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Monday, July 18, 2011
Alexandra Patricia Morgan (born July 2, 1989) is a North American soccer player from Diamond Bar, California. She is a forward for the Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer and member of the US Women's National Team. Alex is the youngest player on the USA's roster at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
After watching the United States women’s soccer team’s incredible comeback in the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil, I had a ton of things rushing through my head. What heart. What an improbable comeback. What a match. How cool was that to watch? Oh, and I have fallen helplessly, hopelessly in love with United States goalkeeper Hope Solo.So here is my very private letter to Ms. Solo (who is single) letting her know how I feel.
Dear Hope,
You were incredible against Brazil, but that’s not why I’m writing this. I just want you to know that we’re perfect for each other. Yes, you read that right. You and I are completely perfect for each other. I’ll give you a minute so you can digest just how lucky you are.
Watching you go into beast mode during the match yesterday just did it for me. By the time you made your (I’m estimating here) 20th ridiculous save, I was swooning. What can I say? Experts all claim you’re the world’s best goalie, and, frankly, I can’t disagree with that…I can’t agree either, since I don’t really know anything about women’s soccer.
When you stopped that first penalty kick, and the referee awarded another, and you flipped out and got a yellow card, I was all set to throw down with that Australian broad who FIFA apparently deemed qualified enough to referee the match. Not that I’d ever hit a woman or anything I just mean that…moving on.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Joel Silver, Ms. Polly Bergen, Darryl Hanah, Stan Shaw, Scott Rudin, Missy Gold, Tommy Mottola, Kristy Wright, Ms. Helga Liné and Fleur Saville
0 comments Posted by wedos at 3:58 AMHappy Birthday guys. God bless.
Happy Birthday guys. God bless.
Jackie Earle Haley, Mr. Harry Dean Stanton, Sid Haig, Sara Canning, Ms. Nancy Olson, Nina Siemaszko and Vladimir Kulich
0 comments Posted by wedos at 3:43 AMHappy Birthday guys. God bless.
Harrison Ford, Ian Hislop, Mr. Robert Forster, Charlotte Sieling, Cameron Crowe, Mr. Patrick Stewart and Michael Spinks
0 comments Posted by wedos at 3:32 AMHappy Birthday guys. God bless.
Wimbledon and the Davis Cup are finished and the start of the US Open Series is still a week away. To pass the time, Busted Racquet will be taking a daily look back at some classic matches. Today, we examine the bizarre 1999 French Open final between 30-year-old Steffi Graf and 18-year-old Martina Hingis.
1. Hingis was up a set and a break on Graf when she hit a ball wide. The world No. 1 asked the chair umpire to check the mark. Then the craziness began:
2. Hingis received a point penalty for walking to the other side of the net. She also received warnings during the match for racquet abuse and slamming a ball into the crowd. Commentators on Eurosport wondered whether she'd be defaulted from the tournament for her behavior.
3. The French crowd was pro-Steffi the whole way and Hingis' antics only made them more vocal. Hingis lost the game at 2-0 but broke back to lead 3-1. She gave up that lead and eventually lost the set.
4. Before the decider, both players took a bathroom break. While Hingis was off the court, the crowd at Roland Garros chanted for Graf and did the wave. Hingis emerged from the locker room with a new outfit and hairstyle and was roundly booed for the delay/fashion change. She quickly went down 0-3.
5. Facing double match point in the third set, Hingis served underhanded, a moment I still insist was the inspiration for Richie Tenenbaum's similar move in "The Royal Tenenbaums."
6. Hingis stormed off the court before returning for the trophy ceremony. She was in tears and being comforted by her mother.
7. Graf hadn't won a Grand Slam since the 1996 US Open. After defeating Hingis, she announced that it was the last French Open of her career. She retired the next month following a loss to Lindsay Davenport in the finals of Wimbledon.
source:yahoo.com
I'll be the first to admit that I doubted before the tournament that Japan was a side that could advance to the 2011 Women's World Cup final. Nobody can doubt Japan now that the second strong European side in a row to underestimate its quality has fallen. With a 1-0 win over Germany in the quarterfinal and a 3-1 victory against Sweden in the semifinal, Japan is already assured of its best World Cup finish ever.
However, you can bet that Japan is focused on winning the whole thing.
Before the 2011 World Cup began, Japanese captain Homare Sawa said she wanted to win a medal. This is Sawa's fifth World Cup appearance. Before now, her best result was back in her first World Cup in 1995 when Japan lost to the United States 4-0 in a quarterfinal. In Germany, Sawa has delivered the goods and propelled her team to the final. Sawa is tied with Marta for the lead in goals scored with four. She has scored the game-winning goal two times for Japan and provided the game-winning assist against Germany.
