FanPost

Sadness in Vancouver - The Final Four are Set


Saturday was not a happy day here in Vancouver. Canada just ran out of ideas and out of time. The 52,000+ people in the stadium (yours truly included) gave them a very warm ovation for representing Canada proudly during this world cup. So our 3 Canadian Dash players are coming back to Houston a bit earlier than they wanted. So how did they do?

McLeod - A+. She was fantastic in goal and she kept her team in games. None of the goals Canada gave up were her fault. In my world, she's a golden glove winner.

Chapman - C. She was up and down this tournament. She made some nice runs up the flank but she also had some ball watching moments, like the England winning goal - she was way to far away from her mark and reacted late. She's young and I expect she learned a lot at this tournament.

Sesselmann - D. She was shaky through out the tournament and gave up possession for the first England goal. I don't know if her knee was on her mind or Herdman was asking her to do something different, but she did not look good. Right now I'd say her confidence is down near the center of the Earth. It'll be interesting to see how Waldrum handles her when she gets to Houston.

So the final four are set - USA vs Germany and Japan vs England. So let's see a show of hands of those who picked England to make it to the semis. Liars!

USA vs Germany - a battle of the giants. Yes, Germany-France was intense but France hasn't learned how to win in the big matches yet. Germany does know how to win and so does the US. Neither team has impressed during this world cup. Yes, I know everyone is talking about all the goals Germany scored during the group phase but most them were against the Ivory Coast, so I put an asterisk next to that stat. The US hasn't been lighting up the place either but the defense has been eye-opening. Christie Rampone can retire knowing the US defense is in good hands - or rather feet. This match is like two continental plates colliding. Will one team finally find their form? Who will make the first mistake? This could go either way, too bad it's a semi.

Japan vs England - Cinderella England has won, whether they beat Japan or not. Japan has been shown to be vulnerable this tournament and their passing hasn't always been the best. England has hustle and a couple of very fast players that could give the Japanese defense fits. I give the Japan the edge because they're the reigning champions but it wouldn't be a total surprise to me if England finds that lightning in a bottle again.

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