WOMEN's: USA wins over Columbia... - So let's sum this up:
- Columbia's older no1 goal keeper wasn't allowed to play due to collecting 2 yellows in the games before. Their no 3 played, a rookie (hence the unwise behaviour before the penalty, I'd say)
- it was 0:0 in the 2nd half and Columbia's substitute goalkeeper got a red for fouling Alex Morgan (which I comprehend was a right decision by the french referee, who I had felt/suspected was judging in favour of Columbia in the first half.)
- only striker on the field goes off the pitch (hadn't done much anyway), Columbia's no2 goalkeeper (very young, too) had to keep Abby Wambach's penalty. Wambach doesn't find the box.
With Columbia down to 10! USA needs another penalty (plus a goal from the field) to win 2:0. Not bad, (very young) Columbia!
When Columbia was in front of the US box, they always waited to long and (especially their young technique-wonder Lady Andrade) dribbled around with the ball, running circles around herself instead of doing a high flank (parallel to the line) from the right of the 16m-area to the middle, as if they were waiting till two more US players blocked the player with the ball. This happened several times.
When they tried it through the middle, they always didn't get enough speed behind the ball. So you could wait and see the ball flying through the air and Solo could hold her hands open, in preparation waiting agog for the ball to finish its flight.
They were always fast up to the box, but then waited to long undecisively.
You would think such a young team would collapse after the red, but they still did a good job, I think.
This was FIFA rank 28 (Columbia, 1692) against 2 (USA, 2158).
Last 1/8 final Japan - NED at 4 o'clock CET this night, clock definitely in favour of Japanese viewers.