Against Sweden, Japan controlled every aspect of the game. Sweden's only goal (it managed a mere four shots) came when Sawa gave away the ball in the defensive half of the field and Josefine Oqvist pounced on the turnover and beat Japan goalie Ayumi Kaihori just 10 minutes into the match. Sawa would atone for the mistake in the 59th minute with a goal on a rebound.
Nahomi Kawasumi scored the other two goals for Japan, in the 19nd and 64th minutes. The first goal for Kawasumi may have been an own-goal. Kawasumi and Oqvist were battling for position as a cross from Aya Miyama came into the box and deflected off their legs into the net. Kawasumi's second goal was a gift from Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl that required a skillful shot. Lindahl took herself completely out of any chance to stop a shot trying to clear a ball played toward the top of the box. Her attempt went right to Kawasumi who chipped the ball from at least 35 yards out into the empty net.
Japan will meet the United States in the final on July 17.
source:yahoo.com
On July 12, ESPNW's Jacqueline Purdy questioned whether American fans would have booed Brazil's five-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta, if she played for the United States. Using examples of other players in the World Cup who had behaved poorly, Purdy made the case that Marta's actions came from a player that just wanted to win.
I have to question whether or not Purdy even watched the match last Sunday. Fans didn't boo Marta because they hated her. I was looking forward to the U.S. match against Brazil for many reasons, and seeing Marta play was one of them. She's the world's best female soccer player, and I couldn't wait to see her take the field.
However, things changed as the game wore on. I started seeing Marta and her teammates badgering the referee. They were complaining about every call on the field. This isn't to say the Americans weren't committing fouls, but the Brazil players were constantly in the referee's ear.
Marta's play worsened. She got away with a rough horse-collar tackle on U.S. defender Christie Rampone in the 58th minute. This is the same kind of tackle that has been banned in the NFL due to the risk of injury it poses. Marta should have received at least a yellow card for her actions.
The more the second half wore on, the more Marta whined and complained to the officials. She dove on multiple occasions, though at this point the referee was no longer listening to her pleas. It became rather comedic watching Marta and her teammates get away with their constant babbling.
Once extra-time began, the crowd had turned on Marta. She was no longer the world's best player but a whiner and a cheater. She proved the crowd right late in the second extra period when she pushed the ball out of bounds along the U.S. backline. Instead of accepting the goal kick after the Americans had successfully stuffed her on the backline, she turned and adamantly claimed that one of the U.S. players had touched the ball out. Her actions displayed a lack of integrity.
The truth of the matter is that Marta played a dishonest game. Her actions disrespected her opponents and the sport. This is why the fans booed. Anyone who claims that American fans would have cheered her if she'd play on the U.S. team is wrong. One only has to look at Lebron James and Alex Rodriquez to find American players who have been criticized by fans for their classless actions over the years. Even D.C. United player Charlie Davies has faced criticism after being labeled as a diver this season.
This is why Purdy is wrong. It's not about nationality, gender, or what team the player is on. It's about her attitude and actions on the field. Marta earned everything she got on the field last Sunday against the Americans.
source:yahoo.com
After a thrilling upset against Brazil, the USA defeated France 3-1 on July 13 to make it to the championship final of the 2011 Women's World Cup.
Within the first eight minutes, France had two corner kicks. Shannon Boxx headed the first one away and then Louisa Necib got a hold of the ball and fired from outside. Hope Solo knocked it over the goal. On the second corner, France took another shot but it went right to Solo.
Heather O'Reilly set up the first goal for the U.S. Running down the left side, O' Reilly crossed the ball and Lauren Cheney deflected the cross into the goal. This was Cheney's second goal in the 2011 World Cup.
Then, Necib put in a perfect ball to Gaetane Thiney who made a diagonal shot but Solo got a hand on it.
In the 32nd minute, a free kick allowed Sonia Bompastor to take a shot that clipped the crossbar. This was lucky for the USA as the ball was headed to the top corner and over Hope Solo's head.
Before the half, central defender Christy Rampone ran up past the halfway line and into offensive territory. Then, she crossed it to Abby Wambach and Wambach headed it back across the face of the goal.
Despite great plays from both teams, the score remained 1-0 at the half.
In the 55th minute, France tied up the game. After France switched the field, Bompastor hit a spinning shot that skipped past Hope Solo.
France continued to press in the second half with better possession and shots.
After Megan Rapinoe blasted a free kick at France's goal, goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz blocked the shot. Alex Morgan went after the rebound but missed.
In the 79th minute, Lauren Cheney floated a corner to the back post and Abby Wambach came up larger than life to head the ball home.
A few minutes later, Megan Rapinoe squeaked the ball through the defense. Alex Morgan, trailed by four French defenders, chipped the ball over Sapowicz. This is Morgan's first World Cup and her first goal in the tournament.
The USA is one step closer to winning the 2011 FIFA World Cup. It will play Japan in the final on Sunday, July 17.
source:yahoo.com
