I'm disgusted by Rapinoe. No we're not a perfect country - no country is. But we've led the world in supporting human and civil rights. Including gay rights. Because of Rapinoe's disrespect for our country I'll be rooting for France on Friday.
2
Interesting. If you watch, say, the #1 seeds in the mens and women's NCAA tournaments in the first round, they use about as much energy and adrenaline as they need to get by comfortably, and they don't show every possible way they can score or get an advantage on an opponent. I guess Spain wasn't intimidated by the U.S. winning its first game by 13 goals.
1
Let’s not go crazy lauding the Spaniards here. To me, yesterday’s match showed the limits of a strategy built primarily on relentless fouling (Spain). They ended up getting justly punished for it. That’s not how they’ll make it to the top.
2
It seems to me that in this World Cup a high number of games are being decided by penalty kicks as opposed to field goals. Is there a statistician out there who could compare this tournament to the Men’s World Cup or the Euro. Cup? As I type this, the Netherlands just beat Japan on ... a penalty kick.
1
The refs give penalties for free this tournament.
1
As a AYSO National soccer referee (U-21) I'd like to add my perspective on the match officials. Going into any match, most teams have a strategy, and it appeared that Spain's strategy was to play physically, and in particular to muscle Alex Morgan from behind to prevent her from collecting the ball and turning to shoot or pass. This strategy was effective (note: even so, Morgan seemed off her normal game). It is the referee's job to recognize these tactics, and to control the match. If one player is constantly offending, (usually if possible) after a verbal warning, you show the yellow card to the player. If the team is consistently fouling 1 player (striker usually) by committee (successive players), we are taught to pull the captain aside,and warn the captain that the next player who commits a foul on player x (in this case morgan) will receive a yellow card. The team captain then warns the other defending players accordingly. Next foul, yellow card. The center referee either failed to recognize that tactic, or chose to ignore it. Finally, as to the second penalty awarded to the US, by the laws of the game (in my opinion) it was a foul; but some officials would have not called it (like me) in these circumstances ( world cup; 1-1 match; going away from the goal).
2
@James Osborne
I'm not a ref, but I agree with you James. Bad officiating - I'm kind of surprised there wasn't a serious injury.
Spain's strategy was clearly to out-physical the U.S. squad & it almost worked. With their youth they will be sure favorites down the road. That said, I was surprised the chief enforcer, Paredes, was not red carded for some of her antics. The only thing left from her was a clothes line tackle.
Wow, not one but two penalty kicks! So exciting!
1
It seems unavoidable that everything is politicized these days. On one side, the " My country right or wrong" group. On another, "USA never good." In between, there's a bunch who think soccer is basketball played on grass or something like it. And a minority, of which I am one, who sees "sport" as just another consumer thing that must be progressively monetized. (See how much bigger tennis players are getting as the prize money increases! ) We saw something similar when the USSR and the USA turned the Olympics into another field of conflict in the Cold War. In this "win at all costs" space, were is honor? In Trump Word, that's an alien concept.
2
“If they’ve had to win from penalties, it’s because we’ve really shown our worth, and we’ve given them a run for the money,” he said, “and we have to be really positive about our overall performance and what happened in the match.”
Anyone can foul their way through a game, as Spain did. 18 fouls to USA's 4. Spain is lucky they weren't called for more, or more cards, w their defenders going not for the ball as much as Alex Morgan's body. Credit to the US for hanging tough and using their experience and mental fortitude to close this one out.
2
This is the last dominant USA favored World Cup. With the amount of emphasis in Euro Countries to develop women's game the gap is already closing fast. As proven in the USA vs. Spain match.
It won't be money either that helps ... it will be COACHING! Now that countries like Spain are developing girls at the same level of boys training - their tactics & skills will be ignited. Better coaches at younger levels is the biggest difference in world class competition.
4
My biggest concern during and after this game was with Jill Ellis' decision not to substitute earlier in the game. It wasn't so much the weather -- although that may have contributed -- but the match-ups.
Alex Morgan was simply not having a good game for whatever reason (Spaniards' strategy and/or physical play or just off). Despite scoring two PK goals, Rapinoe was not particularly effective, either, and was being challenged on her side by equally fast, even more physical players.
Lloyd is a change of pace at center forward and is stronger in the air than Morgan. And Christian Press has speed and a motor to keep the pressure on.
Glad Horan came on, but that should've happened immediately after the penalty kick. At that point, you want her two-way abilities and toughness.
Knowing when to make substitutions and for the right reason is critical. I'm hoping this is not a sign of things to come in future tight games. Ellis has the talent. Use it.
3
Whew that was too close for comfort.
Spain played desperately in your face for 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
America didn't play nearly as well as they have and can. They could have easily lost and be headed home.
USA! USA!
3
There was an obvious bias in the refereeing towards the USA. In a tough game, where the USA players were clearly more aggressive, how did Spain manage to have 13 fouls called against them and the USA only 3? One example of the unfair order of refereeing: In the opening minutes of the game, the Spanish midfielder Lozano was flagrantly elbowed in the face by a USA player. The foul occurred away from the action, behind the referee's back. Although play was later halted for Lozano to recover her wits, and she had a swollen "mouse" next to her eye, no attempt was made to discover just how she might have obtained that bruise.
Please spare the sympathy for Alex Morgan. She was playing hurt and took every opportunity to dive when touched by a Spanish player. If you're sore, be strong, suck it up and play.
The USA, which I've always supported before, has become the World Cup diving team. Arguably, both penalties came off of dives in the box. Spain deserved a fair shake. They didn't get it yesterday.
7
Wonderful invention, the VAR. And silly old rule, offside. But good that referees can still overrule the VAR and say that some offsides matter and some don't. Ask Cameroon. Oh, and the ref can tell the difference between a foul and a dive? As the paper of record, the NYT doesn't touch that? Or how about Rapinoe as supporter of Kaepernick? Rapinoe as subject of Trump's criticism? NYT writers should read the WaPo, NY Post, HuffPost, or USA Today. There are wheels within wheels in America sports. The biggest wheel is money (ask the NCAA or NFL of NBA)--but that does not diminish the human stories bound up in this Gordian knot.
1
Pathetic win for the US. Needed two dubious penalty kicks to defeat a very well organized Spanish team, that scored a beautiful goal. Our US team better improve are they will be back home soon. Ref wont dare to call those kind of penalties against host France in next match.
