Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

The willow is too close to the house.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

A fool as well as an oath-breaker.

“Alexa, change the president.”

“woke” is the new caravan.

Books are my comfort food!

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

You are here: Home / Sports / Women’s World Cup Semi-Final – England v Japan Open Thread

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100Comments

  5. 5.

    Tony J

    I can’t quite wrap my head around the concept of an England Football team in the semi-final of a World Cup. It feels sort of unnatural, like fish mastering archery. Must be something to do with the complete lack of self-centred millionaire primadonnas in the squad.

    All that said, it’s what happens on the pitch that matters. Japan are technically very good but could easily have gone out in the last round if the Aussies had taken one of their chances. We’ll concede, probably, but we’re also quite capable of scoring more than once. Let’s say 3-2 England, probably coming from behind.

    And we’re off. And that was close!

  9. 9.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Randinho: I watch the euro sport stream, the British commentators are generally very good and I am not a Foudy fan as a color

  11. 11.

    Tony J

    Vuvuzela – the Glenn Medeiros of sporting sounds.

    Well it looks like the England girls have been told to harrass the Japanese off the ball and stop them settling into a metronomic rhythm (now – that’s- a good idea) and they’re doing it very, very well. Will they be able to keep it up for 90 minutes plus? No chance. But they’re also hitting hard and fast on the break whenever they win the ball. Good, confident aggressive football. Nice to see.

  12. 12.

    Randinho

    @HumboldtBlue: I watch it on SporTV here in Brazil, which is owned by the Brazilian media monster/leviathan, Globo. Fun to hear a different way of mispronouncing names (Jill Scottchee, Meghan Klingenbergee, Carli Lloydgee, Kelly O’Haaaara; the latter of which effectively turns her name from Irish to Japanese).

  13. 13.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Corner Stone: They are not as sharp as they can be, they are a very crisp passing team, very precise and usually can keep possession for stretches. England’s using their size well so far.

  14. 14.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    I feel horribly racist because listening to those ladies screech at each other in Japanese is driving me nuts. For some reason I don’t hear the English girls doing the same thing, or if they are they are certainly not as loud as the Japanese girls. (Perhaps their voices are just more high pitched).

  18. 18.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Litlebritdifrnt: The screeching of women regardless of language always gets to me, so it’s definitely bias but it’s also about hearing sensitivity. It’s also the distortion, on the field it sounds much more natural.

  19. 19.

    Tony J

    Aaaarrrrgghhhh! Christ on a moped that’s the kind of chance we – need – to be putting away. Duggan was unmarked, on the 6 yard line and had time to take that ball down and bury it.

    On a brighter note, we’re successfully choking every Japanese move before it gets going. I know they say it’s hard to frustrate this Japanese team because their ethos is patience and more patience but…

    Oh, yeah, that’s a penalty.

  25. 25.

    Corner Stone

    @raven:

    A friend of mine went to South Africa for the WC and got a lip infection from blowing one

    And I’ve got a bridge in NJ to sell.

  31. 31.

    burnspbesq

    Iffy penalty call, but the ball over the top that led to the foul was perfectly timed. Not much that Bardsley, the pride of … Santa Monica? … could do about it.

  32. 32.

    smintheus

    @HumboldtBlue: Yes, that’s what I meant.

    The Japanese are very cautious about not giving up penalties, but I think the English would be wise to keep barging into the box inviting a defender to foul them.

    ETA: Well that comment was fortuitously timed.

  33. 33.

    Corner Stone

    @raven: @raven: Did wealthy family guy grab one being passed around like a bong?
    Anyway, I don’t give a shit if you buy his story, so wevs.

  41. 41.

    burnspbesq

    Man, the seats behind the goal that England is attacking are a long-ass way from the action.

  43. 43.

    Corner Stone

    I am loving these drums. Recently watched a “How It’s Made” epi on Taiko drums. Freaking fascinating.
    Not saying these are those, just that I love Taiko drums.

  46. 46.

    ThresherK

    @burnspbesq: There is a quarter-mile running track around it.

