Introduction to Soccer

If I were preparing a course entitled introduction to soccer, I'd show yesterday's Woman's World Cup final. It was the perfect example of incredible soccer drama, the unique way inferior teams can win soccer games, and how luck plays a much larger role in soccer (and life) than espn would have us believe.

Any layperson watching the game, from any moment, during the entire 120 minutes could tell the US was clearly the superior team. They were faster, bigger, more skilled on the ball, and more skilled in the air. The only category where an argument could be made for Japan was in possession...but still...I think the US probably had equal possession ability as the Japanese and it just got overshadowed by the much larger discrepancy in almost every other aspect of the game.

The US should have been up 2-0 at half and won the game 3-0. If these teams played 10 games, I imagine the US would win 8 of the games with a goal difference of 2 on average. In the first half, the US had about 5-6 legitimate should-have-been-goal moments. But they didn't finish. And this is the great lesson all soccer players know - when you don't finish - you are in trouble. You can hit crossbar after crossbar. You can shank open nets. The goalie can make incredible, once-in-a-lifetime stops. And it all seems to happen on the same day.

Finally, the US broke through with the super sub play of Alex Morgan . But Japan just kept playing...and there is a lesson in this...in soccer and life as well...sometimes all you need to do is just keep playing because although the gods are often cruel, they are also sometimes kind. Japan didn't try any new tactic or adjust, they just stuck to their game plan on got lucky. The US defense got nervous and rattled and one dumb non-clear and a Japanese girl found herself with the ball on the 6 and even she could beat Hope Solo in that scenario. And thus, it was tied. But the US came back and was furiously attacking and were too good. Finally, they finish on another fantastic play by Alex Morgan and finish by Wambach. So again, it felt like the US had pulled out the inevitable. But then, a holy-fucking-shit moment happened in the 117th minute. The type of goal that NEVER happens, happened. The Japanese center midfielder did a near post flick with the side of her foot off a corner, it bounced off one of the US players, and into the back of the net. This was an instance of pure, crazy luck. And then, it was over.

It went to PKs and despite the US having the advantage on paper, their spirits were crushed and they knew the gods were not favoring them today. The little Japanese goalie made an incredible kick save on the first shot. The US girl shanked the second shot and it was over.

Great win for Japan. Tragic loss for the Americans. But that's soccer. Yesterday was an example of why it is the world's most loved game. You don't get that type of upset drama in basketball or baseball or football in a one-game setting. Or at least it is very, very rare. In basketball, the most interesting thing that happens is a big match up problem, but let's be honest, the US was like the Miami Heat playing Japan who was like a good college team. There is almost no scenario in basketball where the Heat would lose such a game. But in soccer, well, you just witnessed it.

Lastly, the mega story here is something much bigger: the women's team was fucking fun to watch. Cannot underestimate the significance of this. I have yet to enjoy a women's sporting event other than tennis until this world cup. The Brazil match and this match were legitimately good. This of course is embarrassing for MLS who can't say the same...