5
Clearly most commenting here didn’t watch the game and are rooting against US women.
Spain played a dirty match. The fouls in the box were deserved. A foot was stomped on the first and the second was a cleats up challenge that contacted the leg. Both are fouls.
The Spanish team clearly intended to repeatedly foul Alex Morgan, which should have resulted in yellow cards. She was fouled over 15 times during the match.
Only a weaker opponent attempts to win with bully tactics.
Spain scored on a US mistake.
Why is the USWNTs success such a threat to people?
3
@T Clearly, you were not watching the same game. Many goals are scored on mistakes. Does that make them any less a goal. Spain lost to Germany on a mistake by the keeper but that happens.
Regarding fouls, and this doesn’t apply to any particular team, but nobody seems to play any defense. No uniforms get dirty. However, football is both offense and defense. That is why people seem to get upset when a team actually plays defense. What passes for a yellow card would be laughable in the men’s game. Spain has shown France how to beat the US. Knock them down, make them uncomfortable.
People don’t particularly hate the US team but when you’re the best, people want to beat you. That’s why people dislike the Yankees, Cowboys, etc. In addition, that display against Thailand didn’t help matters.
I think people need to stop being so sensitive. It’s a match, not life and death, although we all know what the legendary English coach said about that.
1
@Brad
Why bash T? Also yiu did not address T' s points. Penalties are also scores see Spain's earlier game. The US made some mistakes in defense and missed some scoring opportunities but the still out played Spain . Not just opinion but supported by all measures of game play.
1
The next one against France.
Go France, Go.
Arrogance has to be defeated...
6
@Welcome Canada
Since when is winning the same as "arrogance"?
And would you be saying the same if this were Canada playing...and winning?
But more to the point. This is a game.
Sometimes you win.
Sometimes you lose.
The second penalty showed that all goodwill from the referee had been spent by Spain's constant bumping and shoving. Soccer is a physical game, both men's and women's, but Alex Morgan is a good example of Spain defending with overt physical force when their talent and speed weren't enough.
8
Girls football - soccer to some - rocks! They poor all into it, fun to watch. US men should take notice, get better playing this game!
1
Interesting how polarized this comment board is about the referees and VAR calls. Out of curiosity, I checked out El Mundo Deportes coverage of the game (with the benefit of GoogleTranslate) to get the Spanish perspective and there seemed to be no complaints about the officials. Neither in the comment section, which was devoted to the subject of the quality of the women's soccer in general.
One commenter still seemed to be a bit bent out of shape about the Spanish-American War, with us blaming them for the sinking of the USS Maine. How silly. Everybody knows we'd never start a war under false pretenses.
4
Yes, in the home of the free we have a big problem with misogyny.
2
@T
A little perspective: If I wasn't absolutely clear, it was the Spanish audience on El Mundo's comment board that were discussing the merits of women's soccer, not the NYT comment board. Most of the comments I read defended the women's game. And note the recent NY Times article regarding the recent success of the Spanish team: It was based on the support and investment by their country.
On the American side, the women’s team is the most successful in the world because we valued gender equality enough to pass Title IX in 1972, making athletic participation equally accessible to girls and women at any educational institution that receives federal money. Perhaps we’ve regressed in this current political atmosphere, but the rest of the world is still trying to catch up to us. Demonstrative of who we can be when we stick to our principles and values.
The USA is clearly beatable. Spain were a little better than them today but were unlucky, and a little reckless too. There were almost no actual shots on goal except the penalties, and the second penalty was laughable. Another game like this and the USA can pack their bags for an early flight home.
7
Clearly you didn’t watch the game— rose lavelle, rapinoe, Heath— all had shots on goal.
Not all soccer games are 12-0 routs.
@T I only count shots that were actually on frame and had some chance of ending up as a goal. And if a team only took three shots, not including two penalty kicks, during a 90-minute game then I would say their attack wasn't very effective. It was actually a poor game for the US and they will need to be a lot sharper if they want to have a chance of beating the host country.
1
@John McD.
How many shots on goal did Spain have?
Mea culpa... Never cared about Hope Solo, her rogue profile or relentless self promotion. But I've never been so impressed by a retired athlete transitioning to punditry with such intelligence, deft and incisive tactical observations and honesty. My god she's good! Spain completely exposed the USWNT, Hope was the only analyst who did not sugar coat the outcome. Someone please get her on MOTD and get rid of the Shearer-Jenas mediocrity. Better still pair her with Mark.
1
Did the VAR (video assistant referee) watch the video of the second "penalty" or call the FIBA offices? This was highway robbery.
3
A cleats up challenge that contacts the leg and misses the ball is usually an automatic yellow and sometimes red card.
It was a foul.
3
Both PKs were very soft. The 2nd was embarrassing. VAR is changing this game and not for the better. 18 to 4 in fouls? I hate to say it but FIFA is making sure it gets who they want in the later matches. Eng. vs Cameroon saw 2 VAR decisions reverse clearly CORRECT calls on the field both in favor of England. From the USA women's lack of class vs Thailand celebrating goals to these 2 dives AND then Neville's comments about Cameroon after the English match lead me with no team to root for anymore.
3
For the equal pay crowd: the attendance for the US men’s team game against Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Cleveland last week had 33% more fans in attendance than this game. I’ve flipped on several of these games at the girl’s tournament, and there are tons of empty seats. Maybe if people spent more time actually going and supporting this sport than complaining about it, they might get equal pay. But that’s not going to happen, and we all know it.
But I am rooting for the US. If we win, I get an extra PTO day at work.
3
@Mike
The US and France have sold out all of their games so far at this World Cup. Yes, there have been empty seats at some games - just like there are some empty seats during games in the men's WC. I'm taking issue with the assumption that "they might get equal pay . . . . that's not going to happen, and we all know it." I don't know it. I am going to root for them still in this tournament and beyond.
4
@Ellen Morfit
It's about economics not gender.
If women generate more revenue than men, then they should get more money and vice versa. If not, they should get less.
The most fair way is to let the market (i.e. consumer) decide. To suggest otherwise is gender bias.
2
Hello? Um, one game was in France
And one game was in Cleveland.
Put the USMNT game against Trinidad in Paris and you’d get about 100 fans to attend.
2
Ah, well- Allez Les Blues!!
5
These women athletes are amazing to watch! My hope is that the American players will get paid more and get more tv, media coverage Because they are mind blowing awesome!!
