US Women's National Soccer Team controversy





When I was much younger, I played high school basketball. During one, particular game, we played a team that was hopelessly, horribly out of their league. We honestly didn't know how bad they were until we were up by almost 40 points at half time. We put our bench warmers in at the beginning of the second half, but it didn't matter. The other team was somehow doing even worse. (There was no "mercy rule".)

When we got to the 4th quarter, we were up by almost 50 points. However, we were getting pretty close to the 100 point mark. Our coach called a timeout, but not to talk with us. Instead, he went over to the other coach for a discussion. Coach told the other coach that we had never hit the 100 point mark before. While we'd love to be able to do it, he didn't want to completely humiliate the other team. (There's just something about the other team getting over 100 points that adds insult to injury.)

The other coach basically said that his team had to learn out to handle defeat, even by such a lopsided amount. He appreciated our coach checking with him but told him to go for it. Of course, the other coach told his players what was going to happen.

Well, we did it. It was close but we ended up with 101 points. The other team didn't even reach 30 points. We celebrated our accomplishment, as it was an historic occasion for the school. But we also took time to console the other team.

Just because the other team is bad shouldn't negate the winning team's accomplishment. You can celebrate the win but still show class and good sportsmanship too.
 
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Having been on both sides (as a parent) of blowouts in soccer, the experience has varied in each situation. In many cases, it depends on the experience of the team doing the blowing out. Meaning, one of the teams my son has played on has always been a highly ranked team so they're usually pretty good about celebrations and general game play. My son has also played on teams that weren't used to winning in general and when those teams have gotten in a situation where they're blowing a team out, many of the kids have all tried to score goals (many of whom normally don't score).

On the other side of the coin, we've been blown out by teams whose parents are still whooping and hollering and ringing cow bells (a pet peeve of mine :p ) when up 9 and 10 goals.

All that being said, the US Women's team had to know they were going to blow out Thailand and I tend to agree that some of the celebrations seemed a little over the top as a viewer.
Don't get me wrong, we've been on the wrong side of blowouts also. And I do think it is humiliating to celebrate the 5th, 6th, 7th, or more goal like you scored the winning goal in added time in the World Cup. BUT, I think that applies to youth (through HS ages) games. I don't think it applies to professional.

I had to work, so didn't get to see the game, so I don't know how "over the top" the celebrations were. But I know if my son would have scored the 10th goal in the game I mentioned earlier, I would have been over the moon. I think he's now the only one on the team aside from the Keepers who hasn't scored. So yes, individual accomplishments matter.
 
One of my DD's played for a travel soccer team that was pretty hopeless but they had fun. They were maybe U8 at the time. One game, when the whistle blew it took 3 touches, for the other team to score, immediately followed by a 4 touch score and then another 4 touch score. So within 3 minutes, 3 goals. The first goal, one of the other mothers leapt out her chair and fist pumped. She did it for the next two goals also. Really made a spectacle of herself, after the third fist pump, one of the parents from her team came over and spoke to her and then she sat quietly in her chair while the team pummeled us. We lost so many games over the years, yet all these years later I still remember that incident.

On another blow out, the other coach was shuffling his players around and playing everyone on his bench. The goalie, who never played anything but goalie for years, was put in as a striker. She was very big and very slow. The absolute look of joy on her face when she scored was priceless and it brought both teams and all the parents to their feet clapping.
 
Honest question because I just don't know. In the World Cup, does it matter how many goals you score or does it strictly come down to wins?

If it comes down to wins, I think they should have eased up. If it could come down to goals, they have to rack them up where they can.

I did watch the game and DID feel the celebrating after the later goals was VERY excessive. On the first couple of goals, and Alex Morgan's 5th goal was for a record. I totally get it, but after 10, is it really necessary? The one with pink hair (don't know her name) was really way too much. Showed poor taste IMO.

ETA: I did play competitive sports, as do both of my children. I've seen/been on both sides of it (winning with huge numbers and losing with huge numbers), still seemed excessive to me.

Goal differential can matter as a tie breaker.
 
These are supposed to be grown ups playing professional sports- if someone's feelings are hurt by the other team celebrating, perhaps they are in the wrong profession.
They are also about international cooperation and unity through sport, showing athletics and SPORTSMANSHIP at the highest level. They are supposed to be role models for girls not only in their athletic prowess but in their manners and "how they play the game." Score as many goals as you can, nobody is arguing that point, you don't need to rub it in with excessive celebrations and make the other team feel worse than they already are about is. When you are up by 10 goals is that goal REALLY as exciting as one that ties up or just put you ahead in a close game? At the younger levels they are many tournaments that are "Invitationals" meaning your club has to be invited by the Host club. If your club is known for poor sportsmanship you can miss out on invitations to top level tournaments. Emulating what the US Team displayed on the field yesterday is NOT what I would want my daughter to aspire to in sports.
 
I do only because I see people calling it classless and unsportsmanlike, but the diving and falling during a men's game doesn't get labeled like that because "that's how it is". Men and women are different and I know as a woman I tend to celebrate more like those players and my dh is more subdued. Does that make my feelings and excitement wrong?

