of Soccer, Now Make No Sense

By holding World Cup host France to a draw today, Nigeria could’ve secured passage to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1999. For close to 80 minutes, that looked like the Super Falcons destiny. 

Step forward the VAR.

First, the referee looked at the monitor to review a collision in Nigeria’s box between Ngozi Ebere and Viviane Asseyi. The ref decided it was a penalty and sent Ebere off for her second bookable offense. 

Up stepped Wendie Renard for the spot kick. Her initial attempt clipped the outside of the post and went directly behind for a goal kick. 

Thailand Lost 5-1, But That One Goal Meant Everything

The draw for the 2019 Women’s World Cup really couldn’t have been unkinder for Thailand. Not only did the world’s 34th-ranked side land the defending world champion, they also got the last team to defeat the USWNT at a major international tournament, Sweden.

Things, of course, got off to a historically bad start when surrendering 13 unanswered goals to the U.S. to begin group play, and things weren’t looking pretty again today when trailing Sweden 4-0 in the 81st minute. 

USWNT Rolls To 3-0 Win, But Chile’s GK Steals The Show With String Of Impossible Saves

The USWNT defeated Chile 3-0 on Sunday with all three goals coming in the first half. Coincidentally, that was the exact same score at halftime of the Thailand game before the U.S. added 10 more over the course of the second 45. The score could’ve certainly approached that today, but for Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler. 

The 27-year-old, who plays for PSG, certainly appeared comfortable at the Parc des Princes while pulling off a string of stunning saves to keep the USWNT at bay in front of 45,594 appreciative spectators.

Carli Lloyd Scores A Banger, Celebrates With Polite Golf Clap

After trouncing Thailand 13-0 to begin FIFA Women’s World Cup play, the question facing the USWNT heading into Sunday’s match against Chile was both how many goals they’d score and — uh oh — how they’d celebrate those goals.

Grisly Video Shows Shot Appearing To Break Arm Of New Zealand Defender

CJ Bott was in clear pain. Replay showed why.

The New Zealand right back’s arm was gruesomely bent back by a cross from Canada’s Janine Beckie in the 14th of their Group E match on Saturday. After a lengthy delay to stabilize the arm, Bott was taken off the pitch and replaced by Annalie Longo.

Bott was able to walk off under her own power, but she was visibly upset, shouting “F*ck!” as she exited the field, cast over her lower arm. 

Slow-motion replays show just how far back her arm bent backward when it was struck by Beckie’s cross. 

Watch Cameroon’s Aboudi Onguene Ask Netherlands Players For Water Only To Throw It Into Stands

Cameroon winger Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene scored her country’s first goal of the Women’s World Cup in a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands on Saturday.

Moments before her goal, she pissed off the entire Dutch bench with what’s either a hilarious piece of gamesmanship or an awful display of sportsmanship.

Video shows Aboudi Onguene repeatedly asking the Netherlands bench for a drink of water in the 43rd minute, right after the Dutch had taken a lead through Vivianne Miedema.

Chelsea Women’s Coach Suggested Smaller Goals, Pitches For Women — Hope Solo Is Having None Of It

It is an almost impossibly touchy subject. Should the size of women's soccer fields and goals be made smaller, scaled to the average size of women instead of the average size of men, to improve women’s soccer?

Just to bring it up would open yourself up to calls of sexism, but Emma Hayes, coach of the Chelsea Women in the Women’s Super League in England, is doing just that in a recent column in The Times. 

Golazo Makes Vivianne Miedema Netherlands’ All-Time Top Scorer At 22 Years Old

Vivianne Miedema is 22. She’s now the Netherlands’ all-time leading goal scorer.

Miedema netted a brace in a 3-1 victory over Cameroon in Group E action at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday. She now has 60 goals for the Leeuwinnen, passing Manon Melis for most all-time for the Dutch. 

More importantly, for the short term at least, the Netherlands clinched qualification to the Round of 16 by moving to six points ahead of its Group E finale against Canada.

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