6
@Beth Grant DeRoos: Yes, but unfortunately, the growth of any sport in America generally reflects the attention of TV executives and the influence of money. Every minute of a contender's time (they stopped being sportsmen long ago) is to be monetized.
According to the Guardian MBM account, Rapinoe got a Yellow card for slapping a Spanish player in the face. That should have been a straight Red. The laws are very clear on that. Also, Again according to Guardian MBM, Rapinoe took a blatant dive and got a pass.
Ah well, Les Blues on Friday. the calls will go the other way then and it’s Au Renoir, Les Etats-Unies Femmes National.
7
Except for the Aussie yesterday, poor refereeing. The refs have obviously not enough international experience and in particular for this kind of event where cultural differences and emotions can play an important role. When you compensate the lack of experience with variable rigor you get the kind of mess witnessed during England-Cameroon.
1
And the Spanish player that took rapinoe down with a wwe headlock move in the box should also have been given a straight red.
What’s your point?
1
@T
errmmm- that Rapinoe should have been sent off earlier and our team reduced to 10 but FIFA would never ever allow that because we are one of the Big Draws and everybody wants us to play France on Friday?
I think that is my point.
3
If the gift goal wasn't giveen by the US no one would say that Spain outplayed the US. The US had greater time of possesion in their offensive zone and had many more quality chances. Spain tried to send long balls over the defense but weren't quick enough, and really didn't have much of a coordinated offensive attack. Their overall goal to shot ratio was the lowest in the tournament. That's an aspect of their game they will have to improve.
6
@Milliband: A negative in all this for me is that the USA team can win on merit, and all the gamesmanship and dishonesty is unnecessary. What does it teach kids? And how can I ask that in a country that reveres the thuggery of (ice) hockey)?
1
The second penalty call was disgraceful and it was a real blot on the tournament to have its best match decided in this way. Torricella clearly touched the ball before her foot touched Lavelle, which it barely did anyway. Lavelle took a dive that rated a score of about 2 of a possible 10. I would have been delighted to see my country win the match fair and square but right now I feel very sorry for the Spaniards. I think the VAR refs in the booth knew the call was wrong, but the ref didn't have the guts to admit it.
17
yes. i watched the replay and agree with you that the 2nd penalty was a wrong call by the ref.
5
Is it just me, or does the losing side always blame the refs?
8
It was a good hard nosed competitive game. The people that think Spain outplayed the USA are delusional. USA outplayed Spain for most of the match. Spain benefited from a lucky misplay by the U.S. Keeper and the USA benefited from a marginal call that resulting in the winning PK. Call it even on good fortune and the USA wins 1-0 on a real foul actually called and a winning PK.
The only department that Spain dominated in was fouls. They won 17-5 on fouls and it could have easily been 30-5. The Spaniards pulled a page out of the LaLiga Playbook and used a strategy of cynical challenges aka "Hack a Shack" to stymie the U.S. best players. Spain was very lucky that the referee largely ignored the obvious strategy employed by the Spaniards. If she had been awake it could easily been a much different scoreline.
23
Spain brought the US down a notch. They needed it with their condescending attitude. They’ve been acting like all they had to do was show up and the other national teams were going to lay down.
Furthermore, the number they did on Thailand was disgusting. The number of goals was fine, since goal differential can decide who wins a bracket. But the US women showed bad sportsmanship with their over-the-top celebration after all thirteen goals. They should have stopped celebrating after the sixth or seventh goal. The game against Thailand was like a scrimmage or a soccer demonstration, not a World Cup match. If the players were so dense they couldn’t see how bad their behavior was, then the US manager should have stopped the bad sportsmanship.
21
@Maurie Beck Let it go. This isn't little league, if the Thai team didn't want to watch the US celebrate they should have stopped them from scoring. This is soccer at its highest level and goal differential counts for a lot. I am sure the USWNT wasn't trying to offend you. Doubt you would complain if this was a men's team, and I suspect you watch women's soccer once every four years.
10
That second penalty call against Spain ridiculous...and should have been yellow card for flopping on US.
FIFA a joke looking for the best viewing numbers.
Disgraceful that it's called a "sporting event."
22
Note that in the picture of Alex Morgan that she is being fouled by the Spanish player grabbing her jersey.
13
" replays show Lavelle — converging on a loose ball near the penalty spot — got kicked in the leg by Torrecilla and went down. "
The replay showed no such thing. She took a dive.
24
@wbarletta You try running full speed with a ball at your feet while someone whacks your shin with their foot and let's see how you're able to stay on your feet...
The gamer was a nail biter and although rooting for the USA, the Spanish matadoras kept pushing and being a threat. The US goalkeeper snafu could have lost the game. BTW FIFA needs to sanction the aggressive behavior and lack of sportsmanship that was displayed by Cameroon's team in Sunday's match against the UK . Such displays of uncivil behavior should not be allowed without strong rebuke.
4
Can you imagine a basketball game where no one made any points? Except two free throws near the end?
Spain went ahead with a sloppy US pass that shouldn't have even been made in front of the goal, any child knows to clear it far down the side.
Then US got two free kicks. What kind of game is that? Need to change the rules to allow earned points, maybe no goalies or bigger net, whatever.
6
No
The game is not at fault if you fail to understand it.
6
Go watch bowling.
6
Fix must be in for the Fox commentators too because nothing was said before or after the match about the soft foul and dive that gave the US a second PK. Play acting, bad calls and poor refereeing decisions may be part of the game, but it sure seemed worthy of least some discussion on air.
16
@backfull: A CBS sports reporter made a glancing comment about the dive. But the fix that's in on TV is the feel-good factor that keeps eyes on screens to see all the commercials. Money rules.
1
Wondering, is the Spanish team younger, to me they looked younger.
3
They are, now three new players out of the “under 20” team -that won virtually everything- came to this team, in a couple of years it will be totally renewed with young promising talent. Nice interesting matches ahead
4
Keeper under pressure gives a hospital pass. Hope Solo is still the best US keeper. US Soccer never liked her attitude and her off field actions and internet photos of her lady parts: so what, Keepers need attitude and she was the best.
4
@cfrfc
So as long as we win, assault is fine. Is that what kind you’re saying. Solo created instability on and off the field. She has major anger management issues and substance abuse problems.
The new goalie made a bonehead play. She won’t make the same mistake again, but she may not be as good as Solo. If that is the case, the back line is going to have to tighten up the defense.
