OT - Women's Soccer

[armory]

One of the best matches I've ever seen. That's as good as it gets.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

The game-winner from Alex Morgan with less than 30 seconds left in OT. One of the best contests I've seen in any sport so far in these Olympics.

 

[Bortukal]

Definitely the best soccer game I've ever seen. I love Alex Morgan.

Gotta get payback on Japan.

 

[orange03]

The US women's soccer team is by far the most exciting team in the history of organized sports. Love watching them.

 

[pearl31]

great game but the U.S. got a gift of a PK. Sinclair was the best player on the field

 

[pearl31]

The US women's soccer team is by far the most exciting team in the history of organized sports.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

great game but the U.S. got a gift of a PK. Sinclair was the best player on the field

Sinclair was the best finisher on the field. Rapinoe was the best player on the field.

 

[Bortukal]

Sinclair was the best finisher on the field. Rapinoe was the best player on the field.

Megan Rapinoe is awesome. She's the second best crosser of the ball in the world, behind David Beckham only.

 

[pearl31]

Sinclair was the best finisher on the field. Rapinoe was the best player on the field.

Nope.

 

[pearl31]

Megan Rapinoe is awesome. She's the second best crosser of the ball in the world, behind David Beckham only.

oh come on.

 

[Bortukal]

oh come on.

Name somebody better.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Nope.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Name somebody better.

Pirlo

 

[pearl31]

Name somebody better.

are you serious?
how about any player in the EPL, La Liga, Serie A...

 

[Bortukal]

are you serious?
how about any player in the EPL, La Liga, Serie A...

You realize I said "best crosser of the ball," right. Not best player. If you're purely talking about the ability to deliver the long ball with accuracy to a scorer, I'll take her over anybody but Beckham.

 

[Orangezoo]

Im with bortukal here. She has an incredible touch on the ball. Clearly she is not as fast/strong or as good on the ball as any players in the top European leagues but she gets an incredible spin. Cue back to the womens world cup and the ball she put on Wambach against brazil... thats so difficult to do.. and she does so consistantly. Watch some of the euro leagues- you rarely see a player play a cross consistantly as well as her...

 

[pearl31]

You realize I said "best crosser of the ball," right. Not best player. If you're purely talking about the ability to deliver the long ball with accuracy to a scorer, I'll take her over anybody but Beckham.

With all due respect...
judging by your Chelsea avatar you must watch a fair amount of soccer. You do realize that any top-level men's player can make crosses, with either foot, on a routine basis, right? Like, it's not even something they have to think about.
For the women's game, yeah, Rampino is probably the best at delivering crosses. For the women's game.

 

[pearl31]

Im with bortukal here. She has an incredible touch on the ball. Clearly she is not as fast/strong or as good on the ball as any players in the top European leagues but she gets an incredible spin. Cue back to the womens world cup and the ball she put on Wambach against brazil... thats so difficult to do.. and she does so consistantly. Watch some of the euro leagues- you rarely see a player play a cross consistantly as well as her...

her crosses look as "pretty" as they do because—due to the nature of the women's game—they are allowed to drop in the goal mouth virtually uncontested.
Again, with all due respect, you're crazy if you actually think players like Xavi, Pirlo, Lahm, etc etc etc couldn't make those crosses with their eyes closed.

 

[Orangezoo]

With all due respect...
judging by your Chelsea avatar you must watch a fair amount of soccer. You do realize that any top-level men's player can make crosses, with either foot, on a routine basis, right? Like, it's not even something they have to think about.
For the women's game, yeah, Rampino is probably the best at delivering crosses. For the women's game.

I played left wing for eight years.. came to SU ( even though I would have loved to play here) after tearing my quad in HS and losing scholly offers from two schools in PA. Crossing - even at the collegiate levels isn't difficult.. but crossing and bending a ball to the far post consistantly are completely different things. Rapinoe is able to bend her crosses and shots in a similar way that beckham does. Guys like pirlo, cassano, nani, and other playmakers have really good touches and cross the ball nicely but rapinoe truly is remarkable about getting the spin she does to put the ball on the far post .. regardless of gender.

 

[pearl31]

not sure what more I can say, I'm guessing (hoping) you're caught up in the hoopla after today's game

 

[Bortukal]

With all due respect...
judging by your Chelsea avatar you must watch a fair amount of soccer. You do realize that any top-level men's player can make crosses, with either foot, on a routine basis, right? Like, it's not even something they have to think about.
For the women's game, yeah, Rampino is probably the best at delivering crosses. For the women's game.

I watch a fair amount of soccer, yes. And yes, any player on the top levels can make a cross with either foot. But she has time and time again shown an uncanny ability to put the ball on a dime from distance, and she does it with remarkable consistency. I don't see why gender has to be a factor. That's like saying that anybody in the NBA is a better free-shooter than anybody in the WNBA. Why? Because they are dudes?

Short of a head-to-head skills challenge there's no way to prove one is better than another at this skill. But I'll stand by my assertion based on her track record.

Just a few examples:

(0:20 & 1:55)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BtCGsls8_g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWAFrHNmfx8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc_sh0nOoQU

 

[Bortukal]

I played left wing for eight years.. came to SU ( even though I would have loved to play here) after tearing my quad in HS and losing scholly offers from two schools in PA. Crossing - even at the collegiate levels isn't difficult.. but crossing and bending a ball to the far post consistantly are completely different things. Rapinoe is able to bend her crosses and shots in a similar way that beckham does. Guys like pirlo, cassano, nani, and other playmakers have really good touches and cross the ball nicely but rapinoe truly is remarkable about getting the spin she does to put the ball on the far post .. regardless of gender.

You said it far better than I did.

 

[Orangezoo]

her crosses look as "pretty" as they do because—due to the nature of the women's game—they are allowed to drop in the goal mouth virtually uncontested.
Again, with all due respect, you're crazy if you actually think players like Xavi, Pirlo, Lahm, etc etc etc couldn't make those crosses with their eyes closed.

I disagree... and the women's game lends itself to being more crowded than the men's game much of the time. The men's game has better spacing, albeit better pressure on the wings. A funny thing - there is not as much skill on the ball difference between the genders in football than there is in other sports. Clearly speed and ahtleticism are a different matter but skill on the ball is a whole seperate matter as you don't need to be a guy to put a nice touch on the ball from 35 yards out. I will give you pirlo as he does so more often than most but even in clearly one sided matches you don't see many players show off that skill consistantly. The spanish hardly ever as they play the short game. Shot wise - G. D Los Santos of Mexico has a great touch but is not a great crosser. Part of it is its not typically the smart pass.. being curling a ball to the far post typically results in an easier ball for the keeper as its a hard play to make. Its also not a critically important skill.. just one thing rapinoe is extremely good at.

 

[Bortukal]

not sure what more I can say, I'm guessing (hoping) you're caught up in the hoopla after today's game

Naw. Yeah it was an amazing game, but I've thought this for some time. Watch a few more games and see how she bends the ball in from the wing. You might be surprised.

 

[pearl31]

this is weird for me, because I'm usually the one defending the women's game to my friends. anyway, we'll just have to disagree on this one.
one closing point, though: look at the arc/trajectory of her crosses compared to the way good crosses into the box in the men's game. pace, a product of leg strength, is key.