Is US Women's Soccer Dead?

or is it just brain dead? The failure of the women's team against Brazil wasn't unexpected, was it?

See exhibit A, from the Pan American games in 2007:

Where have you gone Mia Hamm? Michele Akers? Julie Foudy? Brandi Chastain?

The answer is that they wouldn't have fared much better. Brazil's talent and imagination has taken them past the US, just like it has in the men's game. Mia may have opened the door to women's soccer, but Marta will take women's soccer to the next level, by winning the minds of sexist men everywhere - from here to Brazil.

So what really happened? Here are a few points:

- The US were outclassed from the very beginning. We put everything on Wambach's shoulders, and hoped for the best.

- The coach, Greg Ryan, destroyed team chemistry by benching Hope Solo (see exhibit B - note the look on Scurry's face!)

- We are too old. The US game is too conservative, too risk averse. Which comes down to one thing: poor coaching. We need to stop playing safe soccer.

- Title IX has taken us as far as it can go. Now we need a real pro-league for women.

- We need a new coach, preferably one w/ an imagination. Sunil Gulati has his hands full with this one.

Another way to look at this - it was good for women's soccer... or was it? That depends on Brazil vs. Germany.

Go Brazil!