USWNT - 2021 Olympic Redemption Edition

[yogisballin 2,287]

8 hours ago, NashvilleHoosier said:

Ok, all good. But if it’s something best to just leave alone, in fairness, you mentioned it in 3 posts. 

Yep...sure did

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

19 hours ago, Alford Bailey said:

Not totally unexpected when you have someone like Rapinoe who is in her mid 30s and a constant distraction to the team.

The only people who can say she is a distraction are her teammates.  She was key player on the team two years ago when they won.  6 goals iirc and an assist.  Everybody claimed she was a distraction then didn’t seem to be.  

[NashvilleHoosier 3,624]

4 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

The only people who can say she is a distraction are her teammates.  She was key player on the team two years ago when they won.  6 goals iirc and an assist.  Everybody claimed she was a distraction then didn’t seem to be.  

Correct. Her accomplishments while representing this country are unmatched. My guess is the only people who think she’s a distraction are the people who would just rather not have to hear what she uses her platform to speak up about.

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

The ladies won bronze.  Winning 4-3 Rapinoe scoring the first two goals.  She was sooo distracting scoring those goals. So in 7 olympics We have won 6 medals 
 

Overall they won bronze after losing their best keeper and in the coaches first tournament.  2 years till the WC.  Goalkeeping and Coaching will be our two biggest question marks. I wouldn’t be opposed to a coaching change.  But I’m also not ready to say we absolutely need one. 

[8bucks 6,106]

The ladies won bronze.  Winning 4-3 Rapinoe scoring the first two goals.  She was sooo distracting scoring those goals. So in 7 olympics We have won 6 medals 
 
Overall they won bronze after losing their best keeper and in the coaches first tournament.  2 years till the WC.  Goalkeeping and Coaching will be our two biggest question marks. I wouldn’t be opposed to a coaching change.  But I’m also not ready to say we absolutely need one. 

Certainly you would agree this result was a disappointment based on expectations though. It wasn’t like we lost just one game. Glad they got the bronze though and hope we give some of the youth more opportunities over the next 2 years.

Anyone know if Mallory Pugh is likely to regain her form? While she has played a lot she is still fairly young.


Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners mobile app

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

57 minutes ago, 8bucks said:

Certainly you would agree this result was a disappointment based on expectations though. It wasn’t like we lost just one game. Glad they got the bronze though and hope we give some of the youth more opportunities over the next 2 years.

Anyone know if Mallory Pugh is likely to regain her form? While she has played a lot she is still fairly young.


Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners mobile app

Of course it’s a disappointment but you can’t win them all and they lost to a Canada team that is top 10 in the world and utilized a park the bus strategy which is really most teams way to defeat us.  The Sweden loss was so shocking because they didn’t park the buses against us. 
 

I have grave concerns about this team don’t get me wrong.  Once again today’s win was due to individual brilliance I think more than a cohesive team strategy.  That’s not how you are successful long term. 

[Alford Bailey 12,218]

15 hours ago, NashvilleHoosier said:

Correct. Her accomplishments while representing this country are unmatched. My guess is the only people who think she’s a distraction are the people who would just rather not have to hear what she uses her platform to speak up about.

My guess the only people who refuse to admit she is a distraction are those who support her politics right Nash. She is good and a distraction and has been called so by teammates in the past.

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

8 minutes ago, Alford Bailey said:

My guess the only people who refuse to admit she is a distraction are those who support her politics right Nash. She is good and a distraction and has been called so by teammates in the past.

Care to provide proof they have said that. Hope solo was a distraction and that’s why they kicked her off 

[JSHoosier 19,529]

2 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Care to provide proof they have said that. Hope solo was a distraction and that’s why they kicked her off 

I think Carli Lloyd said that.  Not aware of anyone else.

[btownqb 8,125]

You pretty much can't argue that MR isn't a distraction. Heck, Tebow is a distraction. Whether she is has gotten to a point that it effects her teammates and winning... I have no idea. She is absolutely a distraction though. Anything that takes away from the concept of a team winning.... is by definition a distraction. 

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

8 minutes ago, btownqb said:

You pretty much can't argue that MR isn't a distraction. Heck, Tebow is a distraction. Whether she is has gotten to a point that it effects her teammates and winning... I have no idea. She is absolutely a distraction though. Anything that takes away from the concept of a team winning.... is by definition a distraction. 

At the peak of her “Distraction” they won the World Cup.  So it’s clearly not taking away from winning.  
 

The USWNT kicked the best keeper ever off the team because she was a distraction. MR still being on the team would indicate she isn’t. 
 

Id have to double check but Rapinoe has played in 5 tourneys with the USWNT team.  And they have won 3. And came in second and third once each.  

[NashvilleHoosier 3,624]

1 hour ago, Alford Bailey said:

My guess the only people who refuse to admit she is a distraction are those who support her politics right Nash. She is good and a distraction and has been called so by teammates in the past.

