I’m very pleased the Lionesses won third. They really grew into the tournament, and it would have been sad if they were remembered for a late og. Beating Germany to get third is very commendable.
(I like Lionesses, and any other gender-specific and appropriate nickname. On the other hand, if the men’s team is the Bulls, or some dog variant, I guess Cows and Bitches won’t fly...then again, I kinda like Bitches.)
Others can comment better than I can about the level of play, but I was impressed that a player ended up covered in blood the first two games I watched. They’re absolutely giving it their all. Watching players get up and play the moment pain allowed made me wish men were half as tough.
I had mixed feelings about the US beating Japan. There are few things more obnoxious than a US blowout in front of a crowd selected from our nation of front-runners. But they haven’t won since ’99, and I admired how well they played this tournament. I’m glad Japan has a title already. They play the best football, and look like they work the hardest as a team. The US players are bigger and stronger, and many are faster, than any of the Japan players. But the same is true of most of the other teams, and the US was the only one able to beat Japan. It was a classic case of the wheels falling off. Japan had to dread US set pieces, giving away half a foot per player. So the US cleverly played a ball on the ground that Lloyd slotted home perfectly. Before Japan had come to their senses, it was 4-0. They deserve credit for doing their best to make a game of it and scoring twice.