    Plus, I don’t know the specifics of the soccer pitch, but the CFL field is 150 yds endline to endline, and I don’t think they’ve set up any temp seating for this event which would be closer than when the Eskimos are playing.

  49. 49.

    Paul W.

    I can’t believe there is no way to watch this thing online if I don’t have Fox Sports. What in the fuck people.

  53. 53.

    HumboldtBlue

    England gonna rue that cross bar and they are very much on the front foot here.

  56. 56.

    Germy Shoemangler

    @efgoldman:

    He’s herding them back in with a Super Soaker™.

    Eventually, if they’re smart, they’ll run back to the coop at the sight of the soaker without waiting to be squirted. He won’t even need to fill it; just wave it around at them like a prison guard.

  61. 61.

    ThresherK

    @raven: I’ve never seen that setup, with the temp stands, so I take back what I said. My bad.

    Being in the east, all the CFL I’ve seen live are in Montreal, Ottawa and Hamilton. Plus, of course, what my wife refers to as “enough” CFL on TV (a quantity I don’t recognize).

    Were there end stands for Ottawa and Moncton at this WWC?

  64. 64.

    ThresherK

    @efgoldman: Oh, at some point we don’t even need to pick up the proper spray bottle. It works, provided my wife’s cat never realizes I’m never spraying him with toilet cleaner or Pam.

  66. 66.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Richard Mayhew: But all of a sudden here comes Japan’s quickness and sharp passing. Fitness is going to tell in this last 20 (or more) minutes

  67. 67.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Randinho: No doubt about it. The U.S. is by far the most highly skilled team in the tourney no matter what Frankburnsesquire says

  71. 71.

    Lee

    @Randinho:

    My wife and I noticed the same thing. Maybe even the US team that played Columbia could beat these teams.

    Sloppy passes and noticeably slower than the US.

  77. 77.

    Paul W.

    I feel sorry for that player, but the English casters are going on and on about how Japan deserved to lose (I barely got to watch any of it). Is that true? Was the game this lopsided?

    USA looks like they’re at the top of their game, neither of these look quite as finessed.

  82. 82.

    Bill Murray

    @Randinho: well, three lions would be losing in penalties not the freak clearance hitting the underside of the crossbar

  83. 83.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Paul W.: England worked well enough to earn four goals. hit the post twice and had two great chances go inches wide.

  86. 86.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Well, fuck. Two bullshit penalties and one streaky, flukey own goal after a couple of close ones off the bar.

    Still think Team USA flatters to deceive, so nyah-nyah-nyah and see you on Sunday.

  90. 90.

    burnspbesq

    @Corner Stone:

    The US team that showed up for the semifinals is markedly better than Japan. The US team that we saw in its first five matches, not so much.

  92. 92.

    Amir Khalid

    Tough luck for the lionesses, who have fought hard this WWC, but that’s the way the ball bounces.

  93. 93.

    Randinho

    I feel horrible for Laura Bassett. I just tweeted her some words of encouragement. If you’re inclined to do the same she is @laurabassett6

  94. 94.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Randinho: She’s gonna need it, the fucking trolls are already out in force — “if it were a man he’d get roasted, let’s hope we see some equality!”

  95. 95.

    Heliopause

    Just curious, does soccer ever have scoring that isn’t a result of shitty refereeing or an own goal? And if so how many hours of my life will it take before I see it?

  98. 98.

    Arclite

    @Randinho:

    Oh geez. What a way to lose. You’re the three lionesses not the three lions.

    It’s the lionesses that track down and kill the prey in the pride. They’re the real workers and athletes of the lions. The males just stand around and bloviate. Not that different from humans, actually.

  99. 99.

    randy khan

    @Heliopause: There was the second U.S. goal last night, which was pure magic. So you may have missed your chance in this tournament.

  100. 100.

    lethargytartare

    @HumboldtBlue:

    England worked well enough to earn four goals. hit the post twice and had two great chances go inches wide.

    another way to look at this is England failed to finish open chances, and left the result up to the fates.

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