7
@Maurie Beck Hope Solo got blackballed by the Old Guard because she beat out Briana Scurry fair and square but got benched in the Final because the Old Guard cried about it.
1
What a great advert this world Cup is turning out to be.
As a long time follower of Arsenal I was wondering how to get through to the start of the next season in August. Well this World Cup has certainly changed a dull sporting winter into an unexpectedly exciting one.
The round of 16 games between Australia and Norway and now the US and Spain have been great viewing on both a skill and excitement perspective.
I'm a convert. Next season I will be following both Arsenal teams.
8
The US was lucky that it was awarded two penalty kicks. Both came from questionable fouls, especially the second one. Poor performance by the referee. The Spanish team should be proud of their performance. The US team has to elevate its performance for the following rounds.
30
This discussion mirrors that following the Raptors win, "yeah, but". Injuries, penalties, bad calls, bad days afflict every team at one time or another. Timing has a lot to do with it. Were the Blues the best NHL team? No way, but they have a big piece of hardware decorating their reception area.
There are old sayings in sports: You make your own luck. Also, I'd rather be lucky than good.
3
@Stevenz,
Yeah, but who won by luck? Where did you see luck???
1
A gritty win for USWNT. Never like to see a ref decide a match but Spain's tactics were all-out physical assault - grab, impede, pull, push, knock etc - and that's fine, that's soccer and hey it almost worked. If two of their many fouls (many more than the 17 called) occurred in the box, that's just a price paid for holding nothing back.
9
@Ec want to add that those complaining about the second PK need to look closer at how the foul changed the angle of Lavelle’s landing foot. Clear PK, called in run-of-play and confirmed by VAR.
5
When you play Canadian style football all over the pitch, its sometimes hard to change when you're in the box and it has consquences. Spain could have been playing one short the entire second half if all their fouls were called.
16
Who would have thought Spain could challenge the best and second best team in the world and only let them score via penalties. Let’s hope the US team won’t stumble over their own aspirations. We sure will find out.
5
@Simon Reissmann
Who??? ...Read this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/sports/womens-world-cup-spain.html?rref=
2
An exciting and competitive match that could've gone either way. Spain was physical and accumulated many more fouls (17 versus 5 call against the US). From my point of view, the referee was lenient and did well to allow play to continue, but Spain got away with plenty of tough tackles and capitalized on a mistake by the US goalkeeper to net their only goal in this match. I am incredulous by the negative comments against our own superb Women's team. Penalties are a legitimate part of the game as in other sports. Both calls were correct in real time, slow motion replays, you name it. The Spaniards fouled plenty; a couple of those fouls happened in the penalty box. That's the way it goes and Megan Rapinoe placed both shots on the back of the net with authority. Congrats US and good luck versus France!
29
@Ricardo - agree. And Rapinoe's yellow card was a travesty. She inadvertently poked the Spain player in the eye with her finger as her arms were swinging from a sharp change in direction.
She was a good sport and apologized to the player. That apology was not an admission of guilt.
The yellow was probably given as a result of a prior incident: the other Spain player was forced out of the game after getting spiked in the eye. That too was an accident and not an intentional foul.
In contrast, there were several dangerous plays and card worthy fouls by Spain, most of which were not even called as a foul.
15
@Ricardo I am not complaining about the result but the second call was not a foul. Play on.
11
@Ricardo -- No negatives from here. I think they can phone it in.
The standard should be no penalty unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The slow motion of the play showed barely any contact and the US player's leg was clearly not pushed out of its normal stride. She just faked the fall afterwards. These players train for years if not their whole life for this game and it comes down to a bad, unnecessary call. What a shame.
21
Move the PK to the top of the box if they are going to give them out as acting prizes.
11
Whoa, the negativity in these comments is really remarkable - snarky, sour grapes, conspiracy theories.
Let's face it - these comments were written before the game even began. The dislike for the USWNT is tangible.
17
@Kelly Some, like me, route for the underdogs. Camp rivalry as well as partisanship to its the most basic is part of the game. Which sometimes make it a bit fun such as listening to a game commented by Mexico, or England, etc..., almost anyone except this country as far as I can tell. There is a certain raw passion for the game and everything that comes with it. Not here. In any case, Americans often appear too sure of their superiority through the way they are presented to the public. Maybe that helps to explain why.
3
@Kelly
Agree. And if anything, these sour grape comments also understate why the winning U.S. Women's Soccer Team is still paid less than the losing Men's Team -- and STILL playing on Astroturf.
7
@erwan I do get it and routinely cheer for the underdogs, particularly in international women's soccer because teams are so poorly funded yet these women are determined to go out and play and leave nothing left on the field.
It just seemed like some of the comments were gratuitous and over-the-top.
4
The Women's World Cup is the celebration of a coming of age of a woman's sport that has long been dominated by men. It has been a joy to watch teams like Brazil and Cameroon, with their unique style and personalities.
Within any tournament there will be controversy over calls in individual matches, this is a part of the larger picture. I think most folks would like to see games decided through direct play, but PKs are a part of the game. In this case the calls went the way of the US.
The US Women's soccer program has benefitted from robust club, high school, and college programs. This has been enhanced through the requirements of Title Nine.
The women have demonstrated a passion and commitment equal to that of the men's teams. Their skill level has advanced to where they play a thoughtful, strategic, and polished game. I'm glad I'm having the opportunity to both enjoy and appreciate their level of achievement.
18
Bravo for seeing this game and every game in this series in relation to the bigger picture. I have cried tears of joy at just being able to see so many athletic American women playing their best, playing as a well oiled team, playing on a world stage and just beginning to receive the recognition they deserve.
Next cones equal pay.
4
Loved seeing the crowd shots - men, women, children, all cheering for the incredible athletes on the field. My young daughter just started playing soccer. I hope she can see more images like these as she grows up.
13
We were decisively outplayed by Spain, and I say this as a huge, decades-long supporter of the USWNT. The penalty gods were smiling on us today....
19
@Peter,
"The penalty gods were smiling on us today...."
The FIFA penalty gods.