It’s just too easy to blame her being a distraction b/c you disagree with what she stands up for. (Boiling it down to “her politics” also seems too simplistic to me, but whatever, splitting hairs). As Brass mentioned, she’s performed at an extremely high level including leading the team to a World Cup while simultaneously leading the charge for equal pay. You also mentioned her being in her mid 30s. Several of this team’s core are on the tail end of their careers. Under a new coach in his first major tournament. Coaching changes bring tactical changes (though I will admit I honestly don’t know how much tactical change there has been), changes in preparation, how they practice, etc. Remember the last coach went out in the quarterfinals of her first Olympics. The reasons this team failed to win Gold could be, and likely are, wide ranging. Saying it’s b/c Rapinoe was a distraction is for one reason only: you don’t like what she has to say. And that’s far too simple minded.

[NashvilleHoosier 3,624]

1 hour ago, btownqb said:

You pretty much can't argue that MR isn't a distraction. Heck, Tebow is a distraction. Whether she is has gotten to a point that it effects her teammates and winning... I have no idea. She is absolutely a distraction though. Anything that takes away from the concept of a team winning.... is by definition a distraction. 

This post is quite confusing. You can’t argue that she’s not a distraction but you also have no idea if she’s….been a distraction? But actually she absolutely is a distraction? And she’s taken away from team winning how? Yikes.

[NashvilleHoosier 3,624]

Interesting to note as well that the team no longer kneels during the anthem and I’m pretty sure every single women’s team at the olympics took a knee to start games. The comment Carli Lloyd made about the action of kneeling being a distraction was in 2016, while she simultaneously praised MR’s cause and talked about how much she had her back. They won the next World Cup. Since it started in 2016, many USWNT members have knelt together and talked about solidarity for these causes. The argument that this team lost b/c MR is a distraction falls apart pretty quickly. 

[kreigh8 2,008]

11 minutes ago, NashvilleHoosier said:

Interesting to note as well that the team no longer kneels during the anthem and I’m pretty sure every single women’s team at the olympics took a knee to start games. The comment Carli Lloyd made about the action of kneeling being a distraction was in 2016, while she simultaneously praised MR’s cause and talked about how much she had her back. They won the next World Cup. Since it started in 2016, many USWNT members have knelt together and talked about solidarity for these causes. The argument that this team lost b/c MR is a distraction falls apart pretty quickly. 

MR was one of the best players they had this tourney. The hate she gets in my mind is more about what she is: a vocal, successful, left-leaning politically LGBTQ woman.

Like the vaccine and COVID you’re never going to get people to see eye to eye on it.

[JSHoosier 19,529]

They have the right to peaceful protest and there's nothing saying how they can or cannot.  People just don't like her opinion, nothing more.  Kneeling was never actually about the flag or anthem in the first place.

[kreigh8 2,008]

2 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

They have the right to peaceful protest and there's nothing saying how they can or cannot.  People just don't like her opinion, nothing more.  Kneeling was never actually about the flag or anthem in the first place.

Slight correction but overall agree with your post. The IOC did introduce protest rules for medal podium ceremonies so there are now rules for how they protest. This might not have been what your meant but there does seem to be some rules around this now. Not sure the IOC wants another John Carlos and Tommie Smith situation whether that’s good or bad. I wasn’t alive in 1968 but would be curious what kind of reaction people had to that back then. Probably for the best that social media didn’t exist in ‘68 as I suspect there’d have been some ugly comments

[btownqb 8,125]

1 hour ago, NashvilleHoosier said:

This post is quite confusing. You can’t argue that she’s not a distraction but you also have no idea if she’s….been a distraction? But actually she absolutely is a distraction? And she’s taken away from team winning how? Yikes.

 

1 hour ago, NashvilleHoosier said:

This post is quite confusing. You can’t argue that she’s not a distraction but you also have no idea if she’s….been a distraction? But actually she absolutely is a distraction? And she’s taken away from team winning how? Yikes.

I'm not sure what was confusing. She's a distraction. The scale of the distraction, I have no idea. Yikes? 

[btownqb 8,125]

2 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

At the peak of her “Distraction” they won the World Cup.  So it’s clearly not taking away from winning.  
 

The USWNT kicked the best keeper ever off the team because she was a distraction. MR still being on the team would indicate she isn’t. 
 

Id have to double check but Rapinoe has played in 5 tourneys with the USWNT team.  And they have won 3. And came in second and third once each.  

Distraction doesn't have to mean it's a 100% bad thing. That's what I'm trying to say. It can literally just be "part of it".. and I'd say that's where the team is at this point. They see it, recognize it, and move on.  They're professional, World class athletes... they've been through it.  

There are outside influences all the time that can hinder a sports team. It was very impressive how well they dominated the World Cup the last time with all the "noise". 

[JSHoosier 19,529]

32 minutes ago, kreigh8 said:

Slight correction but overall agree with your post. The IOC did introduce protest rules for medal podium ceremonies so there are now rules for how they protest. This might not have been what your meant but there does seem to be some rules around this now. Not sure the IOC wants another John Carlos and Tommie Smith situation whether that’s good or bad. I wasn’t alive in 1968 but would be curious what kind of reaction people had to that back then. Probably for the best that social media didn’t exist in ‘68 as I suspect there’d have been some ugly comments

They received death threats back then.  Social media would've been ugly.