GaryPinC

I think because Abby is still an emotional leader of the team and still has some ability to use her height/size and make a difference on set plays like corner kicks. But she will not ball handle up the field, quickly passes every time and seldom goes after the ball unless it's within 20 feet.

Great game USA! Finally some fantastic soccer!

Actually the next round of games will be the quarterfinals. The US women's team is ranked second in the world. The US men are 27th. So, yes, the men winning a world cup game in the round of 16 or 8 is a good cause for celebration but not so much for the women. The US women played bad soccer in this game. Lack of team passing, strategy, moving for each other. Poor decision making. Their defense played really well at least, but the team has big problems possessing, getting the ball up the field and generating quality chances. Columbia is ranked 28th and can't even shoot with power. It's no mystery that the majority of their corner kicks were going to be a short pass yet Jill Ellis didn't send anyone to cover it. We should have killed this Columbia team. I don't feel Michelle Akers is pulling the "well in my day" thing. She's just frustrated the coach is satisfied with the win instead of calling her team out. Jill Ellis is just not getting it done with this team. They can still beat China, even without Rapinoe and Holiday, but are ripe for the upset and I doubt they win another game after that. I coach girls soccer at the early teen level and many teams down here can play more intelligent soccer than what the USWNT is showing and that reflects badly on the entire US sport and is frustrating.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/fifa-womens-world-cup/another-lackluster-effort-from-us-women/ar-AAbYk1f "And yet, the Americans think they're doing just fine. "This is the World Cup. I'm really satisfied with advancing," U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. Others aren't, to put it mildly. "If she is pleased with the way we played tonight then what the hell is she doing coaching our U.S. team," Michelle Akers, a star on the 1991 and '99 World Cup champion teams, said on SiriusXM FC's post-games show." Well said, Michelle!

Well, I can't imagine she's always been lazy with her past success of goal scoring and contributing to the team. :-) As I said, I really haven't followed these players much and am relying on what I see during these tournament games. What I see is a player unwilling to seek out or create opportunities, rather wait for one to be presented to her. She stands out like a sore thumb to me. I hope she turns it on soon.

I'd be interested to hear why you think this is such crazy talk. Granted, I don't follow the USWNT and Rapinoe but what I've seen from her at the outside midfield is she maintains good field and tactical position, isn't afraid to beat somebody, possesses the ball well, is a decent passer and defends well, including a hustling effort. She also seems to have good tactical intelligence. She's a real presence in there. The biggest unknown from me is if she plays well with her left foot because she certainly favors her right when she's on the left side of the line, but that may be due to how she chooses to play in that position. If it's been tried and she failed miserably, that's fine but given the lack of inside midfield presence for this team I'd be interested in trying her there. Check out the video clip of Nigeria's best goal attempt in the first half. Isn't that Rapinoe at good defensive depth but at her outside position and thus not able to make a play on the passer? http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/6/17/8796413/usa-nigeria-2015-womens-world-cup-jill-ellis-team-selection-tactics

I didn't see the Nigeria game, but in the previous two Abby mostly stood around waiting for someone to set the ball up for her and then her timing was slow because of all the ball watching. I saw the highlight of her goal and it was off a corner kick poorly defended with Lloyd (#10?) right there if Abby hadn't cut her off. If Abby starts playing better hustling team ball I'll freely admit the US was smart but I'm not there yet. We'll see what next game brings.

Well said. Yea, I don't get all the Russ hate. I think he also laid the blueprint for pursuing free agents/coaches when he took over. Sure, he'll try and blow sunshine up everyone's ass because that's his job but when he goes on record of being dissatisfied about something changes get made. Toronto series and I remember after a poor team home game performance he said it was unacceptable during either Jauron or Gailey's last season. I do feel that Russ does care about the community and making the Bills a success on the field.