And as I said above, she is a veteran player and with that also comes a lot more pressure to perform at a certain level. I'm sure was we saw was a display of joy and relief.
Oh they diving and falling in the men's games gets mocked and shamed in just the same way. Look at and number of memes and Youtube videos comparing hockey to soccer.https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/122793527313382585/?autologin=true
 
They are also about international cooperation and unity through sport, showing athletics and SPORTSMANSHIP at the highest level. They are supposed to be role models for girls not only in their athletic prowess but in their manners and "how they play the game." Score as many goals as you can, nobody is arguing that point, you don't need to rub it in with excessive celebrations and make the other team feel worse than they already are about is. When you are up by 10 goals is that goal REALLY as exciting as one that ties up or just put you ahead in a close game? At the younger levels they are many tournaments that are "Invitationals" meaning your club has to be invited by the Host club. If your club is known for poor sportsmanship you can miss out on invitations to top level tournaments. Emulating what the US Team displayed on the field yesterday is NOT what I would want my daughter to aspire to in sports.
If the league wants to mandate how teams celebrate goals and victories, they need to make a rule about it. If a coach wants his players to act in a certain way, she/he needs to put rules in place to dictate that. If you think it was wrong, you talk to your children about it and why. I believe the NFL fines players for excessive end zone celebrations- perhaps soccer should do the same thing.
 
One of my DD's played for a travel soccer team that was pretty hopeless but they had fun. They were maybe U8 at the time. One game, when the whistle blew it took 3 touches, for the other team to score, immediately followed by a 4 touch score and then another 4 touch score. So within 3 minutes, 3 goals. The first goal, one of the other mothers leapt out her chair and fist pumped. She did it for the next two goals also. Really made a spectacle of herself, after the third fist pump, one of the parents from her team came over and spoke to her and then she sat quietly in her chair while the team pummeled us. We lost so many games over the years, yet all these years later I still remember that incident.

On another blow out, the other coach was shuffling his players around and playing everyone on his bench. The goalie, who never played anything but goalie for years, was put in as a striker. She was very big and very slow. The absolute look of joy on her face when she scored was priceless and it brought both teams and all the parents to their feet clapping.

This may be getting off topic, but it reminds me of my sons rec lacrosse team this year. There was a shy kid on the team that had set of several goals for himself for the year. He is home schooled and I believe this set of goals may have had something to do with a specific program he and other home schoolers participate in. Anyway, he had specific goals set for community service, academics, physical activity, etc.. He was fairly new to lacrosse, so he put on his list that he wanted to score 2 goals (he had never scored before). He played attack and did manage to score once during the regular season.

In the end of the year tournament, my son's team managed to make it to the championship game (they upset a team to get there, so it was not expected). In that championship game, my son's team actually built a several goal lead and the other team was having trouble scoring. The team only had a few reserves, so the score really could have gotten out of hand. But, in the 4th quarter and without being told, the teammates started to feed the ball to the boy so he could get his second goal. This went on for most of the quarter. As if in a movie or something, he finally scored his second goal of the year within the final minute of the game. All of the kids and parents erupted in an outburst of emotion. Fortunately, the opposing parents could see what was going on. It was great to see 7th and 8th graders be more concerned with the boy meeting his goal than for them to pad their own statistics.
 
They are also about international cooperation and unity through sport, showing athletics and SPORTSMANSHIP at the highest level. They are supposed to be role models for girls not only in their athletic prowess but in their manners and "how they play the game." Score as many goals as you can, nobody is arguing that point, you don't need to rub it in with excessive celebrations and make the other team feel worse than they already are about is. When you are up by 10 goals is that goal REALLY as exciting as one that ties up or just put you ahead in a close game? At the younger levels they are many tournaments that are "Invitationals" meaning your club has to be invited by the Host club. If your club is known for poor sportsmanship you can miss out on invitations to top level tournaments. Emulating what the US Team displayed on the field yesterday is NOT what I would want my daughter to aspire to in sports.

That is your opinion. What I saw I would want my daughter to emulate. They were working together as a team and celebrated each individual's success. I loved that at the end you could tell they were feeding Carly the ball so she could get a chance to score.

My dd has been on many teams where one person hogs the ball and is the only one who scores, that is not cool. She's actually been told to be more selfish because she's quick to pass to another player. She's been a a team that was getting crushed and she got angry when they other team stopped trying because that insulted them. She did not want anyone to 'take it easy' on her, each game is a chance to improve and make her work.

And yes, to these athletes every goal is exciting. It's World Cup soccer and that's why I love it!!
 
That is your opinion. What I saw I would want my daughter to emulate. They were working together as a team and celebrated each individual's success. I loved that at the end you could tell they were feeding Carly the ball so she could get a chance to score.

My dd has been on many teams where one person hogs the ball and is the only one who scores, that is not cool. She's actually been told to be more selfish because she's quick to pass to another player. She's been a a team that was getting crushed and she got angry when they other team stopped trying because that insulted them. She did not want anyone to 'take it easy' on her, each game is a chance to improve and make her work.

And yes, to these athletes every goal is exciting. It's World Cup soccer and that's why I love it!!
Nobody is say anything about holding back and not playing their best, It was the CELEBRATING that was excessive and done to make the other team feel bad when the score was 10-0. Heck, even HOPE SOLO, not known for her sportsmanship thought it was in bad taste and excessive and said so in the media. Club and league play are different, but when you are on the world stage representing your country to the world, you play to the best of your ability, but you don't go on to showboat when the score 10-0. It's about being gracious winners, as well.
 
You come to PLAY in the World Cup. It is the top of the top for the sport. You play every single minute and you do not let up. This isn't some club game where you worry about kids getting their feelings hurt. Also, goal differential is a part of scoring for this level of play. It was smart for the US team to get the goals they could.
 

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