2
Peter - by every measure, possession, shots on goal, passes completed, legit scoring chances, you are utterly and completely incorrect. Well, except the fouls where Spain’s strategy was quite clear - hack and foul anyone in the middle. This was not among the best performances by the US team, but Spain had precisely one shot on goal. One. Not going to win many matches when you can only put in on frame once. They did not really threaten, other than the Spanish centerback, whose threats were primarily physical harm. She should have had two yellows and been sent off. The Spanish play attractive football, but other than Naeher’s boneheaded pass that led to the first goal, Spain did not look dangerous and rarely tested Naeher. You win by scoring more goals than the other team. That actually requires shooting on target. Close doesn’t work.
7
When I saw the headline I started reading because I assumed it was men's soccer.
1
@Kevin Banker
That's only because you haven't been keeping up -- and overestimating the U.S. Men's Soccer Team.
9
The manner in which the U.S team celebrated each of their 7 goals against Thailand - a poor team that barely hangs on to an international futbol stage - makes me want to root for every other team to beat the Americans.
Talk about The Ugly American.
28
@molincy Goals in high stakes football / soccer matches are always followed by extravagant celebrations. That’s the culture and this is the biggest stage so you cannot legitimately criticize the US team for celebrating scoring goals at the World Cup. Rather criticize FIFA for the process by which teams qualify.
4
@Pa -- Yes, you can criticise (unless women are off limits). There is and always will be such a thing as sportsmanship. It takes many forms, one of which is to avoid humiliating a weak opponent. I don't think they should have stopped playing their game, including scoring, but they could have been respectful. That is asking very little.
12
@molinyc
Dude, would you seriously be saying this if these athletes were men? Female athletes are supposed to be polite? They are warriors, my friend, and scoring goals is the point of their existence. They were very dignified and kind to the Thai players after the battle ended.
1
The officiating was a horrible as was the biased Fox coverage. There was a penalty (in the box) by the US in the last minute that was not called or reviewed! Losada's eye injury was brutal and not shown ( she was kneed in the eye by a US player )
Not showing this injury was very biased. Morgan finally got the penalties she wanted after flopping on every contested play. Just horrible to watch.
20
@Golferbob
If you watched the replay of Losada, as she fell she purposely made a dive in the US player's path. She was physically penalized by interfering with the game - she altered her fall.
Why did she do this? My guess is that their Spanish coach said create penalties at any cost. So, Losada paid the price with a unwitting knee in her eye.
Stakes are high. This Frday, they will be even higher.
2
It is so nice to see the headline on the home news page "U.S. Defeats Spain..." Because it doesn't mention men or women.
17
Not a great win for the U.S. They will need to play much better to beat France. Winning on 2 PKs is fairly weak against a team they should have dominated. In many ways Spain outplayed them.
17
@J Coletti If Spain didn't get that gift goal no one would have talked about being out played by Spain. The US had more possesion time in their offensive end and more quality chances.
6
Can we just all admit that this is fifth-tier football and the only reason anyone cares is so they can pretend to be woke? Women’s sports can be great (tennis, gymnastics, swimming), but football is not one of them. Plus the only reason the US is advanced compared to other nations is because here football is seen as a girls’ sport for the most part, while the rest of the world has mainly focused on the men’s game. Do you really enjoy seeing games in which people run slower, jump less high, shoot softly, and dribble more slowly? If so, go watch a high school match in your neighborhood and you’ll probably see better football than anything on display at this World Cup.
10
@Xocolat
I respectfully disagree with your analysis. As someone with over 20 seasons of coaching men's football, I have come to appreciate the great strides the women of the world have made playing the game. In some countries this progress has been made in spite of, rather than because of the governing body of their sport. Their game is polished and thoughtful. Rather than being critical, I'd rather celebrate and enjoy their success.
11
Not all of us agree with you. Women's soccer is great.
16
@Xocolat -- That's a bit harsh. Though the men's version is certainly stronger and faster, the women's game is just as intense and skilled. The athleticism required to play soccer at this level is extraordinary.
BTW, I'd rather watch women's golf than men's any day. It's more about playing golf than showing off with the driver.
6
Really poor refereeing. Spain outplayed the US for 70 minutes and IMO deserved the win. However, I have to recognize that the continued dominence of the USA in women's soccer is good for the growth to the sport here in the US. I guess there's always a silver lining... Even if the better team didn't win.
6
@David - on what basis do you support the claim that Spain outplayed US for 70 minutes?
Scoring chances? Shots on goal? Possession? Runs? Corners?
Give me stats, friend, cause I saw it exactly the other way.
Spain's only goal was a gift.
5
@Bill Wolfe
What do you think of this Stat:
4 fouls against the US and 18 fouls against Spain including 2 PKs ?
1 Spanish player kneed in the head ( no call) out due to injury.
The officiating obviously favored the US.
I watched most of the game and thought the penalties against Spain were tight.
Team US have bigger more physical players but the Spanish players have more finesse.
3
@GolferBob That stat reflects the relative amount of rough play by the two sides, and may be a clue to why the penalties were called.
4
Very feminine team! Love them!
Spain had 11 players. Looks like USA had 12.
12
Unfortunate. The more the US succeeds at soccer (football to most of the world), the less a world sport it is. Soccer became a significant sport in the USA once its advertising potential was noticed. Money Uber Alle.
5
@citizennotconsumer Don't worry, Europe and other regions are investing more into women's soccer. It won't be long before the US women are in a similar spot as the men. Enjoy it while it lasts.
2
I really wonder what the comments would be like here had the U.S. lost as the result of a penalty that was so borderline that it took several minutes for the ref to make the call. I also wonder what Fox's ratings would look like had the U.S. lost. I think the two might be related. Good refs swallow their whistles at that point of the game and let the players decide the outcome.
14
@Nate Scarborough
The ref made the call immediately, it took the VAR people lots of time to confirm it.
7
Spain played much better, and US had the luck of having two, TWO, penalties (one was absolutely not an infraction) as the only chance to score. US team is not as great as they think of themselves. The Spanish team had them trying to score a REAL goal for 90 minutes, and they couldn't it. They didn't play like world champions. Not at all.
43
@Federica Fellini Some games are decided by penalties. Often the calls are debatable, but you're a lot more likely to win a penalty if you spend more time in the opponent's box. If you can't clear the ball from your own box, you're always going to run the risk of getting a penalty called on you. If Spain played much better, why did they spend so much time in their own box?
19
@David,
How many 2-1 games you know that were decided by 2 penalties for one team?
10
@areader Funny you should mention it. Spain only won the qualifier against South Africa because of 2 penalty kicks. That score was 3 -1, extremely similar. That's why there hasn't been much if any complaining from the Spanish team or in the Spanish newspapers. Nonetheless, US team needs to play better or France will beat them.