Better team game last night and I agree with you except I thought Klingenberg was pretty solid for the most part. She had a tough matchup out there. Really disappointed with the coach(ing). Megan Bryan is playing scared and does not have the trust of her teammates, Abby Wambach shouldn't even be on the squad and honestly, if Morgan's over her injury, I'd take the opposite approach and let her start then pull her when she runs out of gas. Definitely no presence in the middle but they still need to spread out more and more movement off the ball when attacking. I'd also like to see Rapinoe in one of the center mid positions. She's got the most presence on the team with good vision and a lot of hustle. But a lot falls on the coach IMO for not having a more prepared team and a better lineup plan. Hopefully it'll come together in another game or two.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with you because I don't see that on the field. The US men's team plays far better ball than the women's. Much more intelligence and working the ball up the field as a team. Do they still need to be better? Yes. But they've come a long ways and don't just play fitness and long balls anymore like the women. The US women can get away with it because a lot of the competition is still terrible, not so on the men's side. US women need to get a real coach. Thanks for the tip about Germany and Japan though.

Good to know there was at least one game, thanks. Hopefully the US gets their crap together. I coach my daughter's travel team (U-12) and I don't want them watching the games I did. Setting a bad example for them! Hopefully after we get out of group play things improve substantially. There are elite youth teams that play more intelligent ball than the two games I've seen.

Ugh. I've watched the US game and the Canada/China game. I've been completely disappointed with women's professional soccer. So much less intelligence to it then the men. I'll take a few more dives for better quality play. Kicking the ball out of bounds all the time, so many poorly weighted passes, panicking, lack of spacing, passing, poor accuracy passes, giveaways. Bad throw-ins. Really? Ugh, they look like a talented bunch of 12 year olds out there.

+1 Why does it always have to be someone else's fault? Everyone has the opportunity to change and improve. He's only a second year player, and admitted he didn't have a good approach to his rookie year!

+1 I don't have a problem with anyone living the way they want and respect the decision if that's the simple truth of the matter but maybe Bruce had some screwed up component of his childhood that some counseling would resolve? I hope he at least considered it.

That in itself says a lot about volume changes. This is PIOMAS arctic ice volume graph which is what you wanted to see. While the graph does leave a lot to be desired it does show the last 6 years of data and if you bothered to track the individual years you get a sense that volume has been building since 2012 and that 2015 volume has held up very well considering we set a record low for maximum extent(area) this winter. Here's a modeled volume trend graph from the same source: http://psc.apl.uw.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/schweiger/ice_volume/BPIOMASIceVolumeAnomalyCurrentV2.1.png The polar science center appears to be the primary source of arctic ice volume calculations. My apologies. Up to this point I have assumed you possess sufficient intelligence to discern the important points from a messy but still useful graph. That is extent, not volume.

arctic ice volume despite the low extent this year: http://psc.apl.uw.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/schweiger/ice_volume/BPIOMASIceVolumeAnomalyCurrentV2.1_CY.png

Wonder if he just preferred to stay in the southern climate.

Friends are friends and business is business. Can't believe the Dolphins wouldn't send at least a coach. I like our approach far better.

+1 That was my first thought, goin' to pick up the posse! I have no links but do believe Russ Brandon instituted the full court press for targets when he came to power, so I like to mention that for his naysayers. It sure makes off seasons a lot more fun too!

Agree. Wow. Thurman didn't like visiting last year because of the pressure and atmosphere but went some because of the players he knew. So awesome to get a sense of the reality of the situation last year.

+1 Yea, the nerve of some people actually trying to reach their goals. I don't think Dick LeBeau has that as his end game. I have a feeling that eventually some guys realize they're best served as coordinators. Dick Jauron comes to mind, don't know if he's realized it yet, though.

Awesome, thanks for posting the update!

Considering the damage done from all the physicality which will affect the rest of your life after football I don't blame any pro athlete wanting to get paid. I don't think the incentive laden contracts are going away either because it's a hell of a risk for any NFL club to give a player a fat contract and assume he will give it his all if he's paid the same amount regardless of effort. Jamarcus Russel

Amaro is right about the tardiness, but accountability also has to come from within the players. You can't forget the fact that the Jets front office was dysfunctional, and if the fans knew it then the players must have experienced it. What happens to your team leadership when the front office can't even get it right? I can't put it all on Ryan because he had to have spent a lot of effort just trying to hold the team together.

Kim carries the hatchet. Partners right?