I have to admit I have been rather sexist in the past. Yes, I’ve enjoyed some of the women’s games, but with this Women’s World Cup, I have to say – the quality of play was far better than in the past.
The Germans found a way to stop Marta. Or rather, she stopped herself by missing that blasted penalty. The Germans played a good solid game of “echt deutschfussball” – hard tackles, mechanical passing, and plodding runs. Still, they broke the high-strung Brazilians, and stopped the samba in mid-beat. They weren’t afraid to play a “hard” game, clipping Marta and co. time and time again. The Brazilians had their chances, missed them all, and towards the end – started playing a bit too desperately.
The US thrashed Norway for third place (who cares!) by playing a looser, free-flowing game. Why didn’t they do that earlier? Farewell, coach Ryan. I hope Hope’s back for the Olympics.
Congratulations to the women’s game! And once again, hats off to the Brazilians for bringing the magic back to the pitch. Maybe Dunga could learn a few things from the women’s team…