9
I didn't see the first foul, but the second foul call was an egregious error. Nothing happened except the American fell.
35
France. France. France.
10
Great job US.
7
I wouldn't say Spain deserved to win, but they didn't deserve to lose. Such is life in the beautiful game.
23
@Tim - I think they did deserve to lose.
They did not play a "beautiful game".
They played thug-ball, with numerous fouls, several dangerous plays and just overall physical contact to overcome more skilled players.
Their goal was a gift, almost as bad as an own goal.
The officiating, despite bing criticized on the PK calls, largely went their way.
This is not honorable.
2
The boys always complain about bad refereeing. Seeing how the ladies have performed they should be quite content. Inconsistent rulings at best. Picky at times, overseeing major fouls at others. The brits yesterday consistently fouled at yellow card limit and didn’t get booked. Never ending VAR consultations. Madam Kucsàr‘s VAR consultation today on the second penalty took more than 5 minutes. And last but not least, one cannot help but thinking that, in this competition, the „underdogs“ regularly got the worst part of the refereeing. In this respect boys, cheer up!
11
@Paul Eckert
Unfortunately, refereeing didn't look very fair either during Australia/Norway.
Second penalty was NOT a penalty. She took a dive. Leg didn't even move when contact made, normal step.
You watch the replay and everyone can tell it was exaggerated dive. If there was a brush contact, it hardly impeded play. Very soft.
I think England, France, or Germany will win it. England has Phil Neville as coach, and they've looked really good.
45
@df
England looked awful against Cameroon. If Cameroon hadn't been so busy complaining about calls and stopping play, they could easily have exploited England's weakness and won the match.
Agree France looks good. Friday's quarterfinal will be a doozy!
2
@df England's players will struggle mightily in this heat; the Germans too, to a lesser extent.
@df, what the referee saw was a Spanish defender recklessly kicking out at the ball with her foot three feet off the ground, cleats high. A very foolish thing for a defender to do inside the penalty area. Incidental or not, dive or not, the Spanish player missed the ball, and there was physical contact with the U.S. player's leg - that was all that was required to award the penalty kick under the rules governing direct free kicks. Same thing goes for all those clearly inadvertent hand balls that get called as penalties - you are asking the referee to start making judgment calls regarding which "by the book" fouls should be called, and which should not. Yes, a lousy way for a valiant Spanish team to lose, but not because a penalty should not have been awarded.
3
Penalty kicks are the WORST sports overtime idea ever.
9
@Character Counts - I agree but the game was decided by two penalty kicks during regulation.
6
These penalty kicks were within the 90 min regular playing time though... the real issue was the decision to give the second penalty... totally ridiculous!
9
One has to admit the excitement is far less than for the World Cup ; most football fans don’t even know this championship is going on
5
@Koen
This /is/ the World Cup. That it's Women's World Cup shouldn't make it a lesser World Cup. Somehow, your comment proves your point.
4
Have to admit I haven't enjoyed any world cup as much as this one. I love it apart from the video thing and the goalie thing.
I wish I had been allowed to play football when I was young but growing up in Scotland in the 1960s, I was the wrong sex and banned to the sidelines!
3
Then they are missing some very, very good football.
5
Really great Photographs with this article!!!
11
What amazing photos.
5
Sad that a game like this is decided on two VERY questionable calls. One thing that I can't stand about the mens game is all the flopping and there was sure a lot of that today. Seems maybe soccer should be more like NFL football on pass interference....if the receiver has no chance of catching the ball, it's not interference.
17
@Steve Tunley
that or when the play is not deemed dangerous (neither play for team USA were a sure thing goal) then maybe an indirect free kick or something other than the pk death sentence
2
@Steve Tunley
and yet Pass interference has some of the most questionable calls in the game. Often so subjective, even with replay. My least favorite call in the NFL.
1
USA more than lucky to get the "win"...penalty kicks are a joke...especially annoying in such a well played game...this (and flopping) are the reasons I don't watch soccer other than World Cup...
17
@jim
Assessing penalty kicks keeps the game honest. Otherwise, you would have seen all sorts of horrific penalties within the last 18 yards.
And Spain knew it needed to be overly agressive. Yes, the Spanish coach likely condoned the behavior you saw on the field by certain defenders.
I know this.....I ref'd for multiple years.
2
Can we just refer to this as The World Cup, or start designating the other as The Men's World Cup.
92
@L. They have been playing the World Cup since 1930. The women's World Cup came along in 1991, but you seem to be suggesting that the men's tournament is referred to as just the "the World Cup" to as a slight to women. Right now the cricket world cup is being played, and guess what, they call it the "Cricket World Cup" because everyone knows what the World Cup is. I am enjoying the USWNT's run and so should everyone. You can refer to the tournament any way you'd like, but there's no need to even mention the men's tournament right now.
16
@L. - Clearly your comment is snarky, but here is a serious response nonetheless, I do not think there is a legal impediment for women to play in the World Cup if they are good enough. Given that being a woman is a requisite to play in this World Cup it makes sense to call it the Women's World Cup.
12
Nice one!
I didn’t know Sergio Ramos played for the Spanish women’s team. That chokehold on Rapinoe that both the referee and the VAR refused to see was a disgrace.
13
@Opinioned! Did you see Losadas' black eye from a US player kick on her face? ... I guess US TV focused on something else... At the end FIFA decided that keeping the US team longer brings the cash... that's how US won this game
10
@Federica Fellini The US player who ran into Losada, never saw her, both looking back for the ball. As Losada fell, the US player's knee hit Losada in the face. No intent. Hard knock, but no foul. Spain played a smooth and tough game and the ref, for the most part, let them play.
Losada's injury was shown on TV; nice shiner...
Why are you a fan if it is all such a sham?
6
Pretty rugged match but the USA deserved to win.
Sour grapes to people moaning about the USA being gifted PK's
as both were deserved. As Heath beat her defender in the box, she was stomped on the foot for the first and you show your studs in the box and in the process hit an attacker's (Lavelle) leg for the second one.
No question, it's a PK.
Spain had some chances but ultimately their lack of finishing hurt them again.
Spain's center back Paredes should have been sent off in the first half with the numbers of fouls she committed. She was cynical all match and Alex Morgan took the brunt of it.
Morgan and Heath looked tired most of the match.
France will pose a bigger problem for the USA.
Naert is a shaky keeper, as good as Dunn is she's not a real left fullback and the French wingers will expose her and right fullback O'Hara. Sauerbrunn has a tendency to switch off and Spain's goal was really her fault.
Ellis needs to get fresh legs in sooner. She waited until the 85th minute to make the first sub. She may need to start Press or Lloyd.
The USA has to get control of midfield and Horan will have to be a big presence along with Ertz and Mewis. I really like Lavelle and she is extremely talented but the French midfield might be too strong for her.
Should be a cracker of a match.
33
@Futbolistaviva
I too was wondering why Coach Ellis left Morgan in the field for so long before finally calling in the Cavalry (in the form of Carli lloyd!)
But that said, at least the job got done -- "Sour grapes" notwithstanding.
Now on to France ... and the real world.
2
Deserving to win is not in the book of rules for soccer. Bias is in the eye of the beholder.
2
@Futbolistaviva the second penalty was most certainly not deserved. She took a dive, I'm unconvinced she was even touched. Shameful officiating on that call.
5
It is nice to see the results of a country like Spain committing the resources necessary to develop a quality women's program that can challenge the likes of traditional powerhouses like the U.S. They gave the American women all they could handle today and then some. Though I personally have no problem with either of the penalty kicks that were awarded, both were the result of overly aggressive, ill-advised challenges.
14
I'm glad it was a competitive match, it's good for the sport.
5
Spain was robbed of a deserved win. I’m still waiting for the ballyhooed US team to score. Gifts do not count. I guess it just wouldn’t do for FIFA to have the US eliminated at this stage. Vive la France.
50
@Brad they weren't winning, they were tied (if you're referring to the second penalty). they were falling like flies left and right, from exhaustion and flopping, but if that went to extra time we all know we have more depth. so they were not robbed of anything. they fought well, but thats all they got.
18
@shane dawgson I wonder what game you were watching because the US was getting schooled in the second half. Yes, it was tied but that PK was a gift they didn’t deserve and who knows what would have happened in extra time. I’m convinced we — Spain — would have won but FIFA made sure that didn’t happen. The US learned what it was to play a real team.
10
@Brad
Spain was the recipient of a "gift" when no penalty was called for putting Rapinoe in a headlock in the box during a late corner kick. So the final score would have been the same.
56
That was a brutal game. Not so sure the second penalty was a foul, but so it is. Rapinoe was outstanding the entire game. Need to get Naeher's head in the game...very shaky, though seemed stronger later in the match.
8
A grueling win, but a win. Our defense has been a question mark for many but they sure looked good today. Save for Naeher's blunder in clearing. And what a mess of officiating. Am I imagining things or was Spain intentionally trying to hurt Morgan? Perhaps just trying to 'body her up' and take the edge off her skill but still, there were way too many gratuitous fouls on her. Once Spain realized how bad the officiating was, they seemed to be throwing legs and bodies everywhere. The no-call on the collision between Torrecilla and Naeher was one of the worst missed calls I've seen in soccer. High school officials would have gotten that right. I guess it was balanced by the call that gave us the 2nd penalty kick. That just didn't seem flagrant enough. My only complaint with U.S. play is, too much dribbling! One-on-one ball control, not the game of football, is Spain's national pastime. They are so talented that way. I felt the U.S. did better when they looked up and passed. Sleep well tonight, Rapinoe. You earned it!
10
Since Rapinoe scored one penalty kick in each half, I would begin the article "Megan Rapinoe scored a penalty kick in each half".
3
Come on NYT, you can do better than that:
"HALFTIME
The U.S. leads, 1-1."
Americano-centric sentiment is fine, but not when it bents logic to a breaking point...
25
@Yiannis goes back to the 1968 Harvard Crimson headline "Harvard beats Yale 29-29"
4
Two penalty kicks. Meh.
11
@northwest-voice
Could you pull that off??? Don't knock it.
4
Good. But IMHO the arbiter left several question marks in this game. Miscalled penalty against Spain and then they should have reviewed a possible penalty against USA in the overtime.
11
Wonderful World Cup where referees know exactly what their job is and what's expected from them!
10
so the US finally gets some real competition yet need help from lousy calls to win.
46
Spain put up a fight.
Too bad they also gave the game away with 2 penalties.
6
This is outrageous. Here in the wretched Bible Belt, Fox is showing "The People's Court", instead, interspersed with advertisments for every ambulance chasing law firm around. Of course, there are a few "I've fallen, and I can't get up" ads as well. Someone help me, please.
17
@Easy Goer The game was on FS1, everywhere I think. Which is Fox's cable sports channel. I don't have cable, so I watched on Telemundo which we get over the air down here near the border. Maybe you get Telemundo there? My Spanish is too rusty for the announcing to mean much but the camera work is excellent. And of course, one gets to hear Andres Cantor say, "GOL! GOL! GOL! GOOOOOOL!"
7
@Easy Goer It is only on Fox Sports, not just regular Fox.
Spain was robbed. Those "fouls" in the box were nothing. Spain is outplaying US.
33
@Umberto US outshot Spain 12-5, controlled play 54:46, led corners 3:2. Spain was indeed way ahead in fouls. 17-5. Spain had more fouls because they committed more fouls. Which they did intentionally to try to disrupt the U.S. The strategy worked to some extent but the end result was a well-deserved win for the U.S.
9
@Umberto The second penalty was soft, but Spain were fouling all game and got away with most of it. It was clearly in their game plan to be extremely physical and foul any time the US got into dangerous areas. Eventually that caught up with them. They fought hard but US was the better team on the day.
5
Congratulations to the US Women’s team!
And a shoutout to Rapinoe for bulging the net twice in penalty kicks.
Spain are a bit aggressive and it seems the dark arts that are a common sight in La Liga have infected their women’s team. Morgan and Rapinoe and even Heath were targets of systemic fouls. Even more pitiful is the behavior of the offenders who are not even concerned to have brought a fellow player down, something that used to separate women from men’s soccer, this genuine concern for the wellbeing of others.
Like all previous games, the calmness of coach Ellis is a sight to behold.
Here’s to another great game against France this Friday.
U! S! A!
28
Awful call on the second US pen and the first was not a sure thing either. Clearly FIFA wants the USA to go as far as they can $.
41
This is a great game... but the penalty kick is a joke. The goalie has basically no chance. The only way the kicker can't score is if she messes up, or the goalie makes a lucky guess and the kick is a soft one. The goalie guessed correctly on the second US PK but still had no chance. And the penalty given had nothing to do with the US player being denied a scoring chance as she had already kicked the ball and then was tripped.
But, there is much to like about the game of "footie". Some rule changes would be nice, as we from the US have been saying for a long time.
8
Americans showing they don’t know the rules of the game even when the call is in our favor. It doesn’t matter that the ball was gone when the tackle was made. In fact it makes it more egregious of an offense. The Spanish player making the challenge did not win the ball, then made studs up contact with the American player’s leg. This is a foul 10/10 times.
It’s unfortunate for Spain in that they played a good game, but if there is anger it should be directed at the woman who chose to make the challenge; not the referee who called it correctly.
25
@LesW I agree penalty kicks are a tough situation for a goalie, but I think they also work to deter more people from intentionally fouling just to stop a possible goal-scoring opportunity. I think taking away the possibility of such a penalty makes people more brash and reckless in their methods of stopping a goal, so there’s something to say for both sides. Perhaps a switch to and in-direct kick for such penalties....
5
@LesW I've taken penalty kicks as a player, and defended them as a keeper. It's up to skill and nerves on the shooter's side, and experience on the keeper's. YOU try to put the ball low in the corner without giving away with your eyes where you're going to shoot...
2
Popularizing the women's soccer shouldn't probably start with fixing matches.
17
@areader
That's a pretty heady accusation. Got any FACTS to back it up?
13
Where is your evidence for this claim?
8
@N. Smith, @Dr. D.
Do you have any evidence it wasn't fixed? Don't we now live in the world where accusations are enough?
2
USA is playing the long game, but not connecting on its passes. Referees are facilitating a fair game. Fun game so far
Too bad. I was hoping for them to lose as they are horrible role models for our children.
Going wild in celebration after scoring your 13th goal against Thailand. That is sick.
Take a cue from our NBA basketball who when they have a lead put out their bench players and run out the clock without even shooting
24
@Jay Lincoln
Soccer teams are prohibited by rule from making more than three substitutions per game. The US made its maximum number of substitutions against Thailand.
17
@Jay Lincoln
Talk about Schadenfreude. Do you have any idea of how this game is played? ...points count!
And would you even be saying this if it were the U.S. Men's Soccer Team playing?
If anything, that game was an unlucky Group F match for the Thais and nothing personal.
Stop making it that way.
23
@Jay Lincoln Congrats to the US women for a hard fought win! I love these ladies and this team! USA! USA!
7
After watching France-Brazil yesterday and USA-Spain today, I bet my only Euro that France will progress to the semifinals. US team today was good tactically but not clinical enough in the conclusions - plus defense and goalie were weak.
6
As someone who only watches during World Cup, the rules of soccer baffle me. Neither foul (and that second one was such a touch) appeared to impede what otherwise would have been a clear goal or move toward the goal yet the result is a penalty kick which almost always results in a goal. I am glad the U.S. is moving on but the way it happened feels dissatisfying.
17
@Brian I see your point. A penalty kick is given for a foul in the box because if there were not such a severe consequence, the defenders would be even more brutal than they already are (just pay attention to the shoving, tugging, shouldering, and elbowing that go on when the ball approaches the goal). Now, since the possibility of the penalty exists, the consequence is the diving. And the consequence of THAT is that occasionally the diver gets a yellow card. Them's the rules at the moment, although I'm also of the opinion that the PK should be abolished.
1
@Brian
Any foul in the box is a penalty kick. It does not have to be in the act of shooting like in basketball, it could also be, to continue the similarity, a non-shooting foul. If there is a foul in the box there is a PK (and, IMO, that last one was not).
3
A really gutsy win. The Spanish goal came from a mental breakdown that the US hopefully won't repeat, but whew!
I was mightily impressed with a a couple of younger players, Lavelle and Mewis, in particular. Fast, skilled, and confident, and we still had experience on the bench.
14
A rough game with Spain in a valiant attempt to stop the U.S. team who had no intention of slowing down -- and with Alex Morgan receiving the brunt of it.
If anything, good preparation for the upcoming game against France which is going to be a real nail-biter to the end.
45
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 spain played a formidable strategy chipping at Alex and rapinoe and tobin. frustrating but we prevailed. for those naysayers on the second penalty it was a soft call but a fair one - besides the other penalties that werent called - chokehold on rapinoe in the box for one - so it was fair. would like to see horan in earlier and dunn pushed up to left mid
40
@shane dawgson
It was a very soft call. Some of us find it incredibly frustrating how a single call so reliably outweighs a game's worth of effort in soccer. But this is the nature of the sport. And the players know it. The penalty (which was a penalty) would have gone unnoticed had Lavelle remained on her feet (which she likely could have). But the incentive is for the player to fall dramatically to the ground in that situation and that's what she did. Earlier in the game Rapinoe hit a Spanish player in the face. Clearly a foul but again, it would have gone unnoticed had the player not thrown herself to the turf (a fall that could not possibly have been caused by that foul). There are many who love this stuff. I find it infuriating. It's like the pass interference call in American Football except in a much lower scoring game where the punishment is often a very high percentage scoring opportunity. Still, the game as a whole was much more compelling than anything we saw for the US in the Group stage.
32
Key moments occur in any competitive sport not just soccer. A bad foul in basketball or a huge mental mistake by calling a timeout when you have none. Most sports have key moments that can "outweigh a game's worth of effort" (that non-call in the last Super Bowl?). As for low scoring, I suppose it's a matter of perspective. If an American Football game ends at 14-7, you'd probably consider it low scoring but would it be an anomaly? Basically, 2-1 in soccer is the equivalent to that.
7
@JCal
Yes. My point is more about the types of calls and the price that is paid. A bad foul call at a key moment in basketball can be maddening but the penalty is that the opposing player gets a high percentage shot at 2 points...in a game where the team may have scored 100 points. In soccer, these moments play a larger role and they do so more frequently. In this game the US scored only on penalties and, as mentioned in the comment, the second was very light. In fact, if the incentives were different, you would likely have seen Lavelle remain on her feet in order to keep the attack alive. It's a tough situation. I referee in youth soccer and it is incredibly difficult. There's no way for the referee to see all that goes and get everything right. It's just frustrating that the player's reaction plays such a role in calling attention to fouls and then the penalty can be so